The Infoblox Advanced Appliance PT-4000 uses a RAID-10 array to provide the optimum mix of high database performance and redundant data storage with recovery features in the event of disk failures. The disk array is completely self managed. No maintenance or special procedures are required to service the disk subsystem.
RAID-10 uses a total of four disk drives to create a RAID 0 array from two RAID 1 arrays, as shown in Figure 11. It uses mirroring and striping to form a stripe of mirrored subsets. This means that the array combines — or stripes — four disk drives, creating a single logical volume (RAID 0). RAID-10 combines the performance of RAID 0 and the high fault tolerance of RAID 1. Striping disk drives improves database write performance over a single disk drive for large databases. The disks are also mirrored (RAID 1), so that each disk in the logical volume is fully redundant.
Figure 11 RAID-10 Array Configuration

 

Evaluating the Status of the Disk Subsystem

You can monitor the disk subsystem by using the CLI command show hardware_status.
To see a detailed status report, log in to the Infoblox GUI and from the Grid tab, select the Grid Manager tab -> Members tab -> member, and then click the Detailed Status icon. (For more information, refer to the Infoblox NIOS Administrator Guide.)
The color of the RAID icon indicates the status of the RAID array on the Infoblox Advanced Appliance PT-4000.

The Infoblox GUI also displays detailed status of the RAID array. In the event of a disk failure, you must replace the failed disk with one that is qualified and shipped from Infoblox and has the same disk type as the rest of the disks in the array.
The Infoblox Advanced Appliance PT-4000 appliance displays information about mismatched disks in the Description column in the Detailed Status panel. The PT-4000 appliance uses only the IB-Type 3 disk type. All disk drives in the array must have the same disk type for the array to function properly. When you have a mismatched disk in the array, you must promptly replace the disk with a replacement disk from Infoblox to avoid operational issues.

Note: For replacement IB-Type 3 disk assembly part numbers, see Table 5 and Table 6.

Disk Array Guidelines

Infoblox designs the disk array to be completely self managed. No maintenance procedures are required for a normally functioning disk array. Mishandling the disk array may cause an unrecoverable error and result in a failed appliance. Infoblox highly recommends that you observe the following guidelines:

• Remove only one disk at a time. Do not remove two or more disks from the appliance at the same time. Removing two or more disks at the same time may result in an appliance failure and require an RMA of the appliance. This rule applies to both powered and powered-down appliances.
• If you inadvertently remove the wrong disk drive, do not then immediately remove the disk drive that you originally intended to remove. Verify the status of the array and replace the disk drive that you initially removed before removing another drive.
• If the status of the array is degraded, remove the failed or failing disk drive only. Do not remove an optimally functioning drive.
• If your acceptance procedure requires a test of the RAID hot-swap feature, remove only one disk drive at a time. You can remove a second disk only after you replace the first disk and the array completes its rebuilding process.
• Do not remove a disk drive while the array is rebuilding. This may result in an appliance failure. Verify the status of the array before removing a disk drive.
• You can hot-swap a drive while the appliance remains in production.
• Some conditions may require powering down the appliance to replace a failed unit. This normally happens if the RAID controller detects an error that could damage the array. If you insert a replacement drive into a live array and the controller doesn't recognize the drive, power down the appliance.
• All disks in the RAID array must have the same disk type for the array to function properly.
• In the unlikely event that two disk drives fail simultaneously and the appliance is still operational, remove and replace the failed disk drives one at a time.
• Rebuild time can vary. The rebuild process takes approximately two hours on an idle appliance. On very busy appliances (over 90% utilization), the disk rebuild process can take as long as 40 hours. On a Grid Master serving a very large Grid, expect the rebuild process to take at least 24 hours.
• Replace a failed or mismatched disk only with a replacement disk shipped from Infoblox. When you request a replacement disk, report the disk type displayed in the Detailed Status panel of the Infoblox GUI or the Infoblox part number on the disk.

Figure 12 Pull disk latch to remove hard drive for Infoblox Advanced Appliance PT-4000

1. Wait about 30 seconds for the disk to completely stop spinning.
2. Remove the disk, extract it from its carrier and handle it with care. Do not drop the disk or ship it loosely in a carton.
3. Securely mount the replacement disk in the drive carrier and replace the carrier in the system.