ProLiant ML310 RAID1 "degraded"...

[Andy Bender]

Howdy, y'all; one of the matched 80GB disks in the RAID1 array failed during a recent hardware service session. It's embarrassing, so I'll write no more about it. ;-)

The MegaRAID IDE configuration is now in "degraded" state, but still running Win2K3. I acquired what I though was an exact replacement for the failed disk (80-GB Maxtor DiamondMax +9), but the replacement disk, manufactured 6 months later than the failed device, is reporting with a lower capacity, by about 2MB, than the failed device, which was one of a pair, purchased and installed at the same time.

Coupla questions: One of the options is a RAID0 configuration, as presented by the MegaRAID IDE utility; the command is to "Initialize." Will this operation wipe the data from the healthy disk in the process?

Secondly, the replacement disk came from a desktop system running XP Home. Is there a (preferably, free) utility to ensure that the disk is completely scrubbed, and doesn't have residual data that would cause the apparent reduction in disk capacity?

TIA for your advice.

Sincerely,

APJ
The OC, SoCal, USA.

[John A. Myrna]

I have seen the same problem before where the same model disk isn't exactly the same size. Base on that I would say your new disk will not work. You need to be exactly the same size or larger. Larger disks will only utilize the same amount of space as the other member of the raid but will work finr. I haven't used the MegaRAID in quite a while, but Initilize should wipe the drive, but it won't help with your problem. As for using a utility to wipe the disk that won't help either since the raid controller is looking at the total physical space on the disk, not the available space on the drive.

[Andy Bender]

Thanx for your note, John. I posted a question to one of Maxtor's forums about the discrepancy in the capacity of the replacement disk, but haven't received a reply.

Given that I'm gonna hafta reload Win2K3 SP2 and all of the applications, I'm gonna purchase a PCI RAID adapter, and coupla new SATA disks for a RAID 1 configuration. They've never been cheaper. Shouldn't hafta worry about the storage subsystem for a while once it's finished.