Adding hard drive. 2

[moetech]

I have never added a new hard drive to an exsiting raid array. Can this be done without destroying the existing data? Is it possible just to install the drive and run the raid configuration and add the drive in? Thanks

 

[epohl]

If this is a hotswappable hardware raid on a Compaq, you should just be able to plug in the drive, go to the compaq array utility and choose expand array.

 

[moetech]

It is a hot swap. I should be good then.
Thanks

 

[lardum]

Anyone know if it is possible to expand a logical drive?

 

[epohl]

Depending on which array controller you have, the compaq array configuration utility will allow you to extend a logical drive. You will then have to use a third party applicaion like partition magic if you want to expand partitions on that drive.

 

[waynemh]

using a 3200, can a logical drive be expanded without distroying data? I ask this because we have recently added 2 18 gig drives to an existing Raid 5 array. When we choose to expand the existing logical drive, it tells us that the data on that drive will be lost.

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[TheLad]

What usually happens is that you will have to create a new logical drive. The new disks will still be in the RAID5 array but just on a sepearate logical drive.

What OS are you using? -----------------------------------------------------
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[waynemh]

Netware 4.1.1 is the OS. I realize we could just create a new logical drive, partition it and add the segment to an existing Volume, but we would like to increase the size of the current logical volume (withou destroying the data) instead of creating a new one. In the past, we added a single new drive to this same array and used ServerMagic to resize the partition. Problem is, the person that performed this did not take notes and does not remember how he did it.

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[TheLad]

You'd be far better off just creating a seperate logical volume and doing it that way if you can't remember how to ServerMagic it. Mind you, it can't be that hard - have you taken the server down and tried to perform a ServerMagic resize on it? You may find that it is pretty self-explantory. -----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[waynemh]

Yes we have. We added the drives, booted with SmartStart and added the drives to the array as free space. Then we booted the server and loaded ServerMagic. Problem is, ServerMagic doesn't see any free space from the addition of the 2 new drives.

Wayne

 

[wisandanu]

Using sa-3200 you could expand your volume logical disc. from ACU select the logical disc and select expand. Scroll to the right to expand logical size.

Do not select the option from array name. If you expand from here it will make new logical disc on the same array

 

[waynemh]

When we do as you suggested, We receive a warning that there is a valid partition on the logical drive snd that the partition will be destroyed if we continue.

 

[pkar75]

I am in a similar situation. I have a RAID 5 array on a Compaq ML 530 with a 3200 SmartArray controller. I would like to expand the existing logical drive to utilize these disks. Compay(HP) told me they do not recommend doing this on Win 2000 Server(the OS on my server).

Microsoft says they do not recommend extending the logical drive only if using dynamic disks. My disks are all set up as basic.

Has anyone extended their logical drives without problems on basic disks? What are the advatages/disadvantages of creating a new logical drive on the array?

 

[diamondlod]

We just did it two weeks ago with an ML530 G2 with a 5304 controller on Windows 2000 with basic disk and it worked perfectly.

 

[pkar75]

Diamondlod/Anyone:

Thanks for the response. Did you add additional physical drives to your array before extending your existing logical drive on the array? I plan on adding two additional drives to the array and would like to expand my existing logical drive on the array instead of creating a new one.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[diamondlod]

Yes. We added three drives to the existing 3-drive RAID 5 array and expanded it then.

 

[timmy90210]

I have a 431 controller and I am trying to do the same thing as pkar75, does anyone have actions steps on how to do this? Thanks!

Timmy

 

[nileshroy]

I have never added a new hard drive to an exsiting raid array. Can this be done without destroying the existing data? Is it possible just to install the drive and run the raid configuration and add the drive in? This is
hotswappable hardware raid on a Compaq with 532 raid controller. Thanks,
Mashkoor A.Siddiqui
Regards,

Nilesh Roy.
{MCSE+I, CCNA, CCNP}
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[UKMIS]

Im just in the middle of what you want to do, so far I have made sure that the controller firmware is up to date and I am using the latest Compaq ACU software (ACU-XE) Ensure that Windows 2000 server is using basic disks (important).
Then install the additional disk and load up ACU-XE.
First using acu-xe you add the additional disk to the array. Next you extend one (assuming you have more than one) of the partitions by the required amount. (note it may take some time as compaq state 15minutes for every 1GB of data)
The final bit that I am on is to extend one of the logical drives on the partition, but this bit requires the purchase of 3rd party software as Windows/ACU-XE cannot do this part
I hope this helps you to get this far