On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:11:47 +0200 Alexander Lyakas <alex.bolshoy@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello Neil,
> can you please confirm for me something?
> In case the array is FAILED (when your enough() function returns 0) -
> for example, after simultaneous failure of all drives - then the only
> option to try to recover such array is to do:
> mdadm --stop
> and then attempt
> mdadm --assemble
> 
> correct?

Yes, though you will probably want a --force as well.

> 
> I did not see any other option to recover such array Incremental
> assemble doesn't work in that case, it simply adds back the drives as
> spares.

In recent version of mdadm it shouldn't add them as spare.  It should say
that it cannot add it and give up.

NeilBrown