Re: RAID card replacement

[DrFranken <midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Aha, The Write protected issue is likely due to the drive being RAIDed 
on some other server and wasn't Un-RAIDed before being installed in 
yours.  To fix that simply use Service Tools, Wrk with disk units, Work 
with disk unit recovery, initialize and format. That will clear any old 
RAID stripes and zap the list of other drives in the set that the RAID 
card is looking for (and will never find!).  Once that's done you'll be 
able to use the drives.


        - Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com
www.iInTheCloud.com

On 2/19/2013 10:41 AM, Clay B Carley wrote:
> *This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(r) Pro*
> Hi DrFranken,
>
> This is the only battery that I found on the 2741 card:
> http://carleynet.net/familypictures/albums/album70/2013_02_09_15_29_13_189.sized.jpg
>
> Yes, by first slot, I meant L01.  When attempting to configure any of
> the other disks, I get something like "Disk is Read/Write Protected".  I
> may have come across an error message of some sort as well; googling the
> error I came across some IBM doc that mentioned I could only use the
> disk in slot L01, especially since this was a "new" install with the
> battery already being dead.  I'll see if I can find that info again...
>
> Everything else checks out that you mentioned.  All of the drives do
> actually show up in the service tools; and they are all of the same
> model (no non-IBM drives).  That "Read/Write Protected" message really
> had me scratching my head the other day though.
>
> Thanks!
> Clay Carley
>
> DrFranken wrote:
> > Clay,
> > 	The battery that usually fails is not soldered to the board it's
> > removable and replaceable (and cheap too!) However there is another
> > battery there that could have failed (a small 'button' battery)
> >
> > 	Nonetheless the 2748 is a straight up replacement. Simply do a clean
> > pwrdwnsys, pull the power plug(s) and swap the cards. The 2748 is a bit
> > quicker as well.
> >
> > 	I am curious about your comment about using only the disks in the first
> > slot. If by this you mean L01 only then there is a problem with the disk
> > backplane in there. All four slots L01-L04 would be active with ANY of
> > the supported RAID cards in that machine.  If you are referring to the 6
> > slots over on the right side (assuming the presence of the expansion
> > chassis) then that's almost certainly a cabling issue. When that 'side
> > car' is attached a SCSI cable is routed through to the left side and
> > connected to the second port (counting from the rear) of the RAID card.
> > If that cable isn't there, no drives. Also of course there is a power
> > supply in the side car that must be plugged in as well. I have
> > encountered a few folks that thought it was a redundant power supply and
> > not plugged it in.
> >
> > 	I have also seen some folks load up NON AS/400 drives in there 'because
> > they fit'. They won't work but report in as an unidentified SCSI device.
> >
> >           - Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis
> >
> > www.frankeni.com
> > www.iDevCloud.com
> > www.iInTheCloud.com
> >
> > On 2/19/2013 9:41 AM, Clay B Carley wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > Due to the battery being dead on my 2741 RAID card in the old 170
> > > system, I've ordered a replacement card, a model 2748.
> > >
> > > The 2741 didn't allow me to use any disk but what was in the first slot,
> > > in addition to potentially being slow because of the dead battery.  I
> > > would replace the battery on the card, but it's welded/soldered to it.
> > > I'd rather have a replacement card before attempting to de-solder &
> > > re-solder a new battery & holder to it.
> > >
> > > Are there any potential issues to this swap?  I've been impressed with
> > > the system's ability to quickly & easily roll with hardware changes to
> > > this point, but this surgery is a little deeper than what I've done to
> > > it so far.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Clay Carley