A systems administrator is alerted by the monitoring system that a RAID 5 array on a production file server is in a degraded state. Upon arriving at the server rack, the administrator prepares to investigate the issue. Which of the following actions, based on a visual inspection, should be the administrator's first step in diagnosing the problem?
Visually inspect the status LEDs on each individual drive carrier in the array.
Immediately pull each drive one by one to check its model number for a known recall.
Check the server's front LCD panel for a general storage fault message.
Observe the link and activity lights on the server's network interface cards.
The correct answer is to visually inspect the status LEDs on each drive carrier. Server hard drive carriers have status LEDs that provide immediate visual feedback on the state of the drive. A solid or flashing amber light typically indicates a failed or failing drive, allowing the administrator to quickly identify the specific component that needs attention.
Checking the server's front LCD panel is a valid step, but it often provides more general error information rather than pinpointing the exact failed drive. The drive LEDs are more direct. Pulling drives from a degraded array without first identifying the failed component is a dangerous action that can lead to further data loss. Observing the network interface card lights is incorrect because they indicate network status, not storage array health.
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