Installing new hard drive in DL380 G2 server

[Don Dreibelbies]

Does anyone have any tips on getting a DL380 G2 server to recognize an HP BF03687B54 hard drive? I have seen one of the lights briefly come on. However, the server does not seem to recognize the new drive space.

[TTr]

> the server does not seem to recognize the new drive space.

Do you have a 5i array controller installed? Then the drive attaches to the controller and needs to be configured within the controller first before the OS can see the space.

[Don Dreibelbies]

We do have the 5i array controller. Am I to understand that adding the hard drive to the server by means of the open slots in the server case and going to the array configuration utility is not all there is to this?

[TTr · Accepted solution]

> ...and going to the array configuration utility is not all there is to this

You did not mention this on the original posting. The server does not really "see" the physical disks, the disks connect to the 5i which is a separate subsystem independent of the server. The 5i will present out to the server "logical disks" (aka LUNs) and this is what the server will see as "OS disks".

So did you see the new disk on the 5i via the ACU? If not, try reseating it in the slot. Where did the disk come from? Is it possible it is defective? Do you have a SCSI environment (no raid controllers) that you can connect the disk for testing?

[Don Dreibelbies]

I believe I am closer to understanding my difficulty. The physical drive is now recognized in the Array Configuration Utility. However, in the Help screen for configuring a physical drive, a note is present saying that a drive that is greater than 10% of the capacity of the other drives may not be expanded into the existing array. This may be where the actual problem is. Thanks so much for the hints that have gotten me this far.

[TTr]

If you want to look further let me know what kind of disks you had before on the 5i and how they are configured, logical disk sizes rait type etc.

[Don Dreibelbies]

In our Array Configuration Utility, in the physical drive view, we are showing our new 36.4 GB drive at port 2, ID 3. Then, we show Array A, consisting of three 18.2 GB drives located at port 2, IDs 0, 1, and 2. In the logical drive view, we are showing the same information for our new 36.4 GB drive. Our Array A is shown as 34719 MB, RAID 5, Logical Drive 1.

[TTr]

What do you intend to do with the new drive? You can add it to the existing Array A but it will be used as an 18GB drive because the other 3 drives are 18GB.

Or you can create a new array B with only the new 36GB drive in it. It will be raid type 0, no redundancy but you can use the entire 36GB.

[Don Dreibelbies]

We will be deciding soon which of those 2 options to use. We are implementing a new software solution requiring a small database. I believe that it may be wise, at this time, to simply configure this as Array B and dedicate this space to this software. Later on, we may replace some of the other 18GB drives with 36's to make a larger array on this server.