Intel Rapid Storage - problem with degraded raid

[lolarennt]

Hi,

I had a RAID5 over 4 harddisks (2TB) each and a 5th one (also 2TB) as a hot spare. Long story short, 2 of the drives fail (luckily enough time between failures for the rebuild of the RAID5, so no data loss). I now have a RAID5, degraded over 3 disks.

The 2 failed 2TB drives were still under warranty, so I RMA'd them, and they gave me 3TB drives in exchange. Nice.

I plugged in the drives, they get recognized by Intel Rapid Storage Technology, but I cannot add them to the degraded array. I have a screenshot available, for some reason I cannot post this here, so I will have to explain.

I see my array_0000 (that's it's name) and I see the following drives in it:
1.8TB
1.8TB
1.8TB
0GB (with a yellow exclamation mark).

I also see the following drives, NOT part of my array:
Internal disk 2.7TB - I would like to add this drive to the RAID
Internal disk 2.7TB - I would like to make this one available as a hot spare
Internal system disk 466GB (this is my OS drive)

I do not understand what the 0GB drive is, which may point out to what the source of my problem is.

In Intel Rapid Storage technology, you can generate a "System Report". At the end of this email, I will paste the system report.

So, does anybody have any suggestions on how I can add those 3TB drives into the RAID, one as member of the RAID and one as spare?

Here is the System report:
*****************************************************
System Report

System Information
OS name: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
OS version: 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 7601
System name: WIM-PC
System manufacturer: MSI
System model: MS-7668
Processor: GenuineIntel Intel64 Family 6 Model 30 Stepping 5 2.801 GHz
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc., V1.0

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology
Kit installed: 10.5.0.1022
User interface version: 10.5.0.1022
Language: English (United States)
Intel RAID controller: Intel(R) Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller
Number of SATA ports: 6
RAID option ROM version: 8.9.0.1023
Driver version: 10.5.0.1022
ISDI version: 10.5.0.1022

Device Information
Name: Array_0000
Size: 7.3 TB
Available space: 0 GB
Disk data cache: Enabled
Number of volumes: 1
Volume member: Volume_0000
Number of disks: 4
Array disk: WD-WMAZA0217041
Array disk: WD-WCAYY0002855
Array disk: WD-WMAZA0230571
Array disk: D-WMAZA0117712:0

Name: Volume_0000
Status: Degraded
Type: RAID 5
Size: 5.5 TB
Data stripe size: 128 KB
Write-back cache: Enabled
System volume: No
Initialized: Yes
Verification errors found: 0
Blocks with media errors: 4
Physical sector size: 512 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes
Parent array: Array_0000
Number of disks: 4
Array disk: WD-WMAZA0217041
Array disk: WD-WCAYY0002855
Array disk: WD-WMAZA0230571
Array disk: D-WMAZA0117712:0

Disk on port 0
Port location: Internal
Status: Normal
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Array disk
Size: 1.8 TB
Serial number: WD-WMAZA0217041
Model: WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0
Firmware: 50.0AB50
System disk: No
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: Yes
SATA transfer rate: 3 Gb/s
Physical sector size: 512 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes

Disk on port 1
Port location: Internal
Status: Normal
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Array disk
Size: 1.8 TB
Serial number: WD-WCAYY0002855
Model: WDC WD20EARS-00J2GB0
Firmware: 80.00A80
System disk: No
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: Yes
SATA transfer rate: 3 Gb/s
Physical sector size: 512 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes

Disk on port 2
Port location: Internal
Status: Normal
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Available
Size: 2.7 TB
Serial number: WD-WCC1T0073667
Model: WDC WD30EZRX-00DC0B0
Firmware: 80.00A80
System disk: No
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: Yes
SATA transfer rate: 3 Gb/s
Physical sector size: 4096 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes

Disk on port 3
Port location: Internal
Status: Normal
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Array disk
Size: 1.8 TB
Serial number: WD-WMAZA0230571
Model: WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0
Firmware: 50.0AB50
System disk: No
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: Yes
SATA transfer rate: 3 Gb/s
Physical sector size: 512 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes

Disk on port 4
Port location: Internal
Status: Normal
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Available
Size: 2.7 TB
Serial number: WD-WCC1T0073620
Model: WDC WD30EZRX-00DC0B0
Firmware: 80.00A80
System disk: No
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: Yes
SATA transfer rate: 3 Gb/s
Physical sector size: 4096 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes

Disk on port 5
Port location: Internal
Status: Normal
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Available
Size: 466 GB
Serial number: 5QG0HNAD
Model: ST3500630AS
Firmware: 3.AAE
System disk: Yes
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: Yes
SATA transfer rate: 1.5 Gb/s
Physical sector size: 512 Bytes
Logical sector size: 512 Bytes

Disk on port Unknown
Port location: Unknown
Status: Missing
Type: Hard disk
Usage: Array disk
Size: 0 GB
Serial number: D-WMAZA0117712:0
Model:
Firmware:
System disk: No
Password protected: No
Disk data cache: Enabled
Native command queuing: No
SATA transfer rate: Inactive
Physical sector size: 0 Bytes
Logical sector size: 0 Bytes
*****************************************************

 

[thenewnumber2]

Have you tried assigning one of the new drives as a hot spare? That should alert the controller that there is an available drive to rebuild the degraded RAID5. Expanding the array is a separate operation, you can do this after the original is rebuilt. This is how things work with my controller.

 

[lolarennt]

I cannot add any of the new drives as a spare. When I click on the newly found drive, it shows me that the drive is 'available', but nowhere can I mark it as spare. That I think is part of the problem, if not the root of the problem itself.

I should be able to mix 2TB and 3TB in the RAID5 right? As long as the new drive is equal or bigger in size than the drive it is replacing, I should be good, no?

 

[thenewnumber2]

I don't think I can be of any assistance. I'm not familiar with the Intel RST tech, and it's not clear to me what is causing your problem. If no one here can help, you might try one of the Intel forums.

Sorry