array rebuild

[fabio locati]

Hi.
To resume..

Situation:
raid 1 (2 hard disk), no spare drive
hd0 in fault
The S.O. (windows server 2003) boot with the hd1, but the start up stop responding while windows server 2003 logo.

Now i have the new hard disk to replace the one in fault.
How can i do?
I know that usually, beacuse hot spare, the change of the hard disk is while s.o. is online, but in my case a can't do it.

And then?

thanks!!

Fabio

[Diego Castelli]

first of all don't worry.

You definitely should let us know more details about your situation.
server and controller models?

If it's a smart array and a Proliant server, you can press F9 while booting to enter RBSU (the HP proliant "BIOS") ant then HOT-Swap the failed disk with the new one.

You should notice the small cylinder led on the disk flashing. It means it's rebuilding.

Let it for half-an-hour or so and the LED will became STEADY.

Once the led is steady (it means ONLINE and with parity REBUILT), exit RBSU and reboot the server.

Anyway i suspect a FileSystem Corruption on the system drive...

if it doesn't reboot, start with the 2003 server CD in. Select "repair" and enter the recovery console.

once there, start the CHKDSK with the tow options to check and fix for errors on C:\.

the options may vary in localyzed versions of windows CDs... you should be able to spot those issuing " chkdsk /? " (without quotes) in the recovery console.


HTH, bye!

[fabio locati]

Grazie Diego!
Posso in italiano?
Il server è un proliant ml350 g5, con un controller smart array e200i.
proverò a fare come mi dici.
Nel caso il chkdsk /r non dovesse funzionare, cosa ne pensi, invece di entrare nella recovery console, di eseguire l'installazione e selezionare la voce "ripara l'installazione di windows server 2003"?
Su qualche newsgroup ho letto che ha funzionato.

Volevo aggiungere che questo problema è avvenuto dopo aver fatto il "dvd firmware update".
Non è che, dopo aver fatto il rebuild dell'array con il nuov hard disk come mi dici tu, devo riafare il dvd firmware update per aggiornare il firmware anche del nuovo disco?

Grazie ancora per l'attenzione.

Fabio

[Diego Castelli]

Ciao Fabio, theese Forums are in english. So i would like to continue speaking english to let future viewer know what they are reading.... anyway i'll post a translation at the end.

Probably you did not update the PSP first of FW update. This is a wrong approach.
As a best practice, you must upgrade the drivers FIRST and then upgrade firmwares.

probably the controller driver installed is not fully compatible with the upgraded firmware.

About the "restore-reinstall" of 2003. I think it's definitely better to restore the whole server from backup, instead of doing that.

I consider that a bad and dirty procedure.

First of making a Disaster Recovery, try starting in safe mode. if it starts you can install new drivers for the controller and everything should work fine.

if not, you can also try a controller firmware DOWNGRADE from a non-recent FW DVD.

----- ITALIAN -----

Ciao Fabio, probabilmente non hai aggiornato il PSP / Drivers prima di aggiornare i firmware. Come consiglio, direi che si devono sempre aggiornare i drivers PRIMA e poi fare gli aggiornamenti firmware.

Probabilmente il driver della controller che è installato non è pienamente compatibile con il nuovo firmware.

al riugardo della procedura di "ripristino mediante reinstallazione":
in rari casi l'ho vista funzionare senza gravi danni al sistema. Considererei invece la possibilità di un ripristino dell'intero server con il backup (disaster recovery).

Se proprio non partisse, prima del disaster recovery, potresti procurarti un firmware dvd meno recente ed effettuare un DOWNGRADE del firmware della controller.
MA PRIMA:
prova a far partire windows in modalità provvisoria. se così parte, puoi installare i nuovi driver per la controller e tutto dovrebbe tornare alla normalità.

[fabio locati]

Hello Diego, sorry for italian..
Then, rebuild of array completed, the system doesn't boot.
Now i'm tryng chkdsk /r.
If this solution it will bad, i will try the downgrade from a non recent dvd firmware update.
But i can i do i downgrade of the firmware?
Not in automatic mode, i think.. can you help me?

Thanks a lot.
Fabio

[Diego Castelli]

yeah,

#1 make sure you have a backup!!!

#2
do you remember exactly which version of FW did you have on the CTRL?

put the fw update CD /DVD and choose (if prompted) the interactive mode.

there should be an "allow downgrade" flag to tick.

then select just the controller and deploy the firmware.

reboot.

i sincerely hope this solution will work...
There are a lot of things that can go wrong.

i'll keep my fingers crossed for you.