RAID1 - Questions . . .

[khushy]

When using a RAID1 with a 2 port RAID card as a data store only not for OS . . .

1 - if I set up a RAID1 (mirrored) array in PC1 for example and I then build another PC (PC2) - can I move one of the PC1 RAID1 Disks to PC2 and place it as an extra disk in an onboard SATA port that will work straight away - i.e not loose any of the data on the disk when the disk is initialised on PC2?

1A - how do you get around the fact that you have to initialise a disk - surely that will delete all the data

2 - if I set up a RAID1 array on my PC and the MB dies - will all the data still be accessible when I replace the MB - ie as a single stand-alone disk once the OS has been installed on another drive - I know that if I have to reinstall the OS etc and then add the RAID1 array with the same controller card it will wipe everything!

When using a RAID1 array as your Boot Disk - has your OS on it . . .

3 - if you have the array on your PC via a separate controller card and the MB dies - how do you reinstate the array as the boot disk straight away without reinstalling the OS?

4 - again if you have the array on your PC via the separate controller card and the MB dies - can I simply change the MB and add one of the RAID1 disks as a boot disk in one of the onboard SATA ports as the new boot disk?

khushy

 

[Flukester]

Hi

1 - unless the controller is identicle and BIOS setup correct you'll lose the RAID set and just see two seperate disks. you won't lose data though

1a - don't think you will have to initialize, even as a part of a RAID 1 set the disks data will still be readable on a normal SATA port on MB controller.

2 - yes it will, unless when mobo dies and took disks with it, tis unlikely though. on a fresh OS reinstall you would simply after installing windows install RAID driver and hey presto, you'd see your RAID 1 array in windows.

3 - the good thing about having your OS on a RAID card array is it will boot windows on pretty much any mobo your plug it into. reason is that it's the hard disk controller diferences between motherboards that usually kills windows. you wont have that trouble...

4 - i think your getting confused as to what you are using the RAID for ? .....the thing is, your actual OS even if in a RAID 1 array is much more likely to 'die' than a mobo, and the OS dieing on one disk gets mirrored to other.

it's just for a little data security in case of mechanical failiure thats all (and the read speed increase is worthless)... if you want straight data security I'd just go for a external USB backup kept 'off site' and mirrored once a week via xcopy. Windows installs so fast these days I'd forget about trying to preserve a 'running' system, at least for home use.

raid 1s only place is in the workplace on servers that need to stay up... and even then that should just be OS, data should be in at least RAID 5 with hot spare.

 

[khushy]

thanks for that . . .

more interested I guess in RAID1 to single Disk actuality without loosing any data - say if I swapped PC's etc etc

PS - was that you on YouTube wheeling around???

khushy

 

[Flukester]

lol no not me

On all RAID1 arrays I've used, I can always move a single disk from the RAID down to a normal SATA skt on mobo and read data from it just fine.

Of course this destroys the mirror, but you could always recreate it...

I guess wether this works though is dependant on the controller being used, I know it's so for SIL / Highpoint based controllers, unsure about others but guess they similar.