Adding 1 HD to a 3 HD RAID-5 level Logical Drive 1

[McGyver68]

Hi all!

I have the following problem on an xSeries 255 w/ ServeRAID 4Mx.

Actually, there are 2 Arrays:
- 'Array 1' of 3 HD (34.6 GB) with one Raid-5 Logical Drive of 70 GB (with 2 partitions on it, 'C' & 'D', created originally as Dynamic in Windows 2000).
- 'Array 2' of 1 HD (72 GB) with 1 Raid-0 Logical Drive containing 1 partition 'E', Dynamic also.
- one Hot Spare 34.6 GB HD.

As I need to increase the size of the D partition, I purchased and inserted a new 34.6GB HD in the controller (its status is actually Ready).

But now, I don't know what to do. How to add the new HD to the Array 1, and especially the 'D' partition???

Thnx in advance.

 

[victorv]

hi,
or better, ahi

Windows 2000 supports Dynamic Disk, but ServeRAID IBM not.
(Storage FAStT yes, but is another thing).

For my known, there is no way to expand such architecture
dynamically from RAID5 of 3 volumes to 4. The only I know
is backup and restore, but probably is difficult for you (C partition probably contains OS and only by special tool you can do it).

I suggest to make a RAID1 mirror of 2 disk for OS (disk C),
a RAID5 with 4 disks (NO, now I see you have a 72 gb disk: reset.

There is an option (I have never user in Windows, while in Unix is normal) when you format a disk, to do not assign a letter but "mount" it under a path : why not ?

bye

 

[HbO]

Hi,

- Boot using ServeRAID cd
- right click on array 1
- choose migrate > free space
this will add new hard disk to array 1, once you boot in w2k. you will see a free space from disk manager.
since you are using dynamic this you can span your D: drive with the free space.

victorv,
pls verify

 

[McGyver68]

Hi again,

I finally did it the following way:

- Inserted New HD in bay (autodetected)
- Started ServeRAID Manager
- Checked for new HD (shown as Ready)
- Right-click on the aimed Logical drive
- Selected increase LD size
- Added new HD to Array
- Validated
- Reconstruction started (it took 9 hrs for 4 disks array!!!)
- After completion, reboot is required.
- In W2K, went to Adm Tools, Computer Mgmt, Disk Mgmt + right clicked & expanded volume to all free space.

Up to what I found, this works only for advanced (4Mx/5/6) ServeRAID cards.

Thx all for your help

Regards.