Use the Add Free Capacity option to expand the capacity of a selected by adding . The expansion causes additional to be included in the array. You can use this free capacity to create additional .
Choosing the Number of Disk Drives
Keep these guidelines in mind to determine the number of unassigned disk drives to add to the array:
The number of disk drives that you can select for a single Add Free Capacity operation is limited by the . Selecting more than two disk drives causes the Add button to become unavailable. However, after you have completed the first add free capacity operation, you can use the Add Free Capacity option again to add more disk drives until the desired capacity is reached.
In a logical drive, you must add two disk drives to make sure that is configured.
Considering Disk Drive Candidate Capacity
Keep these guidelines in mind when you consider the disk drives to be used for additional capacity:
Make sure that the disk drives that you are adding to the array are of the same . Mixing different disk drive types within a single array is not permitted.
Whenever possible, select disk drives that have a capacity equal to the capacities of the current disk drives in the array.
If you must add unassigned disk drives with a smaller capacity, be aware that the of each disk drive currently in the array is reduced. Therefore, the disk drive capacity is the same across the array. If
data exists on the current disk drives in the array that could be lost when the usable capacity is reduced, an error message
appears.
If you must add unassigned disk drives with a larger capacity, be aware that the usable capacity of the unassigned disk drives that you add will be reduced so that they match
the current capacities for the disk drives in the array.
Only disk drives can be added to a or security capable array. If the Full Disk Encryption (FDE) premium feature is enabled, or if any available disk drive is
security capable, the Security Capable column in the Available disk drives list shows the security status of each listed disk drive.
Adding Free Capacity to an Array
Keep these guidelines in mind when you add free capacity to an array:
You cannot cancel this operation after it begins.
Mixing different disk drive types within a single array is not permitted.
Data remains available during this operation.
The array must be in before you can perform this operation.
This option works only if there are unassigned disk drives in the .
When you use the Add Free Capacity (Disk Drives) option to expand the capacity of a selected array, existing logical drives in the array do not increase in size. This operation
redistributes existing logical drive capacity over the larger number of disk drives.
In the Logical pane, select an array, and select Array >> Add Free Capacity (Disk Drives).
Based on the RAID level and on the enclosure loss protection of the current array, a list of unassigned disk drives appears.
Note:
If the RAID level of the array is , , or and the drive expansion enclosure has enclosure loss protection, Display only disk drives that will ensure enclosure loss protection is selected by default.
Select disk drives up to the allowed maximum number of disk drives in the list.
Important:
Mixing different disk drive types within a single array or logical drive is not permitted.
Click Add.
To add the capacity to the array, click Yes.
Logical Pane Changes
These changes take place in the Logical pane:
Each logical drive in the array shows an Operation in Progress icon while the data blocks are physically reorganized.
A defragment array operation automatically takes place.
If a did not previously exist, a new Free Capacity node is added at the bottom of the tree, showing the capacity calculated for
the RAID level.
If one or more Free Capacity nodes previously existed, they are consolidated during the defragment array operation to create
one Free Capacity node.
The Unconfigured Capacity node updates to reflect the subtraction of the usable capacity of the unassigned disk drives that
were added to the array.
Physical Pane Changes
The disk drives selected for addition to the array were previously represented in the Physical pane with an Unassigned Disk Drive icon. They now appear with an icon.