Adding IBM ServeRAID-5i Controller to an X series 345 w/o reinstall

[bschreib]

We have a pair of x series 345's what we have been running with for a few months. Now we want to add the controller for raid-5 storage.

The desired outcome was the current mirrored C: drives to remain and add 3 more drives as a D: or E: in RAID-5.

We thought that these servers are expandable without going through a complete rebuild but I am finding out that we will lose the C: and all of our data because the C: is tied to the current controller.

I can't believe that to be true.

What can be done?

 

[victorv]

hi bschreib,

some days ago, I have seen this post, and how you know, I had made some response in an'other forum about this argument.

Instead that repeat here the same things I knew and told you, I have consulted my IBM representative and yesterday I have had with him and a technical person a telephon-conference.

They confirm my experience: when you put a 5i in a xSeries with chip LSI52C1030, this last come hidden, loosing disks at BIOS level and OS level. Tecnician person explained me that 5i hides LSI becouse 5i uses LSI as part of its function. However the previous disks are lost in sense that you see new disk: you lost what is inside.

bye
vittorio