RAID 5 - Extending Partitions 1

[paulrober]

Hi - We have a PE1600SC, 4 disks in a Raid 5 config using the PERC4 controller. OS is Windows 2003. Currently the RAID array is split into 4 partitions with 70GB unallocated space.

I'd like to either extend the partitions or add a new one but Disk Management doesn't give the option. I seem to recall that once RAID 5 partitions ahve been set, that's it they can't be altered. Is that so? Is there any way I can get my hands on that 70GB of unallocated space? BTW, if I rightclick that space, the only options are Properties or Help.

TIA

 

[NickFerrar]

It sounds like you're using basic disks not dynamic disks. With basic disks you're limited to 4 primary partitions per volume or 3 primary and 1 extended, which is why you can't create another partition. Also you can't extend a basic disk (although you can combine areas to make a volume set, but you probably can't as you already have 4 partitions).

I would just convert all the disks to dynamic and then you can either create another volume or extend an existing one (apart from the system volume).

Hardware RAID5 containers can be added to by adding new physical disks (of the appropriate type).

 

[paulrober]

Thanks - the exact answer! I hadn't noticed the disks were basic and not dynamic. Changing the status allowed me to extend the volume. Sometimes you just can't see the wood for the trees.