Replacing a Hard Drive for a DW Blackjack CUBE

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Affected Roles:  Administrator, Owner

Last Edit: October 17, 2024

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Hard Drive Replacement

The DW Blackjack Cube can be utilized as a workstation and solely use the DW Spectrum Client program to monitor and manage a DW Spectrum System.  However, it can also be utilized to act as a server through the DW Spectrum Server software.

Over time, the hard disk drive (HDD) storage inside of the DW Blackjack Cube may need to be replaced. In the event that a hard drive must be replaced, it is recommended to contact Digital Watchdog to schedule a hard drive replacement or upgrade. However, if an Installer must replace a hard drive in the field, they may consult with Digital Watchdog Support as needed.

This article will outline the process of opening a DW Blackjack Cube and replacing a pre-installed hard drive.

DISCLAIMER:  By opening the DW Blackjack Cube to replace a pre-installed HDD, you will be assuming responsibility for the condition of the unit.  Digital Watchdog will not be held liable for the loss of any data or consequential damages (including without limitation, damage to recording media) resulting from this process.

**IMPORTANT: Hard Drives must be replaced with the same model from the same manufacturer. Mixing HDD models and manufacturers may lead to performance degradation.

Supported/Affected Devices:

• DW Blackjack® Cube
• DW Blackjack® Cube-DL

Approved HDD Model List

When replacing a hard drive of a DW Blackjack Cube, please be sure to use a model that has been approved for use by Digital Watchdog.

**NOTE:  The recommended HDD models are subject to change, depending on vendor availability and any changes to the DW Blackjack system standards over time.

Approved HDD Models for the DW Blackjack Cube

Approved HDD Models for the DW Blackjack Cube-DL

Necessary Equipment

In addition to an approved HDD model, you will also need:

• Phillips head screwdriver (required)
• Compressed air (recommended)

Recommended:  Create a Database Backup

As a precaution, it is recommended create and copy a Database Backup of the DW Spectrum System before making any major changes to the DW Spectrum Server or its hardware.  By doing so, recording licenses, user configurations, etc. of the DW Spectrum Server can be restored from the Database Backup if it becomes necessary.

• Creating a Database Backup of DW Spectrum IPVMS

Part 1:  Drive Replacement

Removing a Hard Drive

Before replacing an HDD, it is recommended to discharge any static electricity that may be on your person before handling hardware parts.  When you are ready to replace the drive, please follow the guide below.

To remove the HDD storage drive of a DW Blackjack Cube:

1. If you have not already done so, shut down then disconnect the power cable and network cable(s) from the unit. 

For easier physical access, it is also recommended to disconnect any peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc.) from the unit that may obstruct access.

2. At the rear panel of the DW Blackjack Cube, remove the three (3) case screws that secure the case cover to the DW Blackjack Cube.

Remove the case cover from the DW Blackjack Cube.  It may be easier to lift the cover off of the unit from either side of the cover, along the bottom.

3. Inside of the DW Blackjack Cube, disconnect the SATA cable and power supply cable from the old hard drive.

**IMPORTANT:  If there is more than one hard drive disk (HDD) installed within the DW Blackjack Cube, take note of which drive is connected to which SATA port on the motherboard.  You can discern which drive you intend to replace by the SATA connections to the motherboard.

For example, SATA-1 will be recognized as “Drive 0” or “Drive 1” by the operating system.  As so, an HDD connected to SATA-1 will be the main HDD (Local Disk C:).

4. The HDDs are secured within the DW Blackjack Cube by an HDD mounting bracket.  Remove the two (2) screws that secure the HDD mounting bracket to the case.

After removing the screws, slide the HDD mounting bracket backward toward the rear panel to unlock the bracket from the case.

Carefully lift the entire HDD mounting bracket out of the DW Blackjack Cube.

**NOTE:  If the interior of the DW Blackjack Cube is dusty, it is recommended to take this opportunity to use compressed air to clear away any dust on the unit’s motherboard, cooling fan, etc.

5. Next, place the HDD mounting bracket on a flat surface and remove the four (4) screws that secure the hard drive to the HDD mounting bracket.  There will be two (2) screws on either side of the bracket.

Installing a New Drive

To install a hard drive for a DW Blackjack Cube:

1. Place the new hard drive in the HDD mounting bracket.

Insert two (2) screws on either side of the new HDD (four screws in total) to secure the HDD to the bracket.

2. Slide the HDD mounting bracket forward toward the front panel of the DW Blackjack Cube to lock it to the case.

Apply two (2) screws to the mounting bracket to secure the HDD mounting bracket to the case.

3. After securing the HDD mounting bracket to the case, connect the SATA cable and power supply cable to the new hard drive.

If there is more than one hard drive present, be aware of which SATA cable is meant for which drive.

4. Carefully tuck all free-hanging cables back into the case.  Avoid allowing any cables to rest on the motherboard.

Replace the case cover to the DW Blackjack Cube and insert the three (3) case screws at the rear panel of the unit.

5. Connect the power cable, network cable(s), and peripherals to the DW Blackjack Cube.

To power ON the unit, press the power button on the front of the unit.

Part 2:  (Optional) Run Recovery Program

If the replaced hard drive was NOT hosting the OS (Local Disk C:), then you DO NOT need to run the Recovery Program as it will completely default the DW Blackjack Cube.

However, if the DW Blackjack Cube HDD storage drive that was replaced was hosting the operating system (OS) and the DW Spectrum Server application, you may need to run the OS Recovery Program that was included with the DW Blackjack unit.  This will restore the OS of the unit and reinstall an earlier version of DW Spectrum IPVMS after replacing the hard drive.

If needed, you may refer to the following guides:

• DW Blackjack - Restoring Windows OS on a BJ Cube
• DW Blackjack - USB Recovery for an Ubuntu/Linux System

**NOTE:  If the main HDD (Local Disk C:) was NOT replaced, but an additional storage drive was replaced instead, you do not need to run the recovery program to restore the system operability.

**IMPORTANT:  Do not use different ISO versions of the USB recovery program for different DW Blackjack models. For example, if the USB recovery that is meant for a DW Blackjack Cube is applied to a DW Blackjack P-RACK 2U with RAID, the LSI RAID Manager software program will not be included in the recovered system as the DW Blackjack CUBE model does not come equipped for a RAID configuration.

Part 3:  Initializing the Drive

Before the new hard drive can be utilized by the DW Spectrum Server program for media storage, the new HDD will need to be initialized and partitioned for the DW Media Server.  If the new drive is not initialized, the HDD will not be able to be utilized by the DW Blackjack Cube for any storage.

If needed, you may refer to the following guides:

• Mounting A New Drive (Windows)
• Mounting A New Drive (Ubuntu/Linux)

Part 4:  (Optional) Update DW Spectrum IPVMS

Unless otherwise specified during installation, DW Spectrum IPVMS will install on a computer’s main HDD (Local Disk C:) by default.  If the main HDD has been replaced and the recovery program has been used, the DW Spectrum IPVMS software version may be outdated, depending on the age of the USB recovery ISO version that was used. 

In this scenario, it is recommended to update the DW Spectrum IPVMS software up to at least the same software version that was in use prior to replacing the main HDD.  Otherwise, if the Server is not updated, there may be issues with the database restoration.

If needed, you may refer to the following guide:

• Updating DW Spectrum

**NOTE:  If the main HDD (Local Disk C:) was NOT replaced, but an additional storage drive was replaced instead, you do not need to update the DW Spectrum IPVMS software to restore the IPVMS database.

Part 5:  Restore the Database and License Keys

If the main HDD (Local Disk C:) was replaced, you can restore the DW Spectrum Database and Recording License Key(s) to the DW Spectrum System  by using a Database Backup that was created prior to replacing the main HDD.

If it was an additional storage drive that was replaced instead, the database of the DW Spectrum System should still be intact on the main HDD.

• DW Spectrum - Creating a Database Backup – please see the “Restoring From a Database Backup” section of this article for database restoration instructions

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For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support: https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

DW Sales: sales@digital-watchdog.com | www.digital-watchdog.com

Rev: 06/25                              Copyright © DW. All rights reserved. Specifications and pricing subject to change without notice.