expand a raid 5 array on ps4000

H,

Hi, It's Joe with Dell EqualLogic. Once the upgrade kit has been purchased, and the disks are ready to be installed, perform the following steps, in order (while the array is operational):

1. Remove all filler sleds.
2. Insert all new disks into their respective slots, until they are snugly seated, but DO NOT lock them into the backplane.
3. When the last disk has been inserted, proceed to lock down each new drive in turn by pushing the drive handle inward until it is fully engaged. When the handle engages, a clicking sound can be heard.

NOTE: Locking ALL the disks into place should be accomplished in less than 2 minutes.

4. The array firmware will then recognize that the new disks have been added and will immediately start "expanding" the group with the new space.

- There is a two-minute delay between the time you insert a disk and the time the disk is automatically configured into a RAIDset. This time interval allows multiple disks to be simultaneously configured in an array, which is more efficient than installing a single disk, configuring it, and then repeating the process. For example, when you install a disk, the timer starts. If no other disks are installed, the disk is configured after a delay of two minutes. If you install another disk before two minutes have elapsed, the timer is restarted.

- If you install a disk during RAID reconstruction or verification, the new disk will not be configured until the operation completes.

During the reconstruction, there is a possibility that there will be some performance degradation (depending on the workload at the time of the reconstruction), so it's recommended that you perform the disk update during a time that is appropriate for your situation.

Regards,
Joe