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NAS 2400N Array Failure

 
Darren Fletcher
New Member

NAS 2400N Array Failure

Well where do I start, ok I have a Task Smart 2400 using a 4200 Smart Array controller in the array I have 4 x 18.2 just for a data container the task smart has its 2 x18.2 with the statard 3 partition raid 5 window 2000 server anyway the container the 4 x18.2 that was partitioned (using compaq SANworks VR) was about 50.9gb anyway due to a higher user demand I decided to aquire another 4x18.2 and expand the array, not a problem I went into ACU which expanded the existing array to 121gb ok, but then when i tried to go to VR to increase the pool/virtual disk size it returned an error so i thought ok a restart will fix this (typical microsoft mentality) but then after restart the system did not see the old pool/virtual disk at all and kept giving me a funky error when trying to access it,bum this is where it gets sticky so i decided to remove the old virtual disk, remove the pool and go back to acu.

ACU reckoned the array was fine but i knew otherwise so i deleted the array and re-created to see if that helped and wahey the storage units were now able to be used in VR so I recreated a pool/Virtual disk and hoped it would find the old data.
Snag. as i expected all data was gone just a big blank space so i thought no problems i will restore last nights backup - oh no the backup had failed since march so all i had was a 30 day old backup and an entire company of savages to face. I have used some software called R-Studio which allows me to see all the old data but is having a hard time recovering anything useful. so i throw myself at the mercy of hp/compaq throw my arms in the air screaming asking "why why" and hope you may know an easier way because I have run out of ideas.

Thanks in advance

Darren
If its not on fire then I dont want to know
1 REPLY 1
reg lustenhouwer
Occasional Advisor

Re: NAS 2400N Array Failure

Darren
The N2400 uses Sanworks Virtual Replecator as you are already aware. With VR installed you can increase the size of a lun the host sees very simply by using the gui. This is the logical lun the host sees.
When it comes to expanding the logical disk that is presented to virtual replecator you can not expand the SmartArray lun because virtual replecator writes data in specific areas on the disk and it must not move location. When you used ACU to expand the array you rearranged that data layout. ACU is quite correct in saying that the lun it presents to VR is now larger however the actual data is now rearranged that VR was looking for and is not in the relative location previously written.
The correct way to do this is to create another LUN using ACU and present that lun to Virtual Replecator. If you do this then Virtual Replecator will again wite the data areas in the correct location. Then you use the VR GUI to expand the LUN the host sees. This applies to any system wheather its a NAS or not that uses Virtual Replecator.

Many people do not want to add a lun because you need to usually add multiple disks say in a Raid 5 (three disks min) set where people often want to just add one disk , unfortunately if you move the data as layed out by Virtual Replecator you corrupt the data.

I am sorry to be the beaer of bad news but now you understand what happened.

Reg