Changing RAID Level

[Bill Krenza]

I have a DL380 G4 with a SA6i with four drives currently configured in a RAID 0 array. Is it NOT possible to migrated the RAID level of a logical drive from 0 to 5. When I use the ACU and get to the screen where you would change the RAID level only RAID 0 is listed?

[raadek]

Just guessing: maybe this is down to the fact that you need an extra drive for RAID 5? Did you try to shrink logical drive size down to no more than 3x HDDs capacity?

[Bill Krenza]

I'm not sure what you mean by
"Did you try to shrink logical drive size down to no more than 3x HDDs capacity?"

The logical drive I mentioned consists of 4 drives in a RAID 0 configuration. I was hoping to migrate this to a RAID 5 configuration, which can be done with four drives. But as I said when I get to the screen in the ACU where I should be able to pick the RAID level I want no other options are present, only RAID 0

[Mindaugas_1]

You must have enough HDD's capacity if you want migrate to RAID 5 level. Total amnount of your data must be smaller than total amount of your 3 HDD's capacity.

[Bill Krenza]

There is plenty of disk space available. 200GB total with 192GB free.

[raadek · Accepted solution]

OK, is this free space WITHIN your logical drive or OUTSIDE of it?

The RAID controller will always try to rearange entire logical drive, including any free space on it.

Hence if a logical drive occupies (almost) the entire capacity of physical drives, you won't be able to migrate from RAID 0 to 5.

[Bill Krenza]

Thanks RAADEK, I think I've got it now. There has to be enough unallocated space on the logical drive to do this. I guess I won't be able use this method since the logical drive in question takes up the full capacity of the physical drives.