With a sun storage array j4200 with a failed drive.
It's got 11 other drive right now running seagate's
ST314655SSUN146G
I'm about to replace that one drive with seagate's ST3146356SS drive.
Do anyone see this as a problem to use non-Sun drives in Sun storage array or mixing the two types of drives?
Thanks!!!
I've just looked up the J4200 and it doesn't appear to be a hardware RAID controller. Do you have software RAID running on there? Is the failed drive part of an array? RAID1, RAID5 or the like? If it is, then the replacement must have the same or more LBA's (Logical Blocks as indicated on the physical labels on the drives) than the failed drive. If it has even one less LBA than the failed drive, then it won't work in the array (without deleting, re-initialising and restoring the array from backup).
If the failed drive was not part of an array but just used as simple storage then everything should be fine. You'll need to write a Sun label (using the format command), slice it up, and create the filesystems.
I see these two drives are slightly different, ST314655S and ST3146356S.
That's.....
'ST' = Seagate Technology
'3'= three inch profile
'14655' = 146.55GB vs '14635' = 146.35GB
So the replacement drive looks a teeny bit smaller.
Good news is that you won't do any damage by putting it in there but, if it's part of an array, it won't rebuild. It will just sit there.
Hope that helps. Do post back whether you make progress or not.
I posted the wrong part numbers...
hicksd8, sorry if I have wasted your time.....
The sun drive I remove (failed drive) part number is
SUN: ST314655SSUN146G
Seagate: ST3146855SS
And i'm replacing it with a drive with just seagate ST3146855SS without
the additional Sun part model number on it.
The drive is part of a ZFS pool... and it's a spare drive too.
a photo of the failed sun drive i'm trying to replace...
So to me it looks like you are replacing like for like (except for the Sun label). I've done that many times (but not with that exact model of drive). However, I don't see a problem. Give it a go. It will either work or it won't.
You need to write a Sun label to the drive. You can do that with:
format
If the drive won't play ball remember that you can invoke the format command with a '-e' switch for 'expert mode'. That will give you more ammunition. I don't think you'll need that though.
Just make damned sure that you select the correct drive off the drive list so you don't damage any of your working drives.
Plugged in the drive (Seagate drive with same part number but no Sun part number)...
Storage array seems to take the drive just fine...
Green light on the drive flashed for a moment....
Added the drive to the ZFS pool... as a spare
zpool status -v shows that it's available....
Although green light on the drive is now gone (no lights are on)... I'm guessing
because it's a spare.. and the drive is not active??
Should I even "format" the drive before adding it to the pool?
If it's a spare then it won't be taking I/O until another drive fails.
No don't 'label' or 'format' it.
I didn't ask you what Solaris version it is????
If it ain't broke DON'T fix it!!!!
Solaris has obviously recognised the drive and done what's needed.
Solaris is great like that (especially the recent versions)!!!! 
Puts Windows to shame.
Solaris 10 5/08
Looks like job done then.
Looks like it.. 
Thanks for the replies...
Hopefully I never have to use the spare drive.. lol