topic Re: Extend volume set error in Disk Enclosures

Extend volume set error

Christopher H. Adia — Wed, 25 Oct 2000 07:56:13 GMT

I have LH3 server with NetRAID card configured in RAID 5 with 3 (18GB HDD)and we just succesfully added 3 more 18GB to the RAID 5. After I reboot my system, I can see to the Disk Administrator that I have new Free Space of 52049MB. I have 4 patitioned drives and my plan is to divide the free spaces to my 3 existing drive. The problem is I cannot do the extend volume set to all my 3 drives, I got this error message:

"The disk containing one of the free spaces you have chosen is not to accept anymore partitions"

I do some testing to my spare server (LC 2000 with NetRaid 1Si). I have 3 (9.1GB) configured in RAID 5 and succesfully added one more 9.1GB. I made a 4 partioned drive before adding the 9.1HDD to the RAID. I can extend the volume set of the 2 partitioned drive but when I tried to my third drive is same error message.

Kindly, asses my problem and what could be the best solution to increase the volume of my existing drive without deleting or reformating the partition.

Thanks and regards,

Chris Adia

Re: Extend volume set error

Franco Cenati — Fri, 27 Oct 2000 06:47:46 GMT

HI Cris

you cannot have more than 4 partions per disk. So you cannot extent your existing partitions.
This is not a limit of the NetRAID card but it's a limit on the PC/Server BIOS. Years ago the disks were small and rarely you was making more than 1 partition.

It's too late.
You must delete al least one partion. Create a bigger one then restore the date.

There is a method to avoid a situation like your but is long to explaing (You need the Virtual size)

Franco

Re: Extend volume set error

Christopher H. Adia — Sun, 29 Oct 2000 04:34:02 GMT

Hi Franco,

Thanks for your help. I am interested with virtual size. Please give me some brief scenario so I can guide myself to research this and maybe a useful websites that I can check.

thanks & regards,

Chris

Re: Extend volume set error

Franco Cenati — Tue, 07 Nov 2000 17:20:54 GMT

Hi cristofer

I was abroad.
The virtual size and the online expansion are a difficult argument. I made the experience by myself since the introduction of the first NetRAID card April 1997.

Here I have an example about Online expansion with Windows 2000.

Read it. Virtual Size doesn't work with Windows 2000. If you eable it, the Disk Manager of Windows 2000 in not able to use the disk.

I did these test without Virtual Size:
Integrated NetRAID LH4 with 5 disks.
Disk 0 and 1 configured as Logical Drive 0 RAID 1. Here I installed Windows 2000.
Then I created another RAID 1 with disk 2 and 3. This is for data.

Disk Management
W2k found a new disk, disk1 and then it wrote the signature.

Disk 1 is now Online - Basic, the 8676 Mb unallocated. Now you have 2 choise :
Format the disk as Basic or make it dynamic then format. This first step is fundamental.

First case : I NTFS formatted the disk when it was BASIC, I put some files. I expanded the disk 1 from RAID 1 (8676 MB) to RAID 5 (17354 MB). I rebooted the server , I started Disk Management, there were 8676MB of Unallocated Space. I created a new partition because you cannot extend a Basic Disk. Then I destroyed the new partion, I update the disk 1 from Basic to Dynamic, I tried to use "Extend Volume" and I got a error message : you cannot extend a disk which was originally Basic (something similar).

Conclusion of first try: if you format the disk when it is Basic, when you expand the Logical Drive , you cannot extend the volume but you must create a new disk with a different letter ( I didn't try the mount it under a directory).

Second case : you make the disk Dynamic BEFORE to format it.
I NTFS formatted the disk when it was DYNAMIC, I assigned the letter D:.
The disk D: was 8676.
I put some files. I expanded the Logical disk 1 from RAID 1 (8676 MB) to RAID 5 (17354 MB), this almost one hour. I rebooted the server , I started Disk Management, there were 8676MB of Unallocated Space for Disk 1 .
Disk Management let you expand the current partion D: over the new Unallocated Space
The disk D: was 17354.

Conclusion of second try: if you format the disk when it is Dynamic, when you expand the Logical Drive , it works. So you can use the same drive letter for both partitions like in Windows NT 4.0

If someone make different experience, let us know them

If you want info about virtual size and Windows NT 4.0. Let me know. I will produce a document and attach it the next time.
I'm very busy with my job so be patient.

Bye
Franco

Re: Extend volume set error

Franco Cenati — Tue, 07 Nov 2000 17:21:27 GMT

Re: Extend volume set error

Franco Cenati — Tue, 07 Nov 2000 17:21:41 GMT

Re: Extend volume set error

Franco Cenati — Tue, 07 Nov 2000 17:21:58 GMT

Re: Extend volume set error

Franco Cenati — Tue, 07 Nov 2000 17:23:03 GMT