Dell Power Edge T610 server with 4 Had Disk

In order to add the new disks to your existing RAID 5, you have to choose Reconfigure from the menu for your RAID 5 on the Storage, PERC, Virtual Disks screen.

You said you had a 4x2TB RAID 5 originally, but only 4TB was seen by the OS?  Is one of those 4 disks a "hot-spare"?  Otherwise, a RAID 5 of that size doesn't make any sense.

You need to have the OpenManage Server Administrator application installed.  Do you have it installed?  Is that where you are seeing "ready" for the drives?

Hi Webufo071,

I moved your topic to the server storage forum for more help.

Good luck!

Many thanks for the reply, I check if ' a raid 5 not having installed because I do not know how andis initially configured the server ( I seem to have seen a virtual disk in the form of the raid controller that is opened by CTRL S), the software that you suggested ( OpenManage Server Administrator) in fact does not seem to have seen it installed on your provider and download and install it . With this tool I can add the extra 4 hd 2 TB each installation and without losing data already present on the initial 4 HD always 2TB ? I would not rebuild the array and lose everything I kill . On the Start screen if by using CTRL S in the raid controller that is where I see the 4 HD with the operating system ( in the virtual disk are divided into 2 span0 span1 and 2 ) total 4 TB , while the new HD I see them as ' ready ' but I'm not doing nothing if not ' make global SH ' if I remember correctly . In the operating system Windows 2008 server I see separate hard drives in my computer for a total of 4 TB . My needs ' is to expand the memory by adding 4 HD 2TB one and I suppose have seen the raid available 4TB additional than now . Excuse me if I take this opportunity . thanks again

I don't recognize CTRL-S.  CTRL-R is most likely the keystroke necessary to enter the configuration utility for the RAID controller.

If you have a 4x2TB-disk RAID 5 with no hot-spare configured, you would have a little less than 6TB of disk space.  With a hot-spare, it would be a little less than 4TB.

Yes, the OpenManage software CAN add disks to your existing RAID 5 without affecting the existing data, BUT it is important to understand your current configuration and which RAID controller you have before doing anything of the sort.

I'm afraid I'm not understanding your posts enough to know what you have.  Screenshots would be helpful at this point.

You can get the OpenManage software here: http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/DriverDetails/Product/poweredge-t610?driverId=CWHRG&osCode=WS8R2&fileId=3267736217&languageCode=en&categoryId=SM

Download and run to extract, then run C:\Openmanage\windows\setup.exe.  Add yourservernameoripaddress:1311 to IE's Intranet Zone.  Open and to go Storage to find out your RAID controller model, then go to Virtual Disks to see your RAID configuration.

Hi OSPREY4 ,

thanks for having moved the topic in the right forum

Hi theflash1932 ..
you're right, I was wrong combination is CTRL R, tomorrow unloading the program from the link you gave me and I install it then I see us send some screen so you see the situation and can advise me, I'm sorry but when I write to you are not in front of the server and maybe mistake to bring you something. The screens like you I can send? There 's no way to save some configuration files once installed OpenManage Server Administrator in order to make you easier to understand the current situation of the disks and the system? through 1000.

Hi THEFLASH1932,
I downloaded and installed open manager as you suggested.
To access the browser I had to first get access as user 'root / root' and password 'password' and then in the login screen like I did log on with an administrator account on the domain. Without access introduced me to the home screen and went out of storage where it makes me see the current configuration but I can not see the new discs that I put. I saved screens so you become more aware of the situation, if you give me an indication as inviartele I send you. I would not be at a standstill. In the management of the controller start with CTRL R discs look like new but I'm not ready to do nothing if not 'Make Global HS'?

I'm really sorry ... but I didn't understand your post enough to make an intelligent comment.  Your new disks will be listed under Storage, PERC, Backplane/Connector, Physical Disks.

Excuse me, if you give me an e-mail or as you want I can send screenshots

Ok, you don't have a RAID 5 ... you have a RAID 10.  That also accounts for the disk space you have available:

A 4-disk RAID 10 is two sets of mirrored hard drives, both mirrors providing the controller with data simultaneously, in order to improve performance.  In so doing, only half the disks' space is available as storage - 2x2TB = 4TB.

The PERC's support Online Capacity Expansion (adding disks to expand a virtual disk) and RAID Level Migration (moving from one RAID level to another on the fly).  A limitation of the PERC controllers is that you CANNOT reconfigure TO OR FROM a "nested" RAID level (10, 50, 60), so you will not be able to add disks to your RAID 10. 

Options:

If you want to move to a 6- or 8-disk RAID 10, you will have to backup, delete RAID 10, create new/larger RAID 10, restore.

You could also simply add your additional 4 disks as a new RAID 10 ... this will appear as a new/separate "disk" in the OS.  It must first be converted to GPT before the entire amount can be seen/used by the OS.

Well, deciding to simply add an arry RAID10 for the 4 disks in the operating system so having added another volume to 4 TB which is fine as I do? Excuse the question, but in the open manager did not seem to see the 4 new discs added. Can you give me directions? Sorry if I take advantage of your kindness

You should see the new disks in the Physical Disks section, under the Connectors/Enclosures (probably Connector 1) ... they should be showing as Ready, while the others show as Online.

the screens that you see are the ones that I posted and I do not remember that you could see the new disks, I try to re-check. if you do not give in I can do something? because at server startup by pressing CTRL R I saw them as ready as in open manager does not seem

If CTRL-R sees them, OpenManage should see them.  You are looking under Physical Disks?  Are you looking under BOTH Connectors?

Try going to the Virtual Disks screen and clicking on the Create/New Virtual Disks Wizard link.  Do they appear as options to create a new VD with?

I think I can try tomorrow or Friday if I have problems I can still bother you? thanks for your patience