mac mini server (2009) HDD RAID degraded

shoeshine said:

Hi, I have a 2009 mac mini server, model number A1283. The RAID is showing as degraded and i have a few questions:

I've replaced the RAM in this mini before, so assume that replacing the HDD is not really any more difficult. Is that correct? for a RAID 1 mirror i am just popping in a new drive of same capacity, and then in dick utility telling it to rebuild RAID, correct?

Is there a way to setup some kind of alert or notification that one of the drives has failed? It's not like I am monitoring disk utility often, so it was a fluke that i caught this.


thanks!

Click to expand...

it is disk utility not dick. simple error but 1 letter can make a big difference.


you are running raid1 the best way to fix is replace both hdds.

the reasoning for double replacement is the two hdds are the same age so most likely they will die about the same time.

you can do this a few different ways. I would clone the raid1 to an external drive. use super duper after the clone boot with the new external drive. if it boots pull the two internal hdds.

put in 2 new internal hdds... you can upgrade to better internals then the oem ones.

so the mini has 2 new internals .

you have a boot clone. say on fw800 or usb2.


you have 2 oem hdds one bad one if. now boot with the external usb2/fw800 clone and set up new raid1 inside the mini.

shoeshine said:

wow. that's an amazing typo i just kicked out....

in any case, this sounds great, BUT i definitely don't have a budget for two drives right now. i know it would be smarter, but just can't do it. Maybe I'll do one now and plan for doing another in 6 months?

Click to expand...

I have been with shortage of coin and if that is the case pull the bad one and replace it with a hdd the same size or larger.( software raid1 allows this) so if you have a 500gb you could put in a 500 gb to 1tb size hdd. then the software raid will read the new drive as 500gb.

this means you can still upgrade size in a 2 part process.

or just get the same size

Raid1

I would replace a BAD drive 1st... Let it rebuilt
At least the data is there after rebuilt done.

I would check the SMART parameter then decide to replace or wait till the other failed then replace it.