How to erase a HD before inserting it into another server? Otherwise all hell breaks loose

[BOYAN BIANDOV]

I'm talking about what should be a well documented problem but it's not. You take a HD out of a server which was once configured as RAID5 array and you want to re-use it into another server with perfectly healthy and working RAID 5 array.

Of course we are talking about identical model HDs in both servers. Same capacity; etc.

Once you plug that HD into the other server one would expect to see it as unassgned and then do whatever one wants to do with it; typically assign it to the existing array as spare or add it for array expansion - whatever.

HOWEVER; the HP array controller stores config data on each HD; once the new serevr sees the HD which contacins config data from another array all hell breaks loose. All previously healthy HDs are flagged as dead; the previsouly functioning RAID5 is down and basically what was a working array 30 seconds ago becomes completely dead.

Removing the newly added HD fixes all that except for the stress and an obligatory reboot. Not to mention the error messages about failed logical drives, etc.

So my queston is this: how can one erase a HD before attempting to use it onto another server?

Thanks all storage gurus!

[Torsten.]

Did you inset this disk while the server was off?

Probably yes.

[BOYAN BIANDOV]

Both yes and no; tested either way; same result

If you insert it wihle the server is ON then it would either:

1. blue screen and on reboot we know the familar disaster

2. it will show up as broken second array breefly; then the existing healthy array will fail and since the OS partition is part of that array too -- back to #1 result above: BSD

Any suggestions out there?

[Jan Soska]

Hello,

my recomendation is to use bios smararray utility - enter there and rearange newly added drives according your needs, not touching existing array.

Jan