ACU No Spare option available

[Dorego]

Hello

Using a HP P400 Array with a raid 5.

ACU: 9.20.9

Trying to install a spare drive. But no spare option available. I have no '!' on the status and the drives are showing un-assigned.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kind Regards

Dorego

[PGTRI]

hi,

Can You please remove one of the unassigned drives from the server and check after that, if the option will appear in ACU.

Thanks

regards,

[Dorego]

Hello

Thanks for your response.

Taken one of the drives out an no different also tried putting in the next free bay. Still no Spare option. 

I have also noticed there appears no option to extend the array either..... ummmm!!!

Any ideas? 

[PGTRI]

hi,

Please check your battery status. Please attach an ACU report here.

Thanks

regards,

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

your unassigned drives are not big enough, they need to be 160gb or more

[Dorego]

Hi 

Battery Staus is ok - Done a diagnostic report and fine. 

I think its the Hard Disk Size. The Raid originally all had - 80 gig drives. Then over time two failed but only replacements available were 160gig. - although when these larger drives were inserted in the RAID they only actually use 80 gigs. Would that stop my replacement 80 gig drives being accepted.

Would a reasonable course of action be to 1by1 replace the 160gig drives with the 80gig drives and rebuild the raid or is this just asking for trouble? 

Cheers

Dorego

[PGTRI]

hi,

The size should not be  the problem. Please attach the ACU report here.

Thanks

regards,

[Dorego]

Hi 

ACU enclosed in all it glory.

Cheers

Dorego

[PGTRI]

hi,

I think , you need 512MB BBWC module. Please test it, if you have such one.

Have you tried to add a spare in ORCA?

Thanks

regards,

[Dorego]

Ok Thanks. 

One of other servers has a 512MB cache will try that, but will have to be a weekend job.  

I had previously added to the array using ACU but no options now. Strange. 

Never tried using ORCA will give it ago. 

Cheers

Dorego.

[Dorego]

Hello

I have tested with a 512mb Cache and no difference. No options for spare or to extend the volume. 

( i have attached the screenshots for this). 

and a copy of the ADU.

Tried using ORCA and no options either. 

One extra to mention. 

On boot up I get a message saying I have un recoverable media (see screenshot)

as per error hp advisory : http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01857445&lang=en&cc=us&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=1157687&prodTypeId=329290&printver=true

But have run chkdsk / F - found no errors / bad sectors. Nor can I see and errors in the ADU. 

Could this be part of the problem? 

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance. 

[Dorego]

Hello

I have also another server that i have checked -(exactly the same DL320S) that i have inserted disks and I have no options for spare or extend. Just like the oither server.

Strange!  

[PGTRI]

hi,

Please click/select the logical drive in ACU and check if the extend/expand option will appear.

Thanks

regards,

[Dorego]

Hi 

No options available. Screenshot attached. 

[PGTRI]

hi,

That's very  strange. I'm out of ideas...

So... you can try following if possible.

Install only 8 drives in the server and create a logical drive with 6 of those. Please use the both ports of the controller (4 on port1 and 4 on port2) and check after that if you can add a spare.

Thanks

regards, 

[Dorego]

Hi 

Think I have solved it. 

I put an old 160gig Drive I had lying around and straight away the Extend / Spare options appeared.  - See screenshots 

For some reason even though the 160gig drives already installed in the array (which were the ones used in array repair) are only using 80gigs the ACU does not like using 80 gig drives to extend or for spares. 

King of strange, but thats the problem. 

Thanks for all your time on this. 

Kindest regards

Dorego.