OpenManage 7.1 Physical Disks Available Tasks are only Blink and Unblink

Coopejud,

You need to ensure that the server is up to date. What is the server you are using, as well as the OS?

It's a PE 2950 Gen II, Windows Server 2008 R2, RAID controller 5/i Integrated RAID controller.

The BIOS and RAID drivers are up-to-date.

I, like Chris, suspect that your system (the PERC in particular) is out of date.

BIOS (2.7.0):

ftp.dell.com/.../PE2950_BIOS_WIN_2.7.0.EXE

ESM (2.37):

ftp.dell.com/.../BMC_FRMW_WIN_R202152.EXE

PERC Driver ... native to 2008R2 and should be up to date, although if a newer version is available, it would be through Windows Update):

PERC Firmware (5.2.2.0072):

ftp.dell.com/.../SAS-RAID_Firmware_2RPK0_WN32_5.2.2-0072_A09.EXE

Once updated, you will configure your new disks in Storage, PERC, Information/Configuration (link at top of page), Create/New from the dropdown menu of Available Tasks for the controller, which will start a wizard walking you through adding the disks to a new virtual disk (array).  If you want to add them to your existing RAID array, you will do this in Storage, PERC, Virtual Disks, and Reconfigure from the drop-down.

The ESM and PERC were already up to date, but I reinstalled them just to be sure.  I also updated the BIOS.  No luck on either of those things.

When I go to Storage, PERC, Information/Configuration, the dropdown menu just says "No Task Available".

"When I go to Storage, PERC, Information/Configuration, the dropdown menu just says "No Task Available". "

Then your version of OMSA may be outdated or may need to be reinstalled.  What version are you running?

In the CTRL-R utility, you will not have "force offline" for your new disks, as they are not online - they are not currently in a state to have options.  On the VD MGMT screen, you should be able to create a new VD with them.

What are you wanting to do with the new disks?

What is the model of disks you are using?

I have now also booted into the PERC 5/i Integrated BIOS Configuration Utility (Version 1.04-019A).  There I see a similar problem.  When I go to the Physical Disk Management tab and view the Operations available, only "LED Blinking" is enabled for the new disks.  The ones which are already online also include the option to "force offline" but nothing else.

OSMA is version 7.1.  I installed it today.

I want to add the disks to the array in order to increase my C-volume capacity.  Both of the new disks are listed as "foreign".  I need to clear the old configuration from the new disks and then add them as a part of the existing array.

The disks I'm using are Seagate Cheetahs, all 73GB, 15k SAS disks.  Two are already online and in use.

It looks like I may be able to modify the foreign config in the CTRL-R utility, "Foreign View" screen.  After reading the documentation, however, I am not sure if I should use "import" or "clear".  It can only be applied on the controller level - will I be erasing the config for my current disks if I use "clear"?

Good information in your post.  Just a quick question before I end up hosing my server.  After going to the  Info/Config and going down to the Controller Task I select the  Foreign Configuration Operations and then hit Execute.  That then shows me the preview with the Orphan Drive 0 (in my case 0:1:3 is my foreign drive).  Am I correct in hitting the Clear at this point or have I gotten to the wrong place.

Any update on this?  Have a drive in a similar state.