Creating a New Array After LSI RAID Failure

Purpose

In the event of a catastrophic failure of a RAID 5 or RAID 6 array on an LSI RAID controller, this guide will explain how to remove the failed array and set up a new one.

Step 1: Identify the failed array

In the exacqVision Client, open the Config (Setup) page, identified by the gears icon, and select Storage.
Select the Hardware tab and then the LSI MegaRAID SAS device. Note the Alarmed state.
Scroll down the list of devices. A section of drives should be shown as Offline. They might appear under the Non-RAID section.
This guide assumes that the drives listed as Offline have failed and must be replaced with new, functional drives. The computer does not have to be powered down.

Step 2: Remove the failed array

If the server was shut down, close exacqVision Client, log out of the user account, and log in to the admin account.
Minimize exacqVision Client and open the LSI MegaRAID Storage Manager from Start > All Programs > MegaRAID Storage Manager > StartupUI, or by double-clicking the MegaRAID Manager icon on the Desktop (if present).
The Host View page opens. Select the Host that appears in the list to display the login window.
Enter the username/password — admin/admin256 (Windows) or root/exacqvisionip (Linux) — and select Login.
NOTE: Newer deployments (19.12 or higher) do not require username/password so you may not be prompted.
Confirm on the Dashboard tab that the controller is in a “Needs attention” state, and then navigate to the Logical tab and find Virtual Drive 0, Offline.
Right-click the Virtual Drive and select Delete Virtual Drive.
Select Confirm and then select Yes. This removes the field array.

Step 3: Set up the new array

Right-click on LSI MegaRAID 9271 and select Create Virtual Drive.
Select Advanced and then select Next.
Use the drop-down menu to select the RAID level. On systems with nine or more drives, use RAID 6. On systems with three to eight drives, use RAID 5.
Select the first drive under Select Unconfigured Drives and then press Ctrl + A on the keyboard to select the remaining unconfigured drives. Then select Add.
Confirm all drives have been added and then select Create Drive Group. Select Next.
On Virtual drive settings, change the following sections and then select Create Virtual Drive:

Initialization state: Fast Initialization
Stripe size: 256 KB
Read policy: Always Read Ahead
Write policy: Write Back with BBU
I/O policy: Direct IO
Access policy: Read Write
Disk cache policy: Disabled
Select Yes. Confirm the settings of the array and then select Finish.
Navigate back to the Dashboard tab. Locate the Background Operations section and confirm the new Virtual Drive has begun its Background Initialize operation.

Step 4: Format the array and restart the exacqVision Server service (Windows Only)

Select Start, right-click Computer, and select Manage.
Navigate to and select Disk Management.
Locate and right-click in the shaded space of Disk 1. Select New Simple Volume….
Select Next. Confirm that Simple Volume Size is correct and then select Next.
Confirm the Drive Letter is D and select Next.
Rename the Volume Label to Data and then select Next. Then select Finish.
Select Start, type services in the Search bar, and select Services.
Locate and select the exacqVision Server service. Select Restart.
Open the exacqVision Client and then navigate to the Config (Setup) page and select Storage.
Confirm the new drive (D:) is present and Healthy.

Step 5: Format the array and restart the exacqVision Server service (Linux Only)

From the desktop open Terminal
Execute the following commands:
Open the exacqVision Client and then navigatw to the Config (Setup) page and select Storage.
Confirm the new drive (/mnt/edvr/1) is present and Healthy.

Creating-a-New-Array-After-LSI-RAID-Failure.pdf