User guide
Chapter 3 - Assembly
3.1 Replacing Hard Drives
To set up a new RAID, install new hard drives, or if you have had a failure of a hard
drive, you will need to either install new or replace existing hard drives.
If you have an existing RAID and need to remove a hard drive:
Should one of the hard drives fail, the corresponding HDD # LED will light up red and
an alarm will sound. If only one drive is defective, the data can still be accessed if the
Guardian MAXimus mini is congured as a RAID 1, but we strongly suggest that you
replace the faulty drive mechanism immediately to assure continued backup and data
safety. Once you replace the faulty drive, the Guardian MAXimus mini will automati-
cally copy or rebuild the data from the existing drive to the new drive.
If your Guardian MAXimus is congured as a RAID 0, data cannot be recovered.
Should both drives fail at the same time, the data will be lost and the system cannot
be accessed again until the drive(s) are replaced and a new RAID is set up. While this is
unlikely, OWC always recommends a separate backup in a dierent location for more
comprehensive data protection.
To change a hard drive in the Newer Technology Guardian MAXimus mini:
1. Check the HDD # LED and replace the faulty drive(s) using the instructions on the
next page. The red LED indicates the defective HDD. The power does not have to be
turned o when replacing the drive(s).
2. A few seconds after installing the new drive, the corresponding LED will turn green.
3. The RAID array will be rebuilt automatically. During the rebuild process, the rebuild
LED will blink orange. Rebuilding the RAID array will take several hours, depending on
drive capacity.
NOTE: We recommend not turning the power o during the rebuild process, but if it is
interrupted it will continue rebuilding the data as soon as the power is restored.
Newer Technology Guardian MAXimus mini
3 ASSEMBLY