Replacing a disk drive with the AIX system or logical partition powered on

You might need to replace a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) or serial-attached SCSI (SAS) disk drive in a system or expansion unit while the AIX® operating system or logical partition that controls the disk drive location is powered on. Use the procedure in this section to perform this task.

DANGER

When working on or around the system, observe the following precautions:

Electrical voltage and current from power, telephone, and communication cables are hazardous. To avoid a shock hazard:

Connect power to this unit only with the IBM provided power cord. Do not use the IBM provided power cord for any other product.
Do not open or service any power supply assembly.
Do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform installation, maintenance, or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical storm.
The product might be equipped with multiple power cords. To remove all hazardous voltages, disconnect all power cords.
Connect all power cords to a properly wired and grounded electrical outlet. Ensure that the outlet supplies proper voltage and phase rotation according to the system rating plate.
Connect any equipment that will be attached to this product to properly wired outlets.
When possible, use one hand only to connect or disconnect signal cables.
Never turn on any equipment when there is evidence of fire, water, or structural damage.
Disconnect the attached power cords, telecommunications systems, networks, and modems before you open the device covers, unless instructed otherwise in the installation and configuration procedures.
Connect and disconnect cables as described in the following procedures when installing, moving, or opening covers on this product or attached devices.
To Disconnect:
1. Turn off everything (unless instructed otherwise).
2. Remove the power cords from the outlets.
3. Remove the signal cables from the connectors.
4. Remove all cables from the devices
To Connect:
1. Turn off everything (unless instructed otherwise).
2. Attach all cables to the devices.
3. Attach the signal cables to the connectors.
4. Attach the power cords to the outlets.
5. Turn on the devices.
(D005)

Attention: The powered-on procedure is a complex set of steps that must be performed exactly to avoid potential data loss or system damage. You might also consider the powered-off procedure, which is a simpler task that involves less risk of data loss or system damage. If the system or logical partition that controls the disk drive you are replacing is at the AIX command line, you can use this powered-on procedure. If the disk drive that you are replacing is in the root volume group (rootvg) and it is not protected by either Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) or mirroring, or to use the powered-off procedure, go to Replacing a disk drive with the system or logical partition powered off.

Note: Some of the figures in these procedures might not look exactly like the system or expansion unit that you have. However, the steps to perform the task are the same.

Prepare the system

Perform prerequisite tasks as described in Before you begin.
Prepare to remove the disk drive from the system or expansion unit as described in Preparing to remove a disk drive from a system or expansion unit controlled by AIX.
If applicable, remove the system unit door, expansion unit door, or the rack door.
If applicable, remove the front cover.
- If you have a front cover from any other models, remove the front cover.

To replace a Just a Bunch of Disks (JBOD) disk drive attached to any SCSI or SCSI RAID adapter, see the procedure in Replacing a SCSI disk drive.

Removing a disk drive

Log in as root user.
At the command line, type diag and press Enter.
Press Enter to continue.
On the Function Selection display, select Task Selection.
Select Hot Plug Task.
Select SCSI and SCSI RAID Hot Plug Manager or RAID Hot Plug Devices, depending on the adapter that your drive is attached to.
Tip: One or both of these options might be available, depending on the configuration of your system. If the drive you want to replace is not listed when you follow the steps for the SCSI and SCSI RAID Hot Plug Manager, go to step 7.
- If you have a RAID disk drive attached to a 2498 PCI SCSI RAID adapter, continue with step 7.
- If you have a JBOD disk drive attached to any SCSI or SCSI RAID adapter, go to Replacing a SCSI disk drive.
- If you have RAID drives attached to any other adapter, go to the PCI-X SCSI RAID Controller Reference Guide for AIX. This guide is available from the SCSI PCI Adapters Web page at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/v5r3/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.pseries.doc/hardware_docs/scsipciadapters.htm.
Select RAID Hot Plug Devices.
On the Resource Selection List, select the adapter that is connected to the array that contains the disk drive you want to replace. Press Enter.
Select Commit.
On the Identify and Remove Resources menu, select Remove. Press Enter.
A list of the disk drives that you can remove is shown. If the disk drive you want to remove does not appear in the list, ask your system administrator to put the disk drive in the Failed state before continuing with this procedure. For information, see AIX System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices. This guide is available at the System p® and AIX Information Center (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/v5r3/index.jsp).
Select the drive that you want to remove and press Enter. The concurrent maintenance light for the slot will flash rapidly.
Attention: If the light does not flash rapidly, do not remove the disk drive.
To view the locations of the concurrent maintenance lights, select the appropriate model from the following list:
Unlock the disk drive handle by squeezing it and pulling it out toward you as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Removing a disk drive from a model

Figure 2. Removing a small-form factor disk drive

Figure 3. Removing a small-form factor disk drive from the 5803 expansion unit
Support the bottom of the disk drive as you slide it out of the system or expansion unit. Do not hold the disk drive by the handle.
The concurrent maintenance light for the slot turns off when you remove the disk drive.
Does your new disk drive have a bezel preinstalled?
- No: Continue with the procedure from here.
- Yes: Go to step 6 of the replacement procedure.
Important: If the disk drive bezel does not have a thumbscrew, it is not removable and is a serial-attached SCSI (SAS) disk drive. The replacement drive should come with an attached bezel.

Loosen and pull out on the thumbscrew (B) to release the bezel (C) from the disk drive, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 4. Removing a disk-drive bezel

Replacing a disk drive

Find the package that contains the new disk drive.
Attention: Disk drives are fragile. Handle with care.
Remove the disk drive from its protective package.
Unlock the handle of the replacement disk drive by squeezing and pulling it out toward you. If the handle is not all the way out, the disk drive cannot slide into the system.
If your new disk drive does not have a bezel preinstalled, then perform the following step.
Attach the disk-drive bezel (A) to the replacement disk drive, as shown in the following figure.
If your new disk drive does not have a bezel preinstalled, then perform the following step.
Press in and then tighten the thumbscrew (B) to secure the bezel to the disk drive.

Figure 5. Installing a disk-drive bezel
Install the disk drive as shown in Figure 6.
1. Support the bottom of the disk drive as you align it with the guide rails in the system unit. Do not hold the disk drive by the handle.
2. Slide the disk drive into the system until it stops.
  Important: Ensure that when installing a disk drive, that the drive is fully seated and all the way into the system.
3. Push the disk drive handle in until it locks.
Figure 6. Installing a disk drive in a model

Figure 7. Installing a small-form factor disk drive

Figure 8. Installing a small-form factor disk drive in the 5803 expansion unit
Video of installing the disk drive in the system unit.
Press Enter. The disk drive slot exits the Remove state and enters the Normal state.
Exit to the RAID Hot-Plug Devices menu. Press F3 to return.
Exit to the Task selection display.
Select Log Repair Action.
Select the disk drive that you replaced and then press Enter.
Select Commit after you have made your selection and then press Enter.
Exit to the command line.

Complete the procedure

Replace the front cover.
Install or close the front door of the system, expansion unit or rack.
To prepare the disk drive for use, go to Rebuilding data on a replacement disk drive using AIX.

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Last updated: Wed, August 06, 2014