RE: [cobalt-users] Raq4 - Help - Anyone replaced a hard drive?

["Curtis Ross" <Curtis_Ross@xxxxxx>]

  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	ant_cook@xxxxxxxxxxx@CPR  
> Sent:	Friday, September 28, 2001 11:20 AM
> To:	cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject:	[cobalt-users] Raq4 - Help - Anyone replaced a hard
drive?
> 
>  
> Hi,
> 
> We've had a hard disk failure on our RaQ4r.  So we've got to replace
the
> hard drive.
> 
> Okay, so it's covered under warranty, but Cobalt insist that I send
the box
> back to them for repair.  As I've got quite a lot of business riding
on the
> box, taking the box offline for days will cost significantly more than
a
> half an hour repair session next to the rack where it is.  So sending
it
> back is out of the question and Cobalt refuse to send me a disk to
replace
> it with.  So much for the Warranty.
> 
> So I need to find a replacement disk so I can go do it myself.  But
there
> are two problems.
> 
> 1. The disk in the RaQ (Seagate ST330621A 30gb) is no longer
available,
> Seagate have replaced it with an update model.  And over 20 suppliers
here
> in the UK do not have the old one on their shelves.  So it means
getting
> another drive, by another manufacturer.  Has anyone else done this,
and have
> they done this with a RaQ4r RAID?  What if the new drive is slightly
smaller
> than the existing drive?
> 
> 2. What will happen with the RAID when the box is switched back on
again?
> Should I swap the disks around so that the working Secondary drive is
put in
> the primary slot and the new drive is put in the old secondary slot.
Or
> should the new drive go in the Secondary bay.  I don't want the RAID
to
> think that the formated drive is the one to copy over the broken one.
What
> about partitioning the new drive or formating it?  Does this need to
be done
> before installing?
> 
> Thanks for any help anyone can give - getting quite desperate here!
> 
> Anthony

I also have run into the same problem in the past. I ended up RMA'ing
directly to Segate rather than ship the whole box back to Cobalt. I was
willing to buy just a drive from Cobalt but they wouldn't sell me one.
Depending when you bought the unit Cobalt changed the drives in the
RAQ4's to the newer models.
Something you might want to try <enter dislaimer here> is buying 2 of
the new drives and Ghosting the old one to one of the new drives. Boot
it up and see if it works. Then shutdown and install the other new
drive.

Curtis