How to scrub a disk in predictive failure state?

[pakm11]

Hi,
I replaced predictive failure disk with a good one but before sending it back to HP I wanted to see if I can scrub it.
Hence I placed it in an unused slot.
OS is RHEL4.

When I try to add that disk to a logical drive so I can see it from the OS, I get this:
"Error: One or more drives specified are currently in a state that is preventing
the operation from completing."
So should I interpret "predictive failure" as disk actually failed and it can not be manipulated?

[Torsten.]

I don't think you need to do this, because HP will destroy the disk in a appropriate manner, but consider to try this in a different server if you feel you need to.

[pakm11]

Thanks for response.
Server (DL 385 G2)had 4 disks (slots 1 thru 4) in it. Slot 3 was going bad. It was mirrored with slot 4 disk.
So replacement was success.
Now, the one going bad is in slot 8.
I did this so I can try to clean it up.
I am not sure putting this disk in to another server will make any difference at this point.
Does predictive failure mean the disk will not be accessed at all?
Is it completely gone?

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

When you reintroduced the failing drive to the system, the SmartArray controller will have got confused because the RAID configuration is stored on the disks.

Putting the drive in a different server, or attaching it to a different SmartArray controller, should hopefully allow you to wipe it.

Cheers,

Rob

[pakm11]

I tried that too:
From a different server:

hpacucli>> ctrl slot=1 physicaldrive all show
physicaldrive 1I:1:8 (port 1I:box 1:bay 8, SAS, 146 GB, Predictive Failure)

hpacucli>> ctrl slot=1 create type=ld drives=allunassigned

Error: One or more drives specified are currently in a state that is preventing
the operation from completing. Use the "show" command to check the
status of the drives you are attempting to use.

I guess once it is in predictive failure state, you can not work with the drive anymore.
Thank you for your inputs.

[WFHC-WI]

Hi pakm,

I think the ACU logic will prevent you from creating a new array with a disk marked as predictive failing. However reads and writes to a PF disk are still allowed.

That means if you leave it in the array it was originally part of and wipe that (meaning unfortunately data loss to the array), you would accomplish your goal.

As another poster said, the data is removed when received at HP... or I suppose you could take a strong magnet and move it along the side of the disk. :)

good luck

[Robert Schüttler]

I think that hpacucli should have a "--force" Option to allow you to create a logical drive and then scrub a disk. The assurance that HP will (porbably) do that for you will never be enough for paranoid admins.

[ipv4]

after reading this thread i was able to recreate a logical drive using the ORCA CLI so the drive could effectively be scrubbed. One of my drives was already in predictive failure before i created this logicaldrive.

The orca cli is the command-line raid configuration environment you get when you press F8 when the Raid controller posts during bootup.


array B

physicaldrive 2I:1:5 (port 2I:box 1:bay 5, SAS, 300 GB, OK)
physicaldrive 2I:1:6 (port 2I:box 1:bay 6, SAS, 300 GB, Predictive Failure)


have fun.