PowerEdge: Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations on PERC controllers

Summary: The article explains what is a foreign configuration is and how to troubleshoot it.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

  • The RAID array status would be degraded if a single dual disk (depending on the array type) disk is in a foreign configuration.

  • The RAID array status would be failed if more than two disks are in a foreign configuration (depending on the array type) 

Examples:

  1. RAID 5 status is degraded due to one disk in a foreign configuration state.

  2. RAID 5 showing failed due to more than two disks in a foreign configuration state.

  3. RAID 6 showing failed due to more than three disks in a foreign configuration state.

  4. RAID 10 showing degraded due to single disk in each span pare going into a foreign configuration.

  5. RAID 10 showing failed state due to two disks in a single span going into a foreign configuration

 

Reason:

The hard drive's configuration is either unknown to the PERC controller or inconsistent with its current configuration.

 

Troubleshoot steps:

If multiple disks have a foreign configuration and the array (as in RAID 5) is not functioning, the array is in a failed state. Try the following steps:

  1. Check the controller or the Lifecycle Controller (LCC) log to see which disk went into foreign last, but checking the timestamps in the ether of the logs.
  2. Remove the first disks that went into a foreign configuration and leave in the last disk that went into a foreign configuration because it has the latest data on it.
  3. Import the disk.
  4. If the disk imports
    1. The array goes into a degraded state.
    2. Install the first disk that was removed and import it.
  5. Should the disk fails to import then clear the foreign configuration and set it as a hot spare to allow it to rebuild into the RAID array.
Note: If multiple arrays using the same hard drives contain foreign configurations, the action taken should be based on all the arrays. If one array is functioning, and another array is NOT functioning, the foreign configuration should be imported.

Affected Products

PowerEdge XR2, PowerEdge R240, PowerEdge R250, PowerEdge R260, PowerEdge R340, PowerEdge R350, PowerEdge R360, PowerEdge R440, PowerEdge R450, PowerEdge R470, PowerEdge R540, PowerEdge R550, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R6415, PowerEdge R650 , PowerEdge R650xs, PowerEdge R6515, PowerEdge R6525, PowerEdge R660, PowerEdge R660xs, PowerEdge R6615, PowerEdge R6625, PowerEdge R670, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge R740XD, PowerEdge R740XD2, PowerEdge R7415, PowerEdge R7425, PowerEdge R750, PowerEdge R750XA, PowerEdge R750xs, PowerEdge R7515, PowerEdge R7525, PowerEdge R760, PowerEdge R760XA, PowerEdge R760xd2, PowerEdge R760xs, PowerEdge R7615, PowerEdge R7625, PowerEdge R770, PowerEdge R7715, PowerEdge R7725, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R860, PowerEdge R940, PowerEdge R940xa, PowerEdge R960, PowerEdge T140, PowerEdge T150, PowerEdge T160, PowerEdge T340, PowerEdge T350, PowerEdge T360, PowerEdge T40, PowerEdge T440, PowerEdge T550, PowerEdge T560, PowerEdge T640, PowerEdge XE2420, PowerEdge XE7100, PowerEdge XE7420, PowerEdge XE7440, PowerEdge XE7745, PowerEdge XE8545, PowerEdge XE8640, PowerEdge XE9640, PowerEdge XE9680, PowerEdge XR11, PowerEdge XR12, PowerEdge XR4000r, PowerEdge XR4000w, PowerEdge XR4000z, PowerEdge XR4510c, PowerEdge XR4520c, PowerEdge XR5610, PowerEdge XR7620, PowerEdge XR8000r, PowerEdge XR8610t, PowerEdge XR8620t ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000139205
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 19 مارس 2025
Version:  6
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