Users Guide

NOTE: Ensure that you back up the foreign configuration, security key, virtual disks, and hot spares
before you switch the mode as the data is deleted.
NOTE: Ensure that a CMC license is available for PERC FD33xS and FD33xD storage sleds before
you change the controller mode. For more information on CMC license for the storage sleds, see
the Dell Chassis Management Controller Version 1.2 for PowerEdge FX2/FX2s User's Guide available
at dell.com/support/manuals.
Exceptions while switching the controller mode
The following list provides the exceptions while setting the controller mode using the iDRAC interfaces
such as web interface, RACADM, and WS-MAN:
• If the PERC controller is in RAID mode, you must clear any virtual disks, hot spares, foreign
configurations, controller keys, or preserved cache before changing it to HBA mode.
• You cannot configure other RAID operations while setting the controller mode. For example, if the
PERC is in RAID mode and you set the pending value of the PERC to HBA mode, and you try to set the
BGI attribute, the pending value is not initiated.
• When you switch the PERC controller from HBA to RAID mode, the drives remain in Non-RAID state
and are not automatically set to Ready state. Additionally, the
RAIDEnhancedAutoImportForeignConfig attribute is automatically set to Enabled.
The following list provides the exceptions while setting the controller mode using the Server
Configuration Profile feature using the WS-MAN or RACADM interface:
• Server Configuration Profile feature allows you to configure multiple RAID operations along with
setting the controller mode. For example, if the PERC controller is in HBA mode, you can edit the
export xml to change the controller mode to RAID, convert drives to ready and create a virtual disk.
• While changing the mode from RAID to HBA, the RAIDaction pseudo attribute is set to update
(default behavior). The attribute runs and creates a virtual disk which fails. The controller mode is
changed, however, the job is completed with errors. To avoid this issue, you must comment out the
RAIDaction attribute in the XML file.
• When the PERC controller is in HBA mode, if you run import preview on export xml which is edited to
change controller mode to RAID, and try creating a VD, the virtual disk creation fails. Import preview
does not support validating stacking RAID operations with changing controller mode.
Switching the controller mode using the iDRAC web interface
To switch the controller mode, perform the following steps:
1. In the iDRAC web interface, click Overview → Storage → Controllers.
2. On the Controllers page, click Setup → Controller Mode.
The Current Value column displays the current setting of the controller.
3. From the drop-down menu, select the controller mode you want to switch to, and click Apply.
Reboot the system for the change to take effect.
Switching the controller mode using RACADM
To switch the controller mode using RACADM, run the following commands:
• To view the current mode of the controller, at the RACADM prompt, run the $ racadm get
Storage.Controller.1.RequestedControllerMode[key=<Controller_FQDD>]
command.
The following output is displayed: RequestedControllerMode = NONE.
• To set the controller mode as HBA, run the $ racadm set Storage.Controller.
1.RequestedControllerMode HBA [Key=< Controller_FQDD >]
command.
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