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 HP A5856A RAID 4Si PCI 4-Channel Ultra2 SCSI Controller: Installation and Administration Guide > Chapter 4 Managing the HP RAID 4Si Product

Rebuilding a Failed Physical Drive
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In a RAID 1, 3, or 5 configuration, when a physical drive fails, the HP RAID 4Si controller keeps writing data to the remaining drives. When the failed drive is replaced, either automatically (by a Hot Spare) or manually (by removing the failed drive and inserting a new drive), a disk rebuild is needed to restore the correct data onto the replacement drive. Note that a rebuild can take several hours, depending on the amount of data that is being read or written by user applications during the rebuild.

The two kinds of rebuilds— automatic and manual—are described in this section.

Automatic Rebuild

When a physical drive fails (its state is FAIL) and one or more Hot Spares are configured, IRM automatically tries to use the Hot Spares for a rebuild. Note that this applies only when one physical drive within a redundant array (an array with at least two physical drives) fails. If multiple drives within a redundant array fail at the same time, an automatic rebuild is not possible.

If IRM finds a Hot Spare with enough capacity to hold the data from the failed drive, an automatic rebuild starts. If IRM does not find a Hot Spare with enough capacity, an automatic rebuild is not possible, and the rebuild must be done manually (see “Manual Rebuild”).

TIP: Once the automatic rebuild starts, if you think you want to abort it, consider this: Data is written to the Hot Spare during the time from the start of the rebuild to when you confirm the abort. However, it is only part of the data from the failed drive and might not be accessible or usable. Also, you will still have the failed drive (because it was not completely rebuilt), and you will no longer have the Hot Spare. So, be sure you really want to abort the rebuild.

If you want/need to abort the rebuild, press Esc. A warning message displays; press any key to continue. Note that this does not continue the abort, but just places you in a confirmation dialog box. Then, if you do not want to abort the rebuild, select NO; the rebuild continues (go to "Steps" below).

If you want to abort the rebuild, select YES; the rebuild stops and you are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Note that the Hot Spare that was being rebuilt when you did the abort should now have a state of FAIL. However, it also might still have a state of RBLD. Whichever of the two states it has, you must reset it to ONL, to make it available again. Select the drive; you are placed in the "Channel-n, Target-x" menu:

  • If the drive is in the FAIL state, select Make Online.

  • If the drive is in the RBLD state, select Fail Drive. Select YES when you are asked to confirm the fail. Then, select Make Online.

The physical drive's state is now ONL (it is no longer a Hot Spare).

  1. When the automatic rebuild starts, a window titled "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" displays. The window contains a horizontal bar that grows, showing you the progress of the rebuild.

    If the window does not automatically appear, follow these steps:

    1. From the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU," highlight the Hot Spare that is being rebuilt, and press Enter. The "Channel-n, Target-x" menu displays.

    2. Select View Rebuild Progress. The "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" window displays.

  2. When the automatic rebuild is complete, the progress bar shows "100%." Press any key to continue.

    The "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" window closes, and you are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Note that the rebuilt drive (formerly the Hot Spare) now shows as ONL, and has the Ann-0x number combination that the failed drive had.

    TIP: Another way to tell when the automatic rebuild ends is that irmd sends a message to the system log file /var/adm/syslog/syslog.log and/or the system console and an e-mail address (if you have those specified in the irmd configuration).

  3. If you do not want to designate another Hot Spare (to take the place of the one used for the rebuild), go to step 4.

    If you want to designate another Hot Spare, follow these steps:

    1. In the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU," highlight the physical drive you want to designate as a Hot Spare. This will probably be the drive that originally failed, which you replaced with a good drive (remember, the replacement [good] drive is not configured yet). Press the Enter key.

      The "Channel-n, Target-x" menu displays.

    2. Select Make HotSpare. You are asked to confirm that you want to designate that physical drive as a Hot Spare.

      If you do not want to make that drive a Hot Spare, select NO. You are placed back in the "Channel-n, Target-x" menu. Press Esc; you are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Go to step 4.

      If you want to make that drive a Hot Spare, select YES. You are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Note that the physical drive now shows as HSP. Go to step 4.

  4. Press Esc. You are placed in the "Objects" menu.

  5. Press Esc. You are placed in the "Management Menu."

  6. Press Esc. An exit confirmation dialog box displays.

  7. Highlight YES and press Enter; IRM ends.

Manual Rebuild

You must do a manual rebuild if an automatic rebuild is not possible because Hot Spares with enough capacity are not available, or you replaced a single failed drive with a good drive but the rebuild did not start automatically. You can manually rebuild a single drive, or multiple drives that are not part of the same redundant array (an array with at least two physical drives).

Manual Rebuild—Single Drive

You have to do a manual rebuild of a single drive in one of these situations:

  • A Hot Spare with enough capacity was not available for an automatic rebuild.

  • If one physical drive has failed (its state is FAIL) and you have replaced it with a good physical drive, but the automatic rebuild did not start, you must manually rebuild the drive.

This section describes the steps to do a manual rebuild of a single drive. Note that these steps assume you have started IRM and (if applicable) selected the HP RAID 4Si controller the physical drive is connected to.

Menu path: "Management Menu" → Objects → Physical Drive

The "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU" displays. The information shown is the same as that shown on the "ARRAY SELECTION MENU" for each kind of configuration.

  1. Highlight the physical drive you want to rebuild and press Enter. The "Channel-n, Target-x" menu displays.

  2. On the "Channel- n, Target-x" menu, select Rebuild.

    You are asked to confirm that you do want to rebuild the physical drive you selected.

  3. If you do not want to do the rebuild, select NO. You are placed back in the "Channel- n, Target-x" menu; go to step 6.

    If you want to do the rebuild, select YES; go to step 4.

  4. When the manual rebuild starts, a window titled "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" displays. The window contains a horizontal bar that grows, showing you the progress of the rebuild.

    If the window does not automatically appear, follow these steps:

    1. From the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU," highlight the physical drive that is being rebuilt, and press Enter. The "Channel-n, Target-x" menu displays.

    2. Select View Rebuild Progress. The "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" window displays.

    TIP: Once the automatic rebuild starts, if you think you want to abort it, consider this: Data is written to the Hot Spare during the time from the start of the rebuild to when you confirm the abort. However, it is only part of the data from the failed drive and might not be accessible or usable. Also, you will still have the failed drive (because it was not completely rebuilt), and you will no longer have the Hot Spare. So, be sure you really want to abort the rebuild.

    If you want/need to abort the rebuild, press Esc. A warning message displays; press any key to continue. Note that this does not continue the abort, but just places you in a confirmation dialog box. Then, if you do not want to abort the rebuild, select NO; the rebuild continues (go to "Steps" below).

    If you want to abort the rebuild, select YES; the rebuild stops and you are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Note that the Hot Spare that was being rebuilt when you did the abort should now have a state of FAIL. However, it also might still have a state of RBLD. Whichever of the two states it has, you must reset it to ONL, to make it available again. Select the drive; you are placed in the "Channel-n, Target-x" menu:

    • If the drive is in the FAIL state, select Make Online.

    • If the drive is in the RBLD state, select Fail Drive. Select YES when you are asked to confirm the fail. Then, select Make Online.

    The physical drive's state is now ONL (it is no longer a Hot Spare).

  5. When the manual rebuild is complete, the progress bar shows "100%." Press any key to continue.

    The "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" window closes, and you are placed back in the "Channel-n, Target-x" menu.

    TIP: Another way to tell when the automatic rebuild ends is that irmd sends a message to the system log file /var/adm/syslog/syslog.log and/or the system console and an e-mail address (if you have those specified in the irmd configuration).

  6. Press Esc; you are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Note that the rebuilt drive now shows as ONL, and has the Ann-0x number combination that the failed drive had.

  7. Press Esc. You are placed in the "Objects" menu.

  8. Press Esc. You are placed in the "Management Menu."

  9. Press Esc. An exit confirmation dialog box displays.

  10. Highlight YES and press Enter; IRM ends.

Manual Rebuild—Multiple Drives

This section describes the steps to manually rebuild multiple failed physical drives (each drive's state is FAIL) that are not part of the same redundant array. Before you continue, be sure you have replaced each failed drive with a drive that is in good condition. Note that these steps assume you have started IRM and (if applicable) selected the HP RAID 4Si controller the physical drives are connected to.

Menu path: "Management Menu" → Rebuild

The "Rebuild - PHYSICAL DRIVES SELECTION MENU" displays. The information shown is the same as that shown on the "ARRAY SELECTION MENU" for each kind of configuration.

  1. Highlight each failed drive you want to rebuild and press F10.

    You are asked to confirm that you do want to rebuild the physical drives you selected.

  2. If you do not want to do the rebuild, select NO. You are placed back in the "Rebuild - PHYSICAL DRIVES SELECTION MENU" menu; go to step 5.

    If you want to do the rebuild, select YES; go to step 3.

  3. When the manual rebuild starts, a window titled "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" displays. The window contains a horizontal bar that grows, showing you the progress of the rebuild.

    If the window does not automatically appear, follow these steps:

    1. From the "Rebuild - PHYSICAL DRIVES SELECTION MENU," highlight one of the physical drives that are being rebuilt, and press Enter. The "Channel-n, Target-x" menu displays.

    2. Select View Rebuild Progress. The "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" window displays.

    Also during the rebuild, in the "Rebuild - PHYSICAL DRIVES SELECTION MENU," as each drive is being rebuilt its state is shown as RBLn (according to the sequence you selected the drives for the rebuild). For example, if you selected drives 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the sequence 1, 3, 2, and 4, they would be rebuilt in that order, and the RBLn numbering would be as follows:

    • Drive 1: RBL0

    • Drive 2: RBL2

    • Drive 3: RBL1

    • Drive 4: RBL3

    (Note that the RBLn starts numbering at 0.)

    TIP: Once the automatic rebuild starts, if you think you want to abort it, consider this: Data is written to the Hot Spare during the time from the start of the rebuild to when you confirm the abort. However, it is only part of the data from the failed drive and might not be accessible or usable. Also, you will still have the failed drive (because it was not completely rebuilt), and you will no longer have the Hot Spare. So, be sure you really want to abort the rebuild.

    If you want/need to abort the rebuild, press Esc. A warning message displays; press any key to continue. Note that this does not continue the abort, but just places you in a confirmation dialog box. Then, if you do not want to abort the rebuild, select NO; the rebuild continues (go to "Steps" below).

    If you want to abort the rebuild, select YES; the rebuild stops and you are placed back in the "Objects - PHYSICAL DRIVE SELECTION MENU." Note that the Hot Spare that was being rebuilt when you did the abort should now have a state of FAIL. However, it also might still have a state of RBLD. Whichever of the two states it has, you must reset it to ONL, to make it available again. Select the drive; you are placed in the "Channel-n, Target-x" menu:

    • If the drive is in the FAIL state, select Make Online.

    • If the drive is in the RBLD state, select Fail Drive. Select YES when you are asked to confirm the fail. Then, select Make Online.

    The physical drive's state is now ONL (it is no longer a Hot Spare).

  4. When the manual rebuild is complete, the progress bar shows "100%." Press any key to continue.

    The "Rebuild Physical Drives Progress" window closes, and you are placed back in the "Rebuild - PHYSICAL DRIVES SELECTION MENU." Note that each rebuilt drive now shows as ONL. Also, the Ann-0x number combinations are the same as before the rebuild (because the configuration did not change).

    TIP: Another way to tell when the automatic rebuild ends is that irmd sends a message to the system log file /var/adm/syslog/syslog.log and/or the system console and an e-mail address (if you have those specified in the irmd configuration).

  5. Press Esc. You are placed in the "Management Menu."

  6. Press Esc. An exit confirmation dialog box displays.

  7. Highlight YES and press Enter; IRM ends.



Determining Which Physical Drive Has Failed
  		 


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