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Raid 1/Mirroring?

  • 21-11-2006 9:19am
    #1
    squibs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 975 ✭✭✭


    I've ordered a system with a 200Gb SATA drive and support for raid 0/1/jbod. I want to whack in another drive and mirror (raid 1) the data.

    I have a couple of questions:
    1) Will raid 1 work without needing extra drivers?
    2) Can I add the second drive and have it copy all data from the drive thats already installed (winth XP)?
    3) Will I need the same make and model of drive to make this work?

    Mobo is a FOXCONN K8M890M2MA-RS2H SKT-AM2 and original drive is DiamondMax 10 200 GB SATA HDD UDMA 300 7200 8MB. TIA for all comments.


Comments

  • #2
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭GoneShootin


    squibs wrote:
    I've ordered a system with a 200Gb SATA drive and support for raid 0/1/jbod. I want to whack in another drive and mirror (raid 1) the data.

    I have a couple of questions:
    1) Will raid 1 work without needing extra drivers?
    2) Can I add the second drive and have it copy all data from the drive thats already installed (winth XP)?
    3) Will I need the same make and model of drive to make this work?

    Mobo is a FOXCONN K8M890M2MA-RS2H SKT-AM2 and original drive is DiamondMax 10 200 GB SATA HDD UDMA 300 7200 8MB. TIA for all comments.

    We're moving offices soon and as part of the move I'd like to investigate this RAID malarky also....


  • #3
    SwampThing
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 944 ✭✭✭SwampThing


    For RAID to work you'll need additional drivers, but is that an issue?
    The driver needs to be installed right at the beginning of an installation in order for the OS to 'see' the raidset.

    First, you'll boot the machine, the BIOS of the RAID controller will prompt for a key-combination to enter it's setup. There, you'll create your raidset - RAID 1 orr RAID 0 - whatever.

    When you're installing XP (gross assumption here) very early on in the installation you'll be prompted to insert a floppy disk for any additional drivers. This will make your raidset visible to the OS and allow you to install and boot from the raidset. the floppy should have come with your mobo or you'll get it from the website. Unfortunately, it has to be a floppy disk - you can't load this from CD easily.

    For any RAID, you're best off with identically sized drives; even better is identical makes/models. You'll need two disk for RAID 1 or RAID 0 and minimum 3 for RAID 5.

    It's not too complicated. If it's a new install, just give it a lash - nothing to lose!!


  • #4
    SwampThing
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 944 ✭✭✭SwampThing


    squibs wrote:
    2) Can I add the second drive and have it copy all data from the drive thats already installed (winth XP)?

    Just on this point here- I'm not too sure what you're asking.

    Can you add the second drive later and create the raidset while keeping everything installed on the first disk? - Depends on the raid controller and the software. I'd say unlikely but I could be wrong. I've an Intel board with RAID 0,1 & 5 capabilities but it can't do that type of migration.

    Check out the low-down on the raid capabilites of your mobo from the Foxconn site. If it can do what you want, you're laughin'!


  • #5
    parliament
    Closed Accounts Posts: 132 ✭✭parliament


    I have a couple of questions:
    1) Will raid 1 work without needing extra drivers? - If the mobo has harware RAID you will no need additional drivers.

    2) Can I add the second drive and have it copy all data from the drive thats already installed (winth XP)?- Yes, if the RAID is set up correctly when you add a secondary disk the RAID will start performing its duty.

    3) Will I need the same make and model of drive to make this work? - They do not have to be the same make but it is always a good idea to use the same size.


  • #6
    squibs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 975 ✭✭✭squibs


    Thanks lads - much appreciated.


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  • #7
    ressem
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    2) Can I add the second drive and have it copy all data from the drive thats already installed (winth XP)?

    Depends on your raid controller. At bios time, you'll be required to set up a raid array. In many of these raid menus you can set the existing drive as master and tell the new drive to synchronise against it, which takes a few hours.


    If the existing hard drive is correctly connected to the onboard raid adapter in JBOD mode, then there probably won't be any hassle. However many motherboards have both raid and non raid sata controllers, and hard drives on new systems are often connected by default to the non-raid.
    In this case, might be easiest to either reinstall from scratch or, connect the second drive to the raid array, sector copy the old drive to the new drive and see if you can get it to boot by correcting its boot.ini entry and disconnecting the working boot drive. Can be messy.


  • #8
    SouperComputer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,949 ✭✭✭SouperComputer


    its pretty rare to have a controller that does not support a restrospective RAID 1 upgrade. Generally you can just sync them. This applies to RAID one only naturally!

    Just remember, RAID is not a backup.


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