New to Raid

Hybrids · 8 Feb 2012 at 07:45

Hi,

I've built computers in the past, formatted HDD etc but never set up a Raid. Basically can anyone give me some advise/guide to setting one up?

I would like a Raid 0 involving two hard drives.

Do the HDD have to be the same size/make/RPM? How do I tell if my motherboard supports Raid 0? The operating system is windows XP (might change to windows home server2011, but lets assume I stick with XP). I have large amounts of data on a drive at the moment, do I have to back that up and format, use windows XP install raid option? Do any of the jumpers on the back of the HDD require changing? Do I install Raid one at a time or is windows installed simultaneously on both?

As you can probably tell, I don't know what to do

Any help would be apreciated!

Surveyor · 8 Feb 2012 at 17:52

Before I go any further I'll just make you aware, if you're not already, that if one disk fails in a RAID 0 array then all the data is lost.

With two drives you are, in effect, doubling the chance of losing all your data.

You should have a good backup solution in place.

Do the HDD have to be the same size/make/RPM?

No but I'd recommend they're at least the same size and have similar data transfer rates.

If you RAID 0 a 500GB HDD and a 1TB HDD you end up with 1TB, 500GB from each, wasting half of the 1TB drive.

If one drive has slower rates af data transfer the faster drive will be slowed down waiting for it.

It's much more straightforward to have 2 completely identical drives.

How do I tell if my motherboard supports Raid 0?

Check the specification page on the manufacturer's website or look at the user manual.

I have large amounts of data on a drive at the moment, do I have to back that up and format, use windows XP install raid option?

You'll have to back the data up if you're going to use the drive as part of the array as creating the array will clear the drive.

You set up the RAID array in the motherboard's RAID BIOS.

Windows then sees the array as one drive and will be installed onto both drives in the array.

Do any of the jumpers on the back of the HDD require changing?

No.

As long as the BIOS can see both disks, and they're connected to the same controller, then you can set up the array.

Do I install Raid one at a time or is windows installed simultaneously on both?

Windows is installed simultaneously to both disks in the array as they're just teated as one drive.

Depending on your motherboard/chipset your Windows disk may already have RAID drivers on it or you may need to install the RAID drivers during the Windows installation process.

wesley · 8 Feb 2012 at 18:35

be aware that you should not use any type of RAID as a backup

Hybrids · 9 Feb 2012 at 07:26

Surveyor said:
Before I go any further I'll just make you aware, if you're not already, that if one disk fails in a RAID 0 array then all the data is lost.

With two drives you are, in effect, doubling the chance of losing all your data.

You should have a good backup solution in place.

No but I'd recommend they're at least the same size and have similar data transfer rates.

If you RAID 0 a 500GB HDD and a 1TB HDD you end up with 1TB, 500GB from each, wasting half of the 1TB drive.

If one drive has slower rates af data transfer the faster drive will be slowed down waiting for it.

It's much more straightforward to have 2 completely identical drives.

Check the specification page on the manufacturer's website or look at the user manual.

You'll have to back the data up if you're going to use the drive as part of the array as creating the array will clear the drive.

You set up the RAID array in the motherboard's RAID BIOS.

Windows then sees the array as one drive and will be installed onto both drives in the array.

No.

As long as the BIOS can see both disks, and they're connected to the same controller, then you can set up the array.

Windows is installed simultaneously to both disks in the array as they're just teated as one drive.

Depending on your motherboard/chipset your Windows disk may already have RAID drivers on it or you may need to install the RAID drivers during the Windows installation process.

Thank you for your reply, if I have two Raid 0, what sort of backup system is advisable? Should I or could I just have another HDD running along side and write a script that will back up the Raids every day or two?

The computer is a Dell T100 server and has the following specs (taken from dell website):

Drive controller: Embedded SATA; optional SAS
Raid Controller: Optional SAS 6/iR for SAS or SATA Raid

When I look at my actual order confirmation specification, it says 'C1 No RAID Onboard SATA Controller Min. 1 Max. 2 Drives'. Do you know what that means?

Perhaps the best way to find out is to go into BIOS and see if the Raid option is there.

Surveyor · 9 Feb 2012 at 13:07

Raid Controller: Optional SAS 6/iR for SAS or SATA Raid

C1 No RAID Onboard SATA Controller Min. 1 Max. 2 Drives

The above suggest that a RAID controller was an option you don't have and that the SATA controller may only support 2 drives.

if I have two Raid 0, what sort of backup system is advisable? Should I or could I just have another HDD running along side and write a script that will back up the Raids every day or two?

However you go about setting it up a backup should be external to your system.

If the system had a major failure it might take out the backup with it if it was an internal drive.

Hybrids · 9 Feb 2012 at 13:40

Surveyor said:
The above suggest that a RAID controller was an option you don't have and that the SATA controller may only support 2 drives.

Are you saying I don't have RAID and can only install two SATA HDD but not RAID them?

If this is correct, what options do I have other that buying a new motherboard/Server etc.. ? Can a Raid controller be bought? Sorry if these questions seem odd, I'm new to this!

Thanks for your reply!

Surveyor · 9 Feb 2012 at 16:58

Are you saying I don't have RAID and can only install two SATA HDD but not RAID them?

I'm going by the information you've posted.

You're best looking in the BIOS to see if you have any RAID options and how many SATA channels are listed.

You can also look at the motherboard itself to see how many SATA ports there are and if a separate RAID card has been fitted.

If this is correct, what options do I have other that buying a new motherboard/Server etc.. ? Can a Raid controller be bought? Sorry if these questions seem odd, I'm new to this!

You can buy RAID controller cards from the cheap and cheerful, perhaps £30, up to all singing, all dancing for hundreds of pounds.

You'd also have to look at what expansion slots you have and what height/length cards you can physically fit.

I'm not sure if I'm looking at the right thing but this appears to be what you have:

DELL POWEREDGE T100 SERVER

Thanks for your reply!

You're welcome!

Hybrids · 10 Feb 2012 at 07:16

Surveyor said:
I'm going by the information you've posted.

DELL POWEREDGE T100 SERVER

Yeah thats the server.

I looked all through BIOS and found nothing about RAID. I will look into getting a RAID controller.