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Windows Server Forum / Small Business Server / SBS 2000 / July 2004Implementing SW HW Raid on an older server
Hello, I have an 3 yr old Intel server containing two basic (non-raid) scsi drives. My intention is to purchase a new scsi drive and consolidate my system back onto a single disk. Then, I would like to upgrade to a raid1 system (not too bothered about raid5) 1] I am attracted to software raid because the actual implementation appears less daunting. Would performance be the _only_ issue with going down this route? 2] I am a bit hesitant about the hardware raid because of the age of the server. Is finding a compatible controller likely to be difficult? 3] What about the problems of moving from software raid to hardware raid (when i realise later that i made a mistake)? I Think I am better getting this correct now (especially whilst I still have basic disks in the server) TIA Stephen I would NOT do it!!!! s/w RAID is processor intensive, makes restoring a PITA and since you have to move to Dynamic disks you can never Ghost again. Hardware RAID is inexpensive but you have to make a decision upon install or just make your data drive redundant. I have an oral surgeon that is paying big $ to recover a s/w RAID5 a shmuck setup for him....pay now or pay later.  SignatureSincerely, Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I 4&2000 www.MCSE2000.com www.AppLauncher.com > Hello, > I have an 3 yr old Intel server containing two basic (non-raid) scsi drives. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > TIA > Stephen Thank you, Mark. Sometimes you know what the answer to a question is going to be before you ask it! The point about the recovery is excellent (and not one I had considered). Is this because the h/w raid is transparent to the operating system? I would still welcome any information on finding a suitable raid controller card for my ageing server. Regards, Stephen > I would NOT do it!!!! s/w RAID is processor intensive, makes restoring a > PITA and since you have to move to Dynamic disks you can never Ghost again. > Hardware RAID is inexpensive but you have to make a decision upon install or > just make your data drive redundant. I have an oral surgeon that is paying > big $ to recover a s/w RAID5 a shmuck setup for him....pay now or pay later. With mirroring it isn't that bad to recovery but with s/w RAID5 it is just not going to happen anywhere easily enough like h/w. Intel RAID cards are great but only for their systems. You can use a cheap and simple IDE drive RAID card for your data but since your OS is already installed you can't add that to your mirror. SignatureSincerely, Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I 4&2000 www.MCSE2000.com www.AppLauncher.com > Thank you, Mark. > Sometimes you know what the answer to a question is going to be before you [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > big $ to recover a s/w RAID5 a shmuck setup for him....pay now or pay > later. Mark, One more quick question if I may. Are you saying that when I consolidate everything back onto a single scsi (basic not dynamic) disk I cannot simply (?) install a scsi raid card and then plug that disk (with data and operating system already installed) into the raid controller? Obviously, I will supplement this with a second scsi disk for the mirroring. Regards, Stephen > With mirroring it isn't that bad to recovery but with s/w RAID5 it is just > not going to happen anywhere easily enough like h/w. Intel RAID cards are > great but only for their systems. You can use a cheap and simple IDE drive > RAID card for your data but since your OS is already installed you can't add > that to your mirror. Wellllll, that's not quite right Mark, Ghost 7 will copy partitions from a dynamic disk and write them to an empty basic disk. It's not the only version that can do this, 2000 can also but it often complains that the dynamic partition is dirty and won't play. Actually, 7 sometimes doesn't want to play and by going to 2000 or other it works. I agree with you about most of the rest though. Particularly SW RAID5, it sux. > I would NOT do it!!!! s/w RAID is processor intensive, makes restoring a > PITA and since you have to move to Dynamic disks you can never Ghost again. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > TIA > > Stephen I've had no real problems with H/W RAID controllers (Intel, Adaptec) on the older machines that I've tried - for example, even if the new controllers all use 66MHz PCI slots found in the new generation servers, they work fine on older 33MHz PCI slots from the older generation servers. You shouldn't be taking too much of a chance installing an Intel controller onto your Intel system. > Hello, > I have an 3 yr old Intel server containing two basic (non-raid) scsi drives. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > TIA > Stephen Thanks Andrew, But I can just plug my basic disk (containing everything including the operating system straight) into the raid controller can't I? I'll have an image back up, of course. TIA Stephen > I've had no real problems with H/W RAID controllers (Intel, Adaptec) on the > older machines that I've tried - for example, even if the new controllers [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > TIA > > Stephen |
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