Stripe Set with Parity Incorrectly Displays RECOVERED

• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

Upon restarting Windows NT Advance Server with fault tolerance, a striped set with parity is not recovered even though you regenerated it and received the message "Stripe set with parity #x [RECOVERED]."

CAUSE

When an NTFS fault tolerant stripe set with parity encounters discrepancies in redundant data (eg: by removing a disk drive), you can choose the Regenerate command from the Fault Tolerance menu even if there is not enough space (eg: a new disk) to regenerate the redundant data. After you choose the Regenerate command, the stripe set is shown as "Stripe set with parity #x [RECOVERED]," even though it has is not actually been regenerated. When you restart your computer, Disk Administrator correctly shows the strip set as [RECOVERABLE] again.

This behavior can be reproduced with the following steps:

   1. Set up a stripe set with parity.
   2. Disable one drive in the set.
   3. Start Disk Administrator.
   4. Select the stripe set with parity; the status will be [RECOVERABLE].
   5. From the Fault Tolerance menu, choose the Regenerate command.
   6. Select the stripe set again, the status will be [RECOVERED].
   7. Exit Disk Administrator, save changes, and restart your computer.
   8. Disk Administrator shows the stripe set as [RECOVERABLE] again.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.