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Online Volume Extension

Dell™ CERC ATA100/4-Channel RAID Controller Configuration Software Guide

  Location and Enabling

  Adding Capacity under Novell NetWare 5.1

With online volume extension, the administrator can use the drive space of a hard drive that was just added to an existing drive array, without rebooting the operating system. Online volume extension supports Novell® NetWare® 5.1 only.

Location and Enabling

The Online Volume Extension option is labeled FlexRAID Virtual Sizing in the BIOS Configuration Utility and is found in the Objects—> Logical Drive—> View/Update Configuration. Enable this option after you configure a logical drive and before you exit the BIOS Configuration Utility.

The ability to use this feature for an existing logical drive depends on the firmware version. Older firmware versions may not allow you to enable this feature once you have saved the configuration.

Adding Capacity under Novell NetWare 5.1

Adding Capacity or Adding a Hard Drive to an Existing Array

You can add capacity or a hard drive only with the following conditions:

• The online volume extension option is enabled in the "Boot Up Configuration Utility."
  
  
• The FlexRAID Power Fail option is enabled.
  
  
• Only one logical drive can be configured per array (not per controller).
  
  

NOTE: See the readme file on the CD for information about special cases.

• Drives can be added to RAID levels 0 or 5 only.
  
  

Adding a New Drive to Novell NetWare using Megamgr.nlm

Perform the following steps to add a new drive to Novell NetWare using Megamgr.nlm:

1. Physically connect your new drive(s) to the IDE bus.
   
   
2. From the Novell NetWare System Console, load DELLMGR.nlm.
   
   
3. On the Main Menu, select Adapter if you have more then one adapter in the system.
   
   
4. On the Main Menu, select Configure.
   
   
5. Select Add/View Configuration.
   
   
6. Make sure the drive appears in the View/Add Configuration option.
   
   

The new drive should be at a READY status.

7. Return to the Main Menu.
   
   
8. Select Reconstruct.
   
   
9. Select Reconstruction Of Logical Drive.
   
   
10. Select the logical drive you want to contain the new drive(s).
    
    

The system scans the channels for the new drive(s) and displays a menu to reconstruct the logical drive.

11. Highlight the new drive(s) using the up or down arrow keys.
    
    
12. Press the space bar to select the drive(s).
    
    

The system will reconstruct the new drive into the existing array.

13. When finished, exit or change to NetWare System Console.
    
    

Adding New Space into the NetWare Volume

Perform the following steps to add new space into the NetWare volume:

1. Load INSTALL.NLM.
   
   
2. Highlight VOLUME OPTIONS (configure, mount, or dismount volumes).
   
   
3. Press <Enter>.
   
   
4. Press <Insert>.
   
   
5. Highlight the drive that has available space (it should be nearly 81 GB).
   
   
6. Press <Enter>.
   
   
7. Highlight the option Make Segment Part of Another Volume or New Volume.
   
   
8. Press <Enter>.
   
   
9. Highlight the existing volume that you want to add to, if adding to an existing volume.
   
   
10. Press <Enter>.
    
    

At this point, NetWare displays the rest of the free space of FlexRaid as 81GB.

11. Press <Enter> to modify the size of the new segment.
    
    
12. Under Disk Segment Parameters, type the size of the new drive to modify the disk segment size.
    
    
13. After entering the size of the new drive(s), press <Enter>.
    
    
14. Press <F10>.
    
    
15. Press <F10> again (to save the new information).
    
    
16. Press <Esc>.
    
    
17. Highlight YES to save the changes.
    
    
18. Mount all the volumes.
    
    

Additional space is ready to be accessed without rebooting.

Please read all restrictions and disclaimers.

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