IBM x3550 RAID 1 Expansion

[danprs]

My experience with RAID 1 is that it's usually expandable by replacing one drive, let it re-sync, replace the second drive, let it re-sync. And this way we can change the storage value of the volume.

I'd just like to ask if you guys have experience doing this with the x3550 7978 server. Or if it's possible. I've found some limited documentation and I'd like to confirm my suspicion before jumping the gun.

 

[drtweak]

It depends more so if it is a hardware or software RAID. Software RAID this could be possible (Done software RAID like 2 or 3 times in my life) but with Hardware RAID I don't think it is possible. When you make a Hardware RAID you also set the RAID Size so it doesn't matter if you add bigger hard drives or not.

Now depending on the RAID card which I have never come across one, maybe once you upgrade the drives the way you said it might be possible to then expand it but i doubt it.

The real question is though, IF you could then expand the partition size, would it then try to initilize again and the erase the whole disk?

 

[danprs]

My course of action is to capture an image of that volume prior to touching it. Then if anything I can always create a new volume from scratch wit the new drives and clone it from the back up. I'm hoping I don't have to do all of that.

 

[drtweak]

Yea best action would most likely be making an image, make a new RAID 1, and reimage it back. Doesn't matter if the partitioning size of the image is smaller because the new RAID will see the who size of the new drives and you can just use windows to expand the partition.