Preparing an ESLL or ESLS storage enclosure to remove and replace a disk drive or SSD with the power turned on in AIX

Learn about the steps you must complete before you remove and replace a disk drive or solid-state drive (SSD) in an enclosure with the AIX® operating system or AIX logical partition that controls the drive location powered on.

1. Before you remove a drive from a system that is controlled by the AIX operating system, ensure that all data on that drive or the array that contains the drive is backed up and removed from the drive.
   • If the drive that is being replaced is protected by Raid-5, Raid-6, or Raid-10 and the array will remain functional with the drive removed, it is not necessary to back up or remove data.
   • If the drive you are removing is mirrored, you will need to break the mirror before you remove the drive. Contact your system administrator for assistance.
   • If the drives are just a bunch of disks (JBOD) or a Raid array that will not remain functional when the drive is removed (that is, Raid-0), ensure that the disks are in the defined state by completing the following steps:
     1. Remove data access methods from the JBOD or failing array (that is, file systems, databases, and so on).
     2. Delete the array.
     3. Unconfigure the JBOD.
2. If you are removing a solid-state device that is on a PCIe RAID and SSD SAS adapter, go to Replacing an SSD module on the PCIe RAID and SSD SAS adapter and complete that procedure.
3. Identify the part and the enclosure that you want to service. The disk drive and SSD slots are located in the front of the enclosure. Figure 1 shows the front of the ESLL storage enclosure, Figure 2 shows the front of the ESLS storage enclosure, Figure 3 shows the rear view of the storage enclosures, and Figure 4 shows the locations of the service indicators for the storage enclosures.
   Figure 1. Front view of the ESLL storage enclosure showing the disk drive locations

   
   Figure 2. Front view of the ESLS storage enclosure showing the drive locations

   
   Figure 3. Rear view of the enclosure

   
   Figure 4. Front view of the enclosure showing the service indicators

   
   Note: When you have drive slots available in a system, enclosure, or expansion unit, fill the slot positions in the system first. However, you can choose a different disk drive or solid-state drive placement that depends on your data protection strategy.
4. To identify the drive by using the diagnostic command before you remove a disk drive or solid-state drive, complete the following steps:
   1. Log in as root user.
   2. At the command line, type diag and then press Enter.
   3. On the Diagnostic Operating Instructions display, press Enter to continue.
   4. On the Function Selection display, select Task Selection.
   5. Select RAID Array Manager.
   6. Select IBM SAS Disk Array Manager.
   7. Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
   8. Select SCSI and SCSI RAID Hot Plug Manager.
   9. To identify the location of the drive to be removed, select Identify a Device Attached to an SCSI Hot Swap Enclosure Device.
   10. Choose the slot corresponding to the drive, and then press Enter.
       Notes: If the device is in use and cannot be removed, complete the following actions:
       • Verify that all users of the device have been removed and that the device can be unconfigured.
       • If the device is in a Raid array that will go to a failed state when you remove the drive, the array must be deleted first. See Deleting a disk array.
       • If the drive you are removing is mirrored, you will need to break the mirror before you remove the drive. Contact your system administrator for assistance.
   11. Verify that the identify LED for that slot is flashing rapidly, and record the location of the slot.
   12. Press Enter to stop the LED from flashing and continue.
   13. To prepare to remove the drive, press F3 to return to the SCSI and SCSI RAID Hot Plug Manager display.
   14. Select Replace/Remove a Device Attached to an SCSI Hot Swap Enclosure Device.
5. Find the package that contains the new drive.
   Attention: Drives are fragile. Handle with care.
6. Open the rack rear door.
7. Attach the electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap.
   Attention:

   • Attach an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap to the front ESD jack, to the rear ESD jack, or to an unpainted metal surface of your hardware to prevent the electrostatic discharge from damaging your hardware.
   • When you use an ESD wrist strap, follow all electrical safety procedures. An ESD wrist strap is used for static control. It does not increase or decrease your risk of receiving electric shock when using or working on electrical equipment.
   • If you do not have an ESD wrist strap, just prior to removing the product from ESD packaging and installing or replacing hardware, touch an unpainted metal surface of the system for a minimum of 5 seconds.
8. Remove the drive from the static-protective package and place it on an ESD mat.
9. On the console, select the drive that you want to remove, and then press Enter.
   Note: When you press Enter, the identify LED stops flashing and is ON (solid).