Adding a 4th Disk to a RAID 5 with 3 Disks

Question

I have a Dell PowerEdge T320 ( ) that is running Raid 5 with three Dell Savvio 10K.6 300GB HDDs using the Dell PERC H710 SCSI controller and BIOS Configuration Utility 4.04-003. I have two extra Savvio 10K.6 300GB HDDs, and want to add one of them to the current 3 disk set for a total of 4 disks. I was told that adding an additional drive could or should increase performance from the drives by as much as 20% to 30%.

So, I just want to confirm the correct method to accomplish this? I have already backed up the system.

Should I use the CTRL+R during boot up or run the OMSA (OpenManage Server Administrator) from Windows to accomplish this?

What are the steps for making the disk become a member to the current disk set?

Thank you

Mike

DELL-Joey C · Accepted Answer

Hi @Modify_inc,

H710 supports OCE (Online Capacity Expansion), hence you can add 1 or more drives to your existing RAID5. You can refer to this article https://dell.to/3yAPlD5 on how to add the drive into your existing RAID. Since you mentioned you have already done data back up, I need not advice you to do one full data back up. You can do to configure via both Ctrl+R or OMSA.

Ref: Page 10 OCE https://dell.to/3yDiMUZ

DELL-Charles R · Answer

Hello Modify_inc,

Yes you could use the controller BIOS. I think that is what Joey was showing on the link

Ref: Page 10 OCE https://dell.to/3yDiMUZ

Note the your Source and Target RAID Level should remain 5 since you are not changing raid level, you are expanding a RAID 5.

Modify_inc · Answer

Thank you, I will follow the link.

You mentioned at the end that I could "configure via both Ctrl+R or OMSA."

Before I read your reply, I was checking around this forum and came across the following post, though they were using a PowerEdge R510 with a PERC 6/i controller. One of the replies stated you could not use the Ctrl+R utility, that you must use OSMA. So, you are certain I can use the Ctrl+R utility for my model, that is if I decide to, as I'll likely just use OSMA?

https://www.dell.com/community/PowerEdge-HDD-SCSI-RAID/Add-a-disk-in-a-raid-5/td-p/4705241

Modify_inc · Answer

I just realized these extra bays on the server do not contain the required trays or caddies to house any extra drives. The little trays/caddies that usually come already attached with the drives I have purchased to replace a failed drive are always to small and do not fit, requiring me to remove them and then screw them into the much bigger tray/caddy that came included with the server when purchased.

Searching online, this appears to be what I need, but I would like someone from Dell to confirm before I purchase:

Dell 2FKGH Hard Drive Hybrid Tray SAS

DELL-Charles R · Answer

Hello Modify_inc,   That does look like it is validated for the T320.

DELL-Charles R · Answer

Hello Modify_inc,

Yes you can use the controller BIOS or OMSA to create a RAID0 of the drive and initialize it also.

If you miss the initialization while creating the array you use Windows Disk Management to initialize it.

Solution 1. Try to initialize the hard drive

https://www.diskpart.com/disk-management/external-hard-drive-not-initialized-4348.html

Modify_inc · Answer

Apparently you can't just simply insert a drive into one of the free slots on the front backplane and expect to use it as a regular drive, like for backups.

So, with knowing this, can I create a separate RAID or VD for only this drive, so I can then use it to make a full, complete system backup of the current RAID 5?

I started to try this, but then I got the message "It is recommended that all newly created logical drives be initialized...etc..." I couldn't find any place to initialize it, so I canceled to be safe.

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

Adding a 4th Disk to a RAID 5 with 3 Disks

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