HP Proliant DL380 G4 (Windows 2003 standard)

[networkmanager]

I wonder if someone can help me please.

My file server is an HP Proliant DL380 G4 server with 6 x 72.3GB Ultra Wide320SCSI (the previous NM set this up) with C: drive = 70GB and E: drive = 135 GB, the staff home folder lives on the E: volume.

With just 20GB free space left on E:, I'm thinking of increasing the disk subsystem to 146GB x 6 drives rather than getting a brand new server.

Now my question is, will I need to re-install the OS (Windows 2K3 Standard) to achieve this purpose or do I just replace the disks one after the other - straight through?

Any other advice is welcome.

Thanks a lot.

[mattx]

Before you go and increase the size of the partitions / get extra discs etc - have you gone through some of the data on the E: drive just to see whats being held on it ? MP3s, AVIs, images, large Bitmaps, tmp files etc etc - any profile info in re-directed folders held on it ?
Its amazing what you can clear up. Just a thought - you may have gone through the drive already....
I take it the RAID is hardware controlled and is a raid 5 ?

[CyberNerd]

It depends upon the raid configuration. You must first check the config either in the raid bios or using the hp tool (can't remember it's name, but it does raid config).

I suspect the C:\ may be a mirrored disk and E:\ is on a separate raid 5 with a hot spare. If the C:\ is on a separate raid device you should be able to delete the E:\, replace the E:\ disks, rebuild the raid then copy the data back keeping the OS intact. If the C:\ and E:\ are part of the same raid, then its rebuild time.

Edit: forgot to add - if C:\ is mirrored then only get the 4 drives

[networkmanager]

Thanks for your suggestion, I've actually gone through the volume to clear up un-needed mp3 etc - initially there was only 13GB left. Music and Art teachers are always guilty of this one!

[networkmanager]

@Cybernerd

Cheers for your response - it's time to dig in to find what the RAID config is, I don't even have the Smart CDs or System CDs for this server, will have a look on HP's. I'll let you know my findings. Ta.

[Ric_]

You can get into the magical tools at boot time on HP servers (assuming that they are set up right). IIRC the RAID controllers on HP servers also have tools within Windows for viewing/editing the configuration.

As mentioned above, if you are lucky you will have a mirrored C: and then the remaining 4 disks will be RAID5 in which case you just need a good backup and you can swap the discs over and restore the backup.

Notice that the key words above are GOOD and BACKUP!!!

[networkmanager]

@Cybernerd, just a quick ques, what's the easiest way to find out if C: drive is mirrored ?

[CyberNerd]

I assumed it was mirrored because it's 70GB and the 135GB E:\ would work out as 3*73 Raid5 with a hot spare.

As ric said check in the boot bios. or I think this is the tool:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...428aa9d6d7d953

[networkmanager]

Thanks for that, I'll have a go and let you know.

[networkmanager]

Just had a look at the HP Array Config Utility on this server, it looks like this;

SMART ARRAY 6i CONTROLLER IN EMBEDDED SLOT
+ Parallel SCSI Array A - (LOGICAL DRIVE 1, 69459MB RAID 1+0)
*72.8GB Parallel SCSI Drive @ Port 2: SCSI ID 0
*72.8GB Parallel SCSI Drive @ Port 2: SCSI ID 1
+ Parallel SCSI Array B WITH SPARE - (LOGICAL DRIVE 2, 138919MB RAID 5)
*72.8GB Parallel SCSI Drive @ Port 2: SCSI ID 2
*72.8GB Parallel SCSI Drive @ Port 2: SCSI ID 3
*72.8GB Parallel SCSI Drive @ Port 2: SCSI ID 4
*72.8GB Parallel SCSI Drive @ Port 2: SCSI ID 5 (SPARE)

Now can I possibly replace the drives on SCSI ID 2 to SCSI ID 5 without the need for complete OS re-install?

Thanks all!

[CyberNerd]

Try popping out the disks, and see if it boots

[networkmanager]

Nice one -

[john]

You can pop 2-5 out and replace them but you will loose access to the E drive if you take them all out. If you take them out and replace them with bigger ones and set it up again in the Array Config Manager and restore your backup to it your cooking with gas.

[d-farah]

Hi all,

I have HP DL380 G4 proliant and a couple of weeks ago i had rebooted the server and i found the error message which says that (Replace disk immediately to avoid the loss) the server has three disks two mirrored as 1 disk and other configure standard also i have 1 spare hot swap disk but my problem is, how could identify the predictive failure disk on the server. when i run HP configuration utility it only shows that physical drive 2:2 failure but nothing else.

I need help please...... can antone help this please.

Many thanks

Dualeh

[john]

I assume they are hot swap SCSI drives, has the red Bin icon not light up on the front of any of the drives?