Topic: How to access software RAID data after mainboard crash

[joemapango]

Hello All.   I have a server with two drives setup as software RAID Mirroring.   The server mainboard crashed, and I can find no replacement for it.  When I install the disks in another system, I get a kernel panic on boot.   So I tried booting with knoppix, but knoppix cannot mount the drives (knoppix can mount the boot volume).   What method does someone use to access the disks?  There is a backup, but some data in the interim was not backed up.

Chris Curtis

[mercyh]

Here is some direction.

http://wiki.contribs.org/Recovering_SME_Server_with_lvm_drives

[Reinhold]

Hello All.   I have a server with two drives setup as software RAID Mirroring. 
...other system ...kernel panic...
 ...  So I tried booting with knoppix, but knoppix cannot mount the drives...

Chris,

(actually Knoppix is supposed to autoassemble and -depending on version- may try to give you an automount)
... the key here is to remember that you do not "mount a drive" (actually we mount partitions/directories/VGs ...

- you start a "md device" - eq. a /dev/hdxi  or /dev/sdxi  (in your case most likely  /dev/md2) !
- and since knoppix mostly will fail on the lvm, volume group mount so you'll definitely need a: vgchange main -a y
now: you can MOUNT THE SME-standard VG "main"!

With this in mind I am sure the wiki will guide you perfectly...

Regards
Reinhold

P.S.: If your Knoppix has "lvm with main" active you may use slackware-live (slax).

[joemapango]

Thanks to all for your great assistance.  Using the two posts above I was able to get to the data.   
Chris Curtis

[CharlieBrady]

Hello All.   I have a server with two drives setup as software RAID Mirroring.   The server mainboard crashed, and I can find no replacement for it.  When I install the disks in another system, I get a kernel panic on boot. 

Boot from the SME server CDROM, either in rescue mode, or allow it to do an upgrade.

[mercyh]

Boot from the SME server CDROM, either in rescue mode, or allow it to do an upgrade.

I have seen this advice/indication in several posts. Could I do the following?

1. take one disk of a SME Raid 1 array out of a working system.
2. install disk on new hardware.
3. Boot from SME server CDROM and do an upgrade

and end up with a working clone of the original system on new/different hardware?

[CharlieBrady]

I have seen this advice/indication in several posts. Could I do the following?

1. take one disk of a SME Raid 1 array out of a working system.
2. install disk on new hardware.
3. Boot from SME server CDROM and do an upgrade

and end up with a working clone of the original system on new/different hardware?

I suggest that you just try it.

Step 3 may often be unnecessary. The 'upgrade' should only be required to build a new initrd containing different drivers (e.g. SCSI).