Swapping out a failed drive in a 2550

[CraigHall]

I have a poweredge 2550 with a failed drive in the raid 5 array. I purchased the exact same drive, and they are supposed to be hot swappable, so I switched it out. I can't see the array in my open manage utilities to add the drive. I could use a little help.

Specifically, what software do I need to load to be able to add the drive into the array. It's a critical server, and though I am taking a performance hit running on two drives, I am most concerned with loosing another and having my array go bye-bye. I have little experience with Dell servers, coming from an HP environment.

Thanks much,
Craig

 

[NickFerrar]

You need to install OpenManage Array Manager, should be downloadable on the support site. Failing that the latest version of OpenManage incorporate storage management into the main OpenManage product.

If you can't get downtime then you should be OK installing this as it shouldn't require a reboot, unless you need to update firmware in order to support the version you download. If you can spare a bit of downtime you can also do a disk rebuild from the BIOS level, just go into the PERC BIOS during a boot. Personally I've always replaced failed drives at the BIOS level anyway.

And make sure you do a rebuild on the new drive, and not force it on-line...

 

[CraigHall]

Should I install the latest PERCBios version? Is this safe to do?

Craig

 

[NickFerrar]

Well to be honest in a failed drive situation I'd mess with system as little as possible. I'd just shut the system down replace the drive and rebuild the new drive at the PERC BIOS level, you won't need to upgrade the PERC BIOS for this.

Once you're happy everything is working again then worry about installing Array Manager + flashing all the firmware ready for the next time.

 

[BillBrosius]

NickFerrar,

I am in the same situation. Have a Dell PowerVault and a drive failure in my Raid 5 array. The raid array is currently in "degraded" mode.

What is the best way to replace the drive? Should I shut down the system, replace the drive, enter the Perc bios interface and rebuild the array? I have not done it before so I am not quite sure what to expect.

Thanks for any words of wisdom.

Bill

 

[IT247]

I just had a failed drive in a 4 disk raid 5 in a poweredge 2850
I simply pulled out the failed drive , popped in the new drive and the rebuild stared automatically
i used a util i got from dell "server admin" i think it's called to track the progress and print out the controller log
but it was a piece of cake - no downtime, reboot needed

 

[NickFerrar]

Hmm wasn't aware the rebuild process started automatically, I always had to go into OpenManage Array Manager (or the BIOS on older servers) to initiate a rebuild. Storage management (that you used to need Array Manager for) is now built into the standard OpenManage server admin tool so if you have that installed you can do as IT247 says and just stick the new drive in and do a rebuild from there (if it doesn't start automagically), that's where you monitor the progress from anyhow. Also try to keep disk activity down to a minimum whilst doing the rebuild (i.e. do it out of hours).

 

[BillBrosius]

Great info guys. Thanks. Got the replacement drive today. Will Shut it down and replace the bad drive tonight and initiate the rebuild. I don't have "hot-swappable" drives, so will have to take it all the way down. I will let you know if it starts the rebuild automatically or not after bringing it back up.

 

[BillBrosius]

Rebuild went off without a hitch. Just shutdown the system, replaced the drive, brought up the system and then initiated the rebuild from the ArrayManager. Total rebuild took about 3.5 hours.