Hard Drive lights stopped working

[bimmer5]

The server I need assistance is an HP Proliant DL380 G2 that has 2 RAIDs:
Array A: 2 x 18.2GB 15K SCSI RAID1+0
Array B: 3 x 36.4GB 10K SCSI RAID5

Yesterday I wanted to update the server with security patches and decided to first create a quick backup by breaking the Array A. I shut the server down, pressed the F2 and then introduced another 15K hard drive. From that moment all hard drives on both arrays stopped blinking (both lights). After 10 mins, the array got rebuilt (according to the Event Viewer status msgs), then I used to same procedures to bring the original hard drive back, applied the patches but the lights never came back.
Another thing I noticed, whenever I start the server, while in the POST mode only 4 out of the 5 HDs blink briefly (orange lights). The same happens when I go to ADU but while at ADU they blink constantly, which is normal. The ADU report shows that none of the drives are stamped for monitoring. I did found a thread which suggest to use Smart Start 7.0 (and not higher) to resolve the monitoring status but it didn't mentioned the lights issue.
Question1: Will the lights come back if I resolve the monitoring status by running Smart Start 7.0?
Question 2: Should I continue this mirror breaking practice since I have 2 Arrays? This is the first time I broke the mirror on the server that contain more than one array.
Thank you.

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P.S. This Thread has been moved from Servers --> General to Servers --> Proliant (ML,DL,SL) - Forum Moderator

[Mi6t0]

Hello, bimmer5.

Probably the problem is either cables, either the SCSI backplane.
You can also try to make a complete firmware update of your server with the firmware maintenance CD. An it is better to use the latest drivers (respectively - smartstart CD).

One more thing - how exactly the LEDs blink when you are in the ADU? Are all three LEDs flashing, or just one of them?

Regards,

[bimmer5]

I can try upgrading the firmware... but the thing worked fine before breaking the mirror.

To answer your question on "How exactly the LEDs blink when you are in the ADU?" - they blink as they have always blinked when I go there, like fast ON-OFF-ON-OFF.

"Are all three LEDs flashing, or just one of them?
I am aware of the 2 lights on each hard drive but not three (one in the cylinder shape and another in the arrow shape). If you refer to them then if I recall the light(s) simultaneously blink orange on and off (but maybe I am wrong, can't tell now since I am not in front of the server).

[Mi6t0]

Hmm, another idea:

1. Shutdown the server.
2. pull out the HDDs (you don't have to take them off the server, just make sure that they are disconnected from the backplane)
3. stats the server with no HDDs
4. wait till the controller tell you that there are no HDDs
5. turn off the server
6. put the HDDs again... Maybe you could start with the old array

[bimmer5]

This morning I checked the lights... and here is what I saw:
- when I executed the ADU utility, no lights were blinking
- when I executed the ACU utility, 4 out of 5 lights (hard drives) were blinking. The lights that were blinking were the ones that show a cylinder with the cross over it.

One more thing... this machine is my FSMO domain controller and I can't risk to do anything wild or to experiment while the machine is in production.
I need to apply a proven technique to fix this issue.