HP Microserver Gen8 failure.... Raid recovery

[RicV]

Good day,

Maybe someone will be able to assist... Managed to use integrated raid controller for building up an raid 1 system from two WD Red disks.

And - as you can imagine, after an electric surge ( it went through dsl > router > server ) server won't boot up. Just green light - and that it

Nowthinking of the way, how to recover data from those disks - keeping the structure of it....

Any raid controller to plug into existing home pc ? Any assistance or suggestions would be welcome...

Thanks a lot.

[TVVJ]

Hello,

Generally, when an RAID array is created using one HPE Smart Array controller, if the hard drives frorm one such controller is installed in another server in the same slots, then the HPE Smart Array controller in the receipient server would automatically rebuild it the RAID array and the data would be still valid.

When the HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 Server's QuickSpecs, page 17  is reviewed it could be found that the HPE Smart Array P222 SAS Controller is an option storage controller and if you have one as spare you may install it in the server and connect the hard drive cables to it and see if the RAID array is still intact. If there are any other HPE Smart Array Controller, then you may use it as well.

Regards,

[RicV]

@TVVJ 

Thanks for the information.

Few more questions from bellow if possible...

So the only way to recover data - is to either insert those drives into any of HP server (as probably most should be with some soft of HPE smart array controller ). This should work and with older gen servers and newer ones ?

I do not have any spare HP servers... So looking for ways to access data... Another option if I understood is to buy controller - can it work on non HP servers ?

Thanks a lot.

[Vinky_99]

Good day @RicV 

You May consider the following ones:

>> You mentioned that you used an integrated RAID controller. If your RAID controller card is still functional and it's a standard PCIe card, you might be able to remove it from the Microserver and install it in another compatible PC. This could allow you to access your RAID array and recover data. However, it's essential to make sure the replacement system supports the specific RAID controller you were using.

>> If the hardware RAID controller is not functioning, you might be able to recover data by connecting the individual hard drives to a standard PC. You can use a Linux-based system or RAID recovery software to access the data. This won't maintain the RAID structure, but it can allow you to recover the data from the individual drives.

>> If you are not comfortable with the technical aspects of data recovery or if the data is critically important, you might want to consider professional data recovery services. These services have the expertise and tools to recover data from failed RAID arrays, but they can be expensive.

>> As you mentioned, inserting the drives into another HPE server with a compatible RAID controller is an option if you have access to one. This is generally a reliable way to recover data if the hardware is compatible.

>> If you can't access another HP server, you may consider purchasing a third-party RAID controller that is compatible with your hard drives. Some of these controllers may work on non-HP servers, but compatibility can be an issue. Make sure to research and confirm compatibility before purchasing.

>> Going forward, it's essential to have a robust backup strategy to prevent data breakage from such incidents. Regularly back up your data to an external source or cloud storage.

Hope this gives some insights!