## Synchronizing logical drives

The purpose of synchronizing logical drives is to compute and write the parity data on the selected drives. Synchronizing a logical drive verifies that the data redundancy for the logical drive is correct.

If auto-synchronization is disabled, you must synchronize new RAID level-5 logical drives after you create them. If data scrubbing is disabled, synchronize RAID level-1 and RAID level-5 logical drives weekly. This does not alter data on the drive.

> Note: You can determine if your controller supports auto-synchronization and data scrubbing by viewing the Controller information panel. The information panel reports if these features are enabled or disabled.

To synchronize a logical drive:

1. Click a logical drive from the Main Tree.
2. Click Actions --> Synchronize logical drive.
3. Click Yes.

If the logical drive is attached to a controller that supports auto-synchronization, the ServeRAID Manager automatically synchronizes all new RAID level-5 logical drives. The Manager displays a progress indicator in the status bar. You can perform any other actions on the controller during an auto-synchronization. You can also turn off the server during an auto-synchronization and, when you turn on the server, the firmware will continue the auto-synchronization where it left off.

When you create a logical drive that is attached to a controller that does not support auto-synchronization, you will receive a warning event in the event viewer stating that you must synchronize the logical drive before storing data. Complete the steps listed above. For controllers that do not support data scrubbing, consider manually synchronizing your RAID level-1 and RAID level-5 logical drives weekly. This does not alter data on the drive.

Synchronization can be a lengthy operation. You cannot perform any other actions on the controller until the synchronization completes. Do not turn off the server until the synchronization is complete. The Manager displays a progress indicator in the status bar.