Subject: Re: Changing serial numbers on RAID sets?
To: Paul Mather <paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu>
From: Greg Oster <oster@cs.usask.ca>
List: port-alpha
Date: 01/27/2003 14:33:21
Paul Mather writes:
> Last December, I switched hardware from a failing DEC 3000/500S to an
> AlphaServer 1000A.  At the time, I didn't have time to migrate over
> the external cluster of disks that comprised the storage for a
> partition used by an FTP server.  (I temporarily shut down the FTP
> server instead.)
> 
> That cluster of disks form a RAID 0 set that is flagged with
> auto-configure set to "yes."  Unfortunately, I believe that RAID set's
> serial number is the same as one of the RAID sets used on the "new"
> hardware, meaning there will be a clash if I just attach it as-is, and
> auto-configuration will fail.

That shouldn't be a problem...  The serial number is just one of 15
different things that need to match...  So unless the "old set" has the same 
number of disks, same stripe widths, same number of blocks, and same "12 other 
things", it should work just fine.  (contact me directly if you want to 
confirm more...)

> So, does anyone know if you can use "raidctl -I" to change the serial
> number of an existing RAID set without destroying the current
> contents?? 

Yes you can.

> I'd like, if possible, just to "rename" one of the
> conflicting RAID set's serial number so I can attach the external
> cluster of disks to the new system and enable the FTP server again.

That would work too.

Later...

Greg Oster