Span Mode:
Both drives show up as a single large disk, but one which functions differently than RAID 0. The total size
will depend on the drives installed; unlike RAID 0 or RAID 1 you can use drives of different capacities. A
Span is an array (but not a RAID) in which the data is written sequentially across the drives. When one drive
becomes full, subsequent data is written to the second drive. This combines the capacities of the drives,
but it does not provide any performance or data redundancy benefits.
Independent Drive Mode
Each drive will appear individually without being combined. If you are using drives of differing capacity and
model, or if you are using only one drive, this is the mode to use.
2.4 Drive Failure
If one of the drives fails, the corresponding drive LED will turn solid red. If the Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini was
configured as a RAID 0 or Span, the data on the array is lost and the disk is no longer usable. In a span, only the
data stored on the failed drive is lost, although data recovery software will be required to retrieve the data from
the other drive. If the drives were configured independently, then the data on the drive that did not fail will remain
intact.
2.4.1 Replacing Drives
If the Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini is set up as a RAID 1, a drive that has failed can be replaced. The data
will remain accessible via the functioning drive until the array is rebuilt with a new drive. If the enclosure
was purchased with drives and it is still under warranty, contact OWC technical support for assistance
(see Section 3.5). If the unit is outside its warranty or was purchased without drives, follow the assembly
instructions in Section 2.2 to access and replace the failed drive.
If the LED 1 is solid red, the failed drive is the one connected to the drive shown on the right in Section
2.2 Step 10. If the LED 2 is solid red, the failed drive is the one connected to the drive shown on the left in
Section 2.2 Step 10.
Once the drive has been replaced, if the Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini is configured as a RAID 1, the array will
automatically begin to rebuild when the enclosure is powered on. This process may take several hours to
more than a day, based on the capacity of the drives. During the rebuild process, the LED for the new drive
will blink blue, then blink red.
If possible, leave the Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini powered on during the entire rebuild process; if power is
interrupted (or the computer sleeps), the unit will continue rebuilding automatically when power is restored.
Once the rebuild process is complete, both LEDs will display as a solid blue. See Section 1.4 for more
information on the behavior of the LEDs.
Note
OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO DUAL MINI
The Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini needs an active data signal to remain powered on. If it is
disconnected from the computer, or if the computer goes to sleep or turns off, the device will
power off. To minimize the total rebuild time, it is recommended to keep the device connected
to the computer (with the computer powered on), and disable any hard drive sleep settings on
the computer for the duration of the rebuild process.
10
DEVICE SETUP
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