1600R 2DH controller adding new drive

[janine carlson_1]

I have a 1600R server with 5 bays, 3 filled with 9 gb drives in a Raid 5. I want to add a 4th 18 gb drive and create a separate logical drive. Is this possible with this array controller? Will this controller support up to 5 drives? How do I go about doing it? Thanks for any help.

[Sunil Jerath]

Hello Janine,
Yes it is possible to add the drive with this controller. What you need to do is update the system bios, firmware of SA2DH. Make sure you have the latest drivers. Surely make a BACKUP of your existing data. I would shut down the system and add the extra drive. Reboot the server and go into Array configuration Utility which should pick up the drive and then go from there. If you need further assistance please let me know.

Regards,

[janine carlson_1]

Thanks for your help. Can you tell me what bios version and firmware version for the controller I should be at minimally to do this? I may already have the current versions.

[Sunil Jerath]

Hello Janine,
Please let me know what do you have and then I will let you know as to whether you have the latest one or not. There is no minimum or maximum in those things. Both should be updated anyways.

Regards,

[janine carlson_1]

The smart array 2DH firmware is 3.08. (from control panel applet)

The support pack, however, doesn't show that the NT driver is installed for the smart array-2 controller, instead the proliant drive array driver is installed and current (4.24.0.0). Does this make sense?

Is there a way to check the bios without rebooting?

[Sunil Jerath]

Hello Janine,
Yes BIOS can be confirmed by doing the following:

START-->RUN-->WINMSD hit enter thereafter and it should give you all the details about your system. The firmware version of S2DH is definitely old and it should 4.50 which can be downloaded from the following link:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/14981.html

As for as the driver is concerned, here is the link:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/17322.html

Please be aware that you have some downtime in your hands since these updates do require reboot. The driver link I have provided is by assuming that you have W2K installed.

Regards,

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

I suppose you must have add that Hdd by know.
4th one with 18 GB. It will work also u will be able to create logical drive 2 for same IN A SAME ARRAY. But you you will loose the amount of free disc space if you are adding to same.

If you are concerned about space then make a new array with Raid 0

If you have implemented then do tell me the outcome. Or is it different from what i have alobrated.

Regards,
Prashant S.

[janine carlson_1]

Are you saying that I can add another drive to the existing raid5 and increase the total available drive space from 18 gb to 27 gb? How does this affect my NT4 partitions (there are currently 3 partitions c: d: and e:). Will it just be additional disk space that I can create a 4th partition with? Is there anyway to increase an existing partition without deleting and recreating a partition? This is on NT4, not 2000.

Thanks.

[Sunil Jerath · Accepted solution]

Hello Janine,
Smart2DH does not support extending array or logical drive. Which means you will have to create a separate logical drive to be able to use the extra space.

Regards,