Fast initialization of virtual disks, Consistency checks, Disk roaming – Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller H700 User Manual

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Storage Controller Features

Fast Initialization of Virtual Disks

A fast initialization on a virtual disk overwrites the first and last 8 MB of the

virtual disk, clearing any boot records or partition information. The operation

takes only 2–3 seconds to complete and is recommended when you are

recreating virtual disks. To perform a fast initialization using the BIOS

Configuration Utility, see "Initializing Virtual Disks" on page 91.

NOTE:

Fast Initialization is automatically executed when a virtual disk is created

with Dell OpenManage storage management application.

Consistency Checks

Consistency Check (CC) is a background operation that verifies and corrects

the mirror or parity data for fault tolerant virtual disks. It is recommended

that you periodically run a consistency check on virtual disks.
You can manually start a CC using the BIOS Configuration Utility or the

Dell OpenManage storage management application. To start a CC using the

BIOS Configuration Utility, see "Checking Data Consistency" on page 91.

You can schedule CC to run on virtual disks using a Dell OpenManage

storage management application.

Disk Roaming

Disk roaming is moving the physical disks from one cable connection or

backplane slot to another on the same controller. The controller

automatically recognizes the relocated physical disks and logically places

them in the proper virtual disks that are part of the disk group. You can

perform disk roaming only when the system is turned off.

CAUTION:

Do not attempt disk roaming during RAID level migration (RLM) or

online capacity expansion (OCE). This causes loss of the virtual disk.

Perform the following steps to use disk roaming:

1 Turn off the power to the system, physical disks, enclosures, and system

components. Disconnect power cords from the system.

2 Move the physical disks to desired positions on the backplane or

the enclosure.

3 Perform a safety check. Make sure the physical disks are inserted properly.
4 Turn on the system.

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 26 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

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