When the Safety Net Refuses to Catch You — RAID’s Pause for Protection
You replaced the failed drive, watched LEDs flicker, and waited for the rebuild prompt — nothing.
The controller sits silent, the array idle.
It feels like a failure, but it’s really a stand-down: the system refusing to risk your data until it’s sure of its math.
Understanding that hesitation can save the array you still have.
What You See
- Controller detects replacement drive but no rebuild initiates.
- Status = Ready / Unconfigured Good, not part of VD.
- Foreign Config Detected on inserted drive.
- Event log shows Parity Inconsistent or Invalid RAID State.
- System may show array as Offline but intact in BIOS.
Why It Happens
- Controller requires verified parity consistency before new rebuild.
- Prior rebuild aborted, leaving metadata in a transient state.
- Different firmware or block size on the replacement drive.
- Cache policy set to write-back without battery learn completed.
- Previous drive drop marked two members as suspect, blocking auto start.
What NOT To Do
- Do not force rebuild through CLI or BIOS.
- Do not clear foreign configs on the entire set.
- Do not power-cycle repeatedly hoping it starts.
- Do not mix different capacity replacements without re-initial mapping.
- Do not reset NVRAM before exporting the controller state.
What You CAN Do
- Check controller policy logs for parity verification requirements.
- Validate each member’s metadata epoch before re-adding.
- Use diagnostic mode to compare array layout signatures.
- Export current configuration to USB or NVRAM dump.
- Consult ADR triage guide to verify safe rebuild start conditions.
Diagnostic Overview
- Array Type: RAID 6 — Dual Parity Set
- Controller State: Replacement Inserted / Rebuild Idle
- Likely Cause: Metadata Mismatch or Unverified Parity Set
- Do NOT: Force Rebuild or Clear Foreign Config Before Validation
- Recommended Action: Validate Member Signatures, Export Logs, Follow ADR Triage Flow