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| Thread ID: 109026 | 2010-04-21 03:00:00 | Re-install of Server 2003 R2 (Enterprise) | chiefnz (545) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 878799 | 2010-04-21 03:00:00 | Hi all, simple query but here goes. I have a Windows Server 2003 R2 (Enterprise) install which has been running for some time now. I have the following disks installed 1) IDE drive 80GB (Holds the Server 2k3 install and program data) 2) 2 x 160GB SATA II disks used as storage space 3) 6 x 80GB IDE drives connected to 3 x PCI RAID controller cards (these are setup in a RAID5 configuration, used as storage for media etc. I want to re-install server 2003 but before I do I need to know if the new install will pick up the RAID5 configuration which has been done using Windows Server disk management tools. Thanks, |
chiefnz (545) | ||
| 878800 | 2010-04-21 03:22:00 | Software raid? No, I don't believe it will automatically detect them. You'd have to rebuild this array after installation. Seriously, 6 IDE drives across 3 controllers? | inphinity (7274) | ||
| 878801 | 2010-04-21 03:45:00 | Well, RAID array info is held on the drives, so any rebuild if using the same controllers should be fine.....though I wouldnt want to test it without a backup...... I have to agree with inphinity though, 6 drives over 3 controllers, that is asking for trouble. How is the 3 grouped together for RAID 5? I would virtualise the server then bring it back the the physical box with better drive arrays.... |
SolMiester (139) | ||
| 878802 | 2010-04-21 04:50:00 | Well, RAID array info is held on the drives, so any rebuild if using the same controllers should be fine.....though I wouldnt want to test it without a backup...... If he's created a Software array, as implied by the RAID5 configuration which has been done using Windows Server disk management tools Then the controllers have nothing to do with it, the OS is doing all the work (Ugh! talk about extra overheads!), and as such replacing the OS will require rebuilding the array. |
inphinity (7274) | ||
| 878803 | 2010-04-21 05:31:00 | I've always had the view that if you are going to do a rebuild you might as well do it from scratch. !Tb external usb or esata are fairly good value for money these days. Or alternatively get a bare 1Tb drive, install it and backup all your data on to it then remove before rebuilding. Another through I has is that I'd take a long hard look at the need for such a convoluted HDD setup. I picked up a 500Gb SATA drive for under $100. You could get two and strip back to a single 500gb RAID 1 system. Another question that springs to mind is what is the server used for. Is it in a production environment for someone's business, or is it a home server acting primarily as a SAN box? If it's a SAN then perhaps consider a Linux distro and look up the use of RAID and LVM. If it were me, I'd configure the 160s as RAID 1 (hardware if at all possible) for your OS and Program Files. For your data I'd bind the 80s together in a RAID 5 with at least 1 if not 2 hotspares. |
HAL9000 (12736) | ||
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