iDRAC9 can build a RAID virtual disk (VD) on the server's PERC controller without anyone standing at the server or rebooting into System Setup. This is useful for remote sites and for preparing a server before an OS install. The steps below follow Dell KB 000129249 and the iDRAC9 7.xx User's Guide. Dell's KB states that iDRAC6, iDRAC7 and iDRAC8 do not offer this option; on those systems use the RAID BIOS or OpenManage Server Administrator.
Before you start
- You need an iDRAC account with the Server Control privilege, and iDRAC must be reachable on the network (see iDRAC9 first-time setup).
- Back up any data on the drives you will use. A VD created from iDRAC is fast-initialized, which clears the start and end of the disk.
- The drives must be RAID-capable. Drives in non-RAID mode must be converted first.
- No other job may be running or scheduled on the same controller. Check Maintenance > Job Queue.
- Decide the RAID level first: choosing a RAID level by workload.
Which menu you will see
Dell changed the storage pages in iDRAC9 firmware 5.10.00.00. The KB describes both layouts:
| iDRAC9 firmware | Path |
|---|---|
| Before 5.10.00.00 | Configuration > Storage Configuration, pick the controller from the Controller drop-down, open Virtual Disk Configuration and click Create Virtual Disk |
| 5.10.00.00 and later | The Storage Configuration tab is gone. Go to Storage > Physical Disks and click Create Virtual Disk, which opens a short wizard |
The 7.xx User's Guide describes the same task from the Storage > Overview pages. Labels can shift slightly between firmware releases, so use the iDRAC online Help if a field name differs.
Step 1 — Check the drives and the controller
- Open Storage > Overview > Physical Disks and confirm the drives you plan to use are listed and healthy.
- If a drive is in non-RAID mode, convert it to RAID-capable from the same page (or with
racadm storage converttoraid). Dell notes that a non-RAID disk is passed straight through to the operating system. - Open Maintenance > Job Queue and make sure no job is running or scheduled for this controller. Dell lists this as one of the reasons VD creation is refused.
Other documented limits: a controller supports up to 64 virtual disks and up to 16 in the same drive group, and VD creation is not allowed on drives that are already secured.
Step 2 — Run the Create Virtual Disk wizard
- Select the controller (if the server has more than one).
- Select the RAID level (Layout). Only levels the controller supports, and that the number of available drives allows, appear in the list.
- Enter a name. Dell's KB allows letters, numbers, spaces, dashes and underscores; other special characters are removed. The User's Guide lists alphanumerics, dashes and underscores, so avoiding spaces is the safest choice.
- Set Media Type, Stripe Size, Read Policy, Write Policy and Disk Cache Policy. Only values the controller supports are offered.
- Select the physical disks. The maximum Capacity updates as you add drives; enter a smaller size if you want several VDs on one drive group.
- Span Count is calculated automatically for RAID 10, 50 and 60. You cannot set it by hand.
Warning: Dell documents that a VD created through iDRAC is fast-initialized: the first and last 8 MB are overwritten, clearing boot records and partition information. While this runs, I/O to the drive fails with a "Not Ready" sense key, and an OS that reads the disk too early may log an I/O error. Double-check the selected drives and back up first.
Step 3 — Choose when to apply it
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Apply Now | A job is created and run immediately. PERC controllers with real-time capability do not need a reboot for this |
| At Next Reboot | The job waits until the next system restart |
| At Scheduled Time | Pick a start and end time and a reboot type: No Reboot (Manually Reboot System), Graceful Shutdown, Force Shutdown or Power Cycle System (cold boot) |
| Add to Pending Operations | The change is queued, not applied. View and commit it later in Storage > Overview > Pending Operations |
When the operation is queued, iDRAC shows message RAC0685: "A pending operation has been created for this Create Virtual Disk operation." The KB then has you click Apply Now at the bottom of the page, or schedule it. Pending operations for a controller can only be deleted all together, not one by one.
Note: Dell's KB says that if the server is sitting in BIOS setup or a pre-POST state, restart it and let it pass the BIOS screen so the Lifecycle Controller can complete the task.
Step 4 — Watch the job and verify the result
- Go to Maintenance > Job Queue and follow the job until it shows Completed. Jobs that are Running or Downloading cannot be deleted.
- Open Storage > Virtual Disks and confirm the new VD, its RAID level, size and state.
- Format the disk from the operating system or start the OS installation.
Redundant VDs then run a background initialization. The iDRAC guide notes that it starts five minutes after a fast initialization completes.
The same task with RACADM
The RACADM CLI Guide documents this syntax. Take the controller and disk FQDDs from racadm storage get controllers and racadm storage get pdisks:
racadm storage createvd:<Controller FQDD> -rl {r0|r1|r5|r6|r10|r50|r60} [-wp {wt|wb|wbf}] [-rp {nra|ra|ara}] [-ss {1k|2k|4k|8k|16k|32k|64k|128k|256k|512k|1M|2M|4M|8M|16M}] -pdkey:<comma separated PD FQDD> [-dcp {enabled|disabled|default}] [-name <VD name>] [-size <VD size>{b|k|m|g|t}] [-T10PIEnable] [-sd <secureDisk>]Dell's example, followed by the job that applies it in real time and a status check:
racadm storage createvd:RAID.Integrated.1-1 -rl r0 -pdkey:Disk.Bay.0:Enclosure.Internal.0-0:RAID.Integrated.1-1
racadm jobqueue create RAID.Integrated.1-1 --realtime
racadm jobqueue viewOnly values your controller supports will be accepted (for example PERC 11 strip sizes are 64 KB to 1 MB), and Dell notes that T10PI is no longer supported on PERC controllers. Names longer than 15 characters are cut to 15. For general RACADM setup, see configuring iDRAC with RACADM.
Frequently asked questions
What does RAC0685 mean?
It confirms that a pending operation was created for Create Virtual Disk. Nothing has changed on the controller yet; the change is applied when the job runs.
Can I create the VD from System Setup instead?
Yes. See create a virtual disk from System Setup (F2), which also lets you choose Full initialization.
Checklist
- Server Control privilege and network access to iDRAC confirmed.
- Data on the target drives backed up or not needed.
- Drives RAID-capable; no other job on the controller.
- RAID level, name, cache policies and capacity checked before clicking Create.
- Apply mode chosen on purpose; RAC0685 seen if you queued it.
- Job shows Completed in Maintenance > Job Queue; VD visible under Storage > Virtual Disks.
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