Compromised Fault Tolerance; Recovering From Compromised Fault Tolerance (Enabling Failed Luns) - HP StorageWorks 1510i - Modular Smart Array User Manual

Compromised fault tolerance

Each RAID configuration has inherent limitations on the number of physical hard drive failures that it can
tolerate. If more hard drives fail than the fault-tolerance method allows, fault tolerance is compromised.
When the MSA determines that the fault tolerance of a LUN is compromised, the LUN is taken offline
and subsequent I/O requests are rejected. This is designed to protect the integrity of the LUN, but does
require manual intervention to recover or re-enable the LUN. You are likely to lose data, although it
can sometimes be recovered.
Common causes of compromised fault tolerance include:
• More hard drives fail than the LUN can tolerate.
For example, in a RAID 5 array, if a hard drive in an array fails while another drive in the array is
being rebuilt. If the array has no online spare, any logical drives in this array that are configured
with RAID 5 fault tolerance will fail.
• A SCSI cable could be broken or disconnected.
• A temporary loss of power.
For example, if both power supplies are inappropriately connected to the same power source and that
power source it interrupted, fault tolerance may be compromised.

Recovering from compromised fault tolerance (enabling failed LUNs)

If fault tolerance is compromised, inserting replacement hard drives does not improve the condition of
the logical unit. The procedure to re-enable or accept a LUN that is unresponsive is performed in the
Array Configuration Utility (ACU), Storage Management Utility (SMU), or the MSA Command Line
Interface (MSA-CLI).
1.
Stop all I/O activity.
2. Turn off the system as described in
3.
Check for loose, dirty, broken, or bent cabling and connectors on all devices.
4.
Remove and then reinsert all hard drives and controllers.
CAUTION:
Data can be lost if the hard drives are not firmly reseated.
5.
Turn the system on as described in
NOTE:
In some cases, a marginal hard drive might work again for long enough to allow you
to make copies of important files.
94
Operation and management
Powering off the MSA1510i.
Powering on the MSA.