Probleme resize data drive D:(raid 1)- DD doesn't se my 119,75 GB unallocated space

[robgra]

As I described in the title I have probleme resizing my D:-drive. I have used Disk Director Suite several times before for similar tasks and have allways been very happy with it working so fine. But now i'm stuck! I cant find unallocated space to increase the D:-drive with.

Normaly I do every changes from DD CD boot, but now I also tried to install the program and tried to do the changes from within Windows 2000 server.

I have two virtual disks: one C:-drive withe the OS thats actually two 68GB scsi disks in raid 1, and one vitual disk D:-drive for data thats actually two 137GB scsi in raid 1. I

Through the raid system I this weekend changed the D:-drive from 17GB disks to 137GB and my raid-contoller says that there are 119,75GB unallocated space on the disk, but DD says 7,844MB unallocated? Strange is that DD says that my disk 1, (C:) also got the same amount of unallocated space, 7,844MB!?

Any suggestions anyone?

[MudCrab]

Would it be possible to post a screenshot of what DD (in Manual Mode) shows in Windows and what Windows Disk Management shows?

[robgra]

I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning Swedish time (+6 hours eastern US-time)

[robgra]

Here are two screenshots. One from my DD, and one from my array manager.
I hope You can find out whats wrong.

[MudCrab]

I assume that Windows Disk Management is showing the same data as the DD screenshot?

The 7.844MB of unallocated space is normal.

This is just a guess on my part, but is it possible that the Dell OpenManage Array Manager program (or a BIOS entry to the controller) is what you need to use to "expand" the array to include the unallocated space? I'm basing this on the fact that it or the PERC controller may be what is telling Windows (and DD) about the drive. The Array Manager correctly shows the unallocated space, but as far as Windows is concerned, the drive is still as it was before (@17GB).

[robgra]

I thought that the screenshot in my last post from "Dell OpenManage Array Manager" was the "Windows Disk Management"!? I post another screenshot wich I got when I whent the way Start-Programs-Administrative Tools-Computer Management.

Which way do I go to "Windows Disk Management"? :doubt:

[MudCrab]

I guess the Server version is just a lot different than what I'm used to seeing.

Are there any programs/utilities in the Dell OpenManage Applications menu?

[robgra]

I'm affraid of changing the size in array manager because of the risk of making something wrong with the partition and lose data. I have really good experience from Diskc Director before and are curious of way it doesn't feel my unallocated space.

Anyway, here is another screenshot showing what programs there are in Dell OpenManage.

[MudCrab]

What does the Disk View tab show?

[robgra]

It shows that I've got a vitual disk D: in the size of 16,86 GB NTFS Basic Primary Partition.

[robgra]

MudCrab or anyone from Acronis: Do You have any thoughts of how I can use the whole size of my 137GB harddrive?

The only way I see now is to take a copy of the data on the disk and then change the partition to use the whole 137GB and format the disk and after that put in the data I copied before. The problem is that I'm afraid that the Windows system uses that disk too, by some reason. I have two folders on the D: disk that I think is Windows folders that I cant move: "RECYCLER" and "System Volume Information".

[MudCrab]

I don't work with servers so this info is just from a quick search.

This is from the serveral of the manuals (I don't know what version you're running):
-{ Quote: "Array Manager allows you to create virtual disks, which are logical disks that can be created from one or more physical disks (known as array disks). The logical disks can have RAID layouts, which let you to manage your storage more efficiently. Once a virtual disk is created and a rescan is done, the Windows® operating system sees the virtual disk as if it were a physical disk." }-
This makes it sound like Windows can't see the space until the actual Logical Disk has been created using the space. This also seems to agree with the results you got. Array Manager sees the unallocated space, but Windows can't. It still sees the old drive layout.

You may be able to resize the Logical Disk to use the space (depending on your version and setup):
-{ Quote: "Reconfiguring Virtual Disks

Migrate from one RAID type to another without adding space.
Add space without changing the current RAID type.
Migrate and add space.
Specify a new stripe size.
Move the virtual disk to other array disks.
" }-

I was looking at information from here: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smarrman/

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You should be able to reformat the "disk" without any problems from those Windows folders. Windows will usually put those on every partition. Also, if you do a format outside of Windows, Windows won't be running to get in the way. I think you should be able to do the format using the Array Manager program. For the disk size change, you may be able to use the software or the RAID BIOS.