How do I add another drive to vol SYS

[mtravers]

We are running out of disk space on our SYS volume on one of our Netware 4.11 servers. We are currently running two 4GB drives duplexed. We would like to just add another 4GB drive (actually two drives to maintain our duplexing) to the server & add the drive to the SYS volume. Is this possible and if so are there any "gotchas"? We already have the 4GB separated into SYS, VOL2, VOL3, & VOL4. We'd rather not add another drive & make it another volume. Our users are creatures of habit & it'd be easier to add to SYS than to retrain our users to access another drive (volume). We have 328MB memory on that server.

Thanks!
Mike

 

[yvfwc]

mtravers, (Mike)

The biggest gottcha that I see has already been done. If I understand you correctly you have 4GB (2 drives duplexed) split into 4 volumes. You can span volumes with 2 disks but (as far as I know) not with it split up in 2 or more vols. Also Novell does NOT recomend spanning vols even though they give that ability (even under the right conditions). It might tak some work but, I would transfer the data of vols 2, 3, & 4 to the new disk, delete those vols on the original disk, then expand the sys vol to the first disk. The trick is the sys vol. There are some 3rd party utilities that can do it, or by a backup of sys and restore to new disk. (split the mirror for protection).

I have had to re-train users and though not fun can be accomplished. I think you have several options but spanning your sys vol with a new disk is not probaly one of them.

Good luck!

Mark ;-)

 

[dynamode]

Look at ServerMagic by Powerquest. It will allow you to "reconfigure" your volume sizes, copy parttitions, etc. Now as to spanning a volume over multiple drives, I did this without any problems for more than two years. The only "problem" that can occur is if you do NOT mirror/duplex this configuration and one drive fails. You will then lose the entire volume.

If the spanned volume is backed up onto tape it will look and act like a single volume so that a drive failure is "hardware" only and you sould be able to restore the volume to a single large drive if necessary.

 

[mtravers]

Thanks to both for the replies. At least I know that it is "do-able". Mark - Now that you metion it, I do remember from Netware training (years ago) that spanning of volumes is available (albeit not recommended). I will take that into consideration. Dynamode - I'm glad to hear that this has worked for you. I like your idea of spanning among two drives then eventually being able to restore to one larger drive in the future.

Thanks again to both for great advice!

 

[hodgehj]

Mike,
Remember drive letters only point to vol/dir levels so I would recommend moving the information off of sys: and repoint the drive letter. Also don't forget to move print queues off of sys: also if you still have them. Spanning drives is only asking for trouble that you sooner or later will get at the most critical moment. Murrphy will set you up at any chance he gets. Adding and spanning may look quick and easy. Rebuilding a server say at month end while accounting is trying to do billing is nasty business. The big got ya is if you take a weekend and make it all right now, and they never have a problem they never know how good you are and that is the way it should be.
Good luck,
John