RAID 1 drive moving to no-RAID

[Tom Del Rosso]

A question for future reference please...

I have a 4 year old AMI MegaRAID controller, and a spare SCSI controller
(with the same type of connector) which is sitting on a shelf. I'm
wondering what I can do with that spare SCSI card.

If the MegaRAID controller dies and I would rather not wait for the
replacement, one drive from a RAID-1 array should work temporarily with the
SCSI card, right?

Thanks.

 

[Iago]

A question for future reference please...

I have a 4 year old AMI MegaRAID controller, and a spare SCSI controller
(with the same type of connector) which is sitting on a shelf. I'm
wondering what I can do with that spare SCSI card.

If the MegaRAID controller dies and I would rather not wait for the
replacement, one drive from a RAID-1 array should work temporarily with the
SCSI card, right?

I don't think so, but why don't you try while the AMI is still kicking?
My guess is that you will be able to re-use the drive (same SCSI
connector, right?) but loosing access to the data. Not a biggy if you
have a backup copy...

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

I don't think so, but why don't you try while the AMI is still kicking?
My guess is that you will be able to re-use the drive (same SCSI
connector, right?) but loosing access to the data. Not a biggy if you
have a backup copy...

Thanks.

About losing the data, do you mean it won't pick up the data because I
would be going from RAID to non-RAID? I haven't installed and moved enough
SCSI drives to be sure about their compatibility. What if I replaced it
with a new AMI RAID controller, or a new brand of RAID controller? If you
replace a non-RAID SCSI card with another non-RAID SCSI card, does it
normally pick up the data ok?

About the interface, the drives have no power connectors. I have seen SCSI
drives with power connectors and some without. What types of SCSI
interface get power from the data cable? The RAID backplane has a separate
power supply connection, so I realize it doesn't come from the controller
card in any case.

 

[dannysdailys]

About losing the data, do you mean it won't pick up the data becaus

would be going from RAID to non-RAID? I haven't installed and move
enoug
SCSI drives to be sure about their compatibility. What if I replace
i
with a new AMI RAID controller, or a new brand of RAID controller? I
yo
replace a non-RAID SCSI card with another non-RAID SCSI card, does i
normally pick up the data ok

I don't believe data loss is an issue. But, I must admitt I a
confused. Are you using SCSI drives or IDE? Neither are compatabl
with the other. You mention one IDE controller and one SCSI. You
drives determine what controller card you use. Perhaps I've read i
wrong

If you swap out your IDE RAID card with another, your data will stil
be there. The cards are controller cards first, RAID 2nd. All ID
controller cards work the same, with the same protocols. Ditto wit
SCSI. One supports RAID while the other doesn't is the onl
difference. RAID or not, the hard drives still have the data

Hope this help

 

[Peter]

About the interface, the drives have no power connectors. I have seen
SCSI

drives with power connectors and some without. What types of SCSI
interface get power from the data cable? The RAID backplane has a separate
power supply connection, so I realize it doesn't come from the controller
card in any case.

SCA (Single Connection Attachment)
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/scsi/cablesSCA-c.html

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

I don't believe data loss is an issue. But, I must admitt I am
confused. Are you using SCSI drives or IDE? Neither are compatable
with the other. You mention one IDE controller and one SCSI. Your
drives determine what controller card you use. Perhaps I've read it
wrong.

Only SCSI, one RAID and one not. I didn't say IDE.

If you swap out your IDE RAID card with another, your data will still
be there. The cards are controller cards first, RAID 2nd. All IDE
controller cards work the same, with the same protocols. Ditto with
SCSI. One supports RAID while the other doesn't is the only
difference. RAID or not, the hard drives still have the data.

Ok that's as I thought. What I was unsure of is whether RAID-1 drives can
be moved to a regular SCSI card if the SCSI RAID card fails.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

SCA (Single Connection Attachment)
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/scsi/cablesSCA-c.html

Thanks.

 

[Iago]

Thanks.

About losing the data, do you mean it won't pick up the data because I
would be going from RAID to non-RAID?

Sorry, I misspoke. Moving the drive from RAID1 to non RAID should work
(no data loss) but moving back the drive the RAID controller could try
to rebuild the LU.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Sorry, I misspoke. Moving the drive from RAID1 to non RAID should work
(no data loss) but moving back the drive the RAID controller could try
to rebuild the LU.

Isn't it possible to force a RAID controller to rebuild from the drive
being replaced?

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Isn't it possible to force a RAID controller to rebuild from the drive
being replaced?

Why would one ever want to rebuild from a bad drive?

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Sorry, I misspoke.

Is that what you call it.
You were not just ranting and Joepie's post in another thread has nothing
got to do with it?

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Why would one ever want to rebuild from a bad drive?

I have a spare SCSI card, and several RAID 1 arrays. I wanted to know in
advance if I could use the spare card in an emergency. If a RAID card
failed I asked if I could use the SCSI card with a single drive from a RAID
1 array. Then I would get a new RAID card and rebuild the array from the
drive taken out of the array earlier, because it would have been used alone
for a day or two.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

I have a spare SCSI card, and several RAID 1 arrays. I wanted to know in
advance if I could use the spare card in an emergency. If a RAID card
failed I asked if I could use the SCSI card with a single drive from a RAID
1 array.

Yes, I can read, thank you.

Then I would get a new RAID card and rebuild the array from the drive taken
out of the array earlier, because it would have been used alone for a day or two.

Sure. And now for my question? (That's the question that the card
maker will ask himself in deciding whether to make that a feature).

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Yes, I can read, thank you.

You're welcome. People do sometimes miss the start of threads you know.

day or two.

Sure. And now for my question? (That's the question that the card
maker will ask himself in deciding whether to make that a feature).

So forgive me for not detecting that your question was supposed to be an
answer.

If your question needs an answer, then maybe (maybe, because this is
dependent an a real answer for my question, isn't it) it would be because a
RAID controller should have the ability to build a RAID 1 array from any
starting drive.