Hi all,

 

Current Problem:

My server does not recognize my parity drive, and one of the data drives failed (does not even come up as a valid device if connected)

I have put in a new data drive (precleared) in the correct position, and assigned it to the appropriate drive location. When I start the array (clicking the checkbox to bring up the array and begin data rebuild, the array starts, but the drive comes up as "Unformatted".

 

I then have the "Unformatted disk(s) present" message and have the option of formatting the new data drive.

If I attempt this, the server maintenance page returns that it has begun formatting, but the screen never refreshes.

If I click the provided refresh button on the server maintenance page, I get the previous page with the "Unformatted disk(s) present" message again and can go through that loop as many times as I want.

 

I am well aware that I have very likely lost data, and I am (kind of) ok with that, but I would like to bring the array to a fully functional state again. So I have 2 (ok 3) questions:

 

[*]Is there a way to validate/use the parity drive? If I live it a wonderful world, it's actually fine, and I could *maybe* recover fully (had just performed a parity check before the last failure). If that is horribly dangerous, and I run the risk of losing all my other data, I'm not interested in that option.

[*]Assuming I should just kiss my single data-drive's worth of data goodbye, what can I do to get past this "Unformatted" loop I am in? (and subsequently set up a new parity drive, etc)

[*]Is there another option that I am overlooking?

syslog-2012-12-12.txt.zip

Forgot to add:

Running unRaid 5.0beta14

Do I have any recourse here?

 

I would prefer to not have to completely rebuild the server, but if I have to, I will. My biggest concern would be handling the data on the remaining 4 drives. If I have to rebuild, I think I'm going to have a long-haul ahead of me and a *lot* of data shuffling between disks.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

You don't have to rebuild the server but the data disk is not recoverable by unRAID without the parity drive (and all of the other data drives) working. You can put the failed data drive in a PC and try to recover it's contents there.

 

Use the New Config Utility. Then assign the remaining data drives to data slots and the new drive as parity. Start the arrry and parity will rebuild.

Before you go and do something difficult to un-do, I suggest you check for a loose power connection to the two drives.  It could be as simple as a loose cable that prevents either (or both) from being recognized.

 

If they both are really dead, then you can simply un-assign both, use the Utils->New Config function and set a new disk configuration without them.  Then you can start the array (without the parity drive and without the failed data drive)

 

When you get a replacement parity drive, stop the array, assign it as the parity drive, and parity will be calculated when you then start the array.

 

In the interim, you can get access to the data on the remaining drives.

 

Joe L.