Reconfigure RAID / Add new raid array w/out losing data

Question

Hello,   I have a Dell PE2800 w/ 2 HD Raid 1 w/ a Hot spare option (3 HD's total)   The RAID array is partioned into 2 seperate drives. C: for OS and D: for shared files etc..   This 12 or so gig for the OS has become a thorn in my side. I never intended to use this for anything other then network/print share server, but because its similar to my other PE2800 (sans HD space) I've installed a hot backup of our main program.   I'd like to order 4 HD's and configure a raid 5 (3 hd 1 hot spare) for drive a new D: and copy the old data from D: to this (I have a backup from Veritas I could use if needed). Then i'd like to delete the merge the two older partitions into one large 2hd raid 1 w/1 hot spare for the OS and use the new 3hd 1 hot spare raid 5 array for the file share.   Is this possible and if so how would I go about doing this?   Thank you for any help.   -Eric

DELL-GaryS · Answer

Ok here is how I would proceed:

Add the new drives, create the new RAID 5
Move the D: as you have indicated, deleting the old D:
Back up your C: AND D: review backup logs make sure you got all files, repair any missing files and repeat till everything is there.
Reinstall the O/S deleting the original C:, and making the new C: partition as large as possiable.
Install your backup application and restore C:

There is a backout plan:

Remove ID 1 allow hotspare to rebuild (this is after the backup step, so you know the files are good)
To restore to original configuration, remove all drives, and go into controller BIOS clear the controller's configuration, turn off fast initialization, and power down, add the previously removed ID1 and power up into controller BIOS, go into view add configuration, (you get NVRAM mismatch) tell it to view disk save and disable the alarm.
boot to the degraded RAID 1 make sure it's working, then install ID 0 and wait for the rebuild to complete, go into BIOS and re enable the alarm.
power down and add in the RAID 5 and pull in it's configuration, then add in your hot spares and set them back up.

Dell-GaryS

mmf_Tech · Answer

Adding the new raid 5 array should be no problem and I think I can copy the data to the new array with  no issues, but is there a way to just merge the partitions of C and D on the new HD array into on large C: w/out having to reinstall the OS etc..?

DELL-GaryS · Answer

Well there ARE 3rd party utilities that claim to be able to do just that, however as a Dell expert I'm a bit shy on advising you to use a utility I've not tried using myself. I know the backup and restore works, while I've taken calls from customers trying to recover from using/mis-using a third party partitioning utility. Granted thoes calls were quite some time ago, and the utility involved was likely several revisions back, and worst case you can fall back to the reinstall and restore. (provided you make the backups  :-> )     I invite our readers of the forum to assist mmf_tech with your experiances with partitioning utilities. Please include the version info if you have it.   Dell-GaryS

tommo666 · Answer

Diskpart works well and comes free with windows server.

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

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