I have a server with a potenially faulty 3ware 9650SE-8LPML. I can log in to the server but the interface keeps reseting causing the whole system to lock down for minutes.
My host suspects its the raid card causing the problems.
They dont have a 3ware 9650SE-8LPML on stock and now they are asking me if they can put in a 3ware SAS 9750-8i instead.
What it the potential risk of data loss?
If it does not work can they put in a 3ware 9650SE-8LPML at a later date or will the data forever be corrupted?
The server is using Freebsd 7.3 and across the raid is also a ZFS cluster.
Best Answer
Newest controllers usually support metadata from previous controllers of this vendor. If you recover all connection topology on newer controller, i think it could use metadata from disk to construct the raid back.
Common problems could be found, if you have old drivers, wich don`t understand newer controller, but in you case i think it could be fine.
You may try to replace controller, just dont do anything with raid and disks (like recreation raid, initialization of disks, etc), if it could not find/understand their metadata, cos if you do that, you cant simply get back disks to work on old controller. If controller understand metadata, its starts raid automatically or ask you to store configuration(metadata) from disks.
ps: zfs on controller raid is evil. :)