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Hot spare drive issue

Hi

Info on server :
DL 385 G8
Server is running VMware ESXi 6.0
Controller card P420i

We rebuilt 2x600GB SAS drives in a raid 1 to 2x1200GB without any issue.
When trying to expand the disk space on the logical volume it prevents us of doing this or there is no option as it complains there is a 600 GB Hot-spare drive configured to the same array (Array A).
I do not have any option in ACU on removing of Hot-Spare drive, i have the option to erase the drive.
Will an erase of the drive tell it that it is no longer a hot spare drive ?

How can i remove the Hot-Spare drive ? I would like to repurpose it to another Array B as a hot-spare.

Update, i tried to do this from ESX console using hpacucli using command ./hpacucli ctrl slot=0 array A remove spares=2I:2:8
but got Assignable spares not available (see attached screenshot).

Show command on Array A

Regards
Roger

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

I believe once a spare is allocated to an Array you would have to destroy the array to get it back, e.g. no method to un-assign it.

Erase just destroys the data on the disk.

Alessio P.

You can try with this command :

./hpacucli ctrl slot=0 ld 1 remove spares=2I:2:8

Elefanten123

ASKER

Hi

Ok, i tried ./hpacucli ctrl slot=0 ld 1 remove spares=2I:2:8 and i received the same Error : This operation is not supported with the current configuration.
Reason : Assignable spares not available

Elefanten123

ASKER

Ok thanks for input so far, so my options now is either to destroy the Array and recreate it or buy one more disk 1,2TB to replace the hot swap disk ?
Since this is a remote location (1 day driving) i think i will buy one more disk to replace the hot-swap and get the local none IT personell to replace it as to minimize downtime and risk of failure.

BR
Roger

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

You may want to explore options from the Array Configuration Utility GUI (e.g. boot from server POST)

Elefanten123

ASKER

I had a check yesterday and could not find any option in ACU from server POST that was indicating a removal of spare drive, only Erase option.

Member_2_231077

Before you buy the 1.2TB drive try getting the local non-IT person to just physically remove the useless 600GB spare, then after rescanning the controller try the operations again.

Elefanten123

ASKER

Ok i will give that a go, they have left office now so i will try it on monday morning.

Elefanten123

ASKER

Removed the drive and did a rescan by typing ./hpacucli rescan but it is still showing as Failed, spare

Member_2_231077

Removing one of the 1.2T drives and wiping the metadata off it on a spare machine then putting it in bay 8 temporarily then wiping metadata again and putting it back where it was may work but it's a lot of messing about. Smart Array controllers have never been very good with hot spares, you can't even add a spare to a degraded array.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Elefanten123

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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

This case can be closed

You have the ability to select solutions.

Member_2_231077

You can select your own comment ID: 42189861 as solution.

BTW, once the spare is replaced by the bigger one I would assign it to the other array as well, spares are temporary with Smart Array controllers so if a 600GB fails and is replaced by spare you get the 1.2TB back as spare after replacing the failed 600GB one.

Elefanten123

ASKER

After examining the different options this one was the safest work-around.