D2D Backup revisited, this time using HP Smart Array and Windows 2008 R2

Here is an example of D2D backup with the possibility of vaulting (externalization) of the destination drive.
For this to work you will need a number of RAID0 disks that you will rotate by plugging/unplugging them.


On HP smart arrays there is no option to remove gracefully a RAID0 unit, and moreover it will place the unit in a "dirty" configuration upon reconnect, even if there was no I/O at the time of disk removal. This is quite a shame, so if you need a more robust solution, go for a D2D disk solution based on LSI 3Ware for instance.

Basically, there are two scheduled tasks, one for removal, and the other for reconnect. The first script will :

1. Unmount the drive from the system using diskpart

The second task will call a script in ordrer to :

1. Tell the HP smart array to ignore the status of the disk and make it online anyway (you can check the status in ACU before and after the first subtask execution).
2. Make it online and mount it in Windows (using diskpart)

So here are the scripts, first to disconnect the drive :

dim oshell
set oshell = createobject("wscript.shell")

oshell.run "diskpart /s diskpart-remove.script",0, true

The diskpart "diskpart-remove.script" file :

select volume 3
remove
select disk 1
offline disk

And for reconnect :

dim oshell
set oshell = createobject("wscript.shell")

oshell.run chr(34) & "C:\Program Files (x86)\Compaq\Hpacucli\Bin\hpacucli.exe" & chr(34) & " ctrl slot=0 ld 2 modify reenable forced",0, true
wscript.sleep 60000
oshell.run "diskpart /s diskpart-add.script",0, true
wscript.sleep 10000
oshell.run "diskpart /s diskpart-add2.script",0, true

The diskpart "diskpart-add.script" file :

rescan
select disk 1
online disk

and finally, the diskpart "diskpart-add2.script" file :

rescan
select volume 3
assign

Note :
On Windows 2008 R2 (did not test on 2008) the diskpart "assign" command will mount the volume on the same drive letter it had at the moment of the diskpart "remove" command.

Do not forget to change the disk/volume IDs according to your configuration, and make sure that there are no I/O (backups) at the moment of drive disconnect !

I hope you will find these scripts useful !