SuperTrak SX6000™ User Manual
Chapter 4
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Rebuilding/Synchronizing Fault Tolerant Arrays
Though a critical array can continue storage operations, it no longer offers fault
tolerance and should be addressed as soon as possible by replacing the missing or
failed drive(s).
Rebuild takes a replacement drive, assigns it to the array and then writes the
redundancy data to it. Once the rebuild process is complete, the array status is
upgraded from “critical” to “functional” and fault tolerance is restored.
Synchronization is a preventative maintenance measure used to avoid problems with
data integrity. Synchronizing simply recalculates redundant data (similar to the rebuild
process) and matches the data on the drive(s). Synchronization is a process that may
be manually initialized or can be scheduled. You may choose to synchronize your array
once per hour, day, week, or month.
Partitioning & Formatting Arrays
Like any other type of fixed disk media in your system, a RAID array must be partitioned
and formatted before use. Depending on the operating system you use, there may or
may not be various capacity limitations applicable for the different types of partitions.
Use the same method of partitioning and formatting on an array as you would any other
fixed disk.
Configuration Ideas
This part of the chapter covers additional ideas that are helpful to bear in mind while
considering RAID configurations.
Fault Tolerance
Hard drives aren’t the only things that can fail in a server room full of equipment, PCs,
hard drives, cables, connections, and power supplies. There are literally hundreds of
things that
could
go wrong on any given day. Although this is a disturbing thought that
has led some to seriously question their career in computers and networking, there are
some additional ways to prevent a server’s RAID storage downtime and perhaps extend
one's livelihood.
Since SuperTrak SX6000 maintains six independent data channels and assigns just
one drive per channel, users are protected in case a single drive or an entire data
channel fails. This provides an added level of protection than other RAID controllers,
such as those that allow connecting two (or more) drives to the same channel
connector.
Hot Spare Drive(s)
A good precaution to protecting your array integrity in the event of drive failure is
maintaining a hot spare drive. A hot spare is a drive that is connected to the array
system, but is not assigned as a member of the array. In the event of the failure of a
drive within a functioning fault tolerant array, the hot spare is activated as a member of
the array. The spare drive effectively takes the place of the failed drive and the RAID
system immediately begins to rebuild data on the drive. When the rebuild is complete,
the array is returned to fault tolerant status. Once the failed drive is replaced, the new
drive is automatically recognized as a hot spare in the event of a subsequent drive fault.
Summary of Contents for SuperTrak SX6000
Page 1: ...User Manual SuperTrak SX6000TM...
Page 7: ...SuperTrak SX6000 User Manual vi Notes...
Page 11: ...SuperTrak SX6000 User Manual Chapter 1 4 Notes...
Page 16: ...SuperTrak SX6000 User Manual Chapter 2 9 Notes...
Page 43: ...SuperTrak SX6000 User Manual Chapter 4 36 Notes...
Page 47: ...SuperTrak SX6000 User Manual Chapter 5 40 Notes...
Page 55: ...SuperTrak SX6000 User Manual Appendix B B6 Notes...