Upgrading server with new Hard Drives

[bchizary]

hi there,
contemplating upgrading hard disks on network server and could use a bit of help for ya all.
At the moment we have a set up a bit like this:

1gb c: nt4.0
18gb e: network
9gb f: network
18gb g: exchange 5.5

These are physically 3x 18gb disks.
Back ups are done to an tape drive.
We want to change this to 2x 36gb drives (or maybe even 2x73gb!!), something like this:

1gb c: nt4.0
35gb d: network
36gb e: exchange 5.5

Getting all the network files from one to the other is fine, however i am not sure how to get exchange from the set up 1 to set up 2 without loosing emails etc.
Any advise on this would be jolly good!

Cheers
BenC

 

[zbnet]

Use Optimizer for moving Exchange system files around, after you have created the new arrays in NT. Be aware that it stops the services, so you'll want to do it one evening or weekend. Best to have a known good backup before, as well, just in case

 

[bchizary]

thanks for that- so if i am running with current config, plug in new drives, run optimizer and shift everything to new drive, then just boot and take the old drive out??

that easy?

 

[zbnet]

That easy if your hardware can sense new drives that you plug in and allow you to format them and build arrays on the fly. Otherwise a reboot for that bit. But once the disk arrays are available to NT, moving the Exchange files is accomplished easily with Optimizer.