Adding Drives to s3260 storage server / Raid Controller

[jn242]

Ive got a 3260 that is half populated with drives and deployed in stand alone mode with no UCS running linux. I would like to add drives to fill the remainder of the device. I have the drives and am ready to install them but cant seem to find any documentation on 1. how to install them, 2. how to configure the raid controller and 3. how to expand the existing virtual drive so that i can utilize the drives. 

Is there any documentation on this? I assume it all needs to be done via cimc and to create new spans that can be added to the existing VD....so that the OS can see the additional disk space and then finally expanding the file system in linux to see the new space. 

[Kirk J]

Here are a number of URLs that discuss different aspects of your questions.

LID removal

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/s/hw/S3260/installb/S3260/replace.html#65909

Drive population guidelines

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/s/hw/S3260/installb/S3260/replace.html#73370

General CIMC gui guide for the S3260s

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/sw/gui/config/guide/4_0/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_for_S3260_Servers_40.html

Managing the storage adapters (per server blade/module)

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/sw/gui/config/guide/4_0/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_for_S3260_Servers_40/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_for_S3260_Servers_40_chapter_01100.html

Disk Zoning/Assigning

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/sw/gui/config/guide/4_0/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_for_S3260_Servers_40/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_for_S3260_Servers_40_chapter_011.html#task_4F09961FAD...

• Insert drives.
• Zone/assign.
• Create raid/VDs
• reboot server modules, or rescan scsi bus from OS

The CIMC GUI, for the virtual drives, does provide the option to 'edit' the VDs, which provides the ability to migrate to different raid levels, but also provides ability to stay on the same raid level while adding additional drives.  This is also sometimes called 'reconstruction'.

HUGE DISCLAIMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Raid or Virtual drive expansion can take a HUGE amount of time.  Adding a couple of TB drives to an existing raid volume can take 4-5 hours (see an older post I did for C240m4 https://community.cisco.com/t5/data-center-and-cloud-documents/cimc-expanding-virtual-drive-on-12gb-sas-controller-by-adding/ta-p/3165778 )

I have seen attempts on S3260s for 150-200TB expansions, literally run into multiple weeks.

IMO, Cisco generally avoids putting drive expansion steps in regular documentation as it has too many caveats, risks, takes a LONG time, etc, vs just creating additional VDs.

Kirk...