Best Way to Setup Partitions

[Cache]

Hi all

I'm busy setting up the new server at the moment before I start tackling Backup Exec (because I'm not fully awake yet so wouldn't put up a good fight).

I have created my Raid 5 drive and now need to setup the partitions. I'm wanting the best way to do it so that I can extend the drives if needed.

Should I leave the disks as basic, then partition the drive as needed leaving space after each drive to allow it to be extended if I need it or is there a better way to do it?

Thanks!

[richardp]

I wouldn't bother trying to leave space like that to be honest. I would make sure you give yourself a decent OS partition, something like 50 - 100 Gb, as a lot of people tend to only allocate 10Gb (especially if setup by a support company or supplier) which is not enough. Then either one other large partition for everything else or your best estimates for any other partitions.

[Cache]

Thanks

Have allocated 60GB to drive C so that should hold.

I'll allocate the partitions and leave the one most likely to increase at the end.

Is it dynamic disks that allow you to extend using space anywhere on the disk? If so are there any problems using Dynamic Disks on a Hardware Raid 5 setup?

[joe90bass]

Thanks

Is it dynamic disks that allow you to extend using space anywhere on the disk? If so are there any problems using Dynamic Disks on a Hardware Raid 5 setup?

On my 2008 box the disks are all basic, and I can extend the C drive on Disk 0 using the 3GB which is unallocated on Disk 0. I can't, as I'd expect, extend the D drive on Disk 1 using the unallocated space on Drive 0. I'll try and dig out the info on how I set this server up. I think it's RAID 5

[mjs_mjs]

Thanks

Is it dynamic disks that allow you to extend using space anywhere on the disk? If so are there any problems using Dynamic Disks on a Hardware Raid 5 setup?

Yes they need to be dynamic(in 2003) to be able to extend while active(in use), or shrink in 2008(r2). i run dynamic disks on raid 0, 1 and 5, all hardware - no issues seen.

[Cache]

On my 2008 box the disks are all basic, and I can extend the C drive on Disk 0 using the 3GB which is unallocated on Disk 0. I can't, as I'd expect, extend the D drive on Disk 1 using the unallocated space on Drive 0. I'll try and dig out the info on how I set this server up. I think it's RAID 5

This could be where I've gone wrong.

I have a Raid 5 Array which has come up with 1 Disk only rather then 2/3 so probably my own mistake.

Thanks all.

Edit: Sat and spent another 30 mins playing with my virtual machines and I've got my Basic and Dynamic Disks all mixed up, all straight in my head now so will create the partitions and then convert to a dynamic disk at a later date if I need to in order to extend other partitions.

Thanks again!