how to clone mirrored scsi drives to larger array on win2k3 domain controller
proliant ml310
Domain Controller (only dc in forest)
AHA2940UW/2 scsi drives mirrored
the drives have 2 partitions - c: containing the os (win2k3 std) and f: containing the shared data
problem: drive f: is running out of room. Client has asked me to increase the storage on f:. I don't want to make any changes to the way users connect to their existing shares on f:. I am looking for the best way to accomplish this. Price is a concern for them so I am considering using a sata controller w/2 500gb sata drive in a mirrored array.
Thanks in advance.
Software/Hardware used:
Software/Hardware used:
ASKED:
August 18, 2008 8:36 PM
UPDATED:
August 19, 2008 3:50 PM
Answer Wiki:
Best way is to get bigger drives, SCSI to match your existing ones, large as possible with the controller/mboard
then use something like StorageCraft Shadowprotect (acronis will do it too) to image the drives to USB,
put the new disks in, re-create the array,
Boot from the Shadowprotect CD, use it to create a C drive of at least the size of the old one, restore the c partition
You will probably have to reboot again, boot from the CD, then create an f partition of as large as possible, restore the f partition from the image you took earlier. Done.....
If you have a problem and need to put a new disk controller in etc, then the above product will allow you to do a HIR (hardware independant Restore), and insert the new drive controller drivers to prevent you getting a HAL error as soon as you try and reboot.
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Thanks Elegant
The client wants to go cheap.
Do you think this would work? If I chose to mirror a C: image and a F: to usb w/ acronis enterprise (already own that) then installed a sata controller used its bios utility to create a C: array and then booted to acronis and did an hir restore of the c: image to the newly created c: drive. Then after verifying the system is booting restore the f drive.
also any foreseeable issues because it is a pdc?
The PDC side of things shouldnt matter, as far as the Active Directory is concerned it wont care (It isnt NT is it? Not sure of the entire method if that is the case!) that there is a larger c and/or f drive to play with. You only have problems with AD if you move to a new server and usually the primary NIC will change.
I dont know if Acronis Enterprise method will work exactly as above, but I am 99% sure it will.
I have done this process without the change in HDD controller and it was fine, no reason to believe it wont work from all of the forum posts etc that I have seen where people have changed hardware.
As Elegant describes above, the key is to backup your data first (even to tape if that’s what’s available, but Ghost, Acronis or any other imaging software, even LiveState, should work), create the new array(arrays) and restore DATA ONLY. If you include the volume metadata, you’ll either fail the restore, or overwrite the new array size(s) and end up with the old array size(s) on your new hardware.
Look at the knowledge base article(s) on the storage controller manufacturer’s website (LSI, Adaptec, etc…) for adapter specific “gotcha’s” or suggested techniques.