Increasing Pool Size on IBM ServeRAID Array

[snorkel]

Situation: NW65 SP1A, IBM ServeRAID controller with RAID 5 array. Recently I added an extra hard drive into the array - shows up as free space on the device. When trying to add the free space into one of my NSS POOLS (either via iManager or NSSMU), I get a "526 partition create failed" error. Can't find much on Novell site, but Google revealed that someone suggested the following to fix the problem: SET IGNORE DISK GEOMETRY=ON

Now this server is in Mexico and I just got back from setting it up and I don't want to go back, so please tell me whether this is a safe thing to do. The description of this setting sounds pretty scary. On the server console it says the following about that setting: Ignore Disk Geometry:OFF
Can be set in the startup ncf file.
Description: Ignore Disk Geometry when reading or writing the disk partition. Turning this setting on while modifying or creating partitions will allow the creation of non-standard and unsupported partitions.
CAUTION: This may adversly affect other filesystems on the disk.

Thanks in advance.

 

[marvhuffaker]

Did you initialize the free space first before you tried to add the space to the pool?

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[snorkel]

I tried to create a partition using the entire 73.4GB of new free space and that is when it errors out. It errors out using both iManager and the NSSMU utility.

What can you say about trying what was suggested to turn that setting on? I certainly don't want to toast the volumes/pools and have to go back to Mexico to restore from tape!!!

Maybe I'm missing something as I'm new to NSS. Can you summarize the steps I should be doing if this were a "normal" server and you were doing this operation.

 

[marvhuffaker]

Snorkel, I've never had to expand a RAID on an IBM system so I am not sure how to answer you. Also have never ran into a situation where I had to "Ignore Disk Geometry".

Generally though, when you expand an existing array onto a newly added disk, you end up with a new logical drive. This is true on Compaq systems anyway.

The new logical drive is seen by NetWare as a completely different storage device. Given this fact, it's generally safe to delete a second Logical Drive if necessary and recreate without disturbing the original logical drive. Maybe something went goofy when you did it the first time and just needs to be redone.

This assumes that you have the capability of doing this remotely while the NetWare server is running. Ideally you would have a remote access card in the server, they're cheaper than travel expenses. Generally I don't like to make serious changes to any storage structure remotely unless I can have full control of the server through a remote access card like RILO (Compaq).

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[snorkel]

Marvin,

The situation is that the free space was added to the existing array and it shows up as free space on the existing array. There is only one physical device and one logical drive.

Check out this TID from Novell:

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10025907.htm