Server admin question (raid-5, spanned/stripped volumes...)

Discussion in 'Site & Server Administration' started by DSR, Jan 20, 2006.

  1. #1
    Hi everyone,

    I have a tech question. In my server, i have 12 drives on a raid-5 and they're split into 3 volumes (OS, data volume and a small volume with nothing on it). I also have an older (external) compaq storageworks system with 14 drives in it which i believe is raid-5 (system was setup years before i got here).

    The compaq system is running out of room. The data volume on the server has a ton of space. I woudl like to join these two together (wiping them out is no prob, i'm backing all the data up as i type this)

    How can this be accomplished? Everything i read says i can't extend/span a raid5 volume. I'm hoping there's a trick or osmethign out there that will give me what i need.

    Thanks everyone! :)
     
    DSR, Jan 20, 2006 IP
  2. tonyrocks

    tonyrocks Active Member

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    #2
    if it's not expanding the system drive, you should be able to use windows disk manager. right click on my computer, go to manage, and there's disk management.

    it will let you unmount the drives, and I think re-partition and then re-mount. but obviously you can't touch the system drive w/ that

    if it's system drive, you need to expand, Partition Magic (<$100) is supposed to be able to re-partition w/o destroying the data

    but I would make sure everything is backed up in case you have to rebuild! :D

    re-partitioning system drive is dangerous!
     
    tonyrocks, Jan 20, 2006 IP
  3. DSR

    DSR Member

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    #3
    Thanks for the info. We decided it wasn't worth it and to get a snap server with 1tb of space. That should hold usfor now :)
     
    DSR, Jan 21, 2006 IP
  4. tonyrocks

    tonyrocks Active Member

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    #4
    heck yeah, that looks like a much better option :)
     
    tonyrocks, Jan 21, 2006 IP