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how do i upgrade my raid?

how do i upgrade my raid?


we presently have an G5 xserve with a raid array consisting of 4 200gb drives. We wish to add 1tb more to the array. what is the best configuration of drives I could use to get me this extra storage?


Thank you in advance.

XSERVE-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Sep 18, 2012 2:27 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Sep 19, 2012 3:08 AM

Hi


If it has 4x200GB drives I doubt it's a G5 XServe. G4 XServes came with 4 drive bays:


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=G4+XServe&num=10&hl=en&safe=active&tbm=isch&tbn id=Tx_BQfSMbHQXpM:&imgrefurl=http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mynd:Xserve_G4.jpg&doc id=Ge7tiMPbBXszxM&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Xser ve_G4.jpg&w=1296&h=194&ei=1I5ZUM_FEKiw0QWxnoF4&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=2&sig=11435170 9907505489238&page=1&tbnh=30&tbnw=198&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:82&tx =125&ty=10&biw=1404&bih=866


G5 and Intel XServes came with 3 drive bays:


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=G5+XServe&hl=en&safe=active&tbm=isch&tbnid=mUtn JPStUKFbYM:&imgrefurl=http://mac.sillydog.org/archives/000526.php&docid=y23nkcJQ 8uUdSM&imgurl=http://mac.sillydog.org/archives/pic/xserve20050104.gif&w=317&h=13 6&ei=845ZUJvzLKSm0QXwtYCACA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=909&vpy=654&dur=499&hovh=91&hovw= 212&tx=182&ty=36&sig=114351709907505489238&page=2&tbnh=91&tbnw=212&start=24&ndsp =30&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:24,i:220&biw=1404&bih=866


If it is the G4 XServe with 4 drive bays I very much doubt (a) it will support 1TB drives natively and (b) whether 1TB ATA/IDE were ever made and actually available?


I'm not in a position to search the web at the moment but I'm fairly certain there are still some 500GB IDE Drives available that may or may not work? You may want to read this Apple KB:


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1219?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US


If they do your next problem is how to update your current RAID configuration easily with no data loss and as little down time as possible. First thing would be to source the drives and prior to upgrading having a full and complete backup of everything that's important. You should be doing this anyway.


What RAID configuration(s) do you have?


HTH?


Tony

5 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 19, 2012 3:08 AM in response to wolf.dancing

Hi


If it has 4x200GB drives I doubt it's a G5 XServe. G4 XServes came with 4 drive bays:


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=G4+XServe&num=10&hl=en&safe=active&tbm=isch&tbn id=Tx_BQfSMbHQXpM:&imgrefurl=http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mynd:Xserve_G4.jpg&doc id=Ge7tiMPbBXszxM&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Xser ve_G4.jpg&w=1296&h=194&ei=1I5ZUM_FEKiw0QWxnoF4&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=2&sig=11435170 9907505489238&page=1&tbnh=30&tbnw=198&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:82&tx =125&ty=10&biw=1404&bih=866


G5 and Intel XServes came with 3 drive bays:


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=G5+XServe&hl=en&safe=active&tbm=isch&tbnid=mUtn JPStUKFbYM:&imgrefurl=http://mac.sillydog.org/archives/000526.php&docid=y23nkcJQ 8uUdSM&imgurl=http://mac.sillydog.org/archives/pic/xserve20050104.gif&w=317&h=13 6&ei=845ZUJvzLKSm0QXwtYCACA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=909&vpy=654&dur=499&hovh=91&hovw= 212&tx=182&ty=36&sig=114351709907505489238&page=2&tbnh=91&tbnw=212&start=24&ndsp =30&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:24,i:220&biw=1404&bih=866


If it is the G4 XServe with 4 drive bays I very much doubt (a) it will support 1TB drives natively and (b) whether 1TB ATA/IDE were ever made and actually available?


I'm not in a position to search the web at the moment but I'm fairly certain there are still some 500GB IDE Drives available that may or may not work? You may want to read this Apple KB:


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1219?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US


If they do your next problem is how to update your current RAID configuration easily with no data loss and as little down time as possible. First thing would be to source the drives and prior to upgrading having a full and complete backup of everything that's important. You should be doing this anyway.


What RAID configuration(s) do you have?


HTH?


Tony

Sep 19, 2012 7:57 AM in response to Antonio Rocco

Thanks Tony,


I have just taken over this system and the previous manager left me with very little information. He passed away suddenly, taking the Raid Admin passwords with him!


However I have now been handed more information - The XSERVE G5 has a separate SCSI RAID Array with 14 bays of which 4 are occupied giving a total of 800 gb storage. It is running Panther Server.


Backup is on a daily basis to a connected 1TB firewire drive using Retropect Remote.


The XSERVE boots from an 80GB SATA drive which is in one of the 3 onboard bays.


So to return to my question, if I wish to increase my storage by 1TB on this XSERVE configuration, what are my options, bearing in mind, I have a restricted budget?


Thanks in advance


Lewis

Sep 19, 2012 1:47 PM in response to wolf.dancing

Hi


"The XSERVE G5 has a separate SCSI RAID Array with 14 bays of which 4 are occupied giving a total of 800 gb storage."


That sounds like an XServe RAID Unit? Does it look like this:


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=XServe+RAID&num=10&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=-wl73Ct layTBlM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Xserve_RAID.jpg&docid=9pxry pAvxoLK-M&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Xserve_RAID. jpg&w=1296&h=416&ei=vS5aUMm-C4TG0QWCnYGgBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=127&vpy=201&dur=36 4&hovh=95&hovw=296&tx=249&ty=64&sig=114351709907505489238&page=1&tbnh=62&tbnw=19 4&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:73&biw=1402&bih=855


If it is the one above then it's not a SCSI device. It will be connected to the XServe via Fibre Channel.


To answer your original question it would make more sense if you expanded the XServe RAID unit. You can still purchase additional ADMs on eBay:


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=xserve+raid


Which may be your best bet?


HTH?


Tony

how do i upgrade my raid?

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