RAID offline? Foreign config? Missing virtual disk? This is the help page you wish you found first.
Most RAID failures don’t start with a crash — they start with confusion. Blinking lights. Error messages that don’t make sense. Systems that should be online, but aren’t. This center exists to help you interpret those moments before data is lost.
Instead of pushing recovery services, we guide you through what each message means, what’s safe to try, and when to stop. Each RAID family below opens its own diagnostic series — complete with symptom pages, triage actions, and the corresponding ADR Technical Notes.
Choose Your RAID Family
- RAID 5 Triage — Common single-parity failures and rebuild stalls
- RAID 50 Triage — Nested parity recovery and partial group loss
- RAID 6 Triage — Dual-parity failures, rebuild stalls, and virtual disk loss
- RAID 60 Triage — Advanced dual-group recovery conditions
- RAID 10 Triage — Mirror corruption and rebuild asymmetry
Each triage section includes:
- Symptom-specific diagnostic pages written in plain language
- “What You See / Why It Happens / What NOT To Do / What You CAN Do” structure
- A linked ADR Technical Note (TN-R#-001) for in-depth parity and metadata behavior
Common RAID Symptoms
- “Foreign Config Detected” after replacing a drive
- Virtual Disk missing even though drives are online
- Rebuild hangs at 0% or never completes
- Array shows “Offline” or “Critical” after reboot
- Recreated array mounts — but files are missing or corrupt
These are the signals that something is happening below the surface — often before full data loss. Understanding them now can prevent permanent overwrite later.
Technical Note TN-R5-001
Title: RAID 5 Single-Parity Failure Modes, Rebuild Breaks, and Metadata Drift
This in-depth note explains what really happens inside RAID 5 when the single-parity safety margin collapses — from latent sector errors turning a one-disk loss into an effective double-failure, to rebuild stalls, foreign-config traps, and post-power-loss metadata drift. It is the internal reference behind every RAID 5 page in this series.
- How Single-Parity Protection Fails in Real Systems
- Latent Sector Errors Turning 1-Disk Loss Into Effective 2-Disk Failure
- Rebuild Stalls and Controllers Forcing “Safe Stops”
- Foreign Config & Identity Drift After Power Events
- RAID Online but Files Missing or Wrong Size
- Correct Forensic Triage Sequence Before Any Repair Attempt
Read the Full Technical Note TN-R5-001 →
/raid-5-triage/tn-r5-001
Technical Note TN-R50-001
Title: RAID 50 Failure Behaviors, Stripe-Group Loss, Cross-Group Parity Stalls, and Metadata Divergence
This Technical Note explains what really happens inside RAID 50 when one stripe-group loses cohesion — even while other groups remain healthy. It documents how group-level failures, latent sector errors, cache/NVRAM drift, and foreign-config divergence cause full-array outages, rebuilds that stall at 0%, or “online but empty” volumes.
TN-R50-001 is the internal reference behind every RAID 50 page in this series.
- RAID 50 Primer — How Nested Parity + Striping Really Works
- Failure Surfaces That Break Stripe-Group Cohesion
- Why One Dead Stripe-Group Takes the Entire Array Offline
- Cross-Group Rebuild Stalls at 0% or 5% — Parity Epoch Conflicts
- Metadata Drift Between Groups After Restart
- “Online but Empty” Volumes After Rebuild
- Forensic Triage — Safe Order of Operations for RAID 50
Read the Full Technical Note TN-R50-001 →
Technical Note TN-R6-001
Title: RAID 6 Dual-Failure, Rebuild Stalls, and Metadata Desynchronization
This in-depth note explains what happens inside the controller when parity math fails — from latent sector errors to NVRAM epoch drift. It’s the internal reference behind every RAID-6 page in this series.
- Dual-Failure Surfaces That Break Two-Drive Safety
- Rebuild Stalls and Second Disk Drops
- Virtual Disk Missing After Rebuild
- Rebuild Won’t Start After Replacement
- Array Online but Empty
- Forensic Triage — Order of Operations
Read the Full Technical Note TN-R6-001 →
Technical Note TN-R60-001
Title: Dual-Parity Stripe-Group Failure Modes in RAID 60 Arrays
Author: ADR Data Recovery — Advanced RAID & Server Recovery Services
Program: InteliCore Logic™ — ADR’s proprietary framework that connects system behavior with human reasoning.
RAID 60 is commonly marketed as an “ultra-resilient” architecture, combining In real-world systems.
Cross-Group Parity Divergence
Staggered Stripe-Set Failure
Silent Parity Mismatch
Foreign Config Asymmetry
Rebuild Behavior in RAID 60
Partial Parity Overwrite During Recovery
Stripe-Group Reconstruction Logic
Parity-Domain Verification & Group Alignment
Safe Forensic Order of Operations
Read the full technical note TN-60-001 →
Technical Note TN-C1-001
Title: Controller Metadata Behavior, Foreign Config States, and Virtual Disk Identity Failures
This foundational Technical Note explains how modern enterprise RAID controllers (Dell PERC, HPE Smart Array, LSI/MegaRAID, Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, FreeNAS, and OpenZFS systems) protect arrays by refusing to present a logical volume when metadata no longer agrees. It documents why controllers enter Foreign Config, Virtual Disk Missing, and Rebuild Blocked states — and how topology drift, stale headers, and partial writes can break identity even when every disk appears healthy.
TN-C1-001 is the authoritative reference behind every Controller & System Triage page in this series.
- How RAID Controllers Store and Validate Array Metadata
- Why “Foreign Config” Appears After Power Loss or Drive Movement
- Virtual Disk Missing & Identity Drift After Header Mismatch
- Rebuilds That Won’t Start Even When All Drives Test Good
- Cache Flush, NVRAM Coherency, and Post-Event Topology Desync
- Slot Order, Identity Drift & Migration Conflicts
- Correct Forensic Triage Order Before Any Import, Clear, or Repair
Read the Full Technical Note TN-C1-001 →
When to Stop and Evaluate
- Before importing or clearing a foreign config
- Before starting a rebuild after power loss
- Before mixing drives or controllers between systems
Use JeannieLite RAID diagnostic tool to inspect your RAID safely without writing to disks — then match your result to the triage page that fits.
Powered by InteliCore Logic™
ADR’s proprietary framework that connects system behavior with human reasoning.
. Every explanation here is written through InteliCore Logic™ — ADR’s process that blends hands-on engineering with parity-level analysis. It’s how we translate controller behavior into clear human language so you know what’s really happening inside your array.
If you’re here because a rebuild won’t start or a volume disappeared, you’re in the right place. Start with your RAID type above, and let’s make sense of what your system is telling you before it’s too late.