Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller 5i - Manual (Page 64)

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RAID Configuration and Management
Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the VD Mgmt Menu
When a foreign configuration exists, the BIOS banner displays the message Foreign
configuration(s) found on adapter. In addition, a foreign configuration, when present,
appears on the right side of the VD Mgmt screen.
You can use the VD Mgmt menu to import the existing configuration to the RAID controller or clear the
existing configuration to create a new one. The information for the foreign configuration does not
display until it is imported.
NOTE:
The controller does not allow an import that results in more than 64 virtual disks.
Perform the following steps to import or clear foreign configurations.
1 During bootup, press <Ctrl><R> when prompted by the BIOS banner.
The VD Mgmt screen appears by default.
2 On the VD Mgmt screen, highlight the Controller #.
The controller number is the only item that appears until you import the foreign configuration.
3 Press <F2> to display the available actions.
4 Press the right arrow key to display the available actions, Import and Clear.
NOTE:
Ensure that your virtual disk has all the physical disks by verifying that there are no physical disks
marked as Missing in the foreign view page and that all the disks appear as expected before importing them.
5 Select Import to import the foreign configuration or Clear to delete the foreign configuration and
then press <Enter>.
If you import the configuration, the VD Mgmt displays detailed configuration information. This
includes information about the disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and
hot spares.
Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen
If one or more physical disks are removed from a configuration, for example, by a cable pull or physical
disk removal, the configuration on those disks is considered a foreign configuration by the RAID
controller. You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to view detailed configuration
information about the disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares. After
you view the foreign configuration, you can either import it to the RAID controller or clear it.
NOTE:
Before you import, review the configuration on the screen to ensure that it is the desired end result.
You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to manage foreign configurations in the
following cases:
• All the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted.
• Some of the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted.
• All the physical disks in a virtual disk are removed, but at different times, and then re-inserted.
• The physical disks in a non-redundant virtual disk are removed.
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