Recover from disk failure on W2k server w/mystery software RAID config

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]
  • Start date Start date
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Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]

I'm trying to help out a friend (no really, it isn't me!) A client of hers
has a dead W2k server and there were no good backups.

The company who until very recently supported this company installed the
server originally - a decent enough Proliant with six 36GB SCSI hotswap
drives, no RAID controller. No clue how it was set up as there is zero
documentation and the original company is not around to ask. I am not at all
familiar with software RAID (I never use it) and even if I were, I have
absolutely no idea how the array was configured. I do know that the system
volume was 4GB (oy!).

So - Disk0 died. Server was under warranty, so it was replaced, and I
installed W2k server on it (with the other disks pulled out) to see what I
could see after installing a vanilla OS....

When booting up with the other disks inserted, the server comes up fine, but
in disk management for the other drives, they all display question marks,
and are labeled 'foreign disk' or somesuch (sorry, am not in front of the
beast right now)

When right-clicking on one of them, we're given the option to convert to
basic disk (which I understand will wipe 'em, so no go) or import foreign
disk...when we select that, it says we have to import a set of 5. Is this
safe? I'm feeling quite nervous about it.

All we want is the data as they have another server (in fact, she was in the
process of migrating them off this box and onto new hardware when disaster
struck).

We still have the old disk0 intact, but of course, it's dead. Spins up, but
won't boot.

Any advice before we whip out the credit card and call PSS? Even third party
tools would be OK....this was their old Exchange server and we desperately
want to retrieve the databases files.

Argle.
 
You might try one of these.

http://www.dtidata.com/raid-data-recovery.htm
http://www.vogon.co.uk/raid/raid-data-recovery.htm

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I'm trying to help out a friend (no really, it isn't me!) A client of hers
| has a dead W2k server and there were no good backups.
|
| The company who until very recently supported this company installed the
| server originally - a decent enough Proliant with six 36GB SCSI hotswap
| drives, no RAID controller. No clue how it was set up as there is zero
| documentation and the original company is not around to ask. I am not at
all
| familiar with software RAID (I never use it) and even if I were, I have
| absolutely no idea how the array was configured. I do know that the system
| volume was 4GB (oy!).
|
| So - Disk0 died. Server was under warranty, so it was replaced, and I
| installed W2k server on it (with the other disks pulled out) to see what I
| could see after installing a vanilla OS....
|
| When booting up with the other disks inserted, the server comes up fine,
but
| in disk management for the other drives, they all display question marks,
| and are labeled 'foreign disk' or somesuch (sorry, am not in front of the
| beast right now)
|
| When right-clicking on one of them, we're given the option to convert to
| basic disk (which I understand will wipe 'em, so no go) or import foreign
| disk...when we select that, it says we have to import a set of 5. Is this
| safe? I'm feeling quite nervous about it.
|
| All we want is the data as they have another server (in fact, she was in
the
| process of migrating them off this box and onto new hardware when disaster
| struck).
|
| We still have the old disk0 intact, but of course, it's dead. Spins up,
but
| won't boot.
|
| Any advice before we whip out the credit card and call PSS? Even third
party
| tools would be OK....this was their old Exchange server and we desperately
| want to retrieve the databases files.
|
| Argle.
|
|
 
In
Hugo Cortes said:
Hi look this lynk: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=222189
Click to expand...

Thanks, Hugo - I couldn't find anything similar in my searches. Not sure
it's going to help me fix this !@#$$ box but I'm adding it to my favorites.
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
I'm trying to help out a friend (no really, it isn't me!) A client
of hers has a dead W2k server and there were no good backups.

The company who until very recently supported this company installed
the server originally - a decent enough Proliant with six 36GB SCSI
hotswap drives, no RAID controller. No clue how it was set up as
there is zero documentation and the original company is not around
to ask. I am not at all familiar with software RAID (I never use it)
and even if I were, I have absolutely no idea how the array was
configured. I do know that the system volume was 4GB (oy!).

So - Disk0 died. Server was under warranty, so it was replaced, and I
installed W2k server on it (with the other disks pulled out) to see
what I could see after installing a vanilla OS....

When booting up with the other disks inserted, the server comes up
fine, but in disk management for the other drives, they all display
question marks, and are labeled 'foreign disk' or somesuch (sorry,
am not in front of the beast right now)

When right-clicking on one of them, we're given the option to
convert to basic disk (which I understand will wipe 'em, so no go)
or import foreign disk...when we select that, it says we have to
import a set of 5. Is this safe? I'm feeling quite nervous about it.

All we want is the data as they have another server (in fact, she
was in the process of migrating them off this box and onto new
hardware when disaster struck).

We still have the old disk0 intact, but of course, it's dead. Spins
up, but won't boot.

Any advice before we whip out the credit card and call PSS? Even
third party tools would be OK....this was their old Exchange server
and we desperately want to retrieve the databases files.

Argle.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If you do; let us know if they have a solution.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Thanks, Dave - may recommend this route. We'll probably place a PSS call
| first.
 
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