HPE SSACLI is the command-line management tool for HPE Smart Array controllers on Linux. On older systems the binary may be hpssacli, but the command syntax is effectively the same.

Most common installations place the binary at:

• /usr/sbin/ssacli
• /usr/sbin/hpssacli

Run it as root, or with sudo.

Useful terms

• ctrl = controller
• pd = physical drive
• ld = logical drive
• array = drive group on the controller, such as A or B
• slot=0 = controller slot number
• 1I:1:1 = physical drive address, usually Port:Box:Bay

For the examples below, replace slot=0, array A, ld 1, and 1I:1:1 with the values from the actual server.

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List all controllers

Use this first to find the installed Smart Array controllers and their slot numbers:

ssacli ctrl all show

For more detail, including model, serial number, cache status and firmware:

ssacli ctrl all show detail

If the binary is only available as hpssacli, use:

hpssacli ctrl all show

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Show the full configuration of a controller

This is the most useful general overview. It shows arrays, logical drives and physical drives in one output:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config

For the full verbose version:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

This is often the quickest way to spot:

• failed drives
• degraded arrays
• rebuilding drives
• missing drives
• logical drive status issues

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List physical drives on a controller

To see all physical drives connected to a controller:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show

For a concise health view:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

For full drive information:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show detail

Typical details include:

• model
• serial number
• size
• interface type
• firmware
• drive state
• port/box/bay location

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Show a single physical drive in detail

To inspect one disk:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 show

For full details:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 show detail

This is useful for checking:

• whether a drive has failed
• predictive failure alerts
• whether a replacement disk has been recognised
• whether the drive is rebuilding or acting as a spare

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Show arrays and logical drives

To show arrays on a controller:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 array all show

To inspect a specific array:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A show

For more detail:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A show detail

To list logical drives:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show

To show logical drive status only:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status

To inspect one logical drive in detail:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld 1 show detail

In practice, array health is often easiest to assess with:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

and:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status

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Check controller health and cache status

For controller-level health, battery/capacitor status and cache information:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show detail

This is useful when diagnosing:

• cache module faults
• failed or charging cache backup units
• controller firmware issues
• disabled write cache

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Find failed or predictive-failure disks quickly

A concise way to check for problem disks is:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

A wider health check across the full controller is:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

Look for states such as:

• OK
• Failed
• Predictive Failure
• Rebuilding
• Recovering
• Interim Recovery Mode

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Locate a physical disk by flashing its LED

To identify a specific disk physically in the chassis:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 modify led=on

To stop the locate LED:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 modify led=off

This is useful before removing a failed drive from a live server.

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Run diagnostics

There are two common levels of diagnostics:

1. On-screen diagnostic information
2. A controller diagnostic report file

For on-screen diagnostic output, start with:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show detail

and:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

If the installed SSACLI build supports controller diagnostic report generation, use:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 diag file=/tmp/ssacli-slot0-diag.zip

For all controllers:

ssacli ctrl all diag file=/tmp/ssacli-all-diag.zip

The resulting archive can be used for support analysis. On some systems, diagnostic collection depends on the exact HPE package version, so the available diag options may vary slightly.

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Rebuilding an array after a drive failure

For normal drive replacement, Smart Array rebuilds are usually automatic. There is typically no separate manual rebuild command required for a standard failed-disk replacement.

Typical rebuild process

1. Identify the failed drive:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

1. Confirm the affected array and logical drive:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

1. If needed, flash the drive LED so the correct disk is removed:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 modify led=on

1. Replace the failed disk with a compatible drive of equal or greater size.

1. Check whether the new drive is recognised:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show

1. Monitor rebuild progress:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

and:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status

During rebuild, status usually changes to Rebuilding or Recovering.

Important points

• Rebuild normally starts automatically when a failed disk is replaced in a redundant RAID set such as RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6 or RAID 10.
• If a hot spare is already assigned, rebuild may start on the spare immediately after failure.
• If the logical drive is non-redundant, such as RAID 0, there is no rebuild path after disk failure.
• Do not delete and recreate the array to try to force a rebuild.

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Monitor rebuild progress repeatedly

A simple way to watch status during a rebuild:

watch -n 10 'ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status; echo; ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status'

This shows logical drive and physical drive status every 10 seconds.

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Change rebuild priority

If rebuild is running too slowly, the controller rebuild priority can be adjusted. Higher priority usually speeds up recovery but may reduce normal I/O performance.

Check current controller detail:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show detail

Set rebuild priority to high:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 modify rebuildpriority=high

Set it back to medium:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 modify rebuildpriority=medium

Set it to low:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 modify rebuildpriority=low

Use this carefully on production systems.

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Assign a hot spare

To add a spare drive to an array:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A add spares=1I:1:6

To remove a spare assignment:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 array A remove spares=1I:1:6

A spare can allow the controller to begin rebuild automatically as soon as a member disk fails.

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Useful day-to-day commands

Show everything on all controllers:

ssacli ctrl all show config

Show full detail for everything on one controller:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

Show only physical drive health:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

Show only logical drive health:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status

Show one disk in full detail:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 show detail

Show one logical drive in full detail:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld 1 show detail

Show controller hardware and cache detail:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show detail

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Practical workflow for a degraded array

A typical sequence when a RAID set is degraded is:

ssacli ctrl all show

ssacli ctrl slot=0 show config detail

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status

If a disk must be replaced:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd 1I:1:1 modify led=on

After replacement, check for rebuild:

ssacli ctrl slot=0 pd all show status

ssacli ctrl slot=0 ld all show status

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Notes on command compatibility

• Older servers often use hpssacli; newer packaging often uses ssacli.
• Command syntax is usually the same.
• Some advanced options vary slightly by controller generation and firmware.
• Smart Array behaviour also varies by RAID level, cache module and whether a spare is already assigned.

For most routine Linux administration, these are the core commands that cover controller discovery, drive inspection, array status, diagnostics and rebuild monitoring.