Re: [ActiveDir] OT: HP disk array expansion

[Matt Hargraves]

I'm not understanding why the OP doesn't just stick the new drives in, create the new RAID set from those, create the drives and restore from tape to the new RAID drives.  As long as he does it on a Sunday, it shouldn't really take more than an hour to get the old drives out and the new ones in (and the RAID built), then he just needs to worry about restoring from tape to the new location.

On 7/27/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:

Maybe I misunderstand the post but why re build in this scenario?

 

All the OP needs / wants to do is to add disks and to expand the existing arrays. He requires no or minimal downtime too. This can be achieved as the OP described.

 

FWIW: I have performed this (not in the last 5 years) on many occasions and whilst the process can take some time to complete, it is relatively trivial to accomplish and AFAIK can be performed with zero downtime.

 

neil

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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Ed Buford
Sent: 27 July 2006 00:49

To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] OT: HP disk array expansion

I would use the ghost method, I've done this numerous times with servers and never ran into a problem. All in all it really is a fast solution. And since you're doing it over the wire you can speed the process up by using gigabit components.

 

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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Derek Harris
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 6:12 PM
To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] OT: HP disk array expansion

 

This sounds like the safest way to do it, but you will have some downtime.  I've done it (on a Dell box) the way you described: swapping one disk at a time, and there is downtime that way, too. (in addition to the severe performance hit of the array having to rebuild several times) 

 

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From: Blair, James [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 3:52 PM
To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] OT: HP disk array expansion

James,

 

Have been in a similar situation on numerous occasions with HP ML350 G3/G4's. In our case we installed a firewire card and a Lacie drive or utilised the native USB to portable HD and Acronis True Image. We imaged the disks and then pulled them out and put the new ones in and imaged it back, works nicely…This solution even worked for an Exchange server and if it all fails you can simply put the old disks back in and be back where you started…

 

James

 

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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of James Carter
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2006 7:36 AM
To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org
Subject: [ActiveDir] OT: HP disk array expansion

 

Hi,

 

I have a HP ML370 Proliant Server. It currently has 4 x 36GB in a RAID 5 set.

 

I want to upgrade the disk capacity of this server. I have bought 4 x 300gb disks as replacements.

 

At present I have 4 x 36GB disks in the server. I was told I could replace one disk in the RAID with a 300GB, let the raid rebuild and do the next disk. Repeat until all of the disks are 300GB and then I can look in the ACU and create a second logical drive that sees all that new space.

 

Can this be done? Anyone know how long it would take to rebuild? currently there is 90gb used in the current volume.

 

My other alternative is to buy a Tape Drive, backup, break array, create new array and then restore but this department don't want any downtime.

 

Anyway shed some light as to which is the best method to take?

 

thanks James

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