RAID Configurations

[Leonard Thng]

Hi,

I've got 4 x 36GB hdd in RAID 05 and i wish to increase the hdd size. I've got 4 x 72GB hdd. Is it possible to unplug 1 of the 36GB hdd nd replace with a 72GB hdd. As the server performs a rebuild, will it detect 72GB which means an additional 36GB at the OS level?? From what i gathered is that the rebuild will only be done for 36GB, the remaining 36GB of the 72GB hdd will be sort of waste.

Any recommendation / solutions that i can increase the hdds size without affecting the current information in the 4 x 36GB hdds??

Leonard

[Shameer.V.A]

Hi Leonard,
You are absolutely correct, If you are putting a 72GB with a 36GB RAID 5 array the array will use only 36Gb & balance will be in waste.

Can you explain about the operating system used on your server??? If it is Windows server, then I can suggest you a workaround for replacing the array of RAID 5 of 36GB with RAID 5 of 72GB or higher capacity disk. It is slightly complicated. But I have done the same & the setup is working fine.

[Shameer.V.A]

Hi Leonard,
If Your RAID card is supporting online capacity addition, then you can add one more 36GB to the current array, which will approximately increase 32GB of total array size.( Provided you should have enough hotswap bays -in case of Hot swap hdd or room for mounting the hdd -for NHS.

shameer

[SCSI drive as backup]

The beast would be to replace the array.

I did this last week on a AD2000 server running exchange 2000 aswell. It took me 3 hours. Just remeber to try to do as much as possible in safe mode.

If you want a detailed description, just send me a detailed snapshot if the drive and I shall draw up a step-by-step instruction for you

Collin

[Colin_29]

Exactly right but the space will not be wasted, it will appear at the end of the drive in Windows Disk Management as Unallocated space. The easiest way to utilise it is to create another partition.

If you want to extend the existing drive you can do so but this is more complicated. The recomended way is to use backup and restore.

[Mike Povall]

If you replace each of the 36GB disks in turn and let the array rebuild then once the fourth disk has been replaced and the array rebuilt you will have the existing LUN configuration with the data intact plus 144GB of unallocated space that you can do with as you please.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

It would be somehting like this
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=lpn14582

only differnce is you are going to use ACU.

Prashant S.

[Justin Fourie]

i am sure i read some thing that you could just take one 36gb drive out and replace it with a 72gb one then rebild they array then take out a nother 36gb when that is done and rebuild they aray again ..keep doing this till all the 36gb drives are replaced and you are left with a new aray of 4x72gb just a thought i saw some better suggestions but it is always better to know your options