Reconfiguration of RAID Without Losing Data

[asifmcp]

Server Configuration

HP ProLiant ML370 G4
Hard drive: 72 GB Ultra320 SCSI
Controller: Smart Array 6400 Controller

I am going to create a hardware level RAID-5 with three physical Hard Drives. After 2 or 3 months, I will add two more same sizes of physical hard drives to increase space of RAID-5. Can I reconfigure this RAID after addition of hard drives without losing of data?

[Steven Clementi]

What do you want to re-configure the RAID to?


This is how a Smart Array works...

Multiple drives make up an Array. You can have multiple arrays. The Array is NOT of any "RAID" type, but rather just a pool of physical disks.

INSIDE of the array, you have logical drives. Logical Drives are specificly sized and RAID'ed. You can have multiple logical drives in one array that are of different RAID levels. You are NOT bound to only having 1 RAID level in an "array".

That being said... when you get the new drives, you simply install them into your server, go to the ACU and "EXPAND" your array (effectively adding the new drives to the pool). After the expansion is complete, you can then create NEW logical drives AND/OR "EXTEND" existing logical drives (from the ACU).


None of these functions will cause any data loss, usually.

What OS are you going to be running?


Steven

[asifmcp]

I want to add two more physical drives into existing RAID-5 in future without losing data. Currently I am using Windows 2000 Server, in future I will use Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition.

[Steven Clementi]

So you simply want to add more space to your existing Array? You are going to keep it RAID 5?

As stated earlier, you simply "EXPAND" the array with the 2 new drives, then "EXTEND" the logical drive(s) (or create new ones) using the ACU.

IF you are going to extend a logical drive used for DATA on a windows server, then you can use the diskpart utility to "extend" the partition within windows. (This allows windows to address the addition space.)

Diskpart info...

" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325590/en-us "


Steven

[Sandy Chen]

Hi,

Yes you can extend the disk without losing the data. As Steven said. But a backup wouldn't hurt you :)

regards,
Sandy