Yes that is the correct process. When you offline the disk, the hotspare in the RAID array will start to rebuild the rebuild process. Once the drive completes the rebuild and you put the new drive in the array the new drive will then become hotspare. Is this directly connected to server or is it behind an MD3000?
As soon a drive goes into a Failed state the hotspare will then start to rebuild into the array. Then when the replacement drive is put into the server it will take over as the hotspare. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
The disk has been like this for a while now and hasn't failed and failure isn't predicted. The alerts are coming in at least hourly and I'm concerned this will be affecting performance. I'd like to deal with the situation proactively before the drive fails and wondered what the right procedure for this would be?
I presume the right process would be: Offline disk --> remove from array --> replace with new --> online disk?? --> RAID rebuild (automatically??) but want to be sure so as not to lose data...
Its directly connected to a server. There are three separate virtual disks created from the 15 physical disks. Two 3 disk RAID 5 and an 8 Disk RAID 5 with a hot spare. The failed drive is in the 8 disk array
last question; if I do the swap straight away will that prevent the current hot spare being used (not that it matters, just wondered?)
As soon as you pull out the drive in question the hotspare will start the rebuild. Are you looking for a way to make the hotspare not rebuild? Only way to do that would be to remove the hotspare so it can't rebuild and then swap the drive in question. Let the rebuild complete then add the hotspare back in to the array.
DELL-Kenny K
685 Posts
0
November 28th, 2013 05:00
Yes that is the correct process. When you offline the disk, the hotspare in the RAID array will start to rebuild the rebuild process. Once the drive completes the rebuild and you put the new drive in the array the new drive will then become hotspare. Is this directly connected to server or is it behind an MD3000?
DELL-Kenny K
685 Posts
1
November 27th, 2013 10:00
kipper75,
As soon a drive goes into a Failed state the hotspare will then start to rebuild into the array. Then when the replacement drive is put into the server it will take over as the hotspare. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
kipper75
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2013 00:00
Thanks Kenny K, however...
The disk has been like this for a while now and hasn't failed and failure isn't predicted. The alerts are coming in at least hourly and I'm concerned this will be affecting performance. I'd like to deal with the situation proactively before the drive fails and wondered what the right procedure for this would be?
I presume the right process would be: Offline disk --> remove from array --> replace with new --> online disk?? --> RAID rebuild (automatically??) but want to be sure so as not to lose data...
Thanks again for the help.
kipper75
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2013 06:00
Thanks again Kenny,
Its directly connected to a server. There are three separate virtual disks created from the 15 physical disks. Two 3 disk RAID 5 and an 8 Disk RAID 5 with a hot spare. The failed drive is in the 8 disk array
last question; if I do the swap straight away will that prevent the current hot spare being used (not that it matters, just wondered?)
DELL-Kenny K
685 Posts
0
November 28th, 2013 14:00
As soon as you pull out the drive in question the hotspare will start the rebuild. Are you looking for a way to make the hotspare not rebuild? Only way to do that would be to remove the hotspare so it can't rebuild and then swap the drive in question. Let the rebuild complete then add the hotspare back in to the array.