When dealing with RAID 5 arrays across different machines, the critical factor is whether the new system can recognize the existing array metadata. Most modern RAID implementations store metadata at the beginning of each disk, making hardware-independent migration possible in many cases.

# Example Linux commands to examine array before migration
mdadm --detail /dev/md0
mdadm --examine /dev/sd[b-e]

The two main scenarios for successful migration:

• Same controller type (e.g., moving between identical RAID cards)
• Different controllers with standard metadata support

For Linux software RAID (mdadm):

# On original system:
mdadm --detail --scan > /etc/mdadm.conf

# On target system (after physical disk transfer):
mdadm --assemble --scan

// PowerShell example for Windows Storage Spaces
Get-PhysicalDisk | Where-Object {$_.CanPool -eq $true}

Important checks before migration:

• Verify disk order matches original configuration
• Ensure new controller supports same stripe size
• Check for firmware updates on target controller

When the array won't assemble automatically:

# Manual assembly example
mdadm --assemble /dev/md0 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 \
      --verbose --force

# Verify array integrity
cat /proc/mdstat
mdadm --detail /dev/md0
fsck -n /dev/md0

Always maintain current backups before attempting migration, and consider testing with non-production hardware first when possible.

When dealing with RAID 5 arrays across different hardware configurations, the critical factor is the metadata format used by your RAID controller. Most modern RAID implementations store configuration data on the disks themselves, making hardware-independent migration possible.

# Example command to examine RAID metadata on Linux
mdadm --examine /dev/sd[b-e] | grep "Raid Level"

Before attempting migration, ensure:

• All member disks are healthy (check SMART status)
• You have complete backups
• The target system supports your RAID level
• You know your current RAID implementation (mdadm, LVM, hardware controller)

For software RAID (Linux mdadm):

# On source system:
mdadm --detail --scan > /etc/mdadm.conf

# On target system (after connecting drives):
mdadm --assemble --scan

For hardware RAID controllers:

1. Document controller configuration
2. Export configuration if supported
3. Connect drives maintaining original order
4. Import configuration on new controller

If the array won't assemble:

# Force assembly with missing drives (for degraded arrays)
mdadm --assemble --force /dev/md0 /dev/sd[b-d]

# Rebuild array metadata if corrupted
mdadm --create --assume-clean --level=5 --raid-devices=4 /dev/md0 /dev/sd[b-e]

After migration, monitor:

• Rebuild progress (cat /proc/mdstat)
• Disk I/O performance (iostat -x 1)
• Checksum verification (btrfs scrub if applicable)

For complex migrations consider:

# Using DRBD for live migration
drbdadm create-md r0
drbdadm up r0

Or implementing LVM on top of RAID for additional flexibility:

pvcreate /dev/md0
vgcreate vg_raid /dev/md0
lvcreate -L 500G -n lv_data vg_raid