HELP! HP no longer supports HP Volume Storage Growth for MSA500/1000

[Edward Ingram]

I have an Exchange cluster sharing an MSA500. I've added 3 72GB disks to an existing array with 5 72GB disks. Using the ACU's capacity expansion, I was able to add the new drives to the existing array. Now I need to extend the volume

I've been told by my HP Account Manager and by an HP engineer that HP no longer supports HP Openview Volume Storage Growth for the MSA500/1000 environment and only supports it in the high end EVA setups.

So since that is out of the question, I am faced with the task of taking my Exchange system offline and performing a volume extension using Microsoft's diskpart.

Since this is going to require downtime, I would like to know, roughly, how long it would take to extend a 283GB volume (with 270GB of used spaced) onto 3 72GB hard drives. This will include the time needed to peform both the extension via the ACU and then the OS side extension using diskpart.exe.

Also, if anyone has information on a utility that will do what HP Storage Volume Growth was SUPPOSED to do, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Ed

[Peter Mattei]

You are right. HP Open View Storage Volume Growth is only intended for use with EVA systems.

I don't know where you got the information about diskpart from. I asked some colleagues and we are sure that you can extend a basic volume online using diskpart no matter what array you are using!
For command syntax look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/default.asp?url=/WINDOWSXP/home/using/productdoc/en/dm_extend_basic_volume.asp

Cheers
Peter

[Edward Ingram]

Here's the KB link which was the source of my info:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;304736

According to that doc, you must DOWN every cluster resource, then bring up only the physical disk resource and then you can perform the volume extension. But, of course, in doing so, you are effectively DOWN for the duration of the extension.

Ed

[Peter Mattei]

Ed

It seems that cluster ressources are different. I assume my mates used non clustered disks!

Sorry
Peter