Scsi / Raid

I have a question for you people familiar with how scsi/raid work.

Right now we have a 2.4ghz xeon server with a 36GB SCSI drive inside. Now we're gonna be buying a SCSI RAID controller and put a second 36GB SCSI drive inside and configure it as raid 1.

Now heres my question, being that raid 1 mirrors the drive, if I put Win2K3 on the server before the second HD, and raid controller gets here will the RAID still work properly if I insall it after the OS installaion, or should I wait to install the OS untill after the second HD and RAID controller get here?


also any hints or tips on installing raid/scsi, as I've never installed it before.

Depend how you do your raid

If you do a hardware Raid, I'll work because when you'll install the raid controller and second hard drive, you'll have to boot the Raid Controller CD that will configured the BIOS of the Raid controller. After it's configured with Raid 1, the Raid controller will mirror your first disk on the second disk. You just have to be sure that you copy your first disk (Win 2003 Disk) on the second disk (Blank).

If you do a software raid, I don’t know because I do all my Raid hardware.

I believe this would be hardware raid.

gonna have 1 PCI - SCSI RAID controller
2 36GB 10K SCSI drives.

Now when you say copy my first disc to the second disk you mean everything? as in system folders and all?

The Raid Controller will do it. Let me tell you what I do when I get a new server.

I load the two Scsi disk in the raid controller and I boot the IBM Scsi Controller CD (It’s a IBM Server). This CD allows me to configure the Bios of the Controller (That mean is hardware control). If I decided to do a raid 1, the controller mirrors the second hard drive using the first right away for me then reboot after.

At this point, I know that my 2 disks are configured for raid 1 and mirrors.

allright.

Thanks for your help SDK, if I have any probs I'll post back here.

ok! Np!

I have been looking for ways to do RAID.

My situation is equal to this.

I have 2 servers both with 3 HD ULTRA SCSI 72GB, im going to buy 1 more hd for each one and a SCSI controler.

Both Servers going to have 4 HD SCSI and a scsi controler, my objective, is to make RAID 0+1 on each Server.

4 Hard-drives = 2 Hard-drives for c:\ and 2 Hard-drives for d:\ . This for both Servers.

Both using RAID 0+1.

My question is this, there exists already RAID by software. Im going to plug the other HD drive, enter in the SCSI controler bios, and "say" Disc 1 RAID 0+1 with Disc 2 And Disc 3 RAID 0+1 with Disc 4.

Will this work without data loss, execpt for the new hard-drive, and the hard-drive that is using software RAID?

and after the BIOS configuration, and when i reboot, he will duplicate the both Hard-drive by him self.

Thanks

Hi Yuris,

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My question is this, there exists already RAID by software

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What configuration is it?

Quote:

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Will this work without data loss, execpt for the new hard-drive, and the hard-drive that is using software RAID?

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I wouldn't count on it :( back everything up carefully. If you are using RAID1 then you are using two drives to mirror. That leaves you two to stripe (presumably for the data?)

If at all possible I would be inclined to save everything onto your network and do a clean rebuild. I must admit I have never tried to go from software to hardware so I have no real idea of what might happen. My advice, therefore, is to assume the worst and take precautions :)

Im not sure how the software RAID is configured.

The ideia is get 4 Hard-drives

2 Hard-drives for c:\ (system)

2 Hard-Drives for d:\ (Data Files)


In the other Server is

2 Hard-Drive for c:\ (system)

2 Hard-drive for d:\ (Data Base)


Will a image dump do the trick??

I have all data backed up in other Hard-drive, and TAPES