Dell R710 iDRAC 6 Perc 6/i - Replaced Ram

Hi,

Can I confirm, you mentioned that the server has PERC 6/i and H700? 

Replacing the memory might not affect the boot sequence unless the CMOS battery is having an issue while you are replacing the memory. If the Virtual Disk is in Degraded status, it should be able to boot. I am unfamiliar with Proxmox as it's not a support OS for the server. It's great that you manage to install the OS and have it running. SATA settings should be set to RAID if you are using the RAID controller to create RAID10. 

Let's wait for the rebuilding to complete before you boot the Virtual Disk, this way, you won't corrupt the OS data. 

@DELL-Joey C​ Thank you for your response. The drives auto rebuilt on their own once installed and have completed. To add a little context this is a RAID 10 with 6 2TB drives and a usable Drive Space of 5.4 TB. Below is what I am getting on POST. This is an older server on older firmware. Bios does see raid as a selectable boot option. I kept finding comments of "Set VD0 to on in ctrl-r" Also in bios on the sata the only option I have is ata or off. 

System Memory Size: 144.0 GB, System Memory Speed 800MHZ

Power Edge expandable raid controller bios

copyright

press ctrl r to run configuration utility

ha -0 (bus 3 dev 0) PERC 6/i Integrated

FW package: 6.2.0-0013

1 virtual drive found on host adapter

1 virtual drive handled by bios

iDrac 6 configuration utility 1.33

iDrac6 firmware revision 1.10.13

primary backplane firmware revision 1/07

IPv6 settings = disabled

IPv4 setting = enabled

Press ctrl-e for remote access setup

No boot device available

Current boot mode is set to bios

please ensure compatible bootable media is available

use the system setup program to change the boot mode as needed

Strike f1 to retry boot, F2 for system setup, F11 for bios  

@DELL-Joey C​ Also apologies. Yes it is definitely Perc 6/i, I am not positive on what the controller is. I believe it is an H700.

Thanks for the additional details! Based on the POST output and your description, it seems like the system is recognizing the RAID controller (PERC 6/i) and the virtual drive (VD0), but it's failing to boot from it. Let's address this systematically.

Key Observations
RAID Controller: You confirmed it's a PERC 6/i (not an H700). This is important because the PERC 6/i has different behavior and limitations compared to the H700.
RAID Status: The rebuild completed successfully, and the array should be in an "Optimal" state.
Boot Issue: The system sees the RAID controller and VD0 but fails to boot with the error:
No boot device available. Current boot mode is set to BIOS. Please ensure compatible bootable media is available.

SATA Mode: The BIOS only offers ATA or Off for SATA settings (no RAID or AHCI option). This is expected for the PERC 6/i, as it handles RAID independently of the SATA controller.
Possible Causes
Boot Flag Missing: The VD0 might not be marked as bootable in the RAID configuration.
Bootloader Corruption: The GRUB bootloader or Proxmox installation might be corrupted.
BIOS Boot Order: The system might not be properly configured to boot from the RAID controller.
Firmware Issues: Outdated firmware on the PERC 6/i or BIOS could cause compatibility problems.
Proxmox Installation: If Proxmox was installed in UEFI mode but the system is set to BIOS (or vice versa), it won't boot.
Steps to Resolve
1. Verify RAID Configuration
Enter the PERC 6/i configuration utility (CTRL+R during POST).
Confirm that VD0 is marked as bootable. If not, enable this option.
Ensure the RAID array is in an Optimal state (no degraded or rebuilding drives).
2. Check BIOS Boot Settings
Enter BIOS (F2 during POST).
Navigate to the Boot Settings and ensure:
The PERC 6/i is listed as the first boot device.
Boot Mode is set to BIOS (not UEFI) unless Proxmox was installed in UEFI mode.
Disable Secure Boot (if the option exists).
Save and exit.
3. Reinstall GRUB (Bootloader)
If the system still fails to boot, the bootloader might be corrupted. Here's how to fix it:

Boot from Proxmox ISO:
Use a Proxmox installation ISO to boot into rescue mode.
Select the option to Rescue a broken system.
Chroot into the Installation:
Identify the root partition (usually /dev/mapper/pve-root).
Mount it and chroot into it:
bash
mount /dev/mapper/pve-root /mnt
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot  # Adjust for your boot partition
chroot /mnt
Reinstall GRUB:
Run the following commands:
bash
update-grub
grub-install /dev/sda  # Replace /dev/sda with your boot disk
Exit the chroot and reboot.
4. Test with a Live Linux USB
Boot from a Linux live USB (e.g., Ubuntu or GParted).
Check if the RAID array is visible:
bash
lsblk
cat /proc/mdstat
If the array is visible, the issue is likely with the bootloader or Proxmox installation.
5. Update Firmware
PERC 6/i Firmware: The current version (6.2.0-0013) is quite old. Check Dell's support site for updates.
BIOS/iDRAC Firmware: Update these if newer versions are available. Outdated firmware can cause boot issues.
6. Recreate the RAID Array (Last Resort)
If all else fails, you might need to recreate the RAID array and reinstall Proxmox. Ensure you have backups before doing this!

@Dell-Martin S​ Thank you greatly for your assistance. 

We do not have an option to "Confirm that VD0 is marked as bootable. If not, enable this option." which is part of the problem in troubleshooting, most advice pointed to this. I think it is just the firmware is so old that this was not a thing at the time. Since this is a ProxMox environment we just wipe the raid and are initializing it now. We will just reinstall ProxMox and load our backups. I would have rather figured out what the cause of the no bootable disk was for knowledge's sake, unfortunately there are some VMs on this box that needed to be loaded. New server incoming! 

Thank you all for your assistance.