Upgrading Raid 1 to Larger Drives?

[CraigJConrad]

My Windows 2003 Server (ASUS Athlon motherboard with two built-in RAID controllers -- one for SATA and one for IDE) has a pair of 250GB SATA drives in Raid 1 (mirror) configuration for the boot drive. I set this up via the RAID BIOS.

I now have a pair of 400GB SATA drives to replace the smaller ones. How do I go about this? Can I simply replace one of the two existing drives, so that it rebuilds to the 400GB, then swap out the other 250GB so that it then mirrors back to this? Or will this yield a configuration with only 250GB in use on the 400GB drives?

Alternatively, do I need to break the RAID, replace one drive, copy everything from the remaining 250GB to the 400GB (e.g. using Partition Magic), pull the remaining 250GB and boot from the just-built 400GB, add the other 400GB drive, and re-establish the RAID?

All advise welcome.

Craig

 

[stduc]

Go with option one.

I now have a pair of 400GB SATA drives to replace the smaller ones. How do I go about this? Can I simply replace one of the two existing drives, so that it rebuilds to the 400GB, then swap out the other 250GB so that it then mirrors back to this? Or will this yield a configuration with only 250GB in use on the 400GB drives?

You will then have a 250GB partition on a 400GB drive. You can then either use windows to create more partitions or use something like partition magic to extend the existing partition.

Be sure to do a full backup first though in case things go pear shaped.

BTW I find machines run faster if you partition large drives and keep the C partition relatively small (say 30GB) This keeps the software in 'one place' as it were and reduces head movement on the drives.

 

[rvnguy]

Or will this yield a configuration with only 250GB in use on the 400GB drives?

As stduc posted, and you have probably surmised, this would be the case; 250 GB RAID1 on 2 400 GB drives.

Check to see if your SATA controller will allow using a single drive and an array at the same time, some will, some do not. If it will, break the array and set as 2 separate SATA devices, select one to be the boot drive in sys bios.

This is possible because, in raid1, they are mirror images and each will be functional in the single mode if the array is broken properly.

If this is not possible then the preferred method is to backup the RAID array, & by this I am referring to 'cloning' the Array data with OS & all. You could use an IDE device or??

If you find that there is too much data to fit on the IDE HD that you have access to, as is probably the case, backup the data information first(your files), then delete them from the Array.

Then when this is done you should only have the OS & programs left on the array. Clone this to another temp HD, and set this to be the boot device & check that it does boot to the OS.

Install the 400GB drives, setup the array using the raid controller BIOS accessed just after POST.

With the cloned temp drive or the separated array drive as the boot drive, boot to the OS, clone this drive to the new array.

Change in sys BIOS the boot device to be the array remove the temp drive, and boot to your new array.

Ghost, Acronis True Image, or any other imaging app that you know & trust should be used as drive mfg utils normally support array cloning

Hope this helps

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[CraigJConrad]

stduc & rvnguy,

My thanks to both of you for your quick assistance. Shortly after my original posting, I left the US on a business trip to Singapore, so I can't try anything until I return is another week and a half.

If I can ask a follow-up on stduc's response -- are you saying that if I merely replace one 250GB drive at a time with the corresponding 400GB drive, that Windows 2003 Server will list these as 400GB drives with a 250GB partition? And, that I can then merely extend the partition as I would for any under-partitioned drive? If so, that sounds like to simpliest approach. Of course, after following the three basic rules -- backup, backup, and not to forget backup

rvnguy -- I agree with keeping the "C" drive small. Actually, these 250GB drives have a 20GB "C" and the rest is a "D". I was ignoring this for purposes of simplifying my query, but I hope it doesn't affect the answer!

Thanks!

 

[stduc]

I am saying exactly that - At the end of all the swapping and re-building you should see one 250GB drive (ignoring the C partition)

Disk management should allow you to mount and partition the rest.

BTW 'twas me mentioned that C should be kept small.

If it fails - you still have the original disks as backups!

Have a good trip.

 

[rvnguy]

Not being a fan of rearranging partitions on drives containing data(too Anal), your comment is very germain in my book.

Others seem to have success doing this, but there are many posts where the poster did this and now there data has vanished or the drive is now not accessible. It's your data, do as you wish.

I favor breaking the array, but this requires that you can can have raid and a single SATA on the same controller.

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[CraigJConrad]

I thought I'd follow-up with what I did to upgrade the disks in the RAID configuration of my boot drive (also has a data partition with critical user data). I was concerned after reading some of the warnings above, and I couldn't convince myself that I could adjust the partitions later (my Partition Magic didn't seem to want to work on a Windows 2003 boot drive), so I took the safe way out:

1. Performed tape backup of my RAID set's boot partition, including System State
2. Installed one new 400GB SATA drive on another controller (ie, not touching the RAID set), partitioned and formatted it the way I want for the new drive image;
3. Copied the data partition content from the RAID set to the new drive (in appropriate partition, of course)
4. Disconnected current RAID drives, and placed the new 400GB on the RAID (by itself).
5. Installed Windows 2003 Server (minimal) to the new drive's boot partition. Notes: (a) had to use diskette to load drivers for the RAID (VIA SATA RAID IA32); (b)must use same computer name, windows directory, and file system; (c) do not join a domain (ie, workgroup only, or "Yes" to "Proceed for now and try joining domain later" prompt); (d) do not install Active Directory; (e) had to manually install my ethernet driver.
6. Reinstalled by tape backup application (Veritas) to a temporary folder (the upcoming restore will reinstall it to its original place).
7. Performed a restore of the boot partition. Notes: (a)include System State (ignore the warning); (b) in General tab, select "Restore Security" & "Preserve Tree" and "Restore over existing files"; (c) in Advanced tab, select "Mark this server as primary arbitrator when restoring folders managed by FRS or when restoring SYSVOL in System State" and select "Merge the existing HW configuration with data to be resoted". I don't know if each of these was needed or was best, but that's what I did.
8. Installed the second (mirror) drive on the RAID controller and ran the "VIA RAID" tool to create the mirror and perform the initial copy.

This left me still with a bit of a mess and cleanup to perform. I can't explain the WHY of these, only that this is what I had to do to get everything back to normal:
1. re-establish all network file shares & file security;
2. remove & re-install IIS, and all the setup that implies;

I appreciate all the advice given by others, and perhaps this post will help someone else as well.

Craig

 

[rvnguy]

Thanks for posting your steps & final success.

Yes this should prove valuable to others.

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all