Mirrored Disk Failed.

Hello,

HP server with 2 72 GB hot plug disks, Disk 0 and Disk 1

Disk 0 fails, windows reporting unreadable, had failed a few weeks ago but
managed to put back online, so replaced with new disk.

Everything working ok using Disk 1.

So break the failed mirror in windows then shutdown server. Install new disk.

Start server, then no operating system found!! The boot.ini doesn't have to
be on Disk 0 does it? Did try just Disk 1 in the server but just get a
cursor in the corner flashing.

So move onto running Winternals ERD to check the partition is ok on Disk 1,
all looks ok Boot.ini intact and correct, and ntldr etc. are present, but
couldn't get it going.

So decided to load a temporary copy of Windows Server onto the New disk 0
and then added another line in this boot.ini to try and start Disk1. And it
works boots up all ok.

Now with server booted try to set mirror from Disk 1 to New Disk 0, Set Disk
0 to be a dynamic disk. Then need to delete the partition for the temp
windows install, when trying to delete partition, i get a Logical Disk
Managed Error "The operation did not complete. Check the systems event log
for more information" But nothing is logged in the event viewer.

The partition can be formatted all ok, which i have done, so it's not like
there is something in-use on the partition.

If i try to add a Mirror From Disk 1 to Disk 0 i get the same error message
but a event is logged:

Source: LDM
Event ID: 2
Desc.: INTERNAL Error - The requested operation is not supported (C100003E).

Sorry the post is abit long-winded just wanted to make sure you get the full
picture.

Any Ideas???

I don't dare restart the server as the Disk 0 partiton has been formatted so
no boot.ini is available!!!! Why can't it start from the boot.ini on the
Disk 1, i'm sure i have been in this situation before and had none of the
above problems.

Thanks

It sounds like you are using the windows system to manage your RAID rather
than any hardware based management.

Running under that assumption.

After you broke the mirror, disk 0 was replaced and the intact copy on disk
1 was now not bootable?

OK...

The problem is the arc paths in the boot ini. Both disks have all the
information, but this is software raid. So you still only boot off one disk.
So both disks have boot.ini files that point to disk 0.
So that is why it didn't boot.

Solution1:

Swap disk 0 with disk1. Boot and recreate mirror.

Solution 2:

Make an NT fault tolerance boot disk (google it) with a modified boot.ini
that references disk1 as the system disk.

I know its too late now, but with hot plug disks, why did you turn the
server off before the problem was fixed? That is the whole purpose of hot
plug disks.

--
Manny Borges
MCSE NT4-2003 (+ Security)
MCT, Certified Cheese Master

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who do understand binary
and those who don't.
"Alex" <> wrote in message
news:261C9BFC-4289-44CA-80EB-...
> Hello,
>
> HP server with 2 72 GB hot plug disks, Disk 0 and Disk 1
>
> Disk 0 fails, windows reporting unreadable, had failed a few weeks ago but
> managed to put back online, so replaced with new disk.
>
> Everything working ok using Disk 1.
>
> So break the failed mirror in windows then shutdown server. Install new
> disk.
>
> Start server, then no operating system found!! The boot.ini doesn't have
> to
> be on Disk 0 does it? Did try just Disk 1 in the server but just get a
> cursor in the corner flashing.
>
> So move onto running Winternals ERD to check the partition is ok on Disk
> 1,
> all looks ok Boot.ini intact and correct, and ntldr etc. are present, but
> couldn't get it going.
>
> So decided to load a temporary copy of Windows Server onto the New disk 0
> and then added another line in this boot.ini to try and start Disk1. And
> it
> works boots up all ok.
>
> Now with server booted try to set mirror from Disk 1 to New Disk 0, Set
> Disk
> 0 to be a dynamic disk. Then need to delete the partition for the temp
> windows install, when trying to delete partition, i get a Logical Disk
> Managed Error "The operation did not complete. Check the systems event
> log
> for more information" But nothing is logged in the event viewer.
>
> The partition can be formatted all ok, which i have done, so it's not like
> there is something in-use on the partition.
>
> If i try to add a Mirror From Disk 1 to Disk 0 i get the same error
> message
> but a event is logged:
>
> Source: LDM
> Event ID: 2
> Desc.: INTERNAL Error - The requested operation is not supported
> (C100003E).
>
> Sorry the post is abit long-winded just wanted to make sure you get the
> full
> picture.
>
> Any Ideas???
>
> I don't dare restart the server as the Disk 0 partiton has been formatted
> so
> no boot.ini is available!!!! Why can't it start from the boot.ini on the
> Disk 1, i'm sure i have been in this situation before and had none of the
> above problems.
>
> Thanks
>