Upgrade RAID 1 to larger drives...

[Nitrocrusher]

Currently my server has (2) 250 GB hard drives in a RAID 1 configuration and I'm running out of space and need to upgrade to larger drives. The server currently is running on Server 2003 and has a Promise TX4310 raid controller and (2) hot swap bays. The following is what I am assuming is the easiest method for moving the array to the larger drives.

1) Mirror the smaller drive onto the larger drive using DriveImage or similar software.
2) Install now mirrored larger drive into main drive bay and extend the partition to take up the full available drive space.
3) Do the same to another drive and then let the array auto-rebuild.

I've never had to do this before so any assistance would be helpful. Of course I will have a full backup of the drive, just in case anything happens. Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[Nitrocrusher]

Not sure if this is the best place for this question, but anyone able to help?

 

[Trotter]

You can use either Ghost or Partition Magic to copy a drive and expand the partition to encompass the whole drive (maybe both). Once you get them copied, shut down and swap them out.

That would be what I would do with it, but I haven't messed with RAID.

 

[Harper]

I have done this a few times.

1. Break the drive mirror. Remove one of thes orginal hard drives.
2. Install 1x larger hard drive
3. Use programs like Norton's Ghost (or some other drive copying program) to copy the OS and the contents of your drive.
4. Remove the other orginal hard drive
5. Check to make sure you can boot up from your new drive.
6. Install the second new hard drive
7. Boot up into your RAID unlitity and create and rebuild your drive mirror again.

In a nutshell, it's copy one drive accross, then rebuild the next.


When it comes down to RAID, I rather use an seperate Adaptec Card as appose to an onboard RAID card.
Reason being is that I can easily migrate that RAID Card and RAID drives from one machine to another.
I also like the tools that come with this adapect RAID card. One of these tools being the ability to rebuild a RAID Drive and still have people accessing the data at the same time.


The other thing that i don't like doing with RAID is having the OS and DATA on the same drive. Virus normally attack the OS Partition or the hard drive with the OS on it. So lets say you use your Parition Table, you will loose it on both your drives and your data.
Operating Systems can be in-reinstalled. You might has come down time, but aleast you will be up and running agian soon. Your data on the other hand. Once it's gone, it vary hard to get back.