Dell PowerEdge 2900 - PERC 5i RAID Controller - Drive Failure

Question

Hello all,

This is my first time posting so forgive me if I do not follow the proper rules. I also do not know much about how this server was setup or really how to manage this since it was just dumped on me recently.

I pretty much ran into the same issue as the original post and also have a Dell PowerEdge 2900 with a PERC 5i SAS RAID Controller. I also have a failed hard drive and inserted a new one ordered from our Dell rep.

However, instead of modifying the Config Utility, I let the system reboot, then it offered me to load from Foreign Configuration which allowed my server to load into Windows. It was fine for a small period of time but now it pretty much shuts down nightly by itself.

Luckily this is an old storage server that isn't used any more and we do have plans to decommission it eventually. But I like to have it stable enough so that I don't have to keep loading Foreign config daily to reboot the server.

I am afraid to clear "Foreign configuration" because I don't know what effect that would have.

Below are the Config Utility screens:

Thanks for any help that I can get.

theflash1932 · Accepted Answer

You need to assign it as a hot-spare, then it will begin to rebuild in place of the missing disk ... that's just how it works.

theflash1932 · Accepted Answer

Then Import the Foreign Configuration from the VD MGMT screen in the CTRL-R utility ... that should import the config permanently.  The reason I was concerned is because OFTEN a replacement/new disk will show up as Foreign, but if that was the case, it should have screwed up your array and not booted.

theflash1932 · Answer

You get the Foreign Configuration after every boot?

You have gone to VD MGMT, highlighted the controller, and Imported the Foreign Config (or are you doing it a different way)?

If you Clear the Foreign Config, it will erase the configuration headers for the RAID array on the disks, and will continue, using the configuration stored on the controller. Usually, this is a one time thing, so if it keeps happening again and again, then either the drives will not allow their configuration to change or the controller will not allow its configuration to be changed.

When you replaced the failed disk, did you power down to replace it, or did you hot-swap the disk?

DELL-Chris H · Answer

Fticc,

First off, do you have a backup of all the data?

If so go ahead and clear the foreign and see if the new drive rebuilds to the Virtual Disk. If not then try assigning it as a hot spare to get the rebuild to start.

Let me know how it goes.

fticc · Answer

Dell - Chris H I do have Symantec Backup Exec tape backups of the data and that's about it.  So I am afraid that if I couldn't get the server backup, it'll be hard to restore the information.

fticc · Answer

Well, here's what I mean, when the server boots up, it runs through its actions in the boot phase and I can either

Ctrl-M to go into the Network config and then

Ctrl-R to go into the Raid config and then finally

enter C to load Config Utility or F to load Foreign Config.

I have entered F at the last phase to boot up the server.

When I replaced the failed disk, I did power down to replace it and didn't do a hot-swap unfortunately.

fticc · Answer

After I have imported the Foreign Config, what should I do about my the new HD that is still in a Ready state? Am I only able to create an HS or can I get it back somehow to an 'Online' state?

theflash1932 · Answer

'If it's hot-swap, swap it hot.'  Never power down to replace a disk that is hot-swappable - for this (and worse) reason. You need to find out if your new disk is showing Foreign, or if your original disks are showing Foreign.  If the new disk was Foreign, it shouldn't boot, but you should Clear the Foreign Configuration, then set it as a hot-spare to rebuild it.  If the other disks are Foreign, you need to Import the Foreign Config, then rebuild the new one.

fticc · Answer

Thank you very much for your instructions.

I have just done so and the disk is rebuilding. I have restarted the server and it loaded right in.

Hopefully the server doesn't magically or tragically crash again tonight.

Thanks, again.

fticc · Answer

theflash1932,

Before the other 3 HDs were online and the new HD was in a Ready phase.

Now one of the original is in "Foreign", 2 are online, and the new one is still in Ready phase like my second image.

theflash1932 · Answer

It is still giving you the foreign configuration prompts?  Did it do that after a reboot, or did the system actually crash ('went down')?  If it is not holding its configuration, I'd suspect your controller is on the fritz.  You don't want to force it online ... you need to rebuild it anytime it goes offline/fails.

fticc · Answer

Here is the weird thing, the hard drive that is green/amber is the new drive that was replaced originally. So I am not quite sure how that is. All the drives were purchased from Dell and the last one was replaced by Dell after contacting our rep.

I will try to do that when possible and return with the results.

fticc · Answer

By running diagnostics, do you mean just use the ones during the Boot phase?

fticc · Answer

Spoke to soon, the server went down again so I went into the Mgmt screen again.

The new HD has been rebuilt but is Offline, so I assume I just have to force it online?

And then reload Foreign configurations again to restart my server?

fticc · Answer

I think the system crashed again. I went back into the VD Mgmt and imported Foreign Config again.

The new HD is now in an "Offline" state which previously was in "Ready" before I made it an HS. I didn't want to force it online because of the warning.

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

Dell PowerEdge 2900 - PERC 5i RAID Controller - Drive Failure

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