Failing raid controller need help replacing it without data going away

Question

I've got a server running Windows 2003 and the following error event is showing up in the system log:

The description for Event ID ( 9 ) in Source ( fttxr5_O ) could not be found. It contains the following insertion string(s): . 
\Device\Scsi\fttxr5_O1

The server has a Promise TX4310 installed running a RAID 1 array. I've tested the hard drives attached to it and they're all running fine, so I can only assume that the controller that's failing and causing the event 9's.

I was able to get my hands on a new card that's the same make/model. I read through this Tom's Hardware Forum RAID Post which helps a great deal.

But I was hoping I'd be able to just swap the cards out, not loose any data, and be up and running.

Has anyone experienced this sort of thing before? Any advice besides the obvious "back everything up... twice"?

Answer 1

I've not seen that error no but I'd backup your system first and only connect one disk to the new controller at first, if all appears well then connect the second and check the array is acting as required.

Answer 2

Raid 1 is pretty easy to move, even to cards of other manufacturers because since it is a straight mirror you can almost always just add one of the drives as a single disk and upgrade it to raid 1 (without initialising).

With a card from the same manfacturer it is usually best to add all drives because most store the raid config on the drives themselves (in a proprietary format), and it will just pick it up and work.