Hey everyone, I need some urgent help. I was working on my company's remote server, which runs Windows Server 2022 Datacenter and uses a hardware RAID setup with a Dell PERC controller. I created a huge 45TB virtual disk that shows up as Disk 2. While trying to create a new volume for a file server from some unallocated space, I accidentally clicked 'Yes' when prompted to convert a partition containing critical backups into a Dynamic Disk. Now, my E: drive, which holds about 15.5TB of backups, is on the same Dynamic Disk as a spanned volume I was creating for my new F: drive. I know converting back will wipe everything, and I'm really worried about losing those backups. Should I delete the messed-up F: drive volumes to keep the E: drive safe? Is running a Dynamic Disk on a RAID setup something I should be worried about? Any advice on how to move forward safely would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
Good news is, you've spotlighted a weakness in your backup strategy. Keeping backups directly on the same drive is risky, especially with ransomware threats. It might be best to just calm down and leave the Dynamic Disk as is. If you're not using those dynamic features, there's no immediate downside. But seriously, consider moving those backups to an offline medium like Tape for better security.
To put it bluntly, you shouldn't have been making changes on a production system without a clear understanding of the risks. But since you're already in it now, just focus on backing up and ensuring that E: is safe. Then you can deal more confidently with the F: volumes without worrying about backups getting damaged.
Dynamic disk on a hardware RAID setup usually isn’t a problem. You're not using any of the dynamic-specific features for your E: drive, so it's just a different label. If you delete those F: volumes, it shouldn't affect your backups on E: at all. Just make sure to run a backup verification on E: first to be safe!
Thanks! I’ll definitely do a backup verification to be safe.
It’s less catastrophic than it seems. You should definitely not stress too much about dynamic disks in this context. Just remember to test everything in a non-prod environment next time and document your processes. That'll save you from similar issues before they arise!
If you’re losing sleep over this mistake, consider getting a large external drive, backing up your data, then fixing the disk setup. This is a great learning opportunity to revamp your backup strategy. Off-site backups, regular testing, and proper alerts for failed backups are essential. Present a solid plan to management to get their buy-in on doing it right.
Yeah, I’ve learned my lesson here about backing up properly!
I get the concern over dynamic disks since Microsoft doesn’t recommend them. But unless you plan on using those fancy features, you might be alright.