Volume Extension

[Guest]

I have a Windows 2000 SP4 server that has a RAID 5 array (4 X 76 GB Drives)
that is running out of space. I expanded the array with another 76 GB drive
but when I try to extend the volume from Disk Management I get an error that
states that the volume was originally created on a basic disk then converted
to a dynamic disk so the extension cannot be performed. Are there any tools
that can be used to extend this disk? Or possibly a hotfix that will allow
me to do it from the Diskmanagement MMC?

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

Terry

Outch. A volume on a dynamic disk, that ever was a partition on a basic
disk, cannot be extended:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=225551

A possibility is to create a new volume from your free space, and mount it
as a folder in your current volume:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314449

Else, you need a backup and restore operation.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[wanderer]

You might want to understand what you are getting with a "volume
extension". This is a software configuration that a simple chkdsk
correction [I have see this happen in older versions] will render your
entire system inaccessable.

Your raid5 array would not help you at all. By creating a volume set
on top of raid5 your fault tolerance is only as stable as the volume
set which has no fault tolerance.

Recommended procedures.

1. you can backup the entire system. Start the OS install, remove the
present partition(s), partition for the entire drive and install the
core OS. Install backup software and restore.

2. configure the existing spare space as a partition and format it.
Move the pagefile entirely to this partition. Uninstall and reinstall
apps to this partition. Move the shares to this partition. Move
temp/tmp file folders and update your environmental variables to this
partition. Most can be done transparently to your users.