Reconfiguring RAID - Reg.

It does not have to be an exactly matching make/model drive.  As long as it is certified for the controller (you didn't say what system and controller you have!), the make/model does not matter, although you should be keeping system firmware (BIOS, ESM, PERC, HDD) up to date.  The drive can be larger than the existing drive - it just CANNOT be smaller.  Depending on your system, just stick the replacement disk in ("if it is hot-swap, swap it hot") and it will rebuild into the RAID 1.

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reply,

Pls. find further info on the system,

Server Model No. : Power Edge 2950, 64bit processor, Intel® Xeon® CPU, E5405 @2.0Ghz.

Product Name : PERC 6/I,

Fw. Package : 6.0.2-002

BIOS Version : NT13-2

Tried out the following options,

Option1: With existing single HDD(1) running, another HDD of same type / Size was stacked into the next slot, but, that newer HDD is not getting Synchronized.

Option2: Two New HDD of Same size is stacked in the slots.(0 &1) & tried to load OS Newly, but, System say’s that the “All Previous Disks were not available”

“Press any Key to Continue or Press “C” to load configuration. On Pressing Enter, the system continued & again says press “C” to load configuration.”

On pressing “C” at this time, screen with VD Mgmt. Appeared, providing options as below

• Create New Array,  

• Foreign Configuration Import / Clear

• Reset Configuration

On opting 2nd option on above with Import, the System stated a warning message; Info in NVPROM & EEPROM will be lost.

With above situation, pls. clarify the below points,

1. If I go ahead with erasing the existing configuration, thru’ the above Option2, will it work or not?

2. If I go ahead with Create New Array, where does this configuration get stored?

3. In case after New Creation configuration is created found ok & at later stage if the Previous HDD(1) to be used, will the system takes the old configuration or again a new Array to be created.

Pls. tell how to proceed further,

You need to slow down.  From what you posted above, I would surmise that you do not value the data on your existing RAID 1 and are open to completely rebuilding from scratch.  Is that correct?  What are you hoping to do?  Simply replace and rebuild a replacement drive?

Option 1:  On a PERC 6, it will not usually rebuild automatically.  You need to assign it as a hot-spare.  In some cases, the drive will show as foreign.  If it does, you MUST clear the foreign config BEFORE it will let you do anything with it.

Option 2:  Before you can  install to the new/different disks, you MUST delete any previous RAID configs, AND configure the disks in a new RAID array.

1. Yes, as I said, you must clear any existing configurations (for disks not present), then configure RAID before attempting an installation of the OS.

2. The RAID configuration is stored in two places:  on the drives and on the controller.  When the disk configuration and the NVRAM configuration do not match, that is where "foreign" configurations come from.

3. I don't understand this question.  Is HDD1 your original, good, RAID 1 drive?

Hi, Once again thanks for your Quick Reply, based on your above suggestions, pls. clarify further as below, for better understanding, I have replied under each of your question / suggesstions,

You need to slow down. From what you posted above, I would surmise that you do not value the data on your existing RAID 1 and are open to completely rebuilding from scratch. Is that correct? What are you hoping to do? Simply replace and rebuild a replacement drive?

Well First I would like to clear one thing that the data on the existing HDD is important which cannot be offered to lose, moreover, an important application programs are running, setting up the application program again from the scrap in the newer HDD without referring the existing HDD will be difficult. Hence, the existing HDD is very important.

With above situation, Firstly, in order to save the system (Application Program running), I am trying to backup the system by stacking a 2nd (Newer) HDD & rebuild the system, which is not happening (means the 2nd (Newer) HDD is not synchronizing with Primary (Existing) HDD.

Option 1: On a PERC 6, it will not usually rebuild automatically. You need to assign it as a hot-spare. In some cases, the drive will show as foreign. If it does, you MUST clear the foreign config BEFORE it will let you do anything with it.

Pls. clarify, if I clear the Foreign Configuration in the 2nd (Newer) HDD,

• Will it have any impact on the Primary (Existing) HDD? or

• Will it have any impact on the configuration in controller? or only on the 2nd (Newer) HDD

If only on the 2nd (Newer) HDD, then pls. let know how to proceed further in order to rebuild the system in the 2nd (Newer) HDD, i.e. how to make the 2nd (Newer) HDD to synchronize with  Primary (Existing) HDD

Option 2: Before you can install to the new/different disks, you MUST delete any previous RAID configs, AND configure the disks in a new RAID array.

In order to be much safer side, the option -2 is planned,

1. Yes, as I said, you must clear any existing configurations (for disks not present), then configure RAID before attempting an installation of the

Can you pls. clarify the following?

• Clear configuration will clear the existing configuration from both controller & New HDD (If any available), further, to create a New RAID configuration. Hope this will be getting stored in both controller & New HDD.

2. The RAID configuration is stored in two places: on the drives and on the controller. When the disk configuration and the NVRAM configuration do not match, that is where "foreign" configurations come from.

• Clearing the foreign configuration will clear the configuration from both controller & HDD

3. I don't understand this question. Is HDD1 your original, good, RAID 1 drive?

Yes. Let me make the question clear, if I perform the option 2, is it possible to restore / reuse the actual HDD.

- No, clearing the foreign configuration on disk 1 will have NO affect on the running VD on the original disk.

- No, it will ONLY clear the foreign configuraion on disk 1.

- Foreign configurations are not stored on the controller - a foreign configuration is a configuration on a disk that the controller has flagged NOT to use.  If you DELETE the configuration with disks connected, it will delete the configuration on BOTH the disks and the controller.

- Again, the foreign configuration is a DISK-ONLY configuration NOT used by the controller, so clearing the foreign config will ONLY clear the config on the DISK in question.

DO NOT CREATE A NEW ARRAY UNLESS YOU PLAN TO REBUILD FROM SCRATCH!  Attempt to clear the foreign configuration on the disk, then assign it as a hot-spare, which will begin a rebuild to resynch that drive with the existing drive in the RAID 1.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for the support provided,

With above suggestion,I have re-established the RAID-1 configuration, Now, I have two HDD’s Online & system (Application Program) is running fine. Hence, the main problem is solved.

Once again, to be in safer side, I would have clarifications on the below point,

As this Application is very critical, I have bought an identical Server PC, say PC-2 (Backup PC) other than the one in Online, Say PC-1.

1.How to make the PC-2 logically identical to PC-1?

2.What are the chances under which RAID configuration in a controller gets washed off?

                a.In case, for any reason, if the configuration in the controller gets washed off, by stacking in the backup HDD which was earlier taken from running system (Say the Disk which is synchronized with primary HDD). Does the good configuration in the backup HDD gets loaded in controller?

3.Is there any possibility of storing the RAID configuration available in PC-1 externally, so that, the same can be used in other identical machine?

1. Cloning or backup software is your best bet.  You can try taking one of the RAID 1 drives from PC1 and put it in PC2, import the config, then insert a second drive and rebuild to it ... this carries more risk.

2. It is not common but not unheard of.  It is MUCH more commone with out-of-date firmware.

2a. You can probably Import the configuration from the new disk, but it will probably not happen automatically.

3. No.  The config is stored in the NVRAM of the controller and on the individual disks ... it cannot be exported.