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Dell 2650 PERC 3/DI Raid 5 WON'T REBUILD arrrghhhhhhh
After spending more than 20 hours on this and taking draconian steps I still can't get this thing fixed. The short version:
Dell 2650 running MSWServer 2003 / Exchange 2003
PERC 3/DI Controller 0
Channel 0= Drive 0 + Drive 1 both 18GB in Raid 1 config w/OS as virtual drive running fine.
Channel 1= Drive 2 + Drive 3 + Drive 4, again all 18GB Raid 5 config as virtual drive for Exchange Data
Drive 1:4 comes down with 'SMART' Error and Dell tech ships replacement 34 GB Drive.
Okay - should be as simple as removing the dead drive, inserting the replacement drive and watch it rebuild? Nah, it simply won't rebuild. I've been with Dell tech for HOURS, been through Dell forums, this forum and googling for info and it still won't rebuild.
I've upgraded BIOS, drivers and firmware to current levels.
I've done the Ctl-A / Ctl-S shuffle on reboot
I've intialized the new drive.
I've assigned the new drive as Global Hot Spare, unassigned it, assigned it as dedicated hot spare, unassigned it (all with many steps in-between).
Nowhere can I access an Available Task to: Rebuild, Format, Initalize using the Dell Open Manage Server Administrator.
I was able to initialize using the PERC config on re-boot.
The best I have been able to get is OpenManage to recognize the drive and assign it as a dedicated hot spare. However it still shows the Virtual Disk as degraded and naturally as a Raid 5 virtual disk with 2 useable drives and a hot spare, if one of those two drives goes south I'm dead.
As a last resort I've quadruple backedup the Exchange data (actually only about 3GB) and have even downloaded the Acronis True Image software (thanks for THAT tip - - nice stuff).
I've tried deleting the Virtual Disk from Open Manage and I can't do that and get the stupid message that it can't delete because: 1) someone else is logged into the array and conflicting commands were received (NOT) 2) A hardware change was detected which prevents this command from being completed (DUH - ya think) or 3) The controller is in a state which prevents this command from being completed (&#^@*@^&^)
A little frustrated on this end - - - - do I really have to put the original 18GB drive back in (which I actually have tried and now seems to be running fine but still won't rebuild) in order to successfully delete the virtual drive or will this be a waste of time.
Short of taking all three disks out and throwing them onto the highway (I'm not even sure that would work) is there any way I can either a) add the replacement disk to the array and rebuild it or b) delete the existing virtual drive and create a new one with the 3 working disks.
Thanks for your help.
/mike
ASKER
Unfortunately "been there / done that" with the new 34GB drive and with the old 18GB drive each multiple times hoping that the system was just cantankerous and maybe if I just try it one more time . . . . . . Prepare to remove step runs fine and drive eventually shuts down, I remove it, replace it, it blinks a couple of times and then shows up in Array Manager as READY when the other two drives are ONLINE. and of course no rebuild.
hmmmmmmmmmmm still got me stumped
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YIKES! glad I'm conservative and made sure I had not only Tape backup but I backed up data to disk on 2 other servers and then did the true image - - - - not that I'm suspicious or anything.
Thanks for the tip. Looks like I need to bypass the Dell array manager and go right to BIOS to blow this thing away. I'll try it first thing in the AM and let you know.
Thanks again.
ASKER
meyersd:
Worked like a charm!!! in less than two hours new array built, true image data restored, everything checked out and we're back in business.
Thanks for your help.
/mike
Glad to be if assistance!
I am affraid I misrepresented my issue. I do not want to save the data; I just want to build a new server. I can not get it to boot \ read from the Dell CD; or boot \ read from the WIN 2k3 cd; in fact I can not get it to even see the CD drive except from DOS.
I can get it to recognize the A drive with the win98 boot disk; but as soon as it asks for the CD then isays the drive is not ready.
I have copied the win98 flobby to the mirror set on the c drive. I did reload the bios...it said no change.
I need to start from scratch and just build a server.
Sorry if I was unclear first time around.
I can get it to recognize the A drive with the win98 boot disk; but as soon as it asks for the CD then isays the drive is not ready.
I have copied the win98 flobby to the mirror set on the c drive. I did reload the bios...it said no change.
I need to start from scratch and just build a server.
Sorry if I was unclear first time around.
Have you got Array Manager installed? If so, all you need to do is to launch it and look in the tree stucture on the left pane.
Expand Servername\Arrays\PERC Subsystem\PERC 3Di Controller\Array Group\Virtual Disk.
Under the Virtual Disk folder you will see your 3 array disks labelled Array Disk 0:0, Array Disk 0:1 and Array Disk 0:2.
Once you have identified which disk it is you want to replace just right click the disk and select "Prepare to remove".
The rest of this is going from memeory as it's been a while since I've done this.......
I think it will give you a message saying that it's safe to remove the drive. Just release the drive, slide it out and replace it with the new one. The data should now rebuild over the 3 drives and all should be fine.
It's a very painless operation and you don't need to power down the server to do it.
Check out the help in Array Manager for more information if needed.