6.6 Setting the Spare Activation Mode

The spare activation mode determines when a hot spare is used to rebuild a failed logical drive. You can choose to activate a spare when:

  • A data drive fails; this is the default mode.
  • A data drive reports a predictive failure (SMART) status.

In normal operations, the firmware starts rebuilding a failed logical drive with a spare only when a data drive fails. With the predictive failure activation mode, rebuilding can begin before the drive fails, reducing the likelihood of data loss.

The spare activation mode applies to all arrays on a controller.

To set the spare activation mode:

  1. In the Enterprise View, select a controller.
  2. On the ribbon, in the Controller group, click Set Properties.
    The Set Properties window opens.
  3. Click the Data Protection tab.
  4. From the Spare Activation Mode drop-down list, select Failure (default) or Predictive, then click OK.