Re: Spanning System Volume

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Bjorn Landemoo (mvp2.REMOVE_at_landemoo.com)
Date: 06/13/04 

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 17:42:14 +0200

Ahh, so you still need contiguous space directly after the system volume?
So, what happens, then, when you span, is that Veritas updates the hard
link in the partition table, resulting in one larger contiguous system
volume? Else, if the volume would have two underlying volumes that where
spanned, funny things might happen during early stages of boot, if boot
files happened to be located on the second - not hard linked - underlying
volume.

I'm sure that the product is very handy in enterprise environments, but it
might be too much for small companies with an administrator that
miscalculated the needed space for their system volume.

Best regards

Bjorn 

-- 
Bjorn Landemoo - mvp2@landemoo.com - http://landemoo.com/
Microsoft MVP (Windows Server - File System)
"Joseph J. Hand" <joseph.hand@veritas.com> wrote:
>Yes, that is correct. There are still some caveats... like the need for
>contiguous space, etc... but, if you are building a cluster or some other
>real critical type of environment, you will welcome the "Dynamic Disk"
>capabilities... mirror the boot/system drive to the SAN, mirror the data
>volumes to a dissimilar, cheaper disk array cabinet, without having to spend
>7M on expensive, identical hardware... Software can be useful.
>
>700 is list price, I think... for Standard Server...
>
>(Sales Pitch Over...) :)
>
>jh
>
>
>"Bjorn Landemoo" <mvp2.REMOVE@landemoo.com> wrote in message
>news:q3koc0pblogm1iod1ej3jguhk5mk1bqmtr@4ax.com...
>> Joseph
>>
>> Is that "VERITAS Storage Foundation for Windows"?
>>
>> I have seen more than one user converting their disk to dynamic and then
>> expecting to be able to extend the system volume. Would upgrading to
>> Veritas (for, how much is it, $700?) in this situation give them this
>> possibility?
>>
>> If that is the case, this upgrade would probably be a better option than a
>> backup and restore to solve the problem.
>>
>> And, yes, this feature would really be welcome in the base version...
>>
>> Best regards
>>
>> Bjorn
>> -- 
>> Bjorn Landemoo - mvp2@landemoo.com - http://landemoo.com/
>> Microsoft MVP (Windows Server - File System)
>>
>> "Joseph J. Hand" <joseph.hand@veritas.com> wrote:
>>
>> >My Bad...
>> >
>> >I work for VERITAS... this is possible in the upgraded version of Disk
>> >Management that we sell. One of those features that seem like it should
>be
>> >in the base version and me getting confused due to too many bits of
>> >information stuck in the old noggin...
>> >
>> >jh
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >"Bjorn Landemoo" <mvp2.REMOVE@landemoo.com> wrote in message
>> >news:hsrmc05ejiqsiha7rdt4kj8i6souv353br@4ax.com...
>> >> Joseph
>> >>
>> >> You cannot span the system volume, according to this MS Knowledge Base
>> >> article:
>> >>
>> >> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=323442
>> >>
>> >> Another thing, you can use RAID1 (mirroring) on your system volume, as
>> >this
>> >> article explains:
>> >>
>> >> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=323432
>> >>
>> >> Diskpart.exe seems to be one of the better options in Carey's case.
>> >>
>> >> Best regards
>> >>
>> >> Bjorn
>> >> -- 
>> >> Bjorn Landemoo - mvp2@landemoo.com - http://landemoo.com/
>> >> Microsoft MVP (Windows Server - File System)
>> >>
>> >> "Joseph J. Hand" <joseph.hand@veritas.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >The system volume can be made dynamic. The rules are simple, you can
>not
>> >> >make a system volume into a RAID1 or RAID5, but you can grow it by
>> >> >concatenating (spanning). Since the LUN you present is already RAID5
>via
>> >> >hardware, you should be able to grow it at the hardware level, rescan
>the
>> >> >bus, convert it to dynamic, and expand it without a hitch.
>> >> >
>> >> >The utility you spoke of is called DISKPART.EXE. It should not be
>needed
>> >> >here.
>> >> >
>> >> >jh
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >"Carey" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> >news:1b67d01c44fe6$1ebcd260$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>> >> >> We expanded our Raid 5 array from 135Gb to 208Gb.
>> >> >> In Disk Management, the disks are basic, and im curious if
>> >> >> it is possible to span the c: drive or SYSTEM volume if I
>> >> >> convert disk 0 to dynamic disks.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I was told MS actually makes a utility that will do this.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Any insight is appreciated.
>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >
>>
>