RAID n00b! Setup RAID1 to duplicate a currently used HDD?

[Skeeter]

Hey all

Im a total RAID newbie as ive never realy seen the point to it when ive had my data backed up, but now ive started thinking it might be a good idea on my server. Ive got a 1TB drive wth WHS on it on my home server. Could I stick in another 1TB drive, and setup RAID1 so that they are identical to each other yet appear to WHS as a single drive? And can I do this without having to format the disks as my server has a lot of stuff on it and is setup just right atm. If I could do this I wouldnt have to turn on folder duplication at all and should any disk die I assume the server would continue to function fine, and I can just swap in a new HDD and it will rebuild itself?

Is this possible? Some uber noob friendly guides would be nice . Its an older nForce2 mobo with SATA1 ports on it.

Many thanks

 

[Skeeter]

I have 2 Sata ports, they are just the older SATA1 (1.5Gbit) versions. As far as I know it supports RAID as i have all the RAID/SATA drivers for the mobo on a disk as Windows XP needs them to recognise Sata drives.

My WHS is my backups, but its just there is no simple way to backup the server itself. If the HDD with the 20GB WHS OS partition on dies, its not simple or easy to get it back. Its kinda pointless to have backups of my PCs and backups of backups, if the server that stores it is run from an OS stored on a single drive!

If I had a TB of free space and pleanty of cash for the HDDs, id just image the entire thing and start with a fresh twin 1TB HDD RAID1, but the fact is I have neither.

 

[Skeeter]

I thought WHS had its own RAID-esq system to do what your after?

WHS has a very clever system thats a kinda of interpretaiton of RAID and JBOD that will add all disks to a 'pool' that appear as a single drive D: to the server, but it can automatically ensure select folders are on atleast 2 physical drives.

The trouble is, WHS itself is stored on a self made 20GB partition (C: ) that sits on one drive only, and isnt part of the 'pool' so isnt duplicated. So while all my data and shares are safely duplicated, the OS itself, that has all the setup information and access and structure of said shares is on a single partition on a single drive. Its something MS have seriously overlooked with WHS.