How to rebuild fake RAID 1 using dmraid

[biglizheng]

Hello everyone,

I'm having a trouble rebuilding raid 1 array using dmraid, can anyone offer some suggestions?

The server originally has two hard drives configured into RAID1 through intel ich9r chip, which is a fakeraid. However, one of the hard drive failed a couple of days ago, and I ordered a replacement hard drive. However, I cannot rebuild the raid 1 array.

After I've inserted the hard drive, I used control+I in Bios to set the new hard drive into the rebuild status, and it says the rebuild will be performed in the operating system. After I boot up the system I cannot rebuild it using dmraid -R. Here is the status.

$ sudo /sbin/dmraid -ay

RAID set "isw_djijedgcga_Volume0" was not activated
ERROR: device "isw_djijedgcga_Volume0" could not be found

$ sudo /sbin/dmraid -s
*** Group superset isw_djijedgcga
--> Subset
name : isw_djijedgcga_Volume0
size : 1465143296
stride : 128
type : mirror
status : nosync
subsets: 0
devs : 2
spares : 0

$ sudo /sbin/dmraid -r
/dev/sda: isw, "isw_djijedgcga", GROUP, ok, 1465149165 sectors, data@ 0
/dev/sdb: isw, "isw_djijedgcga", GROUP, ok, 1465149165 sectors, data@ 0

$ sudo /sbin/fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 750.1 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 12748 102398278+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 12749 14788 16386300 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 14789 91200 613779390 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 750.1 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

$ sudo /sbin/dmraid -R isw_djijedgcga /dev/sdb
ERROR: disk /dev/sdb cannot be used to rebuilding


Thanks a million for help.

[marvin_ita]

I really think you can only rebuild the raid using Windows and the drivers/software provided with your motherboard... unless the builder of your motherboard provide support for linux, II suggest you to contact their technical support.

[JEO]

Since you set it in the BIOS, try the dmraid -R command without the /dev/sdb parameter.

sudo /sbin/dmraid -R isw_djijedgcga

[biglizheng]

Thanks marvin_ita,

I did see someone else has successfully did that using dmraid -R. Here is the post:
http://techie.org/Blog/2010/09/03/ho...-isw-on-linux/

I just don't understand why I cannot do the same thing in my machine.

Best,
Zheng

---------- Post added at 06:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:15 AM ----------

Originally Posted by JEO

Since you set it in the BIOS, try the dmraid -R command without the /dev/sdb parameter.

sudo /sbin/dmraid -R isw_djijedgcga

It still doesn't work.

# dmraid -R isw_djijedgcga
RAID set "isw_djijedgcga_Volume0" was not activated
ERROR: device "isw_djijedgcga_Volume0" could not be found
ERROR: Device suspend failed.

PS. I tried the unplug the new harddrive and plug it in again, the volume name changed.

# dmraid -r
/dev/sda: isw, "isw_djijedgcga", GROUP, ok, 1465149165 sectors, data@ 0
/dev/sdb: isw, "isw_djijedgcga", GROUP, ok, 1465149165 sectors, data@ 0
# dmraid -s
*** Group superset isw_djijedgcga
--> Subset
name : isw_djijedgcga_Volume0
size : 1465143296
stride : 128
type : mirror
status : nosync
subsets: 0
devs : 2
spares : 0

[JEO]

That "ERROR: device "isw_djijedgcga_Volume0" could not be found" is odd. The only thing I can think of is check that md raid is not trying to already claim the raid so that dmraid can't access it. Look for the existence of /dev/md<number> devices or mention of it in /var/log/messages.

[marvin_ita]

Originally Posted by biglizheng

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

$ sudo /sbin/dmraid -R isw_djijedgcga /dev/sdb
ERROR: disk /dev/sdb cannot be used to rebuilding

Try to create a partition table before using dmraid -R (you can use gparted for doing that in GUI)... I guess it cannot use /dev/sdb because the disk doesn't contain any mbr.

[JEO]

Also try it after booting into text mode in case the graphical desktop has one or more of the drives open.

[Ernst0]

Hello,

I am in much the same situation.

I have a RAID1 set, my first ever RAID set, and I mistakenly selected an older well worn and heat abused drive when I built the RAID set.

I am being warned that it has many bad sectors daily now and that is a given so how do I swap out that drive for the other good one I should have selected in the first place?

I see dmraid.. was told to try RAIDXPERT by amd and eventhough ther PDF states there is a Linux version I have not found one.

So I am learning all about it now.

Any help is appreciated.