topic Re: Change Boot Array in Disk Enclosures

Change Boot Array

Alan Shaklee — Tue, 26 Sep 2000 17:05:19 GMT

I am running a HP LH3 with Windows NT 4.0 loaded on Disk Array A0. A0 consistes of 3 4gig scsi drives in raid5. I recently added another raid5 (A1) consisting of 3 9gig drives and mirrored the two drives via the os. The problem I am having is how do I tell the HP to boot from A1 and not A0? I also wish to remove A0 and contiue working on A1; will this work? The bios boot options don't give me much.

Re: Change Boot Array

Franco Cenati — Wed, 27 Sep 2000 10:16:42 GMT

Alan, do that :
1) first of all do a full backup
2) Boot the HP Navigator CD , start the HP disk array utility NetRAID Assistant.
With NetRAID Assistant you must do:
2.1) Save the array configuration on floppy
(so if you fails something you can reload it and restart from the begin). Don't use NetRAID Assistant of Windows NT4.0.
2.2) Write on paper the configuration of the array one: the disc position in the array (A1-0, A1-1, A1-2), the Stripe size (could be 8KB or 16 or ...128Kb), the dimension of your logical disk 1 , should be around 17352 MB.
2.3) Now you have a copy of you NetRAID configuration so we can clear it. DO a Clear Configuration.
2.4) Remove the 4 GB disks from the server.
if you want you can change slots of the 9 GB disks from the top to the bottom of the How Swap Cage. It could be dangerous to remove working disks from a server powered on. So power it off if you want to move the 9BG disks.

2.5) NetRAID Assistant from Navigator, start the Wizard, create the array0 and Logical disk 0 using the parameters you wrote on paper. DON'T INITIALIZE THE DISKS otherwise you will delete the data.

Now you have only one Array with one Logical Drive RAID 5.

Start Windows NT, start disk administrator, break the software mirror.

You understant that if yo make a little mistake you data will be lost. I know how to do that job, but you will do it, so if you loose your data is not my responsability.
That why, first of all do a full backup of your disks

if you need more help just asks.
I'm in Italy so take care to the Time Zone

Franco Cenati

Re: Change Boot Array

RAMY NAGUIB — Mon, 21 May 2001 10:04:21 GMT

There is a much more easier solution for this .
1-Install the latest NetRaid utility for NT
2-Save the raid configuration on a floppy disk.
3-Make an NT boot disk "boot.ini ,ntdetect and ntldr" then Break the S/W mirror.
4-Shut down your server.
5-Rmove all the Hot Swap Disks from the cage
6-Boot the server and press ctr+m
7-Make sure you CLEAR ALL THE RAID CONFIGURATION.
8-Shut down again
9-Insert only the 3 drives of A1
10-Start the server and at boot press cr+m to inter Raid configuration then view configuration then view disks configuration then escape the ACCEPT DISKS CONFIGURATION.
At this point your servers see only the raid A1.
Your next jod is the boot disk "ONLY IF YOUR NT DOES NOT BOOT" But 99% it'll boot properly and that's it
The idea behind my solution is as follows:
The configuration of the Arrays are saved in the Controller Bios AND on the disks itself.
So we clear the controller configuration and insert the disks with the required Raid configuration "A1" and let the controller accept this configuration after it gives a Mis-match error "between the controller clreared configuration and the detected configuration on the disks of rai A1.
Good luck and for any further info. please contact me direct by e-mail
ramyn@orascom.com