Adding a drive to an existing RAID5 Array.

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Adding a drive to an existing RAID5 Array.

I've added a new drive to an existing RAID5 configuration, expanded the Array with the RAID Admin utility. It recognizes it, looks good, all green. However, I'm at a loss on how to make the OS recognize the expanded array size. I'd very much like to get the new drive space available for users. I think I've done this about 2 years ago, but can't find my documentation for it. There used to be a KB article on it, but it was nearly impossible to find with out the help of support.

Can someone direct me at that, or walk me through what I need in order to get the added drive space in the array recognized by the server OS?

MacBook Pro 15" 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.7), 4G RAM

Posted on Jun 19, 2009 9:47 AM

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Answer 1

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georgeeo

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Jun 19, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Lionchild

Before expanding and slicing you'll need to do a backup, here's the link.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=RaidAdmin/2.0/en/ra30.html

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Answer 2

Lionchild Author

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Jun 19, 2009 10:46 AM in response to georgeeo

Thanks for the reference! However, I've already expanded the array. The RAID Admin tool shows the new drive added to the array, however, from the Finder, the size of the drive array hasn't changed. As I recall, there's a 2nd step to get the Finder/Server OS to see the additional drive space, and can't find that piece of documentation.

Once the array has been expanded with RAID Admin, how do I get the Finder/Server OS to see the additional drive space?

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Answer 3

georgeeo

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Jun 19, 2009 11:42 AM in response to Lionchild

You can only expand once, so I assume this is the first.
In RAID Admin.
To complete the expansion procedure by merging, return to the Advanced window, select Slicing, and merge the slices on the array that you just expanded.

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Answer 4

Lionchild Author

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Jun 19, 2009 12:38 PM in response to georgeeo

This array has been expanded twice before already, it's had 2 x 500G HD's added in separate events, neither of which do I recall the 'slicing' option you're referring to. I see it in the RAID Admin tool, 1.5.1 that I'm using on this server, but the second half of making a drive ready for a RAID5 array didn't involve the RAID Admin tool. At least that's how I remember it.

So, what you're telling me is that if I've already added drives previously, I can't add again? That doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't I be able to add more drives to an array if it wasn't full yet?

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Answer 5

Jun 19, 2009 3:14 PM in response to Lionchild

This doesn't tend to work well, if at all. Is this a GPT formatted volume on an Intel Xserve? That's the only case where it has the slightest chance of actually working. Otherwise, to get the OS to recognize the space, you need to reformat.

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Answer 6

georgeeo

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Jun 19, 2009 3:16 PM in response to Lionchild

Well you can expand again or as many times as you wish, but the drives will be cleared of any information stored on it previously.
Best!

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Answer 7

Lionchild Author

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94 points

Jun 22, 2009 1:53 PM in response to William Lloyd

No, it's a older G4 XServe with an XRAID attached to it.

I don't think I'm explaining myself very well, because I've successfully expanded this RAID5 array in the XRAID box before without reformatting.

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Answer 8

Lionchild Author

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Jun 22, 2009 1:55 PM in response to georgeeo

I'm not sure how I successfully expanded this RAID5 array in the XRAID box previously, however, it has been done, thus my request for some assistance.

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Answer 9

Jun 22, 2009 2:20 PM in response to Lionchild

You'd be the first.

Mac OS X on PowerPC machines does not support growable file systems, so I don't know how you could have done this if it was formatted as HFS+.

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Answer 10

Lionchild Author

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Jun 22, 2009 2:22 PM in response to William Lloyd

I wish I could remember! :-/ Apple Support walked me through it the first time, and it was a 2-part event. First the expansion, which I've done, then there was a KB article they pointed me at, but I can't find that anymore, and it was hard to find the first time.

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Answer 11

Lionchild Author

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Jun 23, 2009 7:22 AM in response to georgeeo

Georgeeo --

I haven't been able to find the RAID Admin 2.0 for download, just 1.51. Do you happen to know where I can catch that download from?

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Answer 12

Lionchild Author

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Jun 23, 2009 7:26 AM in response to William Lloyd

William -- I misspoke previously. The XServe is a Dual 2.3GHz G5.

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Answer 13

Lionchild Author

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Jun 23, 2009 9:26 AM in response to Lionchild

Updated information --

The G5 XServer reports that the XRAID is showing 1.82 TB on the RAID5 side, and RAID Admin (1.51) reports that this RAID5 side has 1 slice and 2.27 TB. If I were supposed to join slices, wouldn't it show 2 slices instead of just 1?

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Answer 14

Lionchild Author

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Jun 23, 2009 10:23 AM in response to Lionchild

I just spoke with Apple support and the turned me on to KB Article: http://support.apple.com/kb/TA23145?viewlocale=en_US

The bottom line is that at this point, the party line is you have to backup, reformat, then restore. It sounds like you were both driving me in the right direction, which I didn't want to go in, but now will have to.

Additionally, the current version of RAID Admin is 1.5.1. Version 2.0 was up and valid for a while, then mysteriously disappeared and is no longer available.

Message was edited by: Lionchild

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Answer 15

Jun 23, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Lionchild

There was never a version 2.0 of RAID Admin. Version 1.5.1 is the most recent. I am 100% certain of this.

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