I'm trying to retrieve data from drives that were part of a Dell R750 in RAID 6, but the controller in HBA mode isn't letting me access them because of a foreign RAID configuration. I understand that this could be a safety feature to prevent accidental data loss, but I urgently need to assemble the RAID array to recover my data since the original server's motherboard is damaged. I've moved the drives to a Dell R730xd that's set to HBA mode. Yet, despite this, the controller is still recognizing the foreign configuration and blocking access. Is there a way to make the Dell PERC controller allow access to these drives and expose the whole block device? I've heard that importing the configuration from a newer to an older system might risk data corruption, so I'm looking for safe alternatives.
3 Answers
If you've confirmed that the previous controller was indeed in RAID mode, it's worth switching your PERC back to that mode and see if it can recognize the drives. Sometimes just forcing it to RAID mode can make it more accommodating regarding foreign configurations, at least temporarily.
That's a good point about the power cycle; it can help reset issues like that. You mentioned that the original R750 is back online after some troubleshooting with Dell support, which is great news! Even so, the question about accessing the drives remains. Just keep in mind, if you plan to manipulate those drives’ configurations, always back up any data you can access first—better safe than sorry!
It sounds like you're hit with one of those annoying Dell quirks. While HBA mode should technically give you access to any drives, some PERC versions are known to be a bit finicky with foreign configurations. One potential workaround is to try cross-flashing your controller to LSi firmware if your card supports it. This can occasionally help bypass these restrictions. Just be careful, as messing with firmware can have its own risks. Make sure to check out guides on ServeTheHome for detailed instructions.
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