Replacing failed drive

Question

PowerEdge 4300, PERC2 controller, Service tag HQG8L, three 18GB drives configured RAID5. One drive failed, we ordered and received a new one from Dell. Downed server, replaced drive, brought up server. Drive shows as failed in Dell OpenManage Array Manager. I had assumed the array would begin rebuilding automatically once it detected the new, good drive (ala HP NetServers). Do I need to start the rebuild manually? If so, what kind of performance degradation can I expect during the rebuild (this is the mail server for our site). Is it absolutely necessary to get everyone off of the server before attempting a rebuild? Thanks.

--Patrick

DELL-Mark A · Answer

Hi Patrick,

This is the procedure for starting the rebuild on your PowerEdge Expandable Raid Controller (PERC) 2/sc in the Array Manager.

1. Locate the Array Disk with the failed drive. The Disk should have an Icon of a Red X on it. The Red X represents a Failed hard drive.
2. Right Click on Array Disk X:X and choose Rebuild.
3. After reading the warning click Yes.
4. The Disk will rebuild and return to the Online status.

There will be some performance degradation while the rebuild is completing, it is advised to do this at a low usage time, but it is not critical to get everyone off the server.

pvestal · Answer

Thanks Mark -- I'll try it tonight. --PAtrick

Toontje · Answer

Hi Mark,   I cannot find that option in the right-click menu of the drive. Not even greyed-out. What do i do wrong?   Regards,   Ton.

bmtn · Answer

Hi Mark, I need to replace one of the drives in my raid 5 array. I don't have a hot swappable backplane so I have to shutdown to replace the drive. When I power up, will the system take me into the perc bios menu for the rebuild? I would like to do the rebuild using the Windows Perc console.

DELL-GaryS · Answer

Hi,

No it will not take you there, it will complain about the degraded array and produce the annoying beep, but will still boot to the operating system. Here is a hint, silence the perc alarm before starting the rebuild, for you will not be able to turn it off once the rebuild has started. If your array is large enough it may take 14 hours to do a rebuild, more if you lower the I/O dedicated to the rebuild.

DELL-GaryS

bmtn · Answer

Thanks Gary. Rebuild completed successfully...painless.

beekerc · Answer

If I don't have a copy of the Dell OpenManage Array Manager, is rebuilding the volume via the PERC 2's BIOS page the only way? If so, do I have to keep it in that stage while it's rebuilding, or will it let me boot up to Windows?

Can the OpenManage Array Manager be downloaded anywhere? I inherited a 4350 server and didn't get any of the original CD's with it.

Thanks

warwizard55 · Answer

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smarrman/ for the user's manuals   http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn file library   I assume you have a M/S OS or a Novell O/S  with that MSCE  and CNE, but that still gives a lot of choices, you'll need to select the O/S and expand the systems management section to find the correct version of array manager for your O/S.   warwizard,  MCP, CCNA, and DCSP (Dell Certified Server Professional) Took the CNE courses for NW 3.12, never bothered with the tests.

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

Replacing failed drive

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