IT NERDS....RAID HELP!

[NixerX]

I have a raid array that is nearing its capacity. Its our exchange datastore.

What I want to know is CAN I buy new fat azz Ultra320's and increase the size of the array without loosing the data?

 

Never done it before...ive only just replaced drives or rebuilt arrays from nothing.

HALP

[jenksdrummer]

 

I have a raid array that is nearing its capacity. Its our exchange datastore. What I want to know is CAN I buy new fat azz Ultra320's and increase the size of the array without loosing the data? Never done it before...ive only just replaced drives or rebuilt arrays from nothing. HALP

 

 

Yes, you can, though it depends on teh RAID Controller on how easy it can be...my experience is with HP Smart Array...

 

300GB seems to be the limit when it comes to U320 drives.

 

Pull one out, shove a 300GB in, and wait for it to sync the drives. It can take a long...long {censored}ing time.

 

Cross your fingers the other drives don't die (this is when they are most likely to, BTW), and there goes your array. Then repeat until all the drives are replaced...then you should be able to extend the volume/migrate it to include all the drives extra space, THEN you can go to the OS and claim it.

 

 

 

 

Better option would be to stop all the services on the system relating to access of files on the , then do a backup of that array. Pull all the drives, marking which went where, install new drives, restore data...

 

Goes faster, and if {censored} hits the fan, you can stick the other drives back in.

 

 

This is assuming you don't just have an extra slot to put in an additional HDD - that's a {censored} load easier....

 

 

Also, good luck on getting new 300GB U320 Drives.

[JerEvil]