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Checking Software RAID Status

Regularly monitoring your Linux software RAID (mdadm) is essential to prevent data loss. This guide explains how to check the status manually and set up automated alerts.

Note: A RAID array protects against hardware failure but does not replace a regular backup of your data on external media.

1

Manual Check via /proc/mdstat

Check the real-time status of your software RAID arrays directly through the system:

Check RAID Status
cat /proc/mdstat

Understanding the Output

Healthy Array [UU]

In a RAID 1 setup, [UU] indicates that both drives are active and synchronized.

Example: OK
md0 : active raid1 sdb1[0] sda1[1] 104320 blocks [2/2] [UU]

Degraded Array

A status such as [_U] means a disk is missing or defective. The _ character serves as a placeholder for the failed drive.

Example: Degraded
md1 : active raid1 sdb3[1] 154143552 blocks [2/1] [_U]
2

Set Up Email Alerts

Step 1: Set Recipient

Add your email address to the configuration file:

Open configuration
nano /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf
Add the following line:

MAILADDR [email protected]

Step 2: Start Monitoring

Enable the service for automatic background checks:

Service control
systemctl enable mdadm.service systemctl start mdadm.service

For emails to be sent, an MTA (e.g., Postfix) must be active on the server.

Contact Support

If you have confirmed a hardware defect, we will replace the drive immediately. Please open a ticket in the PowerPanel.

Go to PowerPanel