How do I distinguish hardware RAID, an HBA and Linux software RAID?
A hardware RAID controller can present a logical disk while managing physical members internally. An HBA commonly exposes disks to the operating system for software-managed storage. Linux md is an operating-system RAID layer; these arrangements can coexist, so inspect the complete stack rather than assuming the visible disk name describes the physical layout.
Before you start
- Authorised access to the dedicated server and the named inspection tools.
Instructions
1. Inspect the controller and block tree
Read the controller identity, driver and presented block devices. A PCI model name alone may not identify its current firmware mode.
lspci -nnk
lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINTSMatch the storage controller with its vendor’s supported management tool and the provider inventory.
2. Check Linux md separately
The kernel report identifies active software RAID arrays. Use the hardware vendor’s read-only controller report for logical volumes and physical members hidden beneath a controller.
cat /proc/mdstatAbsence of md arrays does not rule out hardware RAID, ZFS, device-mapper storage or another layer.
Check the result
- The plan documents controller mode, logical disks, physical members and the filesystem or storage manager above them.
Troubleshooting
- Individual disks do not appear in lsblk
- A RAID controller may intentionally expose only virtual disks. Use its supported physical-drive inventory.
- Switching RAID to HBA mode is suggested
- Changing modes can invalidate the existing layout or require reinstall/migration. Treat it as a storage redesign, not a routine diagnostic fix.
Official references
Use the documentation for your installed version when a flag, service name or platform feature differs.