Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard Step 3

About this task

The Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard (Step 3 of 3) - <Controller Name> page displays the summary of attributes of the selected RAID level. The attributes include Bus Protocol, Strip Element Size, Read Policy and the selected physical disk. The default values of the virtual disk attributes excluding the RAID level are recommended for the selected RAID level.

Steps

  1. In the Name field, type a name for the virtual disk.

    The virtual disk name can contain only alphanumeric characters, spaces, dashes, and underscores. The maximum length depends on the controller. In most cases, the maximum length is 15 characters.

    The name cannot start with a space or end with a space. It is recommended that you specify a unique name for each virtual disk. If you have virtual disks with the same name, it is hard to differentiate the generated alerts.

  2. In the Size field, type the size of the virtual disk.

    The virtual disk size must be within the minimum and maximum values displayed near the Size field.

    In some cases, the virtual disk is slightly larger than the size you specify. The Create Virtual Disk Wizard adjusts the size of the virtual disk to avoid rendering a portion of the physical disk space unusable.

    NOTE: If a physical disk is receiving a SMART alert, it cannot be used in a virtual disk.
    NOTE: For a controller that has more than one channel, it may be possible to configure a virtual disk that is channel-redundant.

    Depending on the RAID level you selected and the virtual disk size, this page displays the disks and connectors (channels or ports) available for configuring the virtual disk.

    NOTE: The Size field displays the default size of the virtual disk depending upon the RAID configuration you selected. You can specify a different size. The virtual disk size must be within the minimum and maximum values displayed near the Size field. In some cases, the virtual disk is slightly larger than the size you specify. The Create Virtual Disk Wizard adjusts the size of the virtual disk to avoid rendering a portion of the physical disk space unusable.
  3. Select a strip size from the Strip Element Size drop-down list box. The strip size refers to the amount of space that each strip consumes on a single disk.
  4. Select the required read, write, and disk cache policy from the respective drop-down list box. These selections can vary depending on the controller.
    NOTE: There is limited support for write policy on controllers that do not have a battery. The cache policy is not supported on controllers that do not have a battery.
    NOTE: If you have selected the Create Encrypted Virtual Disk option in Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard, then in the Summary of Virtual Disk Attributes, an Encrypted Virtual Disk attribute is displayed with a value Yes.

    Click Span Edit to edit the spans created in Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard.

    The Span Edit option is available only if the controller is a SAS controller with firmware 6.1 and later and if you selected RAID 10.

  5. Click Finish to complete the virtual disk creation.
    The virtual disk is displayed in the Virtual Disk(s) on Controller <Controller Name> page. For PERC controllers, if any of the drives you selected is in the spun down state, the following message is displayed:
    The below listed physical drive(s) are in the spun down state. Executing this task on these drive(s) takes additional time, because the drive(s) need to spun up.
    The message displays the ID(s) of the spun down drive(s).

Next steps

Click Go Back To Previous Page to return to Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard page, if you want to change your selections.

Click Exit Wizard to cancel the virtual disk creation.

The Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard (Step 3 of 3) - <Controller Name> page displays a check box next to each physical disk that is suitable as a dedicated hot spare. Select a Physical Disk check box if you want to assign a dedicated hot spare

The Physical Disk check box is not available if the controller does not have a physical disk that is a suitable hot spare for the virtual disk you are creating. For example, the available physical disks may be too small to protect the virtual disk. If the Physical Disk check box is not available, you may need to specify a smaller virtual disk, use a different RAID level, or change the disk selection.

NOTE: If you are creating an encrypted virtual disk, then encrypted physical disks are listed as candidates for hot spare.