MDADM Help - "not enough to start the array while not clean - consider --force."

DavidDiggs · 02-16-2010, 10:22 PM

I powered down my file server this morning and started it back up a little while ago. One of the drive in a raid 6 array hung the system if it's inserted so after a little tomfoolery to identify the trouble drive. After removing it I finally have it booting but the raid array come up as inactive and all spares.

I've "mdadm --examined" all the remaining drive in the drive in the raid6 array and the "events" are all the same, "2085124".

When I assemble the array I get

Code:

mdadm --assemble /dev/md1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1 /dev/sdf1 /dev/sdh1 /dev/sdi1 /dev/sdj1 /dev/sdg1
mdadm: /dev/md1 assembled from 6 drives and 1 spare - not enough to start the array while not clean - consider --force.

Can the array be safely started using the --force option?

Any assitance would be greatly appreciated.

Below is the details of one of the drives.

Code:

/dev/sdd1:
          Magic : a92b4efc
        Version : 00.90.00
           UUID : 08ad285e:ba1e0d5a:38cad0b1:c61c5ee7
  Creation Time : Wed May 20 14:29:17 2009
     Raid Level : raid6
  Used Dev Size : 976759936 (931.51 GiB 1000.20 GB)
     Array Size : 4883799680 (4657.55 GiB 5001.01 GB)
   Raid Devices : 7
  Total Devices : 8
Preferred Minor : 1

    Update Time : Tue Feb 16 15:14:50 2010
          State : active
 Active Devices : 7
Working Devices : 8
 Failed Devices : 0
  Spare Devices : 1
       Checksum : 3ae60447 - correct
         Events : 2085124

     Chunk Size : 64K

      Number   Major   Minor   RaidDevice State
this     3       8       49        3      active sync   /dev/sdd1

   0     0       8      145        0      active sync   /dev/sdj1
   1     1       8      129        1      active sync   /dev/sdi1
   2     2       8       65        2      active sync   /dev/sde1
   3     3       8       49        3      active sync   /dev/sdd1
   4     4       8      113        4      active sync   /dev/sdh1
   5     5       8      161        5      active sync
   6     6       8       97        6      active sync   /dev/sdg1
   7     7       8       81        7      spare   /dev/sdf1

chrism01 · 02-17-2010, 12:26 AM

Did you only physically remove the disk, or did you also tell the array it was dead & gone?

eg

mdadm --fail /dev/md1 /dev/sdx1
mdadm --remove /dev/md1 /dev/sdx1

replace sdx1 with correct value.

DavidDiggs · 03-27-2010, 08:55 PM

Sorry to bring this up. Just figured I'd post my findings.

The drive had to be physically remove. The system would not boot with the drive in.

Being a raid 6 array with one drive out I did as the message said and used the --force option.

I replaced the drive and everything rebuilt correctly and is running smoothly.