ML370 G3 Help just added new drive to array

[brown_bear]

I had a raid 5 array with 3 x 78gb disks. In w2003 this was setup as a C and E drive. I now was running out of space on E and wanted to extend the array.

I have added a 4th 78gb drive and it shows up in the ACU as a 4th drive and all looks well. However under the origional logical drive I now have 92gb unused space. How do I get this incorporated into my e drive ?? HP said once it showed in ACU that was not their problem. Any suggestions ?

Thanks!

[fegume · Accepted solution]

Hi,
1. you have expand actuality raid 5 add 4th drive (more time, one to four day´s)
2. when you´ve finish step one, you have extend logical drive (the same step one, more time)
3. Whe step two finish, on windows, manager disk, you will see space new unused.
4. With partition magic or acronis partition or other 3th software expand your unit E: with space unused.

Step four, recomendes backup.

My english is poor, I hope you understand me.

[e4services]

There is always this confusion the first time you do it. The confusion is in the multiple use of the term Logical Drive. Anyway, it sounds as if you have added the disk and have joined it to your current RAID5, this process adds the new drive and expands the current Logical Drive created by the RAID controller, creating out of 4 drives what appears outside to controller as a single drive, or Logical Drive. What you speak of as -Your E: drive- is an OS Logical Drive created as a Partition on the RAID Logical Drive. The RAID controller can not manipulate this, the partitions are controller by the OS, therefore this is why when you go back to the OS, you now have the same size partitions, E:, and you will see Free Space from the addition of the additional disk drive. This needs to be partitioned, which means you can expand the current E: (requires that E: not be the booting partition and a piece of software to do it) or create a new partition and add it to the logical drive letter E: (a feature provided by w2003 and XP).
Hope that helps a bit

[brown_bear]

Thanks Fegume and E4services for you're Help. I have sorted it now and it worked fine. It took about 32 hours but is fine. My last step was to create the partition in windows of my new space and then I used Acronis Disk Director to reploy the free space to the E drive. I would recemmend this product to everyone it works like a dream and have used it many times.

Thanks again!