HP Smart Array and hpacucli with a failing drive

[n_K]

So I've got a HP Smart Array P410 in my HP DL160 G6 server, recently I've been noticing some problems with one of the hard drives (Not sure which, 3 are installed in a RAID5 configuration). So I thought I'd try to check the drive S.M.A.R.T. status... Oh dear, that's not possible on a HP smart array controller at all, not so smart then. So I checked the array and all physical drives using hpacucli... Oh dear, also completely useless saying all the drives are fine. I've got ESXi on the host, and under the system status the drives are listed as being fine, but obviously aren't as under the system log there's events about the array seek time going up massively on a number of occasions. One of the drives intermintantly makes some weird noises (I can't pinpoint which, just one of them).

 

So due to HP's not-so-smart firmware and tools, I haven't got the foggiest idea which drive is the problem, any ideas on this without having to remove the drives and check them on another server? (They're SAS drives and I've only got one other device that can read them but it's got it's own RAID5 config and I don't really want to mess that up...)

 

[Edit: Is there something wrong with neowin/this forum? I've seen this happen a few times and can't remember if it was the support forum or what but if I make a post, all formatting and spacing is removed, I have to edit the message to put it all back in...]

[Hum]

Maybe you could unplug all but the Main drive, Reboot, and listen for the noise.

 

That drive needs Copied, then Replaced.

 

Plug the drives in, one by one.

 

Can't you run Windows error checking on each drive ?

[n_K]

There's 3 drives in a RAID5 config, at most I can remove one drive, I know it needs replaced! It's finding out what drive it is though.

It's an ESXi host.... Not windows...