Expand Logical Drive on DL360

[Ron Brown_2]

We have a Compaq DL360 running a hardware RAID-1. The operating system is Windows 2000 and it is an Exchange 2000 server. It looks like there are C: and M: partitions, which I think is standard in Exchange 2000.

We recently swapped 18 GB drives for 72 GB drives, one drive at a time in order to rebuild the file system, and did not realize the image would rebuild as an 18 GB image. Is there a way to expand the array to take advantage of the additional space without losing the data?

[Attila Szabó · Accepted solution]

Dear Ron,

Do you have DL360 gen 1 -> G1 (white the front of the case), or G2, G3, G4? I think if its not the older or the newer one, that its needs to be G2 or G3 (you can see a G2 or G3 sing on the front of the server). These two server use Smart 5i controller, as RAID controller, which can be configurable with HP Array Config Utility (generally installed, if you installed the server with smartstart, or if you installed any support pack). There was a topic about it on ITRC (Expanding an Array on a Smart Array 5i controller - http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=653806).
The solution in simple words:
1. check for Array Config Utility (ACU) exist (generally in start menu/HP system tools)
2. if not, download the latest version from www.hp.com -> software and driver downloads
3. if you dont have ACU, its means, maybe the drivers and firmwares are not the latest ones, so if there is not any company policy abt that, make a full backup, and update the drivers and firmware for storage controller (read the readme first, sometimes the hard drive firmware needs to update also, and beware, many times needs to install the new driver first!, the firmware just after!)
4. make a full backup and check it!!
5. run ACU, select the array and choose expand from the right (if needed),
6. select the Logical Drive, and expand it also
7. save the configuration to raid controller
8. open disk manager from windows, and rescan hard disks, if you didnt made any mistakes, the hard drive looks bigger (space apear after the c: partition).
9. You wrote there is only drive c: (m: is virtual for exchange database), so use diskpart.exe, to expand the partiton, it takes 1 second (How to use Diskpart.exe to extend a data volume in Windows Server 2003, in Windows XP, and in Windows 2000 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325590/en-us)

good luck :)
Attila

[ramesh_naik_]

Hi Ron,

What is the RAID controller being used in this case as there are certain limitations to expand the array with certain controllers.

This might help you in checking that:
Smart Array Controllers capable of array expansion and logical drive extension:

* Smart-3100ES
* Smart-3200
* Smart-4000 (RA4000, Fibre Channel Array Controller)
* Smart-4200
* Smart-4250
* Smart-5200

Smart Array Controllers capable of array expansion and logical drive extension only if implemented natively (migration from other controllers not supported:)

* Smart-431
* Integrated Smart Array Controller (ROC)

Smart Array Controllers capable of array expansion but not logical drive extension:

* Smart-2/E
* Smart-2/P
* Smart-2DH

Smart Array Controllers not capable of neither array expansion nor logical drive extension*:

* Smart-2SL
* Smart-221


Also the expansion can be initiated in the Array Configuration Utility on Smartstart or NT, or in CPQONLIN.NLM for Netware.

Hope this helps!!!!!

Regards,
rmn

[Attila Szabó]

The DL360 doesnt offer a solution to use another array controller than the integrated (Integrated Smart Array for G1, 5i for G2, 5i+ for G3, and 6i for G4). As i remember, all of these are capable to expand (i'm not sure in G1 server only).

[Ron Brown_2]

This is the integrated smart controller and I believe the server is a G1. It does have a white faceplate and no markings indicating generation. The server was not built with SmartStart. Presumably, the utilities can be installed on an existing server.

[Igor Karasik]

Ron,
all previous answers were right about array expanding/extending, but note that you cannot use diskpart to expand C:\ partition;
you only can create additional partition with windows disk management tool.
After new partition creation you can move Exchange DB files to new D:\ partition
XADM: How to Move Exchange Databases and Logs in Exchange 2000 Server
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/257184/en-us

If you want to stay only with C:\ partition you need to do
-backup(do GHOST)
-create Array with ACU from SmartStart CD
-restore

See this thread as well
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1027500

[BOYAN BIANDOV]

Yes, I agree, diskpart.exe can not expand system or boot partitions. Hence, after the HP logical drive has been expanded using the controller ACU, then Windows will see a larger disk with extra free space beyound the existing primary partition. Here the issue is how to expand the primary partition C:

The official MS answer is - you CAN NOT. But of course there are ways:

1. use Symantec volume manager - you boot from DOS CD and run that software

2. use a linux bootable CD named ParteD - look on google, you can download the ISO, boot from it, it is all nice GUI

Hope this helps.

~b

[expanding disk size in]

Please suggest on my problem as well.

Hi,

I have a compaq DL 360 server with integreted smart array controller. Now I have a RAID 1+0 (with two disks) configured on this server and the disk size is 34 GB.

Now I have to expand the disk size to more than 300 GB.

The first question I have is does it support a disk size of more than 300 GB, if yes how can I proceed for the same without crashing my server