I've never had to do it, but restoring a server makes me nervous and I think it's just because of the extra step of installing the RAID drivers. Are there any specific pitfalls or common issues to look out for on this step, or am I just scared of the unknown and it's unwarranted?
Rebuilding RAID
- Thread starter ZenMike
- Start date
drewster
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Washington State
It's usually easy. Remove the offending drive, put in a known good drive. Boot into OS and let the OS/RAID software rebuild the array.
It gets trickier when you have a motherboard failure or RAID controller failure. If it is a RAID1 setup, it usually isn't that bad.
Basically the process goes:
1. Clone one of the mirrored drivers to a backup drive.
2. Re-create your RAID array with two known good drives
3. Use a current clone utility like Acronis to clone your backup drive to the recreated RAID array.
4. Run repair install of OS. You may have to use RAID driver diskette if the OS doesn't see your array.
If you are rebuilding a RAID0 array, on the other hand, good luck to you sir!
It gets trickier when you have a motherboard failure or RAID controller failure. If it is a RAID1 setup, it usually isn't that bad.
Basically the process goes:
1. Clone one of the mirrored drivers to a backup drive.
2. Re-create your RAID array with two known good drives
3. Use a current clone utility like Acronis to clone your backup drive to the recreated RAID array.
4. Run repair install of OS. You may have to use RAID driver diskette if the OS doesn't see your array.
If you are rebuilding a RAID0 array, on the other hand, good luck to you sir!
ATSCF
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Orlando, FL
Are you replacing a hard drive on Raid or are you building a new raid array and restoring from backup?
Also, what raid #?
Also, what raid #?
Current case is a Dell PowerEdge 2600 with 4 36GB drives in 0+1. I'm assuming prepare the array first and then it's a fairly straight forward restore from there, but I don't have a good way to do practice restores to be prepared in case of an actual disaster.
ATSCF
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Orlando, FL
What happen to the array in the first place? If one of the drives failed you just replace it and it should rebuild the array.
If its a new array you just go into the controller on boot and configure everything. Windows doesn't see the raid.
There is no real way to practice this stuff unless you have a spare server.
If its a new array you just go into the controller on boot and configure everything. Windows doesn't see the raid.
There is no real way to practice this stuff unless you have a spare server.
Nothing happened, I just want to be ready if/when something does go wrong.
I realize that, but I appreciate everyone's feedback.
ATSCF
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Orlando, FL
If it worries you that much get some imaging software like acronis. You really don't have to worry about much if you do it that way. It can restore to other hardware too.
PcTek9
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 87
- Location
- Mobile, AL
You need to always test your emergency system. When you find something that works, for the love of Janga, stick with it. I've been in that situation where a raid we bought was "supposed" to work great, and then everything was lost.
Manufacturers screw up. There are products sold with rave reviews that in the real world don't even work half the time. TEST it. Another cool idea is to have more than one way to fix the system. Have your raid, and great. Maybe also have a nas device that backs up the raid. Even if you use raid 50 something can and probably will go wrong. TEST IT.
Manufacturers screw up. There are products sold with rave reviews that in the real world don't even work half the time. TEST it. Another cool idea is to have more than one way to fix the system. Have your raid, and great. Maybe also have a nas device that backs up the raid. Even if you use raid 50 something can and probably will go wrong. TEST IT.
I agree. I'm testing Acronis right now and the backup seems to work well, but the restore takes for ever. I don't get how people talk about virtualizing almost immediately. It's taking me many hours to restore the .tib file to a virtual drive.
The RAID issue appears to be less risky than I'd imagined. The hardware seems to manage everything from what I can tell. I'd still feel more comfortable if I had a full test system, but short of buying a whole second server I don't see a reasonable way to experiment with that.
The RAID issue appears to be less risky than I'd imagined. The hardware seems to manage everything from what I can tell. I'd still feel more comfortable if I had a full test system, but short of buying a whole second server I don't see a reasonable way to experiment with that.
ATSCF
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Orlando, FL
Restores will always take alot longer. Don't forget you don't need a server to test things on. You could use a regular pc with some extra controllers or whatever you need to test things.
dipper
Member
- Reaction score
- 8
- Location
- Adelaide, South Australia
I currently use Acronis to disk imaging on servers.
There's also Macrium Reflect (which has a free version). I haven't properly researched this though (especially for servers).
There's also Macrium Reflect (which has a free version). I haven't properly researched this though (especially for servers).
Last edited:
Paul Rodgers
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 56
At my full time job we are purchasing a server with a 1 TB Raid 1 array and a 1 TB hot spare + a RD1000 system.
dipper
Member
- Reaction score
- 8
- Location
- Adelaide, South Australia
There is a free RAID recovery tool which claims to recover RAID 0, RAID 5, RAID 0+1, and RAID 1+0 at:
http://www.freeraidrecovery.com/
http://www.freeraidrecovery.com/
We used acronis universal restore to migrate to a newer server and it took about 5-6 hours. I remember this vividly as we had to stay on site to make sure nothing went wrong when it completed... Worked like a charm though
