Switching disk used in dynamic volume to another controller

[Rob Nicholson]

We currently have the following disk set-up in a Windows 2000 dev server
using IDE hard disks:

Disk 0: IDE channel 0, port 0, 8GB C: drive, 106GB E: drive (spanned)
Disk 1: IDE channel 0, port 1, 128GB E: drive (spanned)
Disk 2: IDE channel 1, port 0, 4GB F: drive (swap), 72GB E: drive
(spanned)

Now Disk 1 is actually a 256GB drive but due to BIOS limitations of the
motherboard, it can't recognise it correctly (137GB LBA limit) so half of it
isn't being used.

So we've ordered a PCA Promise IDE controller which will allow Windows 2000
Server to see all of the disk space. The question is, what will Windows 2000
do with the spanned volume when the disk moves onto another controller? Will
it realise it's move and carry on as normal or will we need to backup the
entire system?

Thanks, Rob.

PS. This server contains low-value data which is backed up just monthly.
It's not the end of the world if we loose it. But backing up 300GB of data
does take some time...

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

Rob

First, SP3 or later, and a registry edit would fix the 137GB limit, see
this MS Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=305098

If you decide to install the controller, I would expect it to work, since
the disks involved in the spanned volume is identified with the disk
signature, and not through hardware paths. If it - for some reason wouldn't
work - expect to loose all of E:. Still, I wouldn't recommend you to do
this operation without a backup.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[Rob Nicholson]

First, SP3 or later, and a registry edit would fix the 137GB limit, see

this MS Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=305098

Ahh okay...

If you decide to install the controller, I would expect it to work, since
the disks involved in the spanned volume is identified with the disk
signature, and not through hardware paths. If it - for some reason wouldn't
work - expect to loose all of E:. Still, I wouldn't recommend you to do
this operation without a backup.

We've decided to do a backup just in case It's upto DLT tape #5 so
far...

Thanks, Rob.