Replace with ML 350

[Dru Ferguson]

I have an old ML 350 Server that is also my DC and Exchange server....Now, I would like to replace the HP with larger drivers (Raid 5) but I have no room for mistakes.(DC and Exchange server)...How do I go about use Norton Ghost to do this job or please recommend a solution.
PS: I have no empty HDD bays left.
Please outline step by step...It's appreciated all...

[Alain Ricou]

it depends if ghost can work with this type of partitions. And i presume that is a win 2000 server.

[Dru Ferguson]

Please Help...Please Help....Project is Friday...Windwows 2000 Server and Ghost 2003

[Alain Ricou]

So first prepare a floppy disk for the network card to boot Ghostcast in Dos mode
(you need to find the right NDIS2 DOS driver for your network card and use ghost boot disk creation )

then make a full backup of your server from windows ( exchange stopped !!! )
(twice is better ! on new tapes !!! ).
check your backup before doing any changes !

Prepare you target host for ghost (free disk space ), ghostcast installed.

Set all exchange service to DISABLED


Then you have 2 choices:

- ghost each partition seperatly (system MUST be unchanged) by this way you can change the size of the other partition when restoring the others partitions. The better way... (use only fast compression)

- ghost the entire disk and put the system like it is on the new disk and create new partitions (or use disk magic or third product to extend partitions).

the best is to make twice ghost if you have enough time. Use a separated LAN or cross cable to have the best speed to ghostcast.

----
create the new RAID with Bios enabled utility (or smartstart) depending on your raid card.

(put the utility partition if there is one/ from smartstart or from ghost)

(gdisk utility could be used to hide utility partition )

restore the disk system as it is.
restore each volume sizing them as you want.

---
the first restart need probably to be in safe mode, but you can try to do a normal start. After starting open disk manager to validate all partitions changes.

restart the system

activate exchange and verify all is working fine.

restart to check automatic restarting of all

Make a new backup after this point.

Don't process any service pack installation during this changes.

[Dru Ferguson]

Oh...Thanks...There is one step that I'm not clear of...."utility partition if there is one/ from smartstart or from ghost"

(gdisk utility could be used to hide utility partition )

How would I do that with GDisk....

[Alain Ricou]

utility partition is from smartstart. So it is better to recreate it, but not necessary from smartstart (it is only to have the system partition in the same start postition)

gdisk is not needed but eventualy if the utility partition comes not hidden you can use it (it is a ghost tools to create or modify partition at the command prompt)

Just verify if you can see your raid from a dos boot disk without using some ASPI card driver. Some raid are need aspi drivers under dos mode.