Simply put ... get rid of your 73GB drive now.  If you want to use all 146GB (137 after the math), then you can't use the 73GB drive now - pull it out now and forget about it. That done, you have two options: 1. Wait for your new disk, then configure RAID like you want (2x146GB RAID 1, 4x146GB RAID 5), then install and set up your OS, or 2. Configure RAID as follows: 2x146GB RAID 1 (3x146GB RAID 5 - after OS is installed) and install and setup your OS now.  Then when you get your new 146GB drive, you can put it in and convert your 3x146GB RAID 5 to a 4x146GB RAID 5 and you're done - you will have done all the work before the drive arrives. RAID can be configured in the CTRL-R utility for the PERC 5/i during POST.  You will want to first delete any existing arrays by highlighting the controller and hitting F2, then Delete.  Then hit F2 again, then Create, select your first two drives and RAID 1, name the virtual disk (optional), specify the size (leave as default for maximum size), check the Advanced and Initialize boxes, then OK. You don't have to be a RAID expert to understand the above, but it will only make sense after having seen the appropriate screens.  Boot to CTRL-R to see what I mean. Once you have created your first VD (virtual disk ... or array), you can go ahead and install Windows to it.  Once installed, you can/should install OMSA (OpenManage Server Administrator) to finish setting up the drives in the RAID 5: [URL] Download and run to extract the files, then run C:\Openmanage\windows\setup.exe.  Choose Custom and make sure Storage Management is installed.  Add your server to the Intranet Zone of IE. You can then go to Storage, PERC, Information/Configuration (link at top of page), and choose Create/New from the dropdown menu of available tasks for the controller to set up the RAID 5 with the remaining disks. If you want to convert the 3x146GB RAID 5 to a 4x146GB RAID 5, just go to Storage, PERC, Virtual Disks, and choose Reconfigure from the dropdown menu of available tasks for your RAID 5; a wizard will start walking you through adding the disk(s) to the array (check the box for the newly available drive and select RAID 5 as the RAID level). Again, this won't make sense to you until you see the screens. Summary: Create RAID 1, install OS, install OMSA, create RAID 5, receive new disk, Reconfigure RAID 5 from 3 to 4 disks.
I am getting ready to reconfigure my PowerEdge 2900, installing a fresh copy of Windows Server 2008 R2.  My disk configuration is RAID, with two arrays: Array 1 (System Disk shows a total of 67GB)73GB146GB Array 2 (Data Disk shows a total of 408GB)146GB146GB146GB146GB I ordered another 146GB drive so that all are the same size.  In the mean time (while waitng for disk arrival) I want to move ahead with the installation.  I plan to remove (permanently) the 73GB drive from Array 1, slide in one of the 146GB disks from Array 2 (the last disk in the array), install the OS, and then when the new 146GB disk arrives on Friday, plug it into where I removed the 146GB disk from Array 2. My questions are, (1) Will there be any problem in removing one of the Array 2 disks and moving it to Array 1?, (2) What will happen when I plau in the new disk into Array 2 on Friday?  Will the system know what to do and will it put me back at 408GB as I was?  Thanks for the help.,
Disk Reconfiguration on PowerEdge 2900