Question : Problem: Exchange server running on VMware running out of space, need to extend drive space

Situation:
I am running out of space on my Exchange server (Win 2k3 Server w/Exchange 2k3 running on VMware ESX Server running on an IBM Bladecenter with plenty of SAN storage available)

The Win2k3 Exchange VM is configured with a single 60GB C: drive (Basic Disk), currently with only 6GB free.  I've cleared up everything except OS files, frequently used program files, priv1.edb and priv1.stm.

priv1.edb = 32GB
priv1.stm = 11GB

My knowledge:
I know how to increase my disk space on the Exchange server using the SAN.

Question:
Once I've increased the disk space is it possible to expand the C: drive into the new unallocated space?  I've tried using DISKPART, but it says the "The volume you have selected may not be extended"

If I cannot extend the C: drive, is it possible to just do the following:

1. Format the new unallocated as another drive
2. Unmount the Exchange DB
3. Move the priv1 files to the new disk space
4. Remount the Exchange DB

Also, what needs to be done to shrink the priv1 files?  I've pulled quite a few GB of e-mail out of some of the users' mailboxes and saw no decrease in the file sizes of the two priv1 files.

Thanks!

Let me know if you need more info...

Answer : Problem: Exchange server running on VMware running out of space, need to extend drive space

Diskpart won't let you extend the system partition.

Have a full, good backup before doing this

Simply create a new vm disk of, say 100gb and then during out of hours, move the exchange databases to the new virtual disk(s).

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/MF001.html

Once the databases have been moved you can compress the white space out of them, again this is time consuming and will require down time for exchange

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192185