DL360 upgrading to larger drives

[Robert Purdy]

I have a DL360 with mirrored 9.1GB drives with(1 partition), How would I upgrade to 36GB drives without rebuilding Win 2000 from scratch. Please be specific about procedure.

[Vijay_44]

Just to confirm your current configuration â You have Array A with 2 x9.1GB HDD configured as Logical dive 1 set up as RAID 1. You are using the integrated smart array controller

Here is what you can do.
Make sure the firmware on the controller is unto date and that you have a valid and recent backup

Bring down the system
Remove one of the 9gb drives and insert the new 36GB drive.
Power the server up
On post, when the array controller initializes it will pick up a replaced drive and give you the option to rebuild or continue without rebuild â select the option to rebuild.
You can the go into the OS and wait for the rebuild process to complete; this can be confirmed from the ACU.
After confirming that the array has rebuild shut the server down.
Remove the second the 9.1GB drive and put in the second new 36gb drive
Power up the server
On post, when the array controller initializes it will pick up a replaced drive and give you the option to rebuild or continue without rebuild â select the option to rebuild.
You can the go into the OS and wait for the rebuild process to complete; this can be confirmed from the ACU.
At the end of this process, in the ACU you will see unused space; with this space you have the option of creating a new logical drive or extending the current Logical Drive 1
After creating/extending the logical drive, you have to configure windows 2000 to utilize the space.
Keep in mind that in Windows 2000 you can span volumes that were originally created on a dynamic disk. You could use 3rd part partition utilities to do it oth

[Vijay_44]

also have a look at this advisory
http://wwss1pro.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewdocument.asp?source=EM000915_CW01.xml&dt=3


Basically the integrated smart array controller does not support logical drive extension in windows 2000 if itâ s configured with dynamic discs...
even though it doesnâ t state it you can get away with it you have basics

[Chillywilly7253]

So I am doing the same process for my DL380 G4 w/ Smart Array 6i b/c my mirrored C Driive is near being full. I have done all the steps above as well up to the point of:

"At the end of this process, in the ACU you will see unused space; with this space you have the option of creating a new logical drive or extending the current Logical Drive 1"  

I just dont understand the difference at this point.  I was told all I need to do is "extend" the array.  But then the next time I was told that I need to "create a new logical drive of that space".  

At the moment all the drives I need in the server are in place and have rebuilt.  In the ACU under logical view I see:

- Parallel SCSI Array A - 1 Logical Drive(s)

     Logical Drive 1 (33.9 GB, RAID 1)

     Unused Space, 67.8 GB

I am not sure whether I want to just do the extend.  Or if I am supposed to follow through with the create new.  When I clicked the create new it was creating a 36GB logical.  When I am upgrading from 36GB to 73GB.  Please help me understand the difference. 

Thanks in advance!

[Thomas Martin]

Hello,

the first step was to extend the Array itself so that you can use the additional capacity. The second step is to decide what will I do with this space. If you need the additional space in the existing LD than you need to extend this. You will see free space behind the existing OS Partition(s) or create another partition. Be aware that you cant extent the OS Volume(Windows  2000/2003)  itself when the server is up. You need a third party tool like Partition Magic or take a ghost image to another network drive or external disk, put it back and modify the partition size.

If you create a second LD you will see an additional drive in you OS.

Thomas

[Chillywilly7253]

I was 99.9% sure that I was correct with that same decison but I really needed that second opinion.  Thanks for the quick reply.  Rather new to the whole server administration field so need to bee 100%.  Now just looking for that perfect 3rd party app.  

Thanks Again!