Article Number: 000122457

How to import a “Foreign Configuration” in the RAID Controller using the System Setup Menu

Summary: This article introduces how to import Foreign configuration on the System Setup (F2) menu.

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Article Content

Instructions

This article provides information about how to import a foreign configuration RAID array on the system setup menu.

Since the PowerEdge R/T x30, x40 series system is mainly running in the UEFI mode, RAID BIOS may not be displayed. In this case, please refer to the steps in this article.
When the controller detects that the RAID configuration is inconsistent or not synchronized with the rest of the array, it is marked as Foreign. This could often happen when the drive was moved to another machine, but it also could happen when the drive went offline. The drive could go offline when a failure occurs, when a failure is happening right now, or when the unexpected situation occurs in the firmware.

Warning: The steps in this article may cause a loss of data due to the situation. Since the status needs to be confirmed before running the steps, it is recommended to follow the instructions of technical support.

Table of Contents
1.　Check Each Status
2.　Import Foreign Configuration

Steps to Check the Virtual/Physical Disk Status

Turn on the system, press F2 key once when prompted is working.
Select Device Settings on the System Setup Main Menu.
Click the appropriate RAID controller on the Device Settings menu.
If the system is PowerEdge R/T x40 series, select Main Menu on the Dashboard View menu displayed after selecting the controller.
Click Virtual Disk Management on the Main menu.
Check the status of appropriate virtual disk that is displayed and click the virtual disk link.
If the virtual disk information is not displayed, click Back to go back to the previous screen and move to step 8 to check the physical disk.
Check the information on the "Raid Level", "Status" and "Size", and click View Associated Physical Disks.
Check physical disks that consist the virtual disk from the "ASSOCIATED PHYSICAL DISKS" field and click Back until the screen go back to the Main Menu.
Click Physical Disk Management on the Main Menu.
Check the status of all displayed physical disks and click each disk to check the details.
Check the following items on the disk details screen.
- PowerEdge R/T x30/x35 series: "Physical Disk ID", "Status", "Size"
- PowerEdge R/T x40/x45 series: "Device ID", "Backplane ID", "Slot Number", "Status", "Size"
Check the status of all remaining physical disks in the same way and return to the Main Menu.

Steps to Import Foreign Configurations

Click Configuration Management on the Main Menu screen.
Click Manage Foreign Configuration.
Click Preview Foreign Configuration.
Check the status of the virtual disk displayed on the "VIRTUAL DISKS INCLUDED AFTER FOREIGN CONFIGURATION IMPORT" is "Ready" or "Degraded" and click Import Foreign Configuration.
- PHYSICAL DISKS INCLUDED...: Displays only disks in Foreign configuration
- VIRTUAL DISKS INCLUDED...: Displays virtual disk that after the import operation
Read the displayed warning, tick the Confirm and click Yes.
Once the message "The operation has been performed successfully" is displayed click OK.
Click Back on the Configuration Management screen.

"Manage Foreign Configuration" menu is still displayed at this point.
Click Virtual Disk Management on the Main Menu screen, check the status of the virtual disk is "Ready" or "Degraded".
If the status is "Ready", go to step 9.
If the status is other than "Ready", follow the steps below to check the status.
1. Click the appropriate virtual disk and check the "Status".
2. Click View Associated Physical Disk and check the physical disks included to the virtual disk.
  Contact Dell technical support if the disk other than "Online" status exists.
Click Back→Finish→Finish→Finish, and once the warning "Are you sure want to exit?" is displayed click Yes.
OS is booted.

Right after the import Foreign configuration operation, recovered virtual disk may not be recognized correctly and OS may not be launched.
In this case, press Ctrl+Alt+Del key to restart the system and check if the system starts up correctly.