HP EVA P6350 Recovery after Failure

[Struntzi]

Hey Guys, 

the current situation is a HP EVA P6350 with six shelf attached. 

We had an Failure in the Controll Head, and now the Unit seams completely dead. 
The Management Board seems fine though. But we cannot access the shelf or disk groups or anything mostly. 

I have a second Controller available (P6300), is it possible to just plug in the new Head onto the Disk Shelf and access my files? 

I dont need it permanently more like a data recovery situation. 

Or is there another way to access the VRAID on the EVA Shelfs? 

[Satish04]

Hi Struntzi,

An HP EVA storage system controller head replacement can be a complex process.
And you are planning to replace it with a different model controller head.
So, It is recommended to contact HPE Tech support and get guidance specific to your environment and configuration.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Satish

[Struntzi]

@Satish04 First of all, thank you for your reply.

And yes, to contact the official Support would be the last resort really in my environment.
But i guess we have to consider it.

Can you give me any advice on my second question, to access the VRAID / Disk Groups outside of and EVA Controller.

More likely with an HBA Adapater on something like an DL380.

Is this possible at all?

The root of this Question is, i am not certanly sure that the original Controller are in good enough shape to get any informationen out of them regarding the disk groups etc.

[Vinky_99]

@Struntzi 

Good day! 

Good day!

Recovering data from an HP EVA P6350 after a controller failure can be a complex process, and it's important to exercise caution to avoid data breakage. Here are some steps and considerations you can follow:

>> If the original controller head has failed, you should replace it with a working one. It's important to ensure that the replacement controller is compatible with your EVA P6350. Since you have a spare P6300 controller, check the compatibility between P6300 and P6350. The controller firmware versions should also match as closely as possible.

>> If you have a backup of the configuration settings from the original controller, you should restore it to the replacement controller. This will help ensure that the new controller can recognize and manage the disk groups correctly.

>> Make sure that all the disk shelves are properly connected to the replacement controller. Ensure the cabling and connections are correct.

>> Power on the EVA system with the replacement controller. Monitor the system's initialization process and check if the disk groups and data are accessible. The system may take some time to detect and configure the disk groups.

>> Once the system is up and running with the replacement controller, you can attempt to recover your data. Access the management interface of the EVA system and check the status of the disk groups. If everything is working as expected, you should be able to access your data.

Regarding your second question about accessing VRAID/Disk Groups outside of an EVA controller, it's generally not recommended. The data on an EVA storage system is often proprietary, and accessing it directly with an HBA adapter on a different server (like an DL380) can be risky and may lead to data corruption. EVA systems use specific algorithms and metadata to manage data across the disks, and trying to access the disks directly can result in data being misinterpreted or lost.

In summary, your best course of action is to replace the failed controller with a compatible one, restore the configuration if possible, and attempt data recovery through the EVA's management interface. If you are unsure about the condition of the original controller, consider seeking assistance from HP Enterprise support or a professional data recovery service that specializes in storage systems like the EVA P6350. Attempting to access the data directly without proper expertise and tools can be risky.

We hope it helps! Let me know