MegaRAID Storage Manager Online Help System

Using MegaRAID Advanced Software > LSI SafeStore Encryption Services > Disabling Drive Security

Disabling Drive Security

If you disable drive security, your existing data is not secure and you cannot create any new secure virtual drives. Disabling drive security does not affect the security of data on foreign drives. If you removed any drives that were previously secured, you still need to enter the password when you import them. Otherwise, you cannot access the data on those drives.

If there are any secure drive groups on the controller, you cannot disable drive security. A warning screen appears if you attempt to do so. To disable drive security, you must first delete the virtual drives on all of the secure drive groups.

Perform the following steps to disable drive security.

  1. Select the Physical View tab in the left panel of the MegaRAID Storage Manager main menu, and click a controller icon.
  2. Select Go To -> Controller -> Disable Drive Security.
  3. The Confirm Disable Drive Security screen appears.
  4. To disable drive security, click Yes.
  5. MSM disables drive security and returns you to the main menu.

    If you disable drive security, you cannot create any new encrypted virtual drives and the data on all encrypted unconfigured drives will be erased. Disabling drive security will not affect the security or data of foreign drives.

Importing or Clearing a Foreign Configuration

A foreign configuration is a RAID configuration that already exists on a replacement set of drives that you install in a computer system. You can use MSM to import the foreign configuration to the RAID controller or to clear the foreign configuration so you can create a new configuration using these drives.

To import a foreign configuration, you must do the following:

In addition, if one or more drives are removed from a configuration, by a cable pull or drive removal for example, the configuration on those drives is considered a foreign configuration by the RAID controller.

Verify whether any drives are left to import as the locked drives can use different security keys. If there are any drives left, repeat the import process for the remaining drives. After all the drives are imported, there is no configuration to import.

When you create a new configuration, MSM shows only the unconfigured drives. Drives that have existing configurations, including foreign configurations, will not appear. To use drives with existing configurations, you must first clear the configuration on those drives.

Perform the following steps to import or clear a configuration.

  1. Enable drive security to allow importation of locked foreign drives.
  2. See Enabling Drive Security using LKM for the procedure used to enable drive security.
  3. After you create a security key, right-click the controller icon and click Scan for Foreign Configuration.
  4. If there are locked drives (security is enabled), the Unlock foreign drives dialog box appears.
  5. Enter the security key to unlock the configuration.
  6. The Foreign Configuration Detected screen appears, as shown in Figure 109.
    Figure 109 Foreign Configuration Detected Screen



  7. Click Import to import the foreign configuration from all of the foreign drives, Clear to remove the configuration from all foreign drives, or Advanced to preview and import specific foreign configurations.
  8. Click OK.
  9. The operation cannot be reversed after it is started. Imported drives display as Online in the MegaRAID Storage Manager menu.

  10. Repeat the import process for any remaining drives.
  11. Because locked drive can use different security key, you must verify whether there are any remaining drives to imported.

    When you create a new configuration, MSM shows only the unconfigured drives. Drives that have existing configurations, including foreign configurations, will not appear. To use drives with existing configurations, you must first clear the configuration on those drives.

Foreign Configurations in Cable Pull and Drive Removal Scenarios

If one or more drives are removed from a configuration, by a cable pull or drive removal, for example, the configuration on those drives is considered a foreign configuration by the RAID controller.

The following scenarios can occur with cable pulls or drive removals. Use the Foreign Configuration Preview screen to import or clear the foreign configuration in each case.

If you want to import the foreign configuration in any of the following scenarios, you should have all of the drives in the enclosure before you perform the import operation.

Scenario #1: If all of the drives in a configuration are removed and re-inserted, the controller considers the drives to have foreign configurations.

Import or clear the foreign configuration. If you select Import, automatic rebuilds will occur in redundant virtual drives.

Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is complete to ensure data integrity for the virtual drives.

Scenario #2: If some of the drives in a configuration are removed and re-inserted, the controller considers the drives to have foreign configurations.

Import or clear the foreign configuration. If you select Import, automatic rebuilds will occur in redundant virtual drives.

Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is complete to ensure data integrity for the virtual drives.

Scenario #3: If all of the drives in a virtual drive are removed, but at different times, and re-inserted, the controller considers the drives to have foreign configurations.

Import or clear the foreign configuration. If you select Import, all drives that were pulled before the virtual drive became offline will be imported and then automatically rebuilt. Automatic rebuilds will occur in redundant virtual drives.

Scenario #4: If the drives in a non-redundant virtual drive are removed, the controller considers the drives to have foreign configurations.

Import or clear the foreign configuration. No rebuilds will occur after the import operation because there is no redundant data to rebuild the drives.


DB09-000202-04  37857-02  Rev. E  October 2010
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