Smart Array Controller - waht configurations are possible?

[non-iron]

Hi
I got an HP Integrity rx2660 with an SmartArray 6402 RAID Controller that is connected to an StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 30 (Formerly HP StorageWorks
Model 4400 Family of Ultra320 SCSI Disk Enclosures).
All was set up by an HP technician when we purchased the server.
Now I want to add more disks in the Modular Smart Array to gain more disk space.

For that I read the manuals ("HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 30 User Guide", "RAID Technology Overview" and "HP Smart Array 6400 Series Controller Support Guide") but they leave me with still a couple of questions:
- Can I mix disks of different sizes in one and the same Modular Smart Array 30 Box?
- How to do this without loosing physical disk space? (what configuration)
- Can I just insert the disks or do I have to turn the server off?
- I have to add logical drives containing the new disks or add the disks to an existing logical drive with "saconfig". But what happens then in HP-Unix? Reboot to get it recognize the change? Or is the change available just like that?

If you would like to tell me to just read the manuals, pleas tell me WHAT manuals! Where is the rather basic description of "How to change an existing RAID array - Considerations and howtos"

Configuration see bellow.

Thanks for any help!

Regards,
Frank

---------- PHYSICAL DRIVES ----------

Location Ch ID Size Status

External 1 0 146.8 GB OK
External 1 1 146.8 GB OK
External 1 2 146.8 GB OK
External 1 3 146.8 GB OK
External 1 4 146.8 GB OK

---------- LOGICAL DRIVE 0 ----------

Device File = c3t0d0
RAID Level = 5
Size = 560039 MB
Stripe Size = 16 KB
Status = OK

Participating Physical Drive(s):

Ch ID

1 0
1 1
1 2
1 3
1 4

Participating Spare Drive(s):

None

[Víctor Cespón]

- Can I mix disks of different sizes in one and the same Modular Smart Array 30 Box?
Yes, you can use different sizes on the MSA30. But if you mix different sizes on an array, the controller will treat them as if they were all the same size as the smallest on the group.

- How to do this without loosing physical disk space? (what configuration)
The new disks can be added to the existing array or be used to create a new array. If you expand the current array, then you can create new logical units and present them to the HP-UX server.

- Can I just insert the disks or do I have to turn the server off?
The disks can be hot-plugged, and the configuration can be changed online. The HP-UX will detect the new logical units.

- I have to add logical drives containing the new disks or add the disks to an existing logical drive with "saconfig". But what happens then in HP-Unix? Reboot to get it recognize the change? Or is the change available just like that?
The HP-UX should detect the new LUNs once created on the MSA1000. Run ioscan -fnC disk to confirm.

[skris]

The Closest you can get to it is the support guide.

I would try the following in this case:

1) Hot plug Hard drives
2) Do an # saconfig /dev/cissX to verify drives
3) Once drives are available, I would add the
new drives to the existing setup, create
volumes as required.
4) ioscan -fnC disk and voila, the new volumes
would be available

(ioscan would not list the physical but the MSA's logical drives as you already may know ;-)