Converting Dynamic Disk back to a basic disk

[Guest Saral6978]

This is my situation - I have an old HP storageworks attached via SCSI cable

to an HP Proliant DL380, Windows 2003 SP2. When the storageworks got

migrated to this server, I accidentally converted the array to a Dynamic

disk. I have since removed all data from this volume, and the only thing

left is the System Volume Info and Recycler folders (hidden folders). I

understand the first step in converting back to basic is to delete the volume

itself (using Disk Mgmt). I attempt this step and I get the following

warning:

 

"The volume storage (E:) Simple volume is currently in use. To force the

deletion of this volume, click Yes. Warning, forcing a deletion might cause

unexpected errors in the application that is using this volume. Do you want

to continue?"

 

I am not sure if I will have negative consequences upon doing this. Would

deleting the volume prevent my server from booting up since the current

partition style is MBR? I'm afraid if this volume goes away I'm going to

have a problem. I have confirmed that if I physically detach the

storageworks from my server, my server doesn't boot, so I'm sure it's looking

for the MBR, right? Do you think that I can safely delete the volume and

convert to basic disk and that it will somehow reset it so my server is not

looking for this array upon reboot?

 

I would like to re-use this storage works, just want to get it back to basic

and reformatted and not have my server be dependent upon it being connected

to boot up.

 

Thanks for any help! I wish I had a test server I could try this on, but I

don't...

 

Sara

[Guest Saral6978]

RE: Converting Dynamic Disk back to a basic disk

 

So, no one has any idea ithat f I say "yes" to the warning about deleting the

volume and then converting to a basic disk, that it will successfully remove

the MBR config and allow my server to boot normally without trying to look

for this array? I guess I figured this would be easy enough for people to

answer or someone has done this in the past...any help would be

appreciated...It's just this is a production server and I'm leary of just

trying it without some opinions on the matter.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Sara

 

"Saral6978" wrote:

> This is my situation - I have an old HP storageworks attached via SCSI cable

> to an HP Proliant DL380, Windows 2003 SP2. When the storageworks got

> migrated to this server, I accidentally converted the array to a Dynamic

> disk. I have since removed all data from this volume, and the only thing

> left is the System Volume Info and Recycler folders (hidden folders). I

> understand the first step in converting back to basic is to delete the volume

> itself (using Disk Mgmt). I attempt this step and I get the following

> warning:

>

> "The volume storage (E:) Simple volume is currently in use. To force the

> deletion of this volume, click Yes. Warning, forcing a deletion might cause

> unexpected errors in the application that is using this volume. Do you want

> to continue?"

>

> I am not sure if I will have negative consequences upon doing this. Would

> deleting the volume prevent my server from booting up since the current

> partition style is MBR? I'm afraid if this volume goes away I'm going to

> have a problem. I have confirmed that if I physically detach the

> storageworks from my server, my server doesn't boot, so I'm sure it's looking

> for the MBR, right? Do you think that I can safely delete the volume and

> convert to basic disk and that it will somehow reset it so my server is not

> looking for this array upon reboot?

>

> I would like to re-use this storage works, just want to get it back to basic

> and reformatted and not have my server be dependent upon it being connected

> to boot up.

>

> Thanks for any help! I wish I had a test server I could try this on, but I

> don't...

>

> Sara

>

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Converting Dynamic Disk back to a basic disk

 

 

"Saral6978" <Saral6978@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:868F0ACA-9BA9-4C0D-A42B-C58A10F15314@microsoft.com...

> So, no one has any idea ithat f I say "yes" to the warning about deleting

> the

> volume and then converting to a basic disk, that it will successfully

> remove

> the MBR config and allow my server to boot normally without trying to look

> for this array? I guess I figured this would be easy enough for people to

> answer or someone has done this in the past...any help would be

> appreciated...It's just this is a production server and I'm leary of just

> trying it without some opinions on the matter.

>

> Thanks in advance!

>

> Sara

>

> "Saral6978" wrote:

 

I suspect you're not getting any replies because no one reading your post

has ever tried this. Their replies would be pure guesswork, which is not

really what you're after. In the absence of any independent confirmation you

may have to perform some tests to simulate your scenariou while leaving

yourself a back-out path. You could, for example, physically disconnect the

dynamic disk and check if the machine still boots.

 

By the way, there is no such thing as an "MBR partition style". "NTFS" or

"FAT32" are a couple of partition styles. "MBR" is the master boot record.

There is just one of these on each disk, and it controls the boot process.

The MBR of a disk with NTFS partitions is the same as that of a disk with

FAT32 partitions.

[Guest Saral6978]

Re: Converting Dynamic Disk back to a basic disk

 

Actually - if you are in Disk Mgmt, and right click on the Disk in question

(DISK1) and go to Properties, in the "volumes" tab, it states that the

Partition style is "Master Boot Record (MBR)". That's where I got that term

from.

 

Also, like I mentioned in my first post, if I physically disconnect the

HPStorageworks array (DISK1), my server DOES NOT boot.

 

That's why I'm reluctant to delete the volume then convert to Basic disk,

because I'm afraid if I reboot, the server will not be able to boot back up

because it's looking to the MBR on this drive, as well as the one on DISK0.

I dont' WANT it to look at the one on DISK1, and I'm hoping that by deleting

the volume and converting it to basic would somehow change it so the computer

knows not to look there.

 

I really have no way of testing this. I mean, if I convert the disk back to

basic and it doesn't work and my server doesn't boot, well, I'm unsure how to

proceed. I've thought about booting to my HP Startup disk and using the hp

array utlity to delete that particular HP storageworks array...However, I'm

thinking if the server didn't reboot after converting to basic, I could then

boot to the HP disc and then delete that particular array and maybe that will

then allow the server to boot. The only good thing is that this server only

hosts one application. The actual data is is on a NETAPP device, so I guess

if it got hosed I could try and start completely over and rebuild and

reconfigure everything.

 

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>

> I suspect you're not getting any replies because no one reading your post

> has ever tried this. Their replies would be pure guesswork, which is not

> really what you're after. In the absence of any independent confirmation you

> may have to perform some tests to simulate your scenariou while leaving

> yourself a back-out path. You could, for example, physically disconnect the

> dynamic disk and check if the machine still boots.

>

> By the way, there is no such thing as an "MBR partition style". "NTFS" or

> "FAT32" are a couple of partition styles. "MBR" is the master boot record.

> There is just one of these on each disk, and it controls the boot process.

> The MBR of a disk with NTFS partitions is the same as that of a disk with

> FAT32 partitions.

>

>

>

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Converting Dynamic Disk back to a basic disk

 

"Saral6978" <Saral6978@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:8D217906-3DC7-4BC0-90DE-62881EF29644@microsoft.com...

> Actually - if you are in Disk Mgmt, and right click on the Disk in

> question

> (DISK1) and go to Properties, in the "volumes" tab, it states that the

> Partition style is "Master Boot Record (MBR)". That's where I got that

> term

> from.

*** I see what you mean. However, this panel confuses me.

> Also, like I mentioned in my first post, if I physically disconnect the

> HPStorageworks array (DISK1), my server DOES NOT boot.

*** What exactly happens? How far does the boot process go?

*** Have you tried booting with a Windows boot diskette?

[Guest Saral6978]

Re: Converting Dynamic Disk back to a basic disk

 

Unfortunately, I can't remember how far it got, but only as far as the POST

screen - never anything further. Basically, I think it just sort of hung

there when looking for the arrays, I don't even remember an error...This

server happens to be at my remote site so there is no way at the current

moment to recreate the issue. I wouldn't do the conversion to basic anyway

without being onsite, and I'm not going onsite for a couple of weeks, but I

wanted to research the issue ahead of time to see if anyone had any similar

experiences but I guess not. No, I haven't tried a boot disk. And, if I'm

being honest, I'm not sure what commands I would run anyway for a problem

like this if my server didn't boot because of a missing array.

 

It's probably going to be one of those things where I just have to do it and

then pray... :) I appreciate your response, though.

 

 

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

> "Saral6978" <Saral6978@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:8D217906-3DC7-4BC0-90DE-62881EF29644@microsoft.com...

> > Actually - if you are in Disk Mgmt, and right click on the Disk in

> > question

> > (DISK1) and go to Properties, in the "volumes" tab, it states that the

> > Partition style is "Master Boot Record (MBR)". That's where I got that

> > term

> > from.

> *** I see what you mean. However, this panel confuses me.

>

> > Also, like I mentioned in my first post, if I physically disconnect the

> > HPStorageworks array (DISK1), my server DOES NOT boot.

> *** What exactly happens? How far does the boot process go?

> *** Have you tried booting with a Windows boot diskette?

>

>

>

>