SA5300 expanding array

[Juha Koponen]

Hello,

I have a server (ML530) with 2 arrays on 5300 controller. Array 1 is RAID0+1 (2 x 18 GB disk) and array be was RAID 5 with 6 x 32 GB disks. Which I have changed one by one to 72 GB. so totally now having 360 GB of disk space on RAID 5, or so I thought....

But when doing expand, array sets the maximun size to be 255 GB (261116 MB) and leaves 100 GB unused...

(it managed to expand with 80 GB to reach this limit of 255 GB (from 170 GB, whis was the array size with 36 GB disks))

I have contacted HP and with the help of them found out that there is an erroneous on older ACU's... It has used 32 sectors per track instead of 63...

This then sets the limit for the maximun extended logical drive size to be 255GB (261116 MB)

Have anyone changed the sectors per track on SA 5300 controller? Or heard anything about it? As there is document from HP about disabling the array accelerator and then enabling it again from newer version of ACU but they say that is not recommended...

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=PSD_EX020717_CW01

Their recommeded way is to flat the server and rebuild the arrays and get data back from the tape.... But that needs some serious down time which I can not get that easily...
So I would like to know more about the altering the sectors option... Have anyone sone that?


Many thanks in advance!

Juha