Best Practice: Increase Provisioned space or add new Hard Disk

[SaxChick]

Looking for some advice on the "best practice" for increasing the size of the disks/volumes available for Windows Server 2008/2012.  Best I can tell, there are 2 ways to do this (VMware 5.x):

#1:  Use the vSphere client to INCREASE the provisioned space, and then use Windows Disk Management to extend the volume to encompass the new space

#2:  Use the vSphere client to ADD a new hard disk, and then use Windows Disk Management to extend the volume to encompass the new space

Which method is better, safer, more efficient, and why?

[daphnissov · Accepted solution]

Method #1 is the best, safest, most reliable way to perform an expansion of an existing disk. Otherwise, you spread you failure scenarios across multiple file and risk performance oddities.

[a_p_]

Both options will work just fine.

It actually depends on the data. If you can easily split it, then two disks may be an option to e.g. reduce restore times in case disaster strikes. However, if it's a file system, and distributing data on two disks will cause headaches, then it might be better (easier) to increase the existing volume.

André

PS: I misread your second option. I don't recommend to do that.

[khaliqamar]

My vote is for OPTION #1 but if you are having replication than you have to stop your replication.

Option #2 works good with Linux ( just add a new drive and add it into your VG).

[khaliqamar]

My vote is for OPTION #1 but if you are having replication than you have to stop your replication first.

Option #2 works good with Linux ( just add a new drive and add it into your VG).

[SaxChick]

Thank you for your quick response.  Makes sense to me!