adding hot spares - advice needed

[flipper2222222]

hi everyone

I have inherited a RX2540 M2 Fujitsu server
it has 12 disks S26361-F5531-L560 600GB 15K HDD 2.5" SAS 12GB HP

in a RAID5 with NO hot spares.

I want to add 2 hot spares to this array,

is this possible and easy to do without dismantling the current array?

thanks in advance
Marc

[Davie]

Yes it should be easy assuming you have space for the two new disks. Just insert them and then use ServerView RAID manager to add them as hot spares. I think you RIGHT click on the two unused disks (one at a time) and the option is there - I don't have a copy to hand right now to tell you exactly how but it's pretty simple - and won't affect your current array

[flipper2222222]

thanks for the reply Davie

there are 24 slots only 12 populated slots, are all the 24 slots available to the one raid controller? see attachment

IMG_5845sm.JPG (26.06 KiB) Viewed 12970 times

also how would I view server raid if the operating system is VMware ESXi ?

[Davie]

If you have the 24 disk variant then I'm guessing you have a SAS expander in there (check the internal cabling - instead of cables from the controller to the disk backplane you will see them go to a small daughter card on the motherboard and from there to the backplane. Although you only have an 8 port controller, the expander allows it to address more devices

For RAID manager under ESXi, you usual have a Windows virtual machine on there and install RAID manager on it - then there is a way to add the "parent" host to monitor the ESX. This assumes you are running the Fujitsu image of ESX to that all the necessary CIM providers are present

[flipper2222222]

thank you, I ended up using

http://support.ts.fujitsu.com/IndexDown ... 2D8D718ED1

on a windows 7 machine on the LAN
was quite easy to connect.
I was advised by Fujitsu support the my server supports 24 drives, I have not checked the internal cables yet, but will order the 2 drives and hot plug them and see if all is ok or not. reasonably confident it will all be fine. thanks for your assistance.

[flipper2222222]

job completed, very easy

[kawade]

Great information