HDD Hot Swaping in RHEL 5.2
 

Dear Support,

I have one server which has 3 Hdd with RAID5 but from last 2-3 days one hdd showing error which needs to be replace as per H/W Vendor.

Socan we swap the HDD with new HDD and is it effect or partation table and installed softwares ?

Please advise.

Ashutosh

You'll have to ask the HW vendor; some drives can be hot-swapped, some not.

What sort of system have you? If you had, say, an HP Proliant, they are generally fitted with a SmartArray controller card (Hardware RAID.

When a disk fails the array controller marks the disk as faulty and lights an amber indicator to show which disk has failed. You can then replace the drive "live" without damaging anything, the RAID controller re-constructs the data from the remaining drive(s)while in this state so the system is still useable. The replacement disk will then rebuild automatically without system intervension, shown by a flashing green "Disk" led on the front, then rejoin the RAID.

If you have a software RAID, I've no experience, but I would think you would have to go through a software remove and replace process. You shouldn't need to go through any partitioning and re-installing of software in either instance.

Play Bonny! :hattip:

Thanks Soadyheid for your valuable advise it has been done but i have only doubt that still the replaced h/w blinking in green.

Regards
Ashutosh

It'll be blinking while rebuilding the disk. It can take a while to do.

as funkysod says... It'll take a while dependant on the size of the disk being rebuilt and also the rebuild priority set within the controller card (Usually set to low/background) The blinking green led will show the same as the other disk(s) once it's rebuilt.

Play Bonny! :hattip: