Administrator Guide

The Add Free Capacity window is displayed. Based on the RAID level, and the enclosure loss protection of the current disk group, a
list of unassigned physical disks is displayed.
NOTE: If the RAID level of the disk group is RAID Level 5, or RAID Level 6, and the expansion enclosure has enclosure
loss protection, Display only physical disks that ensure enclosure loss protection is displayed and is selected by
default.
4. In the Available physical disks area, select physical disks up to the allowed maximum number of physical disks.
NOTE: You cannot mix different media types or different interface types within a single disk group or virtual disk.
5. Click Add.
A message prompts you to confirm your selection.
6. To add the capacity to the disk group, click Yes.
NOTE: You can also use the Command Line Interface (CLI) on both Windows and Linux hosts to add free capacity to
a disk group. For more information, see the Dell EMC PowerVault MD 34XX/38XX Series Storage Arrays CLI Guide .
NOTE: After the capacity expansion is completed, extra free capacity is available in the disk group for creation of
new virtual disks or expansion of existing virtual disks.
Virtual disk expansion
Virtual disk expansion is a dynamic modification operation that increases the capacity of standard virtual disks.
NOTE: Snapshot repository virtual disks can be expanded from the CLI or from MD Storage Manager. All other virtual
disk types are expandable only from the CLI.
If you receive a warning that the snapshot repository virtual disk is becoming full, you may expand the snapshot repository virtual disk from
MD Storage Manager.
To increase the capacity of a virtual disk, complete the following steps:
1. In the Array Management Window (AMW), select Storage & Copy Services.
NOTE:
After increasing the virtual disk capacity, you cannot decrease it. This operation may take a while to complete
and you cannot cancel it after it starts. However, the virtual disk will remain accessible.
2. Select an appropriate virtual disk.
3. From the menu, select Storage > Virtual Disk > Increase Capacity. Or
Right-click the virtual disk and select Increase Capacity from the pop-up menu.
The Increase Virtual Disk Capacity - Additional Instructions window is displayed.
4. Ensure that the operating system supports virtual disk expansion, and then click OK.
5. In the Increase Virtual Disk Capacity window, type the required memory volume to increase the capacity of the virtual disk. If
additional disks are required to be added, then select Add Physical Disks.
For more information about disk group expansion instructions, see Disk group expansion on page 80.
6. Click OK.
This operation cannot be cancelled after initiating, and this may take a while to complete. However, the virtual disk remains accessible.
NOTE:
You can also use the Command Line Interface (CLI) on both Windows and Linux hosts to increase the capacity of
a virtual disk. For more information, see Dell EMC PowerVault MD 34XX/38XX Series Storage Arrays CLI Guide .
Using free capacity
You can increase the capacity of a virtual disk using the free capacity on the disk group of the standard virtual disk or the snapshot
repository virtual disk.
The Total Unconfigured Capacity node, shown in the Storage & Copy Services tab, is a contiguous region of unassigned capacity on a
defined disk group. When increasing virtual disk capacity, some or all of the free capacity may be used to achieve the required final
capacity. Data on the selected virtual disk remains accessible while the process for increasing virtual disk capacity is in progress.
Disk groups, standard virtual disks, and thin virtual disks
81