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mokkan's avatar
mokkan
Level 6
11 years ago

File System Strink on Windows

Hello,

We have windows system and it the first VG, we have  3 volumes and once is for C drive, other one for E drive and other one for Swap.  Can we strink E drive and add more space to C drive? Would it cause any problem?

This is my plan.

1. Unmount   E drive

2.  Srrink the volume for E drive

3.  Extend C drive volume.

 

Am I missing anything?

 

 

Basics
business continuity
Storage Foundation for Windows
Windows Server (2003-2008)
  • mikebounds's avatar
    mikebounds
    11 years ago

    You can't shrink drives if they are partitions, which is the default for system drives, so you would need to upgrade from basic disk to dynamic diskgroup.  See extract from SFW for extending system drives:

    A system or boot volume is extended in increments of the disk’s cylinder size and
    only into contiguous space at the end of the volume.
    More information is available if a dynamic boot or system volume fails to extend.
    See “Cannot extend a dynamic boot or system volume” on page 267.

    Page 267:

    The following are possible reasons for this issue:
    ■ A boot or system volume cannot be extended unless there is enough contiguous
    space after the volume for the desired extension. If you have another volume
    on the disk, you cannot use space before that volume and after that volume
    for the extension.
    ■ If the extension of a dynamic boot or system volume requires adjustment of
    an extended partition boundary, then the extension will not be allowed. The
    error message "Requested operation not supported" will be returned.
    ■ A boot or system disk volume that was originally created on a logical drive
    and later upgraded to a Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows dynamic
    volume cannot be extended in Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows.

     

    For shrinking a volume the SFW admin guide says:

    You cannot shrink a volume beyond the point where any unmovable files, such
    as the page file or the shadow copy storage area, are located. Unmovable files
    are not automatically relocated when you shrink a volume.
    If you need to shrink the volume further, move the page file to another disk
    and delete the stored shadow copies, shrink the volume, and then move the
    page file back to the disk.

     

    Note you need contiguous space after the C: drive to extend, so E would need to be after C, not the swap volume and even then, almost certainly, the E drive will be shrunk by removing space from the end, so I think you will probably have to backup the volume which is next to the C drive, delete it, extend C drive and then recreate the deleted drive and restore contents.

    Mike

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  • mikebounds's avatar
    mikebounds
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    You can't shrink drives if they are partitions, which is the default for system drives, so you would need to upgrade from basic disk to dynamic diskgroup.  See extract from SFW for extending system drives:

    A system or boot volume is extended in increments of the disk’s cylinder size and
    only into contiguous space at the end of the volume.
    More information is available if a dynamic boot or system volume fails to extend.
    See “Cannot extend a dynamic boot or system volume” on page 267.

    Page 267:

    The following are possible reasons for this issue:
    ■ A boot or system volume cannot be extended unless there is enough contiguous
    space after the volume for the desired extension. If you have another volume
    on the disk, you cannot use space before that volume and after that volume
    for the extension.
    ■ If the extension of a dynamic boot or system volume requires adjustment of
    an extended partition boundary, then the extension will not be allowed. The
    error message "Requested operation not supported" will be returned.
    ■ A boot or system disk volume that was originally created on a logical drive
    and later upgraded to a Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows dynamic
    volume cannot be extended in Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows.

     

    For shrinking a volume the SFW admin guide says:

    You cannot shrink a volume beyond the point where any unmovable files, such
    as the page file or the shadow copy storage area, are located. Unmovable files
    are not automatically relocated when you shrink a volume.
    If you need to shrink the volume further, move the page file to another disk
    and delete the stored shadow copies, shrink the volume, and then move the
    page file back to the disk.

     

    Note you need contiguous space after the C: drive to extend, so E would need to be after C, not the swap volume and even then, almost certainly, the E drive will be shrunk by removing space from the end, so I think you will probably have to backup the volume which is next to the C drive, delete it, extend C drive and then recreate the deleted drive and restore contents.

    Mike