Adding drives to existing Raid 5 array

[Robyn Mabey]

Hello,

I have a HP ProLiant ML530 (G2) server that has been running well for at least a year now, but it has come to the point where I need to add more storage space.

Currently there is an existing Raid 5 array setup with 3 logical drives (C,D,E). I would like to add a new drive into this existing array and add the new space onto an existing logical drive (D).

Firstly, is this possible with the ML530 G2? If so, how would I go about doing this?

Many thanks in advance for any help given.

Rob

P.S. This thread has been moevd from ProLiant Servers - Netservers to ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL). - Hp forum Moderator

[Tarek Kawach · Accepted solution]

Robyn:

It is possible what you want to do.

First: need to make sure that all firmware for server and array controller are uptodate.
- also you are using the latest array configurations utilities.

Second: need to make sure you are at sp4 from MS if this is windows 2000.

Third: Physically add the drive to the server.
go to Array configurations utility; and expand array A: to include that drive.

the expansion will take about 20 minutes for each gig in the array; depends on the size of your drives; could be 24 hours.

once the expansion is complete.

Fourth: then you need to add that unused space under array A : logical drive one to the logical drive. ; which hp calls Exteneding;

once you are done at the hardware level and HP Array config utilities said is done; then and only then you can go to disk management and you will see that available space at end of drive D: it would say unallocated.

Now comes the Software Part; you will have to use 3rd party partioning software; like partion commander or partion magic; check which software is compatable and will work fine for your version of the o/s ; the extend that partion to be included on partion D: on disk 0.


ProLiant Smart Array controllers
Support & Documents
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/arraycontrollers/documentation.html

Best regards,
and hope this is helpfull,

Tarek.

[Robyn Mabey]

You're a star, thanks very much for that excellent answer! I appreciate your help.

[donkarnash]

Fantastic answer.....well done mate

[Simon Wiium]

Hei there..

I've tried to add a drive to my P400 controller a ProLiant 180.

the GUI ACU doesn't have an optoin for adding drives and the CLI tells me it's "not possible with the current configuration" when I try to add drives to an array and a logicaldrive.

The manual on the Smart Array clearly states expanding is possible on the P400.

Thanks
Simon

[Tarek Kawach]

Do you have at 512 MB of BBWC on this controller.

You will need this BBWC for the expansion to work.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12400_div/12400_div.html

Addition of the battery backed cache upgrade enables BBWC, RAID 6 with ADG, array expansion, logical drive extension, RAID migration, and stripe size migration.

Online array expansion (with BBWC upgrade)

Regards,

Tarek

[Technical_guy]

---

@Tarek Kawach wrote:
Do you have at 512 MB of BBWC on this controller.

You will need this BBWC for the expansion to work.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12400_div/12400_div.html

Addition of the battery backed cache upgrade enables BBWC, RAID 6 with ADG, array expansion, logical drive extension, RAID migration, and stripe size migration.

Online array expansion (with BBWC upgrade)

Regards,

Tarek

---

Hi,

I have proliant DL 380 g5, configured with 3 hard disk with  Raid 5 ( 2 Logical c & d Drive ).hosting exchange 2007 on

d drive , D drive is almost full, i have 3 new extra  hard disk on the server, how can i add them to the same array or extended the D partition. using them

Thank you

[LouisH]

The steps are listed in Tarek's reply at the top of this post.

Even though it's somewhat old, the steps are the same from a hardware view.

I don't know about the implications from an Exchange view, though.

I think it will work as indicated. I would only add one drive at a time and use the above procedure for each one.

Regards,

Louis

[AbdullahHaleem]

it's great, but what about losing data?