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May 3rd, 2015 20:00
RAID 5 array on PERC6/i offline
Ok, so we have a 2970 with a PERC6/i. 5 drives in a RAID 5 array, and one hot spare. I apparently lost two drives today, one to a failure, and one began showing as a foreign config. I cleared the foreign config and replaced the drive, but now on my array, I'm showing 3 drives and 2 slots marked "Missing". How can I bring this array back online and good to go without deleting and creating a new VD? Thanks in advance...
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theflash1932
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May 4th, 2015 12:00
IMPORT
ONLY used when an array is OFFLINE (non-functional/failed). If you have a 3-disk RAID 5 and two disks are foreign (or one foreign and one failed or missing), the RAID 5 is dead/offline. You must import in this case. If you replace a failed/foreign drive with a new one, and the new one is flagged as foreign and you import, you will corrupt your data.
CLEAR
ONLY used when an array is ONLINE (up and running, functional). If you have a 3-disk RAID 5 and one disk is showing foreign (meaning that disk is also offline), you must CLEAR it (whether it is a replacement disk or an original), then assign it as a hot-spare.
Typically once you clear the foreign configuration, you do not get a second chance - the drive is then in a Ready state.
theflash1932
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May 3rd, 2015 22:00
Pull out your backups. You should have IMPORTED the foreign config, not CLEARED it. You should understand the function and consequences of clearing or importing before doing so.
Your only alternative is to attempt a retag of the array.
MrShawn305
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May 4th, 2015 11:00
Yea, that's what I was reading. From what I have gathered reading online, if the array is still online and I'm replacing a dead drive with one that came out of another machine with say a raid 1, I have to clear the foreign config. However if the array is offline I need to import? Or should I always import regardless? I'm obviously not 100% clear on this, and would like to avoid making this same mistake in the future.
I did manage to get the array back online by putting the failed drive back in and importing the foreign config on the drive that was reporting it. So now my hot spare kicked in finally, but checkdisk insisted on running on one of my VM's and some applications aren't starting. I may have to revert to backup like you said. Lesson learned.
MrShawn305
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May 4th, 2015 12:00
Thanks for clearing that up for me. That should help me a ton in the future.