RAID question/scenario

[jonnyg]

Hi there,

Im planning a new system, and i wish to implement RAID. Firstly, can i have more than one RAID instance. i.e. Windows over 2 drives in RAID0, and then 3 drives in RAID5 as a storage drive (im aware of the RAID levels, but have i chosen correctly here?)

Im not too worried about a data backup on Windows, as i have a lot of files on my current storage drives and im looking to make sure they are in a position where they are relatively safe. I can always buy a ext. backup for my Windows RAID0 drive if needed.

Im just running this by you guys, making sure im on the right tracks. So, to summarise:

- Can i run more than 1 RAID array (RAID0 and RAID5 as separate)
- If i have x3 SATAII 320Gb drives in RAID5, is this a 480Gb drive?
- Have i chosen the right levels of RAID to use?
- Will i need a separate controller card for one of the arrays? If so, would putting the Windows RAID array on the controller card be beneficial for speed etc, as, from reading the sticky, buying a card that allows full 3Gbp/s on SATAII, will mean that it runs faster than a standard SATAII array.

I really hope this is right, cos im getting confused now!!!

Thanks

 

[jonnyg]

Wow, thanks guys!

Thing I dont get is, how does a 320Gb drive have enough parity information for 640Gb of files?! it doesnt seem to make sense... is there anyone with a link explaining how this works. Thanks.

But for the time being, for the sake of arguement, if i have a motherboard with 5+ SATA ports, then i can make these arrays work, yes?

Thanks very much for your help!