Spectra nTier500, User Manual

Page: 150 / 184

Chapter 9 — Maintaining the nTier500
150
User Guide
90990030
R
EPLACING A
D
ATA
D
RIVE
If a data drive in the nTier500 is not functioning properly, the Drives tab on
the Overview page of the BlueScale web interface changes to red,
indicating an error condition.
Estimated Time Required
Replacing a data drive takes about ten minutes. This procedure can be
performed without interrupting the operation of the nTier500. As soon as
you install the new drive, it automatically powers on and the RAID-6
volume to which the drive belongs begins rebuilding using the parity data
stored on the remaining drives in the volume.
Note: Rebuilding the RAID-6 volume can take several hours if the
volume is not used during the rebuild process; writing data to
the volume while it is being rebuilt increases the time it takes to
complete the rebuild. While rebuilding, the status of the logical
volume status is shown as Impacted and data throughput to the
volume is reduced until rebuild is complete and the drives are
resynchronized.
Before You Begin
Before beginning the drive replacement, make sure that you have
addressed the requirements in this section.
Prepare the Work Area
Ensure that the environment is free of conditions that could cause
electrostatic discharge (ESD)
—If possible, use an antistatic mat and a
grounded static protection wristband during installation. If a mat and
wristband are not available, touch a known grounded surface, such as the
nTier500’s metal chassis.
Important
Although a RAID 6 volume can continue to operate with one or two malfunctioning
drives, you run the risk of data loss if a third drive fails. Replace a malfunctioning
drive as soon as possible to avoid degraded performance.