HP Smart Array Controllers on HP ProLiant Servers User Guide

Drive procedures 87
Before you move an array to another controller, you must meet the following conditions:
CAUTION: If the number of physical or logical drives exceeds the limit for the controller model
and firmware version, then the controller may recognize an unpredictable subset of the drives,
possibly resulting in failed arrays and data loss.
• If the other controller is connected already to one or more arrays of configured logical drives, the total
number of logical drives on the controller after the drives have been moved must not exceed the number
of logical drives that the controller supports. This number depends on the controller model and on the
controller firmware version.
• The total number of physical drives on the other controller after the drives have been moved must not
exceed the maximum number of supported physical drives for that controller model and firmware
version.
• All drives in the array must be moved at the same time.
When all the conditions have been met, move the drives:
1. Back up all data before removing any drives or changing configuration. This step is required if you are
moving data-containing drives from a controller that does not have a cache module.
2. Power down the system.
3. Move the drives.
4. Power up the system.
5. Observe the POST messages:
o If a 1785 POST message appears, the drive array did not configure properly. Continue with step 6.
o If a 1724 or 1727 POST message appears, drive positions were changed successfully and the
configuration was updated. Continue with step 7.
6. If the array did not configure properly, do the following:
a. Power down the system immediately to prevent data loss.
b. Return the drives to their original locations.
c. Restore the data from backup, if necessary.
7. Verify the new drive configuration by running ORCA or ACU ("Configuration tools" on page 43).
Adding drives
You can add drives to a system at any time, if you do not exceed the maximum number of drives that the
controller supports. You can then either build a new array from the added drives or use the extra storage
capacity to expand the capacity of an existing array.
If the drives that you intend to add to the system are already configured into logical drives, you must meet
certain conditions before adding drives to the system. For more information, see "Moving drives and arrays
(on page 86)." When you have successfully added the drives, reset the server so that the controller can
recognize the logical drives.
To perform an array capacity expansion, use ACU. If the system uses hot-pluggable drives and ACU runs in
the same environment as the normal server applications, you can expand array capacity without shutting
down the operating system. For more information, see the Configuring Arrays on HP Smart Array Controllers
Reference Guide on the HP website (http://www.hp.com/support/CASAC_RG_en).