Users Guide

Foreign Configuration Operations
Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.
The Foreign Configuration Operations task provides a preview of the foreign configurations that you can import.
NOTE: This task is not supported on PERC hardware controllers running in HBA mode.
NOTE: Foreign Configuration Operations task is available only on PERC 6 and SAS controllers with firmware versions 6.1
and later.
A foreign configuration is data residing on physical disks that have been moved from one controller to another. Virtual disks residing on
physical disks that have been moved are considered to be a foreign configuration.
NOTE: It is not recommended to remove an external enclosure cable while the operating system is running on the
system. Removing the cable could result in a foreign configuration when the connection is re-established.
The Foreign Configuration Operations task is displayed only when a controller detects a foreign configuration. Select this option and
click Execute to display the Foreign Configuration Preview page.
The Foreign Configuration Preview page provides a preview of the foreign disks and enables you to perform operations such as,
importing, recovering, or clearing the foreign disks. You can also import or clear a locked foreign configuration.
If any foreign configurations locked using Local Key manager (LKM) are detected, the associated Encryption Key Identifier is
displayed prompting you to provide the corresponding passphrase to unlock the drives.
To avoid unlocking foreign configurations and to proceed to preview, import, or clear a foreign configuration that has not been locked,
click Skip or Continue.
If you do not want to import or clear the foreign configurations, or if there is loss of the associated passphrase of the corresponding
Encryption Key Identifier, perform the Cryptographic Erase task for the physical disks.
CAUTION:
Performing the Cryptographic Erase task erases all data on the physical disk.
Some conditions, such as an unsupported RAID level or an incomplete disk group, can prevent the import or recovery of foreign virtual
disks.
Foreign Configuration Properties
The following table describes the properties that are displayed for the Foreign Disks and Global Hot Spares.
Table 10. Foreign Configuration Properties
Property Definition
Status These icons represent the severity or health of the storage component.
• — Normal/OK
• — Warning/Non-critical
• — Critical/Failure/Error
For more information, see Storage Component Severity.
Name Displays the name of the foreign configuration and is available as a link. This link enables you to
access the physical disks that constitute the foreign disk.
State Displays the current state of the foreign configuration. Possible values are:
• Ready — The foreign disk can be imported and functions normally after import.
• Degraded — The foreign disk is in degraded state and rebuilds after import.
• Failed — The foreign disk has encountered a failure and is no longer functioning. You cannot
import the foreign configuration.
The foreign configuration may be in degraded or failed state due to any of the following reasons:
• Missing physical disk — One of the physical disk(s) in the potential virtual disk is missing or not
available.
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