Proliant ML370 - predictive failure

[Karl Voelker]

I have an ML370 with a RAID 1 array of two disks. One is showing predictive failure according to the drive leds. However, the ACU and log viewer are showing no problems with the disks (Netware 6.5). I have read many posts about this but have been not been able to accurately determine if I can remove the disk while online - insert the new disk - and not have any data loss. I have done this many times with failed disks but not with ones in this mode. Am I safe to do this while online or should I bring the server down. If I need to down the system should I remove the failed drive while off and insert the new one or is there another method to replace a disk with this type of failure?

Thanks,
Karl

[Greybeard · Accepted solution]

If using the onboard raid controller then it is best to pull the drive while the system is running, then the controller will know the drive has gone and will treat it as failed so when a new one goes in the rebuild of your mirror will start as normal. same thing would happen even if you pulled a healthy drive, gone is gone whatever the reason so far as the controller is concerned.

[Karl Voelker]

Larry,

Thanks for the response. This is actually what I was hoping and it seems to make the most sense. I guess my concern was that I read quite a few posts where people said that this way the correct procedure but in almost all the posts someone would chime in to say with this type of failure, predictive and not completely failed, swapping the disk while online had a slight chance of data corruption. Is there any possibility that data corruption could occur while doing this. It doesn't seem to make sense because I've also upgraded disks that were not failed and also online without issue. Thanks again for the response.

Karl

[Greybeard]

well I suppose nothing is %100 certain but I think there is more chance of a problem if it is shut down first since it will expect to see the original disk on startup, and the old rule of always having a backup is there for a reason ;-)