Hello everybody!
Watch this video to find out how to create and configure a RAID array based on server
ProLiant DL380p G8 with the help of the integrated utility HP Smart Storage Administrator, and
how to recover data from a damaged RAID system based on P410 controller.
HPE Smart Storage Administrator is a tool that lets you quickly configure storage controllers
on HP ProLiant servers and manage them.
This utility has a simple and user-friendly graphical interface to help you quickly create,
modify and remove storage arrays based on a set of physical disks installed in the server.
Smart Storage Administrator comes to replace HP Array Configuration Utility (ACU) and features
an updated database that expands your storage opportunities.
Our server has a built-in controller for 8 disks, and it supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, 50,
and 60.
In a few minutes, I’ll show you how to use it to create a RAID 5 array consisting of
3 disks.
For illustration purposes, we’ll explore how to configure it using the utility with
a graphical interface, and then how to install the operating system onto this disk array.
How to create a RAID array with the graphical interface of HP Smart Storage Administrator
utility Restart or turn on the server; while it is
booting, after the iLO configuration is displayed and when the information on the RAID controller
is showing, press F5 key to start the graphical interface of HP Smart Storage Administrator.
In the GRUB window, select the “Smart Storage Administrator” from the list and hit Enter.
Wait until the utility boots, and click on “Smart Array” in the main screen.
In the “Smart Array” menu, find “Actions,” select the “Configure” option, and then
“Create Array.”
If the disks have already been used in another RAID system, the “Create” button will
be unavailable, so you need to remove the previously created disk array first.
To do it, open the tab “Logical Devices,” select the RAID you want to remove, and click
“Delete Array,” then hit “Yes” to confirm your decision, and then click “Finish.”
If necessary, the disks that have been used before can be overwritten with zeroes.
If you want it, open the tab “Unassigned Drives,” select a disk, and select “Erase
Drive” below; choose an erase pattern, then click “OK” and “Yes” to confirm it.
Now you can create a new array, and you can do it right from this menu by selecting all
disks and clicking “Create Array” Or by opening the tab “Smart Array” and then
clicking “Create Array” there.
Select the disks that your RAID will consist of, and click “Create Array.”
Now, it is time to give RAID level, strip size, and the array size - choose if you want
to use all the space you have or set a custom size.
The option Sectors\track gives the number of sectors that make up every track; the value
32 disables MaxBoot, while 63 enables it (which reduces performance of the logical volume).
Caching can improve performance by writing data into the cache memory instead of writing
it directly to the logical disks.
Now select the initialization method: the default one, or the longer one that involves
overwriting blocks with zeroes.
When you’re finished with the settings, click “Create Logical Drive,” check the
settings, and then click “Finish” to complete the process.
The new array should appear in the left-hand panel of the main window.
How to add a spare disk To ensure uninterrupted work even if one of
the disks breaks down, you can add a spare disk before you finish the configuration process.
To do it, click “Manage Spare Drives,” select a disk in the next window, and click
“Save” to have the spare drive added.
Here are the three disks that make up the RAID, and the fourth disk which is used as
a spare one.
Now if one of the disks fails, the controller will rebuild the array with this spare disk
and inform you that one of the disks should be replaced.
To exit the application, click the Close button, and you’ll be redirected to the Intelligent
Provisioning screen.
In this window, click the power button in the upper right corner, and then the reboot
button.
After that, boot the operating system and partition the disk.
How to install an operating system If you need to install an operating system,
use another integrated utility, Intelligent Provisioning.
To start it, press F10 key while the server is booting.
Choose “Configure and Install” – “Continue,” and select the operating system family from
the drop-down list, then choose the installation method and specify the resource with the installation
disk.
Give the path to the image of the operating system – “Continue” – choose your
settings – give your login and administrator password.
“Continue,” the system will warn you that all data will be lost.
Click “Continue” and wait until the installation is over.
From the menu of this program, you’ll be able to start Smart Storage Administrator,
update the controller’s firmware and install an operating system.
The standard installation process begins - just follow the wizard directions.
How to create a RAID with Option ROM Configuration for Arrays
Also, with this server you can create a RAID array with the controller’s BIOS.
In one of the previous videos, I showed how to create a RAID based on an HP controller;
this device type has a similar menu for configuring disk arrays.
You can learn more by following the link in the description.
To start ORCA (Option ROM Configuration for Arrays) press F8 key.
Click “Create a Logical Drive” and specify the settings.
How to recover data If the RAID system is damaged, a hard disk
is out of order, the operating system crashed, or some data was removed by mistake, you can
always use Hetman RAID Recovery to get your files back.
In the case of accidentally removing data, just install this program to the server running
a Windows operating system, scan the disk array and restore the deleted files.
Right-click on the disk and open it, select the scan type and wait until it’s over.
Select the deleted files and click Recovery.
Choose the folder where you’d like to save the files and click Recovery again.
When the recovery process is complete, you’ll see all the files in that folder.
If the operating system on the disks within the array is damaged, you won’t be able
to extract the data so easily.
But still, all you need is to connect them to a Windows computer
and start Hetman RAID Recovery.
The program will scan the disks automatically, read all the information about the disk array,
and then rebuild it.
The final step is to scan it and recover everything
you need.
Building the array manually with RAID Constructor If the program failed to rebuild the RAID
system or it rebuilt the array in the wrong way, you can always do it manually.
If you know the order of the disks that were included into the array, the block size, block
order and other important data, just open RAID Constructor and build it according to
this information.
To rebuild an array manually, open RAID Constructor, choose Manual mode and give all the RAID settings
you know.
RAID type, block order, block size, number of disks in the array, then add the disks
and specify their order.
When you filled in every field, click Add and the array will appear in the Drive Manager.
Scan the array and recover your data.
This program even lets you recover data if one of the disks is missing - if the RAID
type can survive this kind of damage.
As you can see, the program managed to find all the data in spite of one disk missing
- just because this is RAID 5.
You can find more information in one of our videos about different RAID levels and peculiarities
of data storage by following the LINK below.
That is all for now!
Hopefully, this video was useful.
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Thank you for watching.
Good luck.