topic Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement in ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL)

DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Vince Barnard — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 12:08:51 GMT

I have replaced the Raid 5 HDs on my server - 4x36Gb with 6x300Gb - and reinstalled Windows 2000 Server using Smart Start. However, the C:\ drive is showing as only 4Gb but in Computer Mananagement it's showing as 1395Gb - but I can only access the 4Gb and cannot get to any of the 1395Gb! I want the C:\ drive as large as possible. Anyone know how I can do that please? Many thanks...

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Ruslan — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 13:07:19 GMT

Hi Vince!

Never seen that situation. Which version of Smart Start was used? I advise you uisng mount points with smaller partitions, instead one large partition. Explain your task - why you need large partition.

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Roger Faucher — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:24:41 GMT

Vince:

Is it possible you took the default partition size when you installed the OS?
Can you post the Disk Management screen?

Thanks and make a great day!

Roger

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Vince Barnard — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 04:17:40 GMT

Hi,

The Disk Management screen was attached to the original query - look for the paper clip, thanks. The version of Smart Start used is 7.01. The 3rd party system ideally needs a complete C:\ drive as it has hard-coded references (which is NOT ideal of course!). Previously it was 101Gb which has become seriously undersized, hence the new big disks. It's possible I took the default but it seemed to suggest it would take the maximum allowed on W2K, approx 500Gb. I wonder if when the procedure converted from FAT32 to NTFS it took the FAT32 default of 4Gb? I'll reinstall again now & post any changes later. Thanks for your help so far both of you!

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Ruslan — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 05:01:48 GMT

Check the current firmware and OS drivers of sa5i controller http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/storage/us/locate/69_5144.html

One note - checking quick specs I saw that sa5i plus don't support 300Gb drives http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/11063_div/11063_div.html

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Brian_Murdoch — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 05:04:08 GMT

Vince,

Is it possible that the GUI simply can't show the small 4Gb partition in comparison to the large disk size, i.e. 4/1395 is 1/500th of the disk which would be difficult to display so it has got it wrong graphically (A Microsoft Feature).

I suspect that as suggested you took the default 4Gb limit for the C: drive when configuring.

DISKPART, the command line utility may show you the true picture and you may be able to expand you disk with this.

Please see the following article before using DISKPART.EXE. You should be able to select the disk, list the partitions and true free space values hopefully.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;300415

I hope this helps.

Brian

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

e4services — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:23:13 GMT

Don't use SmartStart. Probably the 'Smart' part that is causing the problem. You can simply do a manual install

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Vince Barnard — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:07:52 GMT

A colleague & I have been through SmartStart twice more today - the RAID 5 array definitely sees all 6 discs - 1400GB and we specified the maximum boot partition for W2K - 500Gb - but somewhere it's defaulting to 4Gb (I think when the W2K install process converts the FAT32 to NTFS). In Windows we keep getting the same thing - 4Gb usable, 1395Gb unusable! DISKPART ran OK but only showed what we could see in Windows - it didn't let us change anything usefully. We then deleted the logical drive in SmartStart but Windows would not install - said no drives present. We're now going to remove the array and then start over manually as most recently suggested. Thanks again everybody...

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Roger Faucher — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:31:24 GMT

Vince:

I don't recall - can you install directly to NTFS?

Make a great day!

Roger

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Harshvardhan — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 06:13:40 GMT

Hi Vince,
I have seen this issue befoe in a w2k enviornment and we resoled the issue by doing a Manual installation of the OS without the smart start. The link below will tell you exactly why this happens.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=PSD_EM021220_CW01

Best of luck.
Enjoy
Harry

Re: DL380 G3 - Hard Disk Replacement

Vince Barnard — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:02:19 GMT

Hi Harry,

Earlier today I updated the firmware and OS drivers of the sa5i controller & reinstalled with fingers crossed. Alas, same result. But then I read your suggestion and eventually managed to find the Microsoft CD with W2K & SP4, reinstalled with this CD and... hey presto! All is how it should have been on Monday!!! Ironically it was the version we wanted anyway, but couldn't locate at the time. Sincere thanks for this, and for all the other contributions.

Kind regards,
Vince