While replacing a bad drive with a drive that used to be part of another RAID array configuration, the RAID refused to automatically rebuild, thinking that I might want to import the configuration from this disk (or that there’s data on there that I might need).

Simply inserting the drive doesn’t make the controller rebuild the array with that disk. Here’s how to manually make the drive get along with the rest of the new array:

(Note: this is a 64 bit server, so the MegaCli client I’m using is called “MegaCli64”, if you are not running x64, you can simply substitute the commands below with the path to your megacli binary.)

server:~# MegaCli64 -PDlist -aALL -a0
[…]
Enclosure Device ID: 32
Slot Number: 4
[…]
Firmware state: Unconfigured(bad)
[…]
Secured: Unsecured
Locked: Unlocked
Foreign State: Foreign
[…]

Based on the information obtained above, I now know that the disk drive I just replaced is [32:4] ([enclosureid:slotnumber]) and is currently being reported as ‘Unconfigured(bad)’.

To bring this drive back online run:

server:~# MegaCli64 -PDMakeGood -PhysDrv[32:4] -a0
Adapter: 0: EnclId-32 SlotId-4 state changed to Unconfigured-Good.

The controller will now recognize the disk as being a “foreign” one. This does not mean it was made in Japan (though, it likely was). It means it has detected some RAID configuration/data on it and thus, considers it as a disk being part of an array that may be imported into current controller configuration. Because of this, it will not automatically rebuild until you force it to.

Now you can ask the controller to scan for foreign configurations and remove them:

server:~# MegaCli64 -CfgForeign -Scan -a0
There are 1 foreign configuration(s) on controller 0.

server:~# MegaCli64 -CfgForeign -Clear -a0
Foreign configuration 0 is cleared on controller 0.

The disk should now be available for rebuilding into your new RAID array. To confirm, run this:

server:~# MegaCli64 -PDList -a0
[…]
Enclosure Device ID: 32
Slot Number: 4
[…]
Firmware state: Unconfigured(good), Spun Up
Foreign State: None
[…]

Excellent. We have a good, recognized (yet still unconfigured) drive now. Now we have all we need to add the disk back into the new array, and rebuild:

Get the disk [32:4] back into array 1, as disk 4:

server:~# MegaCli64 -PdReplaceMissing -PhysDrv[32:4] -array1 -row4 -a0
Adapter: 0: Missing PD at Array 1, Row 4 is replaced

And finally start rebuilding it:

server:~# megacli -PDRbld -Start -PhysDrv[32:4] -a0
Started rebuild progress on device(Encl-32 Slot-4)

Now, sit back, relax, grab a smoke and wait for it to rebuild itself into your new RAID array. Not so foreign anymore, huh?