Is it possible to get a RAID array to rebuild on disks in different bays?

mwfearnley

8/23/24, 3:59 PM

I have a RAID-6 Sata SSD array running on a new HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10.

Unfortunately, two of the bays in the new server have failed, leaving us in a very precarious situation.

We have moved the SSDs into two spare bays, and they are showing up fine in the server, but the array is not rebuilding on them.

Is it possible to get the array to rebuild on the SSDs when they are in diffent bays?

EDIT: it may be important to note that one of the SSDs has been replaced with a new one, and the original was returned to the manufacturer, so was never part of the array.

Here is the disk info from ssacli:

/opt/smartstorageadmin/ssacli/bin/ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show

HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10 in Slot 0 (Embedded)

   Array A

      physicaldrive 1I:1:1 (port 1I:box 1:bay 1, SATA SSD, 1.9 TB, OK)
      physicaldrive 1I:1:2 (port 1I:box 1:bay 2, SATA SSD, 1.9 TB, OK)
      physicaldrive 1I:1:3 (port 1I:box 1:bay 3, SATA, 0 GB, Failed)
      physicaldrive 2I:1:5 (port 2I:box 1:bay 5, SATA SSD, 1.9 TB, OK)
      physicaldrive 2I:1:6 (port 2I:box 1:bay 6, SATA SSD, 1.9 TB, OK)

   Unassigned

      physicaldrive 2I:1:7 (port 2I:box 1:bay 7, SATA SSD, 1.9 TB, OK)
      physicaldrive 2I:1:8 (port 2I:box 1:bay 8, SATA SSD, 1.9 TB, OK)

   Array A

      physicaldrive 1I:1:4 (port 1I:box 1:bay 4,, 0 GB, Failed)

Bays 3 and 4 are the failed ones (4 failed before 3). Bay 7 contains the old disk from bay 3, bay 8 contains a new disk.

1 + 0

raid6

Score:1

Server

Andreas Rogge

8/23/24, 4:04 PM

You should be able to add the drives in the spare bays as "hot spare" to the array. That should then also immediately trigger a rebuild onto these drives.

+ 3

mwfearnley

8/24/24, 8:25 AM

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, `ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A add spares=2i:1:7,2i:1:8` is telling me: *Error: The array status is NOT okay. Cannot perform operation. Spare is not allowed*

Andreas Rogge

8/24/24, 10:55 AM

Then you should probably try to `ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A remove drive=1I:1:3,1I:1:4` to remove the failed drives from the array and then `ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A add drives=2i:1:7,2i:1:8`.

mwfearnley

8/24/24, 11:17 AM

Hmm. `remove drives=1I:1:3,1I:1:4` complains that it's not supported with the current configuration. *Reason: Array is transforming*. Not sure what that means. `ld all show detail` says the Status is *Interim Recovery Mode*.

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