GL380 - Raid 5 Array - install larger drives

[Kevin Miller211]

I have a DL380 with 6 - 36.4gb drives .. I want to update this server with larger drives. Is there any way to do this without having to rebuild the entire server? If a 36.4 gb drive is removed and a bigger drive installed, with the Array be rebuilt with this new drive? Will it only see 36.4 GB of the newer drive? Will there be any free space available that a new volume could be created after all the drives are replaced one by one when rebuild is done? Thanks for any input.

[TarunJain]

Hi Kevin,

We needs to configure a new Array with larger harddrives thats for sure.
I'm also sure there are some softwares in the market that can take complete backup & then restore it to the formatted server.

Now for the other Questions the replies are :
If a 36.4 gb drive is removed & say a 72 GB hdd is installed then the array will rebuilt but it will only use it as 36.4 GB so we will not get any increase in space.

Hope that will help
Thanks
Tarun

[Marek Nelec]

When you replace all drives, and all the rebuilds are done (I'm sure you are aware of the fact that you can rebuild one drive at a time), you will end up with empty space, which will be seen by the controller, but not by OS, so what you need to do is use Array Configuration utility to extend logical drive. After this your OS will see empty space on the logical drive you extended.

[TarunJain]

Hi Marek,

DL380 supports maximum 6 hdd.
So I don't think so there is any possibility for Expansion/Extension.
Because if all the hdd are configured in a RAID, so as soon as you replace any hard drive, Rebuilding will begin automatically.

Tarun

[Marek Nelec]

TarunJain, I don't think you understood the problem: Kevin wants to replace 36.4 GB drives with bigger ones. He can do it. When he replaces first drive, the array will be rebuilt. When it's done, he replaces the second drive, waits for the rebuilding process to finish, replaces 3rd drive and so on, until all drives in the array are replaced and rebuilt. Now he can extend the logical drive on the array, because there's unused space on the new drives. That's it.

[Kevin Miller211]

Marek,

THANK YOU VERY MUCH !! That is exactly the info I needed. I have 6 - 146.8 gb drives that I am going to try, and as you mentioned, 1 at a time until the Array is rebuilt between each one. Awsome feedback, and excellent help. Thanks again!

[DragomirAtea]

Hi Kevin

If you want to do this without downtime, do like this...

1. As allways make a complete backup of your array.

2. Replace one 36.4 GB drive with the larger drive. Wait until rebuild of raid is finished.

3. repeat step 2 until you have replaced all the 36.4 GB drives...

4. Go to ACU, now you will se that you have free space in the array, choose to resize the logical volume so that all free space is used.

5. If the array holds the bootpartition you need to use either volume growth from HP or another software that allows you to strech a bootpartition.
If the arrays only hold data you can use diskpart utility from MS.

Regards
Dragomir Zekic

[TarunJain]

Hi Kevin,

Please update whether the issue has been resolved or not ?
So that I can also update my knowledge.

Thanks
Tarun

[Kevin Miller211]

All .. thanks for all of the input. Just wanted to update this as the resolution provided worked great. I have updated the drives, and expanded the Raid. Working great .. again, thanks for all of the input!

[Alex Eldridge]

I have the same server w/ the same drives that i'm replacing with 72.8GB drives. How long did it take for each drive to rebuild? Thanks for the help!