Can you borrow a RAID controller? 1

[RoccadeColin]

In order to test a technical issue involving a Compaq Smart Array 5300 RAID Controller, a colleague has come up with the idea of shutting down a LIVE server for a couple of hours and then borrowing the RAID controller from the server for the test with different disks in another unused server.

As far as I am aware RAID contollers store their disk configuration in NVRAM (or similar) and if you change all the disks connected to a single controller, it changes the configuration.

If having changed the disks, you then change them back (keeping the original disks in the same order) will it rebuild your original array, or will it create a new array and therefore mean that the original data is unavailable.

My gut feeling is a) this won't work and b) even if it does it is too dangerous to try. Comments please

 

[skebbell]

Compaq Smart Array controllers store the disk configuration on the disks themselves. On boot up the array controller looks for arrays/logical drive on the disks. It doesn't store the config in NVRAM. What you are attempting should work, but as a precaution, make sure you have a working backup of your live server before you try.

 

[RoccadeColin]

Thanks for the response, that has confirmed what we just discovered by locating a spare controller card and running tests with our spare server.