Configuration required to install NGFF M.2 SSD + M.2 to PCI - E Converter card

[SDewan]

2 of our HP DL 360 G7 running Linux are running on 8 disks and running out of free space (post housekeeping). There are no empty slots available to add more disks to the server. I would really appreciate if I could get suggestions to expand storage capacity for this box.

One option, I am considering is to add a 500GB NGFF M.2 SSD + M.2 to PCI - E Converter card. But, this will not allow me to add available space to existing RAID sets and hence not provide any redundancy. Would I need to add a RAID controller card? If yes, then having only 1 disk will only allow RAID0 (Stripe set) which will also not allow any redundancy.

Any suggestions please...
Thank You!

[parnassus]

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SDewan wrote: Would I need to add a RAID controller card? If yes, then having only 1 disk will only allow RAID0 (Stripe set) which will also not allow any redundancy.

You aren't necessarily forced to add a RAID Controller Card if you accept, instead, to create a Software RAID (at Kernel level) using well known Linux mdadm toolset (Aren't your Servers running on Linux?) and then mount created redundant Volume(s) on convenient mount point(s) - as example /mnt/data or whatever you need/like - on the existing filesystem(s).

Avoid RAID 0 (Striping): it requires at least two disks but if you lose just one disk (any disk) your Volume is gone. Always prefer RAID 1 Mirroring (min. 2 disks, 1 disk parity) or RAID 6 (min. 4 disks, 2 disks parity) Volumes, if possible.

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