Disk failed in a raid? Swap Online ?

[baskotaaashu]

Hi Community,

Server Model: HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen 9 with  Smart Array P440ar Controller

I have two raids:  Raid 1/ Raid 1+0 and Raid 5.  And one disk failed on both the raids

My question:

1. Can I just remove the faulty disks and insert the replacements while the system is online ? Cannot afford the server to be unavailable while the raid is being rebuilt.

2. Will the raid rebuild automatically ?

3. I belive I should attemp to rebuild one raid at a time. Is  my approach correct ?

4. For future reference, how can we confirm if the disks are hot swappable especially in HPE servers ?

Thank you in advance. 

[BookerE1]

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@baskotaaashuDogNeedsBest wrote:

Hi Community,

Server Model: HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen 9 with  Smart Array P440ar Controller

I have two raids:  Raid 1/ Raid 1+0 and Raid 5.  And one disk failed on both the raids

My question:

1. Can I just remove the faulty disks and insert the replacements while the system is online ? Cannot afford the server to be unavailable while the raid is being rebuilt.

2. Will the raid rebuild automatically ?

3. I belive I should attemp to rebuild one raid at a time. Is  my approach correct ?

4. For future reference, how can we confirm if the disks are hot swappable especially in HPE servers ?

Thank you in advance. 

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Hello,

The HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen 9 server with a Smart Array P440ar controller, and you need a solution for replacing the failed disks in the RAID arrays. I found some information that might be helpful for you and your client.

You can remove the faulty disks and insert the replacements while the system is online, as long as you first enable the drive LED identification feature. This will allow you to safely and easily locate and replace the failed disks without affecting the server's availability or performance.

The RAID will rebuild automatically after you insert the replacement disks. The controller will detect the new disks and start the rebuild process in the background. You can monitor the progress and status of the rebuild using the SSA or the ACU tools.

Your approach is correct. It would be best if you attempted to rebuild one RAID at a time, starting with the RAID 1/ RAID 1+0 array, which has higher fault tolerance and data protection than the RAID 5 array. This will reduce the risk of data loss or corruption in case of another disk failure during the rebuild process.

For future reference, you can confirm if the disks are hot-swappable by checking the specifications of the server and the controller, as well as the type and interface of the disks. Generally, SATA and SAS disks are hot-swappable, while IDE and PATA disks are not. You can also look for indicators such as purple tabs or labels on the disks or the drive bays that signify that they are hot-swappable.

I hope this solution is useful for you and your client. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know.

I’m always happy to learn and improve.

Best Regard,
BookerE1

[TVVJ]

Hello,

Before performing any changes to the array ensure that there is valid backup of data and configuration.

As there is only one failed drive in each array, you may replace them, as such it should not cause any problem.

The RAID array would rebuild automatically.

It is appropriate to rebuild one array at a time..

HPE SATA and SAS drives are hot pluggable.

Regards,

[Sham82]

Hello,

Since both Raid 1 and Raid 5 has fault tolerance of 1 Drive.
You can replace the drive online, One Drive at a time , let the drive rebuild then replace the second drive.

Please make sure to take a valid Data back before performing the activity.
For HPE supported Hot-plug disks , please refer to document (Page 27 onwards) -https://www.hpe.com/psnow/doc/c04346270

Regards
HPE