Recover disk controller and disks from a failed server

[John Strongosky]

We have a Compaq Proliant 6000 that died but the controller (Smart 3100ES)and disks (9.1gb utra wide scsi 10k) are good, I would like to recover them to use as backup for our other servers. How would I blow away the raid information on the disks? I will have a spare 6000 in the not to distant future.

thanks...

[JohnWRuffo · Accepted solution]

John:

If you do not have a requirement to save the data on the disks, then just attach them with the 3200 controller in the new server and run the ACU. Select the array, when it is detected and simply delete it. When you initialize the new configuration on the controller with the disks in a new array, all the data will be wiped.

Is this what you are asking?

[John Strongosky]

Yes, this is exactly what we are doing ...
thanks....

[John Strongosky]

Just for my education, how would I be able to reuse the drives if the controller that's in the server where these disk's come from died when I tried to put in in the spare server. Could I use the controller that I took out of this spare server?

john

[JohnWRuffo]

Well... it's not so much the controller as it is the disks. On each of the disks is the array signature. It says what disks are in the array and what it's neighbors are.

So, if you moved the disks (in the same order as they were in the old server) to a new server, then the SmartArray Controller in the new server will pick them up and add the array(s) and logical volume(s) to its configuration. I am simplifying this process, but that is the general idea. (some controllers can migrate their disks to newer controllers with no data loss, but not all)

Here is a document that describes the migration path:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?locale=en_US&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=374783&prodTypeId=329290&objectID=c00180566

Does that help you?

[John Strongosky]

Thanks john it does.

Sorry but I don't understand what they mean by ports:

Smart-3200 (If only two out of three ports are used)

[JohnWRuffo]

The statement means that your Smart Array 3200 has 2 external SCSI and 2 internal ports.

So if you are migrating to another controller, you can only use internal or external ports in a limited manner.

Some of the later generation controllers have 4 external and two internal... so you do not want to migrate "down" to the controller and loose a whole channel of drives. These are generally configurations that are "rarely done" or you are using a Clustering Controller.

[kim wally]

i have a similar problem- except i have the same server (family 43 bios) and i cannot find the place again where i can enrol the physical drives.i had to reset everything as the passwords were lost -and wipe out the old linux o/s -i want to install another linux o/s but cant even find the scsi drives!have done the smartstart round trip many times.please help