ML370 G3 SCSI ID RAID ISSUE

[djjoost]

Hi,

we've got a HP ML370 G3 server with 6 scsi disks in it in a raid 5 config. (with Smart Array 4200 controller)
The scsi disk in ID5 failed and we ordered a new one.
When we replaced the failed hdd with the new one it didn't rebuild the raid logical drive.
I checked in the compaq array config utility and it states that it misses the drive with scsi id 13... and the replaced disk is an unassigned drive on scsi id 5 (which is the normal and right one).
A scsi id 13 has never been active,so that's strange.

So....how can this be solved. I searched in this forum and didn't find a solution. (the only thing I found of a solution is to reconfigure the raid config and reinstall the entire server. But I hope there is an easier solution).
Some sort of scsi id change option or something like that.Or an option which can be used when you boot with the smart start cd?

The array controller has the latest firmware.

thx

[Evert Goor]

having a similair problem but then with a 5i on a dl380G3.

[vakantieman]

Having the same problem on a ML350 with SmartArray 6..

[Gary Antonio Benavides]

When you have have SATA hard drives you need to assign the new hard drive as a hotspare in order to rebuild the information. But in this case it seems to be SCSI HDD. My advise is to open the Array Configuration Utility, click on the storage controller, on common tasks check if the rebuild priority is set to high. If the rebuild priority is set to low it will take a long time to rebuild.
Also make sure that all the other hard drives are healthy, when there is a second hard drive in predictive failure, the replaced hard drive will not rebuild the information, becuase of the hard drive that is about to fail or is failed.

[KarloChacon]

hi

a workaround that has worked for me of course this is when there is not another bad HDD as Gary says

- down server
- remove all HDDs except the one that has not rebuilt
- boot server with Smartstart CD
- use erase utility
- down server
- insert HDDs you took out before and take out the one that was in (the one that did not rebuild )
- power on server
- leave server load and insert the HDD again in that way to force rebuil

-if that does not work usually issue is another faulty HDD or a corrupted RIS tables caused by an old Firmware (HDD or controller)
and RAID needs to be rebuilt

regards

[djjoost]

Hmmm...the rebuild prio is set to high,but that has got no effect, because he can't see scsi id 13 (in our case). So that is not a solution.
The thing karlo suggested...well that will be an after hour job since it concerns the main file and print server and this can't be shut down during the day.
Thanks for the answers (other solutions are still welcome :) ).We'll check the possible solution from karlo.

[RaMpaNTe]

...I checked in the compaq array config utility and it states that it misses the drive with scsi id 13... and t...

Well this is a typical phantom ID issue, and if Karlo's workaroud does not work then you'll need to back up your data, delete everything and then rebuild from scratch.

What happens is that when the RAID array was created the controller assigned ID 13 to the actual ID 5, everything will work fine until said drive fails. The controller then marks id 13 as failed and will be waiting for you to replace ID 13, so when you put a new drive the controller will detect ID 5 instead of ID 13, so the controller will never rebuild to ID5 since that drive is not the one marked as failed.

Hope this can be of help for you to better understand what really happened and why.

Thanks,

\RaMpaNTe

[Brian_Murdoch]

Hi,

Here is something which might work.
Remove the new drive from its casing (4 screws at the side).
Locate the address jumper pack on the front of the drive and place a jumper across the one marked 8 (See diagram on the disk label). This should add 8 to the address assigned by the backplane and give you 5+8 =13 (seen by the controller hopefully).

Once the drive has rebuilt you should be able to shut down, remove the jumper and re-install it since the RIS tables on that drive will be OK.

Just a thought.

Regards,

Brian