We often hear that hard drives are used to store large files and computer data. But have you ever heard that servers also need hard drives to store network information? Yes, networking servers do need high-capacity hard drives that are capable of storing, accessing, and sharing information. Usually, Network Attached Storage (NAS) hard drives are used for enterprise-level networking purposes. There are a variety of options, like SP-487A-R5 by NetApp, 768788-001 by HP, 43X0802 by IBM, and much more, to keep servers ready to store the forthcoming information.
But when it comes to managing the server’s hard drive storage, many users get confused and even sit idle thinking of what to do. The best way to manage storage on your server’s hard drive is to either increase its capacity or fit in a new hard drive with more space.
In this article, we are going to share the ultimate guide to managing server hard drive storage. So, let’s get started!
Try Managing The Hard Drive Using The Dashboard
All of the hard disks attached to the server can be managed by Windows Server Essentials through the Dashboard. Hard Drives, under the Dashboard Storage tab, list every server hard drive that can be used to store data and server backups. The server keeps track of each hard drive’s space capacity and notifies the user when there is insufficient space. The following data is shown on the Hard Drives tab:
- Each hard drive has its name.
- The size of every hard drive.
- Space left on the hard drive.
- The capacity of hard drive space left
- The blank status means good performance
- If the selected hard drive is located in a Storage Space, the details pane, which provides all the storage stack information (for storage pool, storage space, and hard drive), will appear (instead of a physical disk).
Increasing Server Storage Might Be Helpful
You can increase the storage capacity of the SP-487A-R5 by increasing the capacity of the NetApp server’s internal hard drive. The server must be powered off, the extra internal hard disk added, and then the system must be restarted. If the hard drive is connected to the SCSI controller, you do not need to shut down the server. The hard drive can then be plugged in even while the server is operating in that scenario.
Decide whether the hard drive needs to be added, and then carry out one of the following actions:
- Formatted
The server allocates a drive letter, and the internal hard drive appears on the Hard Drives tab if it is formatted with NTFS or ReFS. The new hard disk is now available for creating and moving server folders.
- Lacks Formatting
The following warning is displayed if the internal hard disk is not formatted: The server is connected to one or more unformatted hard drives. To format the hard drive, follow these steps.
Check For Repairs If Required
The file system contained on the hard drives is examined as part of the hard drive inspection and repair process. On the volume where the backup files are kept, a CHKDSK procedure is conducted. By doing a check and repair on the hard disks, the following alert issue can be resolved:
It’s necessary to examine one or more hard drives in Server Backup.
What you can do is:
- Activate the Dashboard.
- After selecting Server Folders and Hard Drives, select Hard Drives.
- Choose View the hard drive properties after choosing the hard drive that is displaying the issue.
- Click Check and Repair under the Check and Repair tab.
Formatting The Hard Drive is a Good Idea
A health alert prompts the user to format the internal hard drive when an unformatted one is found on the server. The Add a 768788-001 – HP New Hard Drive Wizard lets you configure the hard disk in one of the following ways and guides you through formatting the hard drive:
- Create a drive on the hard drive after formatting it. If you select this option, the wizard creates a single logical hard disk that is formatted with the NTFS file system.
- Set the hard drive up for server backup after formatting it. When you select this option, the Set Up Server Backup Wizard launches and guides you through setting up the server backup.
- Use the new hard drive to create a storage space if one doesn’t already exist. To build a storage space, you require at least two hard disks.
- Use the new 1V4207-150- dell hard drive to expand a storage pool’s capacity if one already exists. Only when a storage space has already been made on the server is this option visible. The wizard will include this hard drive in the storage pool if you select this option.
Plug in a New Hard Drive
The following options are available when adding a new hard drive to a server running Windows Server Essentials:
- Keep server directories on the new hard disk.
- Put server backups on the fresh hard disk.
- Boost the storage pool’s capacity by using the new hard disk.
Use A Brand-New Hard Drive To Store The Server Folders
You can add a brand-new server folder or relocate an existing server folder to the new hard drive to use it as a server folder storage location.
To maintain server directories
- Activate the Dashboard.
- Click Server Folders after selecting the STORAGE tab.
- Choose one of the following actions from the Server Folders Tasks pane:
- Click Add a folder to add a server folder.
- Select the server folder you wish to relocate to the new hard drive, then click Move a folder.
4. To complete the wizard, conform to the instructions.
See Add or move a server folder for further details on transferring server directories.
The End Line
There are numerous ways to make space in your 43X0802 by IBM server hard drive. You can either change the older hard drive with a new one or troubleshoot it by following the above-mentioned tricks. All you need is a sound knowledge of how to fix the hard drive issues or what is the most suitable solution to avoid hard drive problems. It is totally up to you what grabs your interest. But make sure whatever you do should work and let you solve the problem quickly.
