# PERC "Foreign configuration found": import or clear?

Author: Mike Wang, Fanxi Technology (Dalian Fanxi Technology Co., Ltd., Dell Technologies Platinum Partner). Updated 2026-11-01.
URL: https://fanxi-technology.com/en/blog/perc-foreign-configuration-found
Written against: Written against Dell KB 000122457, the iDRAC9 User's Guide (7.xx), the iDRAC9 RACADM CLI Guide, the PERC 11 User's Guide and the PERC 9/10/11 and PERC 12 CLI Reference Guides.

> A foreign configuration is RAID metadata on drives that the current PERC did not create or no longer owns. If those drives hold data you need, import it; Clear erases the metadata and the virtual disks with it. Preview first in F2 System Setup > Device Settings > your PERC > Configuration Management > Manage Foreign Configuration, check that each virtual disk shows Ready or Degraded, then click Import Foreign Configuration.

## What does "Foreign configuration(s) found on adapter" mean?

Every PERC writes the RAID layout onto the drives themselves. When the controller finds layout data that does not match its own records, it marks those drives Foreign and stops at boot with this message. Dell describes it as data residing on physical disks that have been moved from one controller to another.

The usual causes reported in forum threads:

- You replaced the PERC itself, so the new card has an empty configuration.
- You moved a set of drives into another server.
- A drive dropped out (loose backplane connection, power event) and came back with stale metadata.
- You installed a replacement drive that was previously part of another array.
- Someone pulled several drives while the server ran and reinserted them in a different order or at different times.

## Should you import or clear the foreign configuration?

> Clear Foreign Configuration permanently erases the virtual disk definitions on the foreign drives. Dell states that the operation cannot be reversed. Back up anything reachable first, and if the array holds the only copy of your data, stop and get help before you press Clear.

| Situation | Action |
| --- | --- |
| New or replacement PERC, original drives in place | Import |
| Drives moved from another PowerEdge, you need the data | Import |
| Whole virtual disk shows Offline or Failed and its drives show Foreign | Preview, then import if it shows Ready or Degraded |
| One replacement drive is Foreign, your existing array is Online or Degraded | Do not import. Clear the foreign config on that drive so it can rebuild |
| Used drives you intend to wipe and reuse | Clear |

Dell KB 000122457 warns that importing a single-disk foreign configuration into an active array may cause data corruption. Clearing affects only drives marked Foreign; your Online drives stay untouched. If more than one set of foreign drives is present, though, Clear erases all of them at once.

## How do you import a foreign configuration in F2 System Setup (HII)?

This route works on PERC 10, 11 and 12 controllers in 14G, 15G and 16G servers. Dell KB 000122457 gives the path below; the PERC 11 User's Guide shows the same Configuration Management and Manage Foreign Configuration menu names.

1. Reboot and press F2 to enter System Setup.
2. Select Device Settings, then your RAID controller (for example PERC H740P, H755 or H965i).
3. Click Configuration Management, then Manage Foreign Configuration.
4. Click Preview Foreign Configuration and read the virtual disk list. Each one should show Ready or Degraded.
5. Click Import Foreign Configuration, select Confirm, then Yes.
6. Go back to the virtual disk list and confirm the status. If anything other than Ready or Degraded appears, contact Dell support before you write to the volume.

On 13G servers with PERC 9 you also have the legacy Ctrl+R utility, where the same choice sits under Foreign View or the controller menu as Foreign Config > Import.

## How do you import it from the iDRAC9 web interface?

1. Log in to iDRAC and go to Storage > Overview > Controllers.
2. Select the controller that reports the foreign configuration.
3. Click Import under Foreign Configuration, then click Apply.
4. Check the job in Maintenance > Job Queue and confirm the virtual disks under Storage > Overview > Virtual Disks.

iDRAC needs the Login and Server Control privileges for this task. It does not import configurations on a PERC running in HBA mode or on a BOSS card, and it cannot import drives locked with Local Key Manager until you unlock them.

## What are the RACADM and perccli commands for a foreign import?

Find the controller FQDD first. The examples use RAID.Integrated.1-1, but front-mounted PERC 11 and 12 cards often report a different name, such as RAID.SL.3-1.

```bash
racadm storage get controllers
racadm storage get pdisks -o -p State
racadm storage importconfig:RAID.Integrated.1-1
# PERC 9 and newer support real-time jobs
racadm jobqueue create RAID.Integrated.1-1 -s TIME_NOW --realtime
racadm jobqueue view
```

If the controller does not support real-time configuration, drop --realtime and add a reboot type, for example -r pwrcycle, so the job runs during the next boot. You can check support with racadm storage get controllers -o -p RealtimeConfigurationCapability.

```bash
perccli /c0/fall show
perccli /c0/fall show all
perccli /c0/fall import preview
perccli /c0/fall import

# PERC 12
perccli2 /c0/fall show all
perccli2 /c0/fall import
```

The delete form (perccli /c0/fall delete) is the CLI equivalent of Clear. Add securitykey=... only when the foreign drives are encrypted with a key from another controller.

## What happens with missing drives, partial imports and degraded arrays?

The controller imports a virtual disk only when all of its data is present. Redundant data may be missing. Dell gives two examples in the iDRAC guide: one half of a RAID 1 mirror imports as Degraded, while a single drive from a three-drive RAID 5 shows Failed and cannot be imported.

- Insert every drive from the original array before you import, in the original bays if you know them.
- Only drives in Unconfigured Good state take part. Failed or Offline drives are skipped.
- iDRAC does not import an incomplete configuration. Find the missing drive rather than forcing a partial import.
- After importing a Degraded array, replace or reseat the missing member and let the rebuild finish before heavy writes.
- Firmware accepts at most eight foreign configurations at once.

## Can the PERC import foreign configurations automatically?

Yes. PERC 9 and newer controllers have an Auto Import Foreign Configuration option. On PERC 11 you find it in the HII utility under Main Menu > Controller Management > Advanced Controller Properties. Auto import saves a trip to the console after a planned controller swap, but leave it off on servers where people regularly insert used drives, so a stray disk never joins an array without a person checking it.

## FAQ

**Does importing a foreign configuration erase data?**

No. Import reads the RAID metadata from the drives and adds the virtual disks back to the controller. Clear and delete are the operations that remove it.

**Why does the message come back after every reboot?**

The PERC repeats it until you import or clear. If it returns after an import, a drive is losing contact. Check the backplane cable, reseat the drive and look in the Lifecycle Log for drive errors.

**Can I see what the foreign configuration contains without importing it?**

Yes. Preview Foreign Configuration in HII and perccli /c0/fall show all (or import preview) list the virtual disks, RAID levels and member drives without changing anything.

**What is the difference between Clear Foreign Configuration and Reset Configuration?**

Clear removes metadata only from drives marked Foreign. Reset Configuration (racadm storage resetconfig) deletes every virtual disk on the controller, including your Online ones.

## Sources

- [Dell KB 000122457: How to import a foreign configuration using the System Setup menu](https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000122457/how-to-import-a-foreign-configuration-in-the-raid-controller-using-the-system-setup-menu)
- [iDRAC9 User's Guide: Importing or auto importing foreign configuration](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/oth-r650/idrac9_7.xx_ug/importing-or-auto-importing-foreign-configuration?guid=guid-2ee72bd2-4404-41fa-ab81-7de73fcb142a&lang=en-us)
- [PERC 9, 10 and 11 CLI Reference Guide: Foreign configurations commands](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/poweredge-rc-h830/perc_cli_rg/foreign-configurations-commands?guid=guid-3532b18f-21dc-469e-9090-03aa4ff18289&lang=en-us)
- [PERC 12 and PERC 13 CLI Reference Guide: Foreign configurations commands](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/poweredge-rc-h965e/perc12_cli_rg/foreign-configurations-commands?guid=guid-b0a3adf0-9513-4084-af82-290846fe521d&lang=en-us)
- [PERC 11 User's Guide: Auto import foreign configuration](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-my/perc-h755/perc11_ug/auto-import-foreign-configuration?guid=guid-0db9e0e8-1816-4f23-ac51-b72cc519f1cc&lang=en-us)

Every server we ship has its RAID set up, checked and burned in for 24 to 72 hours, and refurbished Dell units arrive with clean drive metadata. If you see this message on a server from us, send the iDRAC Lifecycle Log and we will walk you through it.