Replacing RAID controller without losing data
I have a faulty 3ware RAID controller that I need to replace. I have a spare controller ready to use, it is the exact same model. Is it possible for me to replace the faulty controller with the spare without losing data if i place the drives in the exact same position as they are in the faulty controller?
I have already created backups of my data.
All help appreciated.
I have already created backups of my data.
All help appreciated.
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I will need to upgrade the firmware on the spare controller card. I already have backup of all of my data. I will be performing this switch later this week after business hours and keep you posted.
Well, having a developers agreement with LSI/AMCC (In my day job I write RAID diags, appliance software, etc ...) I can comment in much more depth.
1) The vast majority of "problems" that people have with these cards when using a parity-based RAID and desktop class drives. If you don't have enterprise/server class disks and are running RAID5 or RAID6 then you are just asking for trouble due to the error recovery limitations. RAID1/0/10 is safe on desktop disks.
It is profoundly rare that this family of controller is to blame. It is one of the better midrange controllers out there. Also if you don't enable background scrubbing then you are just asking for data loss when you have a drive failure.
[Warning - getting on soapbox]
Personally if you are using desktop class disks and this controller, or any RAID controller with RAID5 or higher (and to some extent RAID10), then backup often. Furthermore, if you have Intel Matrix, or LSI-branded, or HP SMARTArray, or Dell PERCs RAID controllers, then desktop drives aren't even supported, and I have a drawer full of t-shirts thanks to the people that don't read published specs and qualified disk lists who think that the only thing that differentiates 2 SATA disks of consequence is amount of RAM, Capacity, and RPMs.
[Off of soapbox]
1) The vast majority of "problems" that people have with these cards when using a parity-based RAID and desktop class drives. If you don't have enterprise/server class disks and are running RAID5 or RAID6 then you are just asking for trouble due to the error recovery limitations. RAID1/0/10 is safe on desktop disks.
It is profoundly rare that this family of controller is to blame. It is one of the better midrange controllers out there. Also if you don't enable background scrubbing then you are just asking for data loss when you have a drive failure.
[Warning - getting on soapbox]
Personally if you are using desktop class disks and this controller, or any RAID controller with RAID5 or higher (and to some extent RAID10), then backup often. Furthermore, if you have Intel Matrix, or LSI-branded, or HP SMARTArray, or Dell PERCs RAID controllers, then desktop drives aren't even supported, and I have a drawer full of t-shirts thanks to the people that don't read published specs and qualified disk lists who think that the only thing that differentiates 2 SATA disks of consequence is amount of RAM, Capacity, and RPMs.
[Off of soapbox]
ASKER
these are RAID 10 configurations on this machine. unfortunately, (bear in mind, i did not purchase these disks) the disks in use are desktop class.
ASKER
RAID controller went seamless.
There also seems to be a lot of complaints about this controller, so you may want to reconsider this controller. Here is an article written by the president of a hosting company that used these: http://www.mattheaton.com/?p=160
Plus, the link above has several people commenting on problems with these cards.