Re: Adding New Disks

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"Matthew White" <MatthewWhite@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:5BCB9AEE-2860-49AE-B3BE-15E435448E2F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,

I have a client with a Dell server running W2K3 SBE. He has no hardware
RAID, the RAID is setup through Windows Disk Management. He is out of
space
and needs to add new disks. When I have this issue with a server that has
a
RAID controller, I can easily add new disks, let the mirror rebuild, and
then
extend the partition. However, here I don't have this option. Is there a
recommended way to add 2 new disks to the current Windows Mirrored set
without having to rebuild the box?

Software mirroring cannot be combined with any other RAID or advanced
volume type in software.

Mirroring doesn't allow for extending the current partition (short of
backup/rebuild/restore.)

With an ordinary volume (on a Dynamic Disk) you can extend into
a Volume set.

You can add the new disks for this, and you might gain some advantage
by moving large (non-System) directory trees to the new disk and using
"LinkD.exe" (Free from Microsoft Resource Kit tools online) to link
the current directory location to the new one.

Example:

Copy (e.g., Xcopy /s) all of C:\Program files to F:\Programs Files (or
even
F:\Programs)

Remove old copy of program files

Linkd the current location to the new one:

linkd "C:\Program files" to "F:\Programs Files"

This puts the contents of Program Files on new disk space without disturbing
existing programs.

You can also put the Cache file (or most of it ) there, Temp directories,
and
perhaps Profiles also.

You cannot do this type of thing for %SystemRoot% or most system directories
within it, especially not System32.


--
Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
http://www.LearnQuick.Com
(phone on web site)


.

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