How does array expansion work with Windows?

[CanadianBacon221]

I'm about to hit the submit button on a storage server, but before I do, I'm rather curious as to how online array expansion plays with windows.

Say for example, I start with 3x250GB drives in a RAID 5 array ... Windows will detect a 500GB disk, and I partition and install items on it as I see fit. Down the line, when I want to add another disk to it, for example, how does that work? Are the partitions automatically made larger? Does the drive now simply show additional unpartitioned space within disk management?

Thanks!

 

[ohknats]

Windows will see the additional space but will only let you create another partition. However, you can use the diskpart CLI tool to extend the exisiting partition. diskpart is part of 2003 and XP, not sure about 2000.