add a disk to an existing RAID 5 array on windows 2003 server

[Guest JimRBG]

I'm working on a server that needs to expand the hard drive capacity. The

system is a Dell 2950 server. It currently has 4 x 300gb drives configured

as RAID 5 array. There are 2 spare drive bays open to add drives to. If I

just add additional drives, say 2 more 300gb drives, do I just go into

computer management, disk management and partition the additional capacity as

a new drive?

 

How should I approach this. I do not want to reformat the existing drive

and re-install the OS.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: add a disk to an existing RAID 5 array on windows 2003 server

 

JimRBG <JimRBG@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> I'm working on a server that needs to expand the hard drive capacity.

> The system is a Dell 2950 server. It currently has 4 x 300gb drives

> configured as RAID 5 array. There are 2 spare drive bays open to add

> drives to. If I just add additional drives, say 2 more 300gb drives,

> do I just go into computer management, disk management and partition

> the additional capacity as a new drive?

>

> How should I approach this. I do not want to reformat the existing

> drive and re-install the OS.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Jim

 

Is this a hardware RAID? If so, you don't do it in Windows, you'd do it in

the RAID config, which you can get to at boot time.

[Guest JimRBG]

Re: add a disk to an existing RAID 5 array on windows 2003 server

 

Yes, the array is a hardware array and was created using the Dell utility

 

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> JimRBG <JimRBG@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> > I'm working on a server that needs to expand the hard drive capacity.

> > The system is a Dell 2950 server. It currently has 4 x 300gb drives

> > configured as RAID 5 array. There are 2 spare drive bays open to add

> > drives to. If I just add additional drives, say 2 more 300gb drives,

> > do I just go into computer management, disk management and partition

> > the additional capacity as a new drive?

> >

> > How should I approach this. I do not want to reformat the existing

> > drive and re-install the OS.

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> > Jim

>

> Is this a hardware RAID? If so, you don't do it in Windows, you'd do it in

> the RAID config, which you can get to at boot time.

>

>

>

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: add a disk to an existing RAID 5 array on windows 2003 server

 

JimRBG <JimRBG@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Yes, the array is a hardware array and was created using the Dell

> utility

 

You can probably do this within OpenManage, if your controller

firmware/drivers are current. Or do it in the character-based setup at boot

time as mentioned earlier. You can add them as a separate mirrored array.

After you've done this you can go into computer management/disk management

and the new drive should show up there, waiting to be partitioned/whatnot.

>

> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

>

>> JimRBG <JimRBG@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>>> I'm working on a server that needs to expand the hard drive

>>> capacity. The system is a Dell 2950 server. It currently has 4 x

>>> 300gb drives configured as RAID 5 array. There are 2 spare drive

>>> bays open to add drives to. If I just add additional drives, say 2

>>> more 300gb drives, do I just go into computer management, disk

>>> management and partition the additional capacity as a new drive?

>>>

>>> How should I approach this. I do not want to reformat the existing

>>> drive and re-install the OS.

>>>

>>> Thanks,

>>>

>>> Jim

>>

>> Is this a hardware RAID? If so, you don't do it in Windows, you'd do

>> it in the RAID config, which you can get to at boot time.