adding disk space to RAID?

[Gill Cooper]

Server currently has 3 x 9Gb disks, RAIDed together and partitioned as C: (800mb) and D: (the rest)
I need to install 2 x 4Gb disks and configure them as C: (mirror set)

The question is: can this be done without a total rebuild?

For example
1) install new 4Gb disk(s)
2) boot up and name this disk E:
3) Copy NT etc from C: to E:
4) Fdisk and set E: as active partition
5) Boot off E:
6) Rename C: to F: or whatever
7) Rename E: to C:
8) Create mirror set for C:

I think this bit may work, but what happens to the disk space that was previously 800mb C:? Can it become part of D: or just sit there unused for ever more?
thanks

[Stuart Farr]

Hi Gill,

This is just begging for a disaster. When you reboot with E: as the active partition the NT system will still be looking for "C:program files" and "C:winnt" for all your explorer and shared MS Apps info (not to mention stuff that uses INI files). You will be lucky to get the system to boot back up without causing damage to your INI's and the registry.


>3)Copy NT etc from C: to E:
>4) Fdisk and set E: as active partition
>5) Boot off E:

I would proceed in one of two ways:

A: Install your new disks as drive E: Install a fresh copy of NT onto this and then run with this setup as a dual boot machine for a while. Once you are completely happy with the new NT setup, delete the old drive C: and free it up for your swap file or something else rather large. Remeber that NT will sit very happily on drive E:, it does not need to be drive C: - Don't rename it back to C: This will be a faily low risk soloution as you will always be able to reboot into the previous version of NT at any time.

B: Backup EVERYTHING, then setup the disks and NT as required, then restore all your data. This will of course depende on how trust worthy you think your backup soloution is! This will by far be the tidiest and will help clean your machine out a little as well, but it is also of the highest risk.


All the best


Stuart

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Gill Cooper at 8/6/99 6:00:25 AM

Server currently has 3 x 9Gb disks, RAIDed together and partitioned as C: (800mb) and D: (the rest)
I need to install 2 x 4Gb disks and configure them as C: (mirror set)

The question is: can this be done without a total rebuild?

For example
1) install new 4Gb disk(s)
2) boot up and name this disk E:
3) Copy NT etc from C: to E:
4) Fdisk and set E: as active partition
5) Boot off E:
6) Rename C: to F: or whatever
7) Rename E: to C:
8) Create mirror set for C:

I think this bit may work, but what happens to the disk space that was previously 800mb C:? Can it become part of D: or just sit there unused for ever more?
thanks