Running out of HD Space!!!!

Second Server:

Layout: RAID-5

Size: 930.50GB

Although unlikely that it is in a RAID 0, as it is a very unsafe and seldom used configuration, it is entirely possible that it is.  If so, you will see space available in Windows Disk Management equal to the sum of the drive space (2x250GB drives = 500GB of space (minus a little for drive math)).  You can also confirm the configuration in OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) ... you will need this for any changes anyway, if you don't already have it installed.

You can add a drive to the existing configuration by going to OMSA, Storage, Virtual Disks, and choosing Reconfigure from the dropdown menu for your array.  Keep in mind, if you do truly have, say, a 2-disk RAID 0 and you add a drive and reconfigure to a 3-disk RAID 5, you will have the same amount of storage as you had before.  However, if you are reconfiguring from a 2-disk RAID 1 or a 3-disk RAID 5 to a 3-disk RAID 5 or a x-disk RAID 5, you will add approximately the space of the disk's worth of storage capacity to the array, which you will then need to configure/partiton in Windows Disk Management before it can be used by Windows.

For a more detailed answer, provide the existing RAID level and current number and size of your disks.

Well, that wasn't a good idea to copy and paste......

This is off of one of the Servers:

Layout: RAID-1

Size: 148.50GB

Device Name: Windows Disk 0

Type:SATA

Ok, so you have two options:

1.  Add another 160GB drive to your RAID 1, using the Reconfigure option I mentioned earlier, converting your 2-disk RAID1 to a 3-disk RAID 5.  This will give you around 296GB on your Virtual Disk (array).  You would then have around 148GB of Unpartitioned Space in Windows Disk Management that you could 1. partition into an additional partition for storage, or 2. if you have two or more existing partitions and you need to extend, say, the C: drive, then you would need to use a partitioning utility to allocate that Unallocated Space to C: ... or use some backup/delete/shuffle tricks.  

2.  Add a 160GB in a single-disk RAID 0 (preferably two in a RAID 1) for an additional 148GB of space on a separate Windows "disk".  You could use this to move data from your existing RAID 1, to alleviate your storage concerns.

What OS do you have?

What are your existing partitions and what is your goal?

Server 1:

OS - Server 2003 Standard Edition - SP2 / 32-bit

31MB/Healthy(EISA Config)

C: Healthy(System) / 12 gb(capacity) / 978mb(Free Space) / 7% (Free)

E: Healthy(Page File) / 136.47gb(Capacity) / 9.36gb (Free Space) / 6% (Free)

 Server 2:

OS - Server 2003 Standard Edition - SP2 / 32-bit

39mb / EISA Config

C: System / 39.83gb (Capacity) / 25.42gb (Free Space) / 63% (Free)

E: Healthy ( Page File) / 890.62 (Capacity) / 277.39 gb (Free Space) / 32% (Free)

I would like to create more space for folders and files. we have some very large folders within this company that are accessed continuously and changed everyday.

Server 1:

Option 1: Add an additional drive, reconfigure to 3-disk RAID 5, giving you around 148Gb of Unpartitioned Space at the end of "disk" 0.  You can then extend E: (providing it is Basica and not Dynamic) using Diskpart (command line) or Disk Management (right-click, Extend) or nearly any partitioning utility available.  (If you are not concerned with free space on C:.)

Option 2: Add a single drive in RAID 0 (or two drives in RAID 1), move your date from E: to the new partition or use it as another drive letter/partition.  If you move E: to the new partition, then delete E:, you could then extend C: using partitioning tools like Dell's ExtPart, GParted, or even a Vista/7/2008/2008R2 DVD (not Diskpart).

Resizing C: without first deleting E: is not possible without third-party software like Acronis Disk Director.

Server 2:

Same thing here, just using larger disks.  If you reconfigure your 3-disk RAID 5 by adding another 500GB drive (to a 4-disk RAID 5), then you could easily extend your E: drive to fill the Unallocated Space in Windows Disk Management.

Server 1:

Ok I think I can manage this one. Apparently I was misinformed on the drive size for both machines. They have ordered 2 - 1 TB drives one for each machine.

Server 2:

As I look at the DOMSA on this server I've got a ! within a yellow triangle.

Well, from the drop down list for Available tasks it does not show reconfigure. It's obvious someone else tried this at one point in time and messed it up. This server is a full Terminal Server. Do think it would be wise to just purchase another server to replace this one and start a migration. Once migration is complete just do a rebuild on it?

Virtual Disk 0 Degraded Available TasksDelete ...Assign/Unassign Dedicated Hot Spare ...BlinkUnblinkRename ...Change Policy ... Execute RAID-5 930.50GB Windows Disk 0 SATA No Read Ahead Write Back 64 KB

Not exactly sure what you're seeing exactly, but you don't need to replace the server if all it needs a a drive rebuild/replaced.  It will not show Reconfigure as an option if the array is degraded (failed drive) or there is a background initialization in progress.