PowerEdge: How to Reconfigure a Virtual Disk or Add More Hard Drives.
Summary: This article shows how to add additional disks to a virtual disk or reconfigure a virtual disk.
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Instructions
Note: If you have multiple Virtual Disks (VD) created on the same set of disks or you have a RAID 50 or RAID 60, the operation to reconfigure fails. Please note further that reconfiguration and capacity expansion is non-data destructive as an operation. If there are underlying issues with the RAID array, data can be lost, so please ensure a tested backup is available before starting any operation.
Caution: Reconfiguring Virtual Disks typically impacts disk performance until the reconfiguration operation is complete. It is highly recommended that the procedure is done during a maintenance window.
What is Online Capacity Expansion (OCE)?
Online Capacity Expansion is a process that allows a virtual disk's capacity to be expanded to existing free space on the disk group or the hard drives it contains. It also allows for new hard drives to be added to a disk group to expand the capacity of the virtual disk. The process allows for expansion without the requirement of re-creating the virtual disk.
What is RAID Level Migration (RLM)?
RAID Level Migration is the process of changing a virtual disk's RAID level while not requiring the virtual disk to be re-created. Physical disks can and sometimes must be added to fulfill the requirements of the new RAID level.
You can find a table of RAID level migration options in the Additional Information part of this article.
Steps:
- Access the BIOS by F2 > Device Settings
Figure 1: Expand Virtual Disk Step 1
- Select RAID Controller
Figure 2: Expand Virtual Disk Step 2
- In the Dashboard view, select Main Menu
Figure 3: Expand Virtual Disk Step 3
- Select Virtual Disk Management
Figure 4: Expand Virtual Disk Step 4
- Select the virtual disk to be changed
Figure 5: Expand Virtual Disk Step 5
- In the drop-down, select Reconfigure Virtual Disks and press GO button
Figure 6: Expand Virtual Disk Step 6
- Select the RAID Level and level and press button Choose the Operation
Figure 7: Expand Virtual Disk Step 7
- Select the disks to be added at VD and press button Apply Changes.
Figure 8: Expand Virtual Disk Step 8
- Confirm the operation and click in YES.
Figure 9: Expand Virtual Disk Step 9
- Press the button Start Operation
Figure 10: Expand Virtual Disk Step 10
- Press button OK to complete the operation.
Figure 11: Expand Virtual Disk Step 11
- To view, see the status of the virtual disk
Figure 12: Expand Virtual Disk Step 12
After the reconstruction starts, the system can be left in the RAID BIOS until complete, or the system can be rebooted into the operating system.
Note: If the system is rebooted into the operating system, the system performance is impacted until the rebuild has been completed.
Additional Information
Related articles and videos:
How to change the RAID Level or Size of a configured Virtual Disk.
Duration: 00:01:22 (hh:mm:ss)
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Possible RAID Level Migrations:
Note:
- The controller changes the write-cache policy of all virtual disks undergoing an RLM/OCE to Write-Through until the RLM/OCE is complete.
- Spanned virtual disks such as RAID 50 and 60 cannot be reconfigured.
| Source RAID | Target RAID | Required Number of Physical Disks (Beginning) | Number of Physical Disks (End) | Capacity Expansion Possible | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | RAID 0 | 1 | 2 or more | Yes | Increases capacity |
| RAID 0 | RAID 1 | 1 | 2 | No | Converts nonredundant virtual disk into a mirrored virtual disk by adding one disk. |
| RAID 0 | RAID 5 | 1 or more | 3 or more | Yes | At least one drive must be added for distributed parity data. |
| RAID 0 | RAID 6 | 1 or more | 4 or more | Yes | At least two drives must be added for dual distributed parity data. |
| RAID 1 | RAID 0 | 2 | 2 or more | Yes | Removes redundancy while increasing capacity. |
| RAID 1 | RAID 5 | 2 | 3 or more | Yes | Maintains redundancy while doubling capacity. |
| RAID 1 | RAID 6 | 2 | 4 or more | Yes | Two drives must be added for distributed parity data. |
| RAID 5 | RAID 0 | 3 or more | 3 or more | Yes | Converts to a nonredundant virtual disk and reclaims disk space that is used for distributed parity data. |
| RAID 5 | RAID 5 | 3 | 4 or more | Yes | It increases capacity by adding disks. |
| RAID 5 | RAID 6 | 3 or more | 4 or more | Yes | At least one drive must be added for dual distributed parity data. |
| RAID 6 | RAID 0 | 4 or more | 4 or more | Yes | Converts to a nonredundant virtual disk and reclaims disk space that is used for distributed parity data. |
| RAID 6 | RAID 5 | 4 or more | 4 or more | Yes | Removes one set of parity data and reclaims the disk space that is used for it. |
| RAID 6 | RAID 6 | 4 | 5 or more | Yes | It increases capacity by adding disks. |
| RAID 10 | RAID 10 | Less than 32 | 32 | Yes | It increases capacity by adding disks. |
Note: If the controller already contains the maximum number of virtual disks, you cannot perform a RAID level migration or capacity expansion on any virtual disk.
Affected Products
PowerEdge RAID Controller H345, PowerEdge RAID Controller H350 Adapter SAS, PowerEdge RAID Controller H355 Front SAS, PowerEdge RAID Controller H355 Adapter SAS, PowerEdge RAID Controller H730P MX, PowerEdge RAID Controller H745
, PowerEdge RAID Controller H745P MX, PowerEdge RAID Controller H750 Adapter SAS, PowerEdge RAID Controller H755 Adapter, PowerEdge RAID Controller H755 MX Adapter, PowerEdge RAID Controller H755N Front NVMe, PowerEdge RAID Controller H755 Front SAS, PowerEdge RAID Controller H965i Adapter, PowerEdge RAID Controller H965i Front, PowerEdge RAID Controller H965i MX, PowerEdge R330, PowerEdge R340, PowerEdge R430, PowerEdge R440, PowerEdge R530, PowerEdge R530xd, PowerEdge R540, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R6515, PowerEdge R720, PowerEdge R730, PowerEdge R730xd, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge R740XD, PowerEdge R740XD2, PowerEdge R7415, PowerEdge R7425, PowerEdge R7515, PowerEdge R830, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R930, PowerEdge R940, PowerEdge R940xa, PowerEdge RAID Controller H330, PowerEdge RAID Controller H730, PowerEdge RAID Controller H730P, PowerEdge RAID Controller H740P, PowerEdge RAID Controller H830, PowerEdge RAID Controller H840, PowerEdge RAID Controller H965e Adapter, PowerEdge T30, PowerEdge T340, PowerEdge T430, PowerEdge T440, PowerEdge T640
...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000116592
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 28 Oct 2024
Version: 16
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