topic Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array in ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL)

adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

$unil — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:44:25 GMT

I would like to increase the drive capacity of a certain drive.presently drive capacity is 67.8 gb.Physical disk are connected to controller 6400)RAID level is 1+0. presently array A has 2 72.8GB drives. can I add higher capacity disk one at a time and wait for the drive to rebuild followed by extending the unused space.

please help.

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

JKytsi — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:06:37 GMT

Hi,

Please check the basic knowledge about RAID levels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID#Standard_levels

AND
If You add higher capacity drives to array, it will use only the amount of space that the smaller drives have.

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

$unil — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:33:40 GMT

Hi, What would you say about the blog:
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447626+1245433664586+28353475&threadId=606999

I have an similar problem, the controller models are different though.

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

TTr — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:24:34 GMT

You did not mention the controller model (6402 or 6404) and the OS on the server but in general this is do-able and it is a multi-step process.
1. You replace the 73GB disks with higher capacity ones. You will see the space increase in the array after all disks in the group are replaced.
2a. Increase the size of existing LUNs (dynamic LUN expansion)
2b. Create new LUNs.
3a. After you increase the LUN size, you have to change the size of the corresponding volume within the OS. (You did not say if it is windows or Linux)
3b. Create and use the volumes for the new LUNs

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

$unil — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:46:07 GMT

OS is win2k3, controller model -SMAR ARRAY 6400. The drive that i looking towards expansion contains sql data.

my second thoughts towards the drive expansion is:

1. build a new array say (B)with new disk. mirror the drives.
2.in disk management i rename the new detected drive,say (x)
3.copy the contents of my old drive to the new drive (x)using robocopy.
4.rename my new drive (x) with the old drive letter and assign an name (y) for my old drive.
5.Delete the array (A)

Note: array A does not contain the OS,

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Hope I am making my point clear - will my second option work?

kindly give in your views, i have to get this implemented on production environment.

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

TTr — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:23:00 GMT

Yes. Your second option will work.

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

Richard Jones_11 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:16:04 GMT

I would like to ask a queston on this. Must you upgrade all the drives in a raid befor you can extending the unused space?

Re: adding higher capacity HDD on existing array

TTr — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:32:00 GMT

> Richard Jones: Must you upgrade all the drives in a raid befor you can extending the unused space?

If you have unused space in the raid group, you can allocate the space any time. When you replace existing smaller drives with higher capacity ones, you don't see the space increase until you have replaced ALL drives in the group.