A foreign configuration is RAID metadata on drives that the PERC controller does not recognise as its own. Dell's iDRAC guide defines it as data on physical disks that have been moved from one controller to another. When the controller finds such drives it marks them Foreign and raises an alert. Importing brings the virtual disks (and their data) back; clearing erases them. Choosing wrong can destroy data, so read this before you press anything.
Before you start
- Do not clear anything until you know which drives are foreign, where they came from and whether anyone needs their data.
- If the data matters, make sure every member drive of the old virtual disk is present and seated before importing.
- For self-encrypting drives secured on another controller you will need the original security key or passphrase.
- Have a current backup of the data on the controller's existing virtual disks.
How a foreign configuration shows up
During POST the PERC 11 guide documents this message:
Foreign configuration(s) found on adapter. Press any key to continue,
or 'C' to load the configuration utility or 'F' to import foreign
configuration(s) and continue.Dell's corrective action: press F to import (only if all member disks of the virtual disk are present), or press C to open the HII Configuration Utility and import or clear from there. In iDRAC9 the drive state shows as Foreign under Storage > Overview > Physical Disks, and the Import task appears only when the controller has detected a foreign configuration.
Dell also notes that iDRAC or OpenManage periodically scans for foreign configurations while foreign disks are present, which degrades performance. Do not leave foreign drives unresolved.
Import or clear: decide by situation
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| PERC controller was replaced | Import. Dell: restore the configuration by importing the foreign configuration and recreating any non-RAID disks |
| Drives moved from another server to a compatible PERC | Import, with the source controller offline |
| Several drives dropped at once (cable or power problem) | Power off, check cables, reseat drives, then import |
| A member drive was pulled and pushed back into the same slot | Usually nothing: Dell describes a short transient foreign state before the rebuild starts |
| An old member drive is reinserted after its slot was already rebuilt on a replacement | Clear the foreign flag on that drive (Dell says it must be removed manually) |
| POST reports foreign, HII shows none and all VDs are Optimal | Clear, after confirming all drives are present |
| Used drive from another system that you want to reuse as blank | Clear, only after confirming nobody needs the data |
Not everything can be imported. Per the iDRAC guide, a foreign VD imports only if enough of it is present: one side of a RAID 1 mirror imports as Degraded, but one drive of a three-drive RAID 5 is Failed and cannot be imported. Offline VDs cannot be imported, drives in Failed or Offline state are skipped, and the firmware will not import or clear when more than eight foreign drives are present.
Generation and migration limits
- PERC 11 accepts virtual disks from H740P, H745, H745P MX and H840 (PERC 10), but not from H330, H730 or H830. Disks cannot be migrated to older PERC generations.
- PERC 11 does not support moving virtual disks from H755/H750 models to H355/H350 models.
- On PERC 12, data managed by H350 and H355 cannot be migrated to H365 or later (unsecured non-RAID disks can), and secured foreign configurations from previous PERC generations cannot be imported.
- Dell warns not to migrate disks during a RAID level migration or online capacity expansion; doing so loses the virtual disk.
Step 1 — Import from System Setup (HII)
- Press F2 during boot and open Device Settings, then your PERC controller.
- Go to Main Menu > Configuration Management > Manage Foreign Configurations.
- On PERC 11, open Preview Foreign Configurations and check that the VDs and drives listed are the ones you expect.
- Click Import Foreign Configuration, enter the passphrase or security key if the drives are secured with a different one, select Confirm and click Yes.
PERC 11 and PERC 12 also have Auto Import Foreign Configuration (PERC 11: Main Menu > Controller Management > Advanced Controller Properties). On PERC 12, Dell advises checking the VD number after an auto-import, as it may change, and notes that another reboot may be needed before the UEFI BIOS sees an imported VD.
Step 2 — Or import from iDRAC9
- Go to Storage > Overview > Controllers and select the controller.
- Under Foreign Configuration click Import, then Apply.
- Check the result in Maintenance > Job Queue and on the Physical Disks page.
You need Login and Server Control privileges. Dell warns that an incomplete configuration is not imported, yet the job still reports Completed, so always check the physical disk and VD states afterwards. If drives are locked with Local Key Management, iDRAC cannot import them; unlock them in the controller utility first. From RACADM (FQDD from racadm storage get controllers):
racadm storage importconfig:RAID.Integrated.1-1
racadm jobqueue create RAID.Integrated.1-1 --realtimeStep 3 — Clear, only when you are sure
Warning: Clear Foreign Configuration permanently erases all data on the foreign drives. If more than one foreign VD is present, all of them are erased, and Dell states the RACADM clear cannot be reversed. Never clear a drive whose data you might need. Try an import first, and back up first.
- HII: clear from Manage Foreign Configurations in the PERC utility (press C at the POST prompt to get there). The drive returns to Ready state.
- iDRAC9: Storage > Overview > Controllers, select the controller, click Clear Configuration, then Apply with the operation mode you want.
- RACADM:
racadm storage clearconfig:RAID.Integrated.1-1, followed by ajobqueue createfor the controller.
Do not confuse this with racadm storage resetconfig, which deletes all virtual disks on the controller and unassigns hot spares, and does not remove foreign configurations.
Frequently asked questions
Will importing overwrite my existing virtual disks?
Dell describes import as adding the foreign VDs found on the newly added drives; all foreign VDs present are imported. Existing VDs are not the target, but check the preview so you know exactly what will appear.
The server will not boot after the import. Why?
The VD number or boot order may have changed. See server will not boot after a disk change.
Checklist
- Origin of every foreign drive known; data owner asked.
- All member drives present before import; previewed first.
- Controller generation supports the migration.
- After import: VD and drive states checked, not just the job status.
- Clear used only for drives whose data is not needed, after a backup.
- No foreign drives left unresolved.
Skyline can supply, configure and maintain Dell, HPE and Huawei servers under an annual maintenance contract (AMC). Contact us.
Comments
0 total · 0 threads