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Solved: How do I replace aging RAID1 hard drives in Lenovo ServeRAIDh M5210 controller

Problem Symptom

I like to replace HDDs in a RAID1 set that are still good with same size drives. RAID controller is Lenovo ServeRAID M5210 SAS/SATA Controller. What is the process for replacing aging RAID1 hard drives in the Lenovo server with the ServeRAID M5210 controller?

Solved: How do I replace aging RAID1 hard drives in Lenovo ServeRAIDh M5210 controller

Follow the below suggestions to replace HDDs in the Lenovo ServeRAIDh M5210 controller.

Solution

Since there is a mirror there the array will be fine if one drive fails. If and when it does hot-swap it with a known good or new drive. For aging hardware, I suggest having same age same firmware level replacements whether new or used.

The procedure is the same as for a predictive failure disk:

Step 1: Go onto MegaRAID Storage Manager or ServerRAID Manager.

Step 2: Place the disk offline.

Step 3: Eject the HDD and put in the new one.

Step 4: Rebuild should be automatic but sometimes you have to set it as a global spare before it will rebuild.

Note: If it is an old server it will be using 512b disks so don’t try to use new 4K sectored ones. Try to use the same IBM/Lenovo part number.