Not recognizing drives

[iconSYS1]

I have a Poweredge 2600 I'm using as an Exchange server. I am running out of room on the exchange database. I purchased 2 new drives with the intent of setting up a new Raid-1 array but the computer is not recognizing them.

The poweredge is equipped with a PERC4 with two Raid -1 arrays. I want to add one more array and then point exchange to the new drive. I have tried going into the Bios and Perc config manager (Ctrl-M) and cannot find the new drives.

Am I making a rookie mistake somewhere?

 

[Torturednacho]

This might not be what it is. I've never worked with Exchange. but don't you have to import a new drive before you can use it?

 

[TheLad]

What type are the new drives and are they compatible with your server? Also are you running the latest firmware level on your PERC?

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"Insert funny comment in here!"
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[iconSYS1]

Thanks for the responses.

Torturednacho - I can't import the drive since according to the computer, there are no drive to import.I see the 4 physical drives in Openmanage Disc utility and in the PERC config manager , but not the two new drives.

Thelad - The drives are Fujitsu 73GB 10K Ultra320 SCSI drives, A larger version of the drives already in there. So i'd assume they are compatible.

Its using firmware version 2.37 , I'm trying to find a newer version and will let you know if anything changes.

 

[iconSYS1]

Updated Bios to A14 , updated PERC 4d/i firmware to 252D , no change. Any other ideas?

 

[Roadki11]

How do the drives go in the server? You have a SCA backplane or do you have to ID them and put them inside the server manually? I ask because if you have to manually ID them you may have duplicate IDs causing the new drives not to come online.



RoadKi11

"This apparent fear reaction is typical, rather than try to solve technical problems technically, policy solutions are often chosen." - Fred Cohen

 

[technome]

There is no need to import new drives, the drives should be showing.

When you say new drives, are they brand new ( 5 year warranty), not refurb,recerts or pulls? anything less than a 5 yr warranty is not brand new. Many refurbs/recerts are drives which failed in arrays, are returned and insufficiently test, sent out again.

The Perc 2600 having the capacity of six drives, has a SCA backplane, thus with new drives, the IDs should not be an issue, but if they are not brand new, the IDs could have been changed.

Unlikely but...
Could be something to do with the backplane. To rule it out I would shutdown, pull all present drives out (mark drives as to it parent slot), place the new drives in slots where the present array drives occupy, start up machine, immediately go into the raid bios to see if drives show up. Do not change the configuration. Reverse this, place original array back in. There may be a balk as to config mismatch, worse case when you return the orig array, the card will pull the configuration from the disks (COD).


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[iconSYS1]

Yes, there is a SCA backplane and the drives have hotswap cages. Luckily I have a bad cleaning crew here and they forgot to empty my trash, this way I can see on the case the drives came in it says "refurbished".

Before returning the drives I will test the backplane in the manner you described above and see if that gives any new insight.

 

[iconSYS1]

Ok , I feel pretty dumb now.

Upon pulling all the drives and laying them out I noticed that the caddies were different. I called Dell to question them about this and they explained I was supposed to get the new Caddies with the drives ( Dell part # M5084 ) which I didn't. The ones I was trying to use with the new drives are blanks which when pressed in, the drives slide back and makes no connection.

I've ordered the new caddies and I'm sure that will fix my problems.

Thanks to everyone for trying to help.