Question : Problem: RAID Card Reset Problem

ok  got a real disaster on my hands!

Somebody reset the RAID card on a Server, this server has as far as I know RAID 5+1 4 disks I am assuming 3 RAID 5 + 1 Redundant.

The RAID card was giving an error message (a normal push F1 to continue... on boot up) and they decided resting it was the way to sort the issue! Well now the RAID card recognises none of the disks and the server does not boot. I am in early tomorrow to try and fix it the details for the RAID are as follows

Dell PowerEdge 2800

PowerEdge Expendable RAID Controller  Bios H418

LSI Logic Corporation 2004

Bios Conf.Util. U821

This is as much info as I have now but I can get more tomorrow.

They desperatly need this server and the data on it back ASAP

Please help!

Answer : Problem: RAID Card Reset Problem

First do you have a backup of the data? We can try to recover the array (i have had good luck recovering LSI controllers) but it is possible recovery may fail making other data recovery. If you don't have a backup i would install the 3 raid 5 drives in another system and try a utility like raid reconstructer(http://www.runtime.org/raid.htm), or send them of to a data recovery firm like gilware or drivesavers for professional data recovery. If you do have a backup try this. If the not recognizing the the hard drives try reseating the scsi cable to the backplane and the backplane cables. Make sure there is at least 1 green light on the drives when the system is started. If it is seeing the hdds and they are in a ready state with no arrays. You're going to have to retag the drives. to do this go into the bios then configure and choose view/add configuration DO NOT choose easy or new configuration. Choose the 3 drives that where in the raid 5 (leave the drive that was set as hotspare alone for now), after it creates DO NOT initialize the array, exit the perc bios and restart now if the array was healthy and the correct 3 drives where chosen the sever should boot.