Hard Disk Failure - Raid 1 configuration

feival

I have two 160GB hard drives in Raid1 configuration. Tonight one of them failed and I would like to now replace both of them with much larger drives. IF I put in one new 500GB drive I know they will mirror and only 160GB will be available. Once they have finished copying what happens if I replace the last 160GB drive with another 500GB drive? Will I then get 500GB available together with my original data?

I attach the log output from the Intel RAID controller if that helps?

System Information

Kit Installed: 4.5.0.6581
Kit Install History: 4.5.0.6581
Shell Version: 4.5.0.6515
String Load Library: 4.5.0.6515
WMI Interface Library: 4.5.0.6515

OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
System Name: LOUNGE
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: 0J3492
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
BIOS Version/Date: Dell Inc. A09, 07/07/2006

Language: ENU



Intel(R) RAID Technology

Intel RAID Controller: Intel(R) 82801FR SATA RAID Controller

RAID Option ROM Version: 4.0.0.6211
Driver Version: 4.5.0.6515
RAID Plug-In Version: 4.5.0.6515
RAID Plug-In Language Resource Version: 4.5.0.6515
Create Volume Wizard Version: 4.5.0.6515
Create Volume Wizard Language Resource Version: 4.5.0.6515
Create Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard Version: 4.5.0.6515
Create Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard Language Resource Version: 4.5.0.6515
Modify Volume Wizard Version: 4.5.0.6515
Modify Volume Wizard Language Resource Version: 4.5.0.6515
Delete Volume Wizard Version: 4.5.0.6515
Delete Volume Wizard Language Resource Version: 4.5.0.6515
RAID ISM Library Version: 4.5.0.6515
Device IO Library Version: 4.5.0.6515
Event Monitor User Notification Tool Version: 4.5.0.6515
Event Monitor User Notification Tool Language Resource Version: 4.5.0.6515
Event Monitor Version: 4.5.0.6515

Array 0
Status: No active migration(s)
Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 298 GB
Free Space: 0 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: Maxtor 6Y160M0
Hard Drive Member 2: MAXTOR STM3160211AS
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: RAID_Volume0

Volume 0
Status: Degraded
System Volume: Yes
Write Cache Enabled: Yes
RAID Level: RAID 1 (mirroring)
Size: 149 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: Maxtor 6Y160M0
Hard Drive Member 2: MAXTOR STM3160211AS
Parent Array: Array 0

Found 2 Event(s)

Event 0
Time Stamp: 0x1C7B41862172FD0
Function Code of Request: 0xFF
Unsuccessful Retries: 0
Error Code: 0x2
Additional User Info: 0x1

Event 1
Time Stamp: 0x1C915124F2FF08A
Function Code of Request: 0x2A
Unsuccessful Retries: 1
Error Code: 0x3
Additional User Info: 0x301


Hard Drive 0
Usage: Array member
Status: Failed
Device Port: 0
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 1
Model: Maxtor 6Y160M0
Serial Number: Y48PWNJE
Firmware: YAR51HW0
Native Command Queuing Support: No
Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 149 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: RAID_Volume0
Parent Array: Array 0

Hard Drive 1
Usage: Array member
Status: Normal
Device Port: 1
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 1
Model: MAXTOR STM3160211AS
Serial Number: 5PT18B9Y
Firmware: 3.AAE
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 149 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: RAID_Volume0
Parent Array: Array 0

bigkevgray

Hi Feival,

Pretty sure your volume will stay at 160Gb and unless you have a good backup I would avoid making changes to the raid config to make it bigger.

The safest way for you to do this would be to create a new volume with your new disks that uses the whole disk and image your existing volume onto it. Using a product such as Partition Magic will allow you to resize the image on the new disks to use all the space available. The issues with this are your computer needs to be able to support 3 drives and you need to get your hands on a copy of Partition Magic or similar.




Cheers,

Kevin - bewareofwimpey.com

feival

Hmmm. I know that my PC can only hold two hard drive so the third isn't an option... I have got Acronis Disk Director Suite. I presume that will do the job but not sure that is relevant.

Presumably I add the new drive and my RAID is up again. I then add the second new drive and now I am stuck at 160GB and need to find a way to sort this. final small issue is that if I want to flog the old drive I need to find a way to load it into a PC to wipe it!!

mdbarber

in theory that should work using acronis dds to resize the partition over after, why not try it, just do a back up of anything critical 1st

Dime_Bar

Well you will have a full backup on the 160GB drive once you remove it however I would not personally try it that way

Do you have any access to any kind of Ghost software or Backup utility ( alot of HP and the like machines come with something )? this would probably be the easiest way as you could create a full image of the system which will not include any hardware controlled raid. You can then create a new Virtual Disk with the full 500GB and then retore the system.

This will not care how big the Disk now is.

As for the other disk if you have enough SATA Ports you do not have to have the HDD mounted in the case so could leave the side off whilst your wipe it and long as its on a stable flat surface.

How are you going to wipe it?

feival

Thanks for the advice. I don't understand what you mean be a virtaul disk - does that mean plug in the new drive and back up the old drive to it as an image. Isn't the problem that my system will assume immediately that this is a new RAID drive or do I need to prompt it to "think" that?

As an alternative I also I have a 160GB Western Digital portable drive (I ma fanatical about backups...glad too!!) so I guess I can image the hard drive onto that and then restore onto the two new drives. I do have spare SATA ports so that is a nice idea - thanks for that tip.

Dime_Bar

feival wrote: »

As an alternative I also I have a 160GB Western Digital portable drive (I ma fanatical about backups...glad too!!) so I guess I can image the hard drive onto that and then restore onto the two new drives. I do have spare SATA ports so that is a nice idea - thanks for that tip.

That is what I mean back up on an external drive, You would then need to resetup your raid so the Virtual Disk is 500GB. Then reload your image and robert is your mothers brother so to speak.

( The virtual disk is the 500GB drive that windows sees, which is reallt 2 500GB drive in raid 1 configuration if that makes sense. )

feival

Thanks DimeBar. New drives arrived yesterday and I have taken an image of my working drive. I have used Acronis True Image to do that. I am not sure what to do now though. I intend to install the two new drives and the use the RAID controller to ensure these are set up. That will leave me with one virtual drive with no OS and an external USB drive with the drive image. What do I need to do now to recover the image? Do I first install windows and then Acronis? That would seem to defeat the purpose of the image but it won't take so long so I don't mind. Is there another simpler way to do this. I have red the help files but am a little lost!!

EDIT Think I have answered this. Do I install the RAID drives and then use a CD with the Acronis Bootable Resuce Media. I presume that will trigger the full recovary?

mdbarber

feival wrote: »

Thanks DimeBar. New drives arrived yesterday and I have taken an image of my working drive. I have used Acronis True Image to do that. I am not sure what to do now though. I intend to install the two new drives and the use the RAID controller to ensure these are set up. That will leave me with one virtual drive with no OS and an external USB drive with the drive image. What do I need to do now to recover the image? Do I first install windows and then Acronis? That would seem to defeat the purpose of the image but it won't take so long so I don't mind. Is there another simpler way to do this. I have red the help files but am a little lost!!

EDIT Think I have answered this. Do I install the RAID drives and then use a CD with the Acronis Bootable Resuce Media. I presume that will trigger the full recovary?

lol yeah use a acronis bootable cd to restore the drive, if you do it after the raid array has been set you don't need to do an offline mirroring after