Reusing Existing RAID 6 Drive from a DL380 Server to Another as a New Drive

[MatthewSweet]

I want to move a larger size SSD drive in a RAID6 config from one DL380 server to another as new drive to replace an existing smaller drive size to expand the other Server overall RAID 6 drive space. Do I need to prep the larger drive (format it somehow?) before replacing the smaller drive in the other server, or can I just do a swap and the destination server will just rebuild the larger drive that already has RAID 6 info from the previous server?

[support_s]

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[MatthewSweet]

The first link says "Document Not Available". Seems like it may be the meat and potatoes I would need.

[TVVJ · Accepted solution]

Hello,

From what has been mentioned, it could be gathered that there are two RAID6 arrays, one created on the this server and the other on a different one. The question is if any hard drive, having larger capacity, from the other server be used to increase the storage of the RAID6 array on this server, also using the RAID information existing on it.

The storage capacity of an array can always be extended. When a new disk is added, it needs to be of the same type as that of the hard drives in the existing array. RAID information, if any present, is not used for the target server's array, instead, when any hard drive not part of the existing RAID array, be it having large capacity of the existing installed drives in the array, is deleted or over written with the RAID information to which it is made part of. All data would be lost when doing so.

Hence, it is recommended to take backup before releasing the hard drive from the source server and also on the backup server before adding the drive as part of the array and then expand it, so as to mitigate against any data loss.

Regards,

[MatthewSweet]

Thanks! This is what I was looking for "RAID information...is not used for the target server's array...[and] ,is deleted or over written with the RAID information to which it is made part of."

I upgraded the source server drives already with increased drive space and wanted to reuse it's existing drives to expand the drive space on a another server while not caring about the existing data of the reused drives.

Your response is much appreciated.

[Sunitha_Mod]

Hello @MatthewSweet,

Perfect! 

We are extremely glad to know your concern has been addressed.