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Replace drive logically

If a drive fails or you want to replace it for any other reason, and you have an unassigned drive in your storage array, you can logically replace the failed drive with the unassigned drive. If you do not have an unassigned drive, you can physically replace the drive instead.

When you logically replace a drive with an unassigned drive, the unassigned drive becomes assigned and is then a permanent member of the associated pool or volume group. You use the logical replace option to replace the following types of drives:

  • Failed drives
  • Missing drives
  • SSD drives that the Recovery Guru has notified you that are nearing their end of life
  • Hard drives that the Recovery Guru has notified you that have an impending drive failure
  • Assigned drives (available only for drives in a volume group, not in a pool)

The replacement drive must have the following characteristics:

  • In the Optimal state
  • In the Unassigned state
  • The same attributes as the drive being replaced (media type, interface type, and so on)
  • The same FDE capability (recommended, but not required)
  • The same DA capability (recommended, but not required)
  1. Select Hardware.
  2. If the graphic shows the controllers, click Show front of shelf.
    The graphic changes to show the drives instead of the controllers.
  3. Click the drive that you want to logically replace.
    The drive's context menu appears.
  4. Click Logically replace.
  5. (Optional) Select the Fail drive after it is replaced check box to fail the original drive after it is replaced.
    This check box is enabled only if the original assigned drive is not failed or missing.
  6. From the Select a replacement drive table, select the replacement drive that you want to use.

    The table lists only those drives that are compatible with the drive that you are replacing. If possible, select a drive that will maintain shelf loss protection and drawer loss protection.

  7. Click Replace.

    If the original drive is failed or missing, data is reconstructed on the replacement drive using the parity information. This reconstruction begins automatically. The drive's fault indicator lights go off, and the activity indicator lights of the drives in the pool or volume group start flashing.

    If the original drive is not failed or missing, its data is copied to the replacement drive. This copy operation begins automatically. After the copy operation completes, the system transitions the original drive to the Unassigned state, or if the check box was selected, to the Failed state.