Replacing a disk of RAID 5 on NetServer LC2000 U3

[B. GAUTIER]

One of my drives is failed (red lights on it). Drives are hot plug (on RAID 5)

What is the procedure to replace this disk ? Do i have only to remove it and insert the new one with windows server 2003 running ? the rebuild is automatic ?
Do i have to use NetServer Navigator ?

Thanks a lot for your answers, i just want to be sure of the operation

Regards
Benoit

[B. GAUTIER]

I would like to add that the "new" disk i plan to install in replacement has already been use in another RAID 5 somewhere else (exactly same physic specifications)

Will it work with this one ?

Thanks

[kris rombauts · Accepted solution]

Benoit,

their is no issue in re-using a disk that was part of another raid set IF you insert the disk online in your current server that needs a disk rebuild.

Do no insert that foreign raid disk when you server is offline or do not reboot the server since this might introduce a problem and confuse the Netraid controller when this disk is present at boot time and it has not been rebuild or started a rebuild into the raid config yet.

So , just plug in that disk online and if the Netraid controller is configureed for automatic rebuild, the rebuild should kick in after a few seconds when the disk is spinned up and ready, you should notice heavy disk activity.

If not, start the Netraid Assistant utility in Windows and manually start a rebuild on the disk that shows up with a status of 'Ready' (the one you newly inserted)

HTH

Kris

[B. GAUTIER]

Thank you Kris,

So according to you, it is absolutely impossible that data, from the disk i want to include in the array, will be replicated on the 2 others disks ?

Is it possible to configure the "automatic building" from the Bios of the RAID controller (CTRL+M), because, i'm my OS is Windows Server 2003 and no manager available on it ... :-(

Regards,
Benoît

[B. GAUTIER]

Kris,

Everything worked fine with your advices.

Thanks you.

Benoit

[Jarod Lim]

I have a similar problem. But I can't find NetRaid Utility. Where is it located?

[kris rombauts]

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=51917&prodTypeId=329290&prodSeriesId=51915&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=226

hth

Kris

[Ryan Gaudet]

I am just waiting for a replacement drive to come in to do the same thing. I have NetRAID Assistant on the server but just want to confirm that I can just remove the failed harddisk with the system online. DO I need to do something in NetRAID to that failed disk before removing?

[kris rombauts]

Ryan,

no, it all goes automatically, remove bad disk, insert new disk, wait a few seconds and the rebuild should start.
If it does not start, the launch the Netraid assistant and that will rescan the bus and kick off the rebuild.

Makre sure you have consistency check service running , this runs a kind of health check of the raid array parity on a weekly basis.

Kris

[Bob-SNC]

What if you are replacing all three drives in a raid with bigger drives. Can I just replace them one at a time, allowing each one to rebuilt separately like it was a bad drive until each one is replaced?

Thanks
Bob