One of the drives on the RAID Array is not functioning. When should I replace it and how do I know if the new drive is functioning?
A: The drives in the array are mirroring each other. Generally the top drive is the drive that is being used, while the bottom drive is being updated to keep it mirrored with the top drive. When one drive fails, the other drive should automatically take over.
If one drive is failing, you should replace that drive as soon as possible. If the second drive happens then to fail, you would have lost all of your data and configuration settings. Since the drives are identical, you should be able to hot-swap the failed drive and replace it without shutting down the computer.
To replace a failed drive:
First unlock the failed drive using the keys that were provided with the computer. Remove the failed drive from the computer, and mark it to identify it as bad (include the date that the drive was removed, and if it was in the top or bottom bay). The new drive that will be installed should be the same size and type of drive as the one being removed. If the drive was shipped to you installed in the removable cage, then all you need to do is slide it into the drive bay and lock it in place. If you have to put the drive into the removable cage, check all connections to be sure they are secure. Before putting the drive into the cage, check the jumpers to see that the drive is set as a "Master". The drive should have a diagram showing how the jumpers are set for "Master". Once the jumpers are set and all connections are secure, slide the cage into the drive bay and lock it in place.
Once a new drive is installed:
The mirroring process will begin. The original operating drive should begin to copy all files to the new drive. This process may take an hour or two, depending on the size of the drives.
While the drives are mirroring, you can check the progress of the event. The Promise RAID array comes with a Promise Array Management (PAM) utility to monitor the process. Go to Programs under the Start menu, and open the Promise Array Remote Management. In the left window, open the array on the machine. Log in, using the administrator user name and password for the machine you are on. The utility should show the progress of the rebuild process.
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