HP Server RAID setup 2

[snootalope]

I currently have an HP DL360 server that has a Windows 2003 server running on it, it's got two disks and is running a mirror, RAID1.

That current setup is using a domino database that is really taxing those two drives. So, we're looking to add three more disks to the server and create a RAID 5 between those three new disks and leave the current two drive RAID1 as it is. Then, offload the database from the raid1 set to the raid5 set.

I've never added another raid set once the server is already in production. I'm assuming it's just a matter of using the smartstart to configure the new disks in their own raid set, then booting make into windows and configuring the new unused space as a partition.

Does all this sound correct and doable without ruining the existing windows 2003 server setup on the raid1? I just can't afford to ruin whats on that mirror already...

Thanks for any info!!

 

[terry712]

i assume it's a 380 you mean as 360's are 1u i beleive

i am assuming that it has a split backplane and setup that way ?

ie it has a 6i for raid one and then the raid 5 goes to a 6400 or such like

but yep more or less slap the disks in - open the array config from start hp acu or something like that - create the new raid set and away you go - you dont need to use the smartstart and do it online

this is better in thye hp section

 

[snootalope]

Thanks for the info Terry.

At the moment, it's only got the single 6i controller. I don't need another controller do I?

If I add the disks as is, it'll just share the 6i controller right? Would I be better off getting a second controller?

Opening the ACU, it only says there's a single 6i controller so I'm just assuming that's it, no other controllers or anything in there.

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

you can use the same 6i controller to add the Raid 5 Some would say that since it will be a DB on that new Raid set then another controller is advised for performance but not reuired. By default the DL380 6i controller handles all of the available drive slots on the server unless someone has terminated it on the back plane. You should be good to go and can do this while the server is online. Make sure the Server tools have been installed...to access the HP Raid configurator

 

[snootalope]

Thanks guys!

The database is not that big, maybe 8GB. So I can't imagine that I'd need to go as far as getting a second controller, but maybe I do.

It's just at the moment the mirror set seems to be dragging it's feet with both the applications and database files sitting in one logical drive. Different partitions, but still the same volume.

I'm really hoping separating the applications and data to their own volume helps performance. Maybe I don't even need the raid5, maybe another mirror would do the trick. Isn't a mirror's read+write faster than a raid5's?

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

If there will be a lot of writes, then a Raid 1/1+0 is best There are a lot of variables to review in making this determination. Since it is an 8GB DB either one will do just fine.