DL360 Array Help

[hassan mir]

I have DL360 with integrated smart array , i have one array with one physical drive.

The size of this hot-pluggable drive is 36.3

I have two new identical drives 72.8 G each and i would like to do the following.

Get image of my current drive to one of these new drives.
Boot from the new drive.
Add the second new drive and mirror it.

I am not tech savy and would appreciate someones help to pulls this off

Thanks in advance

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

ok
first of all
if you want to use all 72 GB you must make archive form 36 GB disk not image.
OTHERWISE you will lose half of disk.

What kind of OS you use ?
Stop server
Remove 36 GB disk
Put new two 72 GB into server.
Reboot server
Stop server when it boot using F8 when array is testing.
Array will auto config to mirror.
Check and save.
Start server and restore your configuration

[hassan mir]

thanks for your reply.

I am running Windows 2000.

How would i archive the 36 G drive? Thats the part i am not sure of?

DL360 has two hot-pluggable bays, right now one has 36G drive and the 2nd one is empty.

I want to get rid of 36G drive and replace it with 2 72G drives, mirrord,, but i want all the data from the old drive, so i wont have to reinstall anything

Thanks

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

DO you know what is ACU
Array Config UTILITY ?

[hassan mir]

yes,,

i am attaching the screen shot of what i c when i plug the 2nd drive in.

thanks

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

Before we go ahead pls make backup.
Use ghost for that. Read all about ghost.

replace old disk with new disks.
Create mirror using CTRL BIOS.
Recover from ghost

[hassan mir]

i know about Ghost from Norton,,

Here is my question,, say i install Ghost on 36G drive ,, make backup of this drive to some external drive.

Replace the old drive(with Ghost on it) with new ones(empty) ,, reboot and creat new array with these drives

Now these drives are blank and have nothing on em,, i cant really boot to anything to be able to run Ghost again and recover the back up from that external drive?

Am i missing something ?

Is is not possible (somehow) to insert the 2nd drive (72G) ,, make copy/image of the 36G drive on the larger drive,, stop server,, stop server,, replace 36G drive with 72G drive,, boot,, stop server, insert 2nd 72G drive,, boot and mirror these,,, ?

i have the 2nd drive (72G) in there but i cant seem to use it as it,,,

Thanks

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

I need some time to test that.

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

I finish test
And all is OK

What you need to do

1. You have two slots
put one of your 72 GB disk on secound slot.
2. start ACU and extend your array A ( first array)
3.wait for extend it will take 30 min
4. change RAID level form 0 to 1+0
5. wait for rebuild
6. Remove 36 gb disk and replace it with secound 72.gb disk
7. wait for rebuild
8. it is all

you will have 36.00 GB array RAID 1+0
and you will have unused space 36 GB

now you can extend your LUN 0 or
you can make new LUN

do you have any question ?
and pls vote me :)))

[hassan mir]

thanks,,


i got everything but

'now you can extend your LUN 0 or
you can make new LUN'

Please explain this a bit further,, and i sure will give u max points.

[hassan mir]

...one more thing,, do i not need more than 2 disk drives for 1+0 ?


Thanks

[Sunil_37]

Use Symantec Livestate Recovery Server. will solve all your problems.

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

when you remove old 36 gb disk the unallocation space go to ?????
after you put new 72.gb disk ???? will
be the all amount of 2X72gb disk that is not used. You do not lose any space.

Now you have your old array /from 36gb disk/
+ mirror + free space /unallocate space/.

It is up to you.

You can expand your 36 gb lun + unallocation space

Or
you can make new lun /array/ = unallocate space

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

RAID 0 = 1 or more disk

RAID 1 = 2 or more disk

RAID 1+0 = 2 or more disk

RAID 5 = 3 or more disk

.........

[hassan mir]

Thanks,,

i think your solution works as you have outlined but i am a little doubtful about the end result.

I get the feeling that after this process i would have 36G mirrord + unused space that can be allocated etc

But what i really want is this

1. I have E and F partitions on the 36G drive
2. E is 23G and almost out of space
3. I would like to keep same logical structure

so when i am done i would have E drive with lot of space on it,, and the whole 72G drive is mirrored with the 2nd drive,, make any sense?


May be what i need to do is this

Take 36G drive out
Put the new ones in
Boot and define your array as RAID 1

attach the old drive via external SCSI to the server and .... restore the images to the drive in bay one,, what u think?


And Sunil,, how would i use Symantec solution? i am not sure of the steps to take.

Thanks

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

Do what I tell you :)
After last rebuild you will have free spcae that you can extend any logical disk.
You can extend E or F or E and F with all unused space.
Use ACU and make array extend. After that
you need reboot and use Partition Magick or similar tool to extend File System.
But I test that and it work.

On my server now I have 2 X disk 73 GB mirror without any unused space.

[hassan mir]

i knew you were missing something like partition magic :)

part of it is that i dont have your know how and confidence,, when u talk about free space and extanding it --- since we already have two mirrored drive , which one we talking about? when we make changes to E and/or F which drive is getting changed?

explain partition magic and how this will fit into this...

thanks for your help.

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

OK :)
First of all when you talk about HARDWARE RAID you do not talk about WINDOWS.
All task are made by RAID controler let say bios.
If you want more sharp info I need picture from your ARC main menu (locigal view) and from
My computer /windows/.

I want ot know you RAID config and What windows see from it :))

Partition magick let you expand your files system over new extends.


Sorry for my english.

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

With Partiton Magick you can say which logical drive will be extend E or F :)

[hassan mir]

Ok,, i am attaching images for u to look at,, let me know if u need to c anything else.

thanks

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

Yes I see :)
All is noraml and I can do it :)
I will show you how to do it :)
How to replace 36 gb RAID 0 with 2X 72 RAID 1
If you are ready tell me :)))
I will give you instruction step by step :)

[hassan mir]

Ok i am ready for your step by step instructions ,, please include as much detail as possible so there are no surprises. This server runs database and email servers and its very important that i dont screw anything up :(

thanks

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

ok
Now you have array A with 36 GB disk RAID0.
And you already put 72 GB disk that not include in any array.

In first step we will include 72 GB disk into our Array A. It will allow as to extend Array A with new disk and after rebuild we will migrate from RAID 0 to RAID 1.
All staff will be doing on line.

Lets start.

1.Open ACU
2.CLick on Array A
3. Click Expand
It must show you your 72GB disk ??
click to check it and save/OK
4. Aray start expand process.
5. wait for finish.


Question ?

[hassan mir]

yes,, this part i understood, what r the next steps,, give me the whole procedure.

does this need to be done when no one is uing the server as at times there are 40 users connected to the server?

[Ivajlo Yanakiev]

No just you disk I/O will be slow down.

All picture :)
After the rebuild stop we will migrate
From RAID 0 to RAID 1. And After that we will remove 36 disk. Do not warry we have mirror and new 72 GB disk will work.
After taht we will plug secound 72 GB and after rebuild wi will have final raid 1.