From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jun 22 22:07:09 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2C2C616A41C for ; Wed, 22 Jun 2005 22:07:09 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from xfb52@dial.pipex.com) Received: from smtp-out4.blueyonder.co.uk (smtp-out4.blueyonder.co.uk [195.188.213.7]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C300A43D1F for ; Wed, 22 Jun 2005 22:07:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from xfb52@dial.pipex.com) Received: from [82.41.37.55] ([82.41.37.55]) by smtp-out4.blueyonder.co.uk with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.6713); Wed, 22 Jun 2005 23:07:48 +0100 Message-ID: <42B9E10A.7090800@dial.pipex.com> Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 23:07:06 +0100 From: Alex Zbyslaw User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; FreeBSD i386; en-GB; rv:1.7.8) Gecko/20050530 X-Accept-Language: en, en-us, pl MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Steve Bertrand References: <20050622205104.C171743D4C@mx1.FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <20050622205104.C171743D4C@mx1.FreeBSD.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 22 Jun 2005 22:07:48.0357 (UTC) FILETIME=[D33A0B50:01C57776] Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Yet another RAID Question (YARQ) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 22:07:09 -0000 Steve Bertrand wrote: > >I know this technique isn't feasable in all situations, but I try to >have duplicate hardware. Especially with my IDE RAID1 servers, I'll from >time to time during a maintenance window pop one of the RAID disks out, >throw it in another box and ensure BOTH machines boot up with individual >disks. > >This is a sure test to ensure RAID is working. Mind you, I also back up >using rsync for critical stuff to another box, and to tape as well. > > Luckily we did the rsync and tape stuff (though it hasn't been needed yet). I guess you need not just the spare hardware (which is possible if you have more than one server to start with and two can come out at the same time) but the maintenance window to a) pop the disk and then b) rebuild the RAID afterwards. At least, I'm assuming that the RAID-1 is just going to treat the disk you pop back in as of unknown status and re-mirror it. Good thoughts, thanks, --Alex