Re-Using Snap Drives?

[bheller]

Hey out there,
We have drives from a 1000 and 4200 that have now been replace (by *working* servers) and would like to re-purpose the drives. Disk Utility and fdisk in Mac OS X don't recognize the drives at all. Anyone have any knowledge about how these can be seen and re-formatted for use on Mac OS X?

Thanks,
Brian

[blue68f100]

The 1000 has a BSD OS with a highly modified XFS file system. Nothing can read it except another snap. The 4200 used the Guardian OS built off RedHat Enterprise Linux. So installing it in a linux box should be able to read it. At lease the OS section. If the data was part of a Raid 5, you only have 1/4 of the main data set. Both can be cleaned by the MFG HD utility. Either by quick Zero or full format with another file system. You can then use an eraser program to fully clean the drive.

[otoc]

Originally Posted by bheller

Hey out there,
We have drives from a 1000 and 4200 that have now been replace (by *working* servers) and would like to re-purpose the drives. Disk Utility and fdisk in Mac OS X don't recognize the drives at all. Anyone have any knowledge about how these can be seen and re-formatted for use on Mac OS X?

Thanks,
Brian

Disk Utility should see the drives so that you can reformat ("erase" in Drive Utility tab speak). Check the jumper settings (M/S/CS) for whatever config you have the drives placed into. I've taken many old snap drives and placed them into older OS X or 9 systems.

If you have a pc available, then running the manufacturer's drive utilities would be a good thing to do as mentioned above. I do that before spending any time converting the old drives for reuse. Might as well know if they check out before data is stored on them.

If this problem continues mention your jumper settings, drive info, and version of OS X so that help can be offered.

[bheller]

Thanks a lot. Well, I haven't tried erasing the 4200 drives, since that server is still limping, but the 1000 drive wasn't seen by 10.3 with any jumper setting. But I should be able to put it into the 4200 and it will mount? Keeping in mind the 1000 was Snap OS and 4200 is Guardian?

In January, once our OS X server is running, I'll try mounting the 4200 drives.

Thanks again,
Brian

[blue68f100]

Remember the OS is on the HD of the 4200. You need to keep 1 drive if you ever want to restart it backup. (If you do not have any more Guardian OS units.) If you deside it sell in on ebay you will bring a extra $200+ with a HD to start it up and sleds.

[bheller]

This is a GREAT point to keep in mind. While it won't land on eBay, it's am important thing for me remember.

But again, I should just be able to insert the drive from the Snap 1000 and it will be seen and can be formatted by the 4200?

Thanks very much!
Brian

[blue68f100]

As for reusing the drvies between hardware yes. But the Formats will not see each other. So if you wipe all of the 4200 drives you loose your OS for Good, unless you save one drive or have another Guardian unit. You must have a working GuardianOS drive to boot it.

The 4200 runs on Guardian OS, where the 1000 is Snap OS. Formating is different Linux Ext vs Modified XFS on BSD.