Simple RAID 0, 1 ? from first time nubie...

Hey guys!

Just to get it out of the way I have:
MB : ASUS P5ND2 SLI
Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyper-threading LGA775 800Mhz FSB
4 Gigs DDR2 240 pin

Present set up:
320 Gig SATA Primary

300 Gig Master IDE
Plextor DVD burner Slave

160Gig Secondary IDE master
DVD ROM Slave

MB has 4 SATA plugs as well as both Primary and Secondary IDE
controllers.

I bought a second SATA 320 gig disk identical to my boot drive. I do
a lot of DVD stuff so I'd like to Stripe Set but on the other hand I
wouldn't mind safely and a mirror set. Here's my questions:

Can I add the new HD to make either type of RAID now that I'm already
up and running? I know it's a simple question but I just can't find
the answer. It seems possible for a mirror set but dubious for a
stripe set... But I don't know...

Thanks!!!!!

mirror yes, stripe no

"kxdude4" wrote in message
...
Hey guys!

Just to get it out of the way I have:
MB : ASUS P5ND2 SLI
Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyper-threading LGA775 800Mhz FSB
4 Gigs DDR2 240 pin

Present set up:
320 Gig SATA Primary

300 Gig Master IDE
Plextor DVD burner Slave

160Gig Secondary IDE master
DVD ROM Slave

MB has 4 SATA plugs as well as both Primary and Secondary IDE
controllers.

I bought a second SATA 320 gig disk identical to my boot drive. I do
a lot of DVD stuff so I'd like to Stripe Set but on the other hand I
wouldn't mind safely and a mirror set. Here's my questions:

Can I add the new HD to make either type of RAID now that I'm already
up and running? I know it's a simple question but I just can't find
the answer. It seems possible for a mirror set but dubious for a
stripe set... But I don't know...

Thanks!!!!!

kxdude4 wrote

Hey guys!

None of those here, just us rather badly behaved animals.

Just to get it out of the way I have:
MB : ASUS P5ND2 SLI
Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyper-threading LGA775 800Mhz FSB
4 Gigs DDR2 240 pin

Present set up:
320 Gig SATA Primary

300 Gig Master IDE
Plextor DVD burner Slave

160Gig Secondary IDE master
DVD ROM Slave

MB has 4 SATA plugs as well as both
Primary and Secondary IDE controllers.

I bought a second SATA 320 gig disk identical to my boot drive.
I do a lot of DVD stuff so I'd like to Stripe Set but on the other
hand I wouldn't mind safely and a mirror set.

The most important question is why you want raid 0.

Here's my questions:

Can I add the new HD to make either type of
RAID now that I'm already up and running?

Not easily, but then you are fully backed up arent you ?

I know it's a simple question but I just can't find the answer.
It seems possible for a mirror set but dubious for a
stripe set... But I don't know...

Yes, its not that easy with raid 0

It isnt necessarily that easily with raid 1 either.

And you have everything fully back up dont you ?

In article , kxdude4
wrote:

Hey guys!

Just to get it out of the way I have:
MB : ASUS P5ND2 SLI
Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyper-threading LGA775 800Mhz FSB
4 Gigs DDR2 240 pin

Present set up:
320 Gig SATA Primary

300 Gig Master IDE
Plextor DVD burner Slave

160Gig Secondary IDE master
DVD ROM Slave

MB has 4 SATA plugs as well as both Primary and Secondary IDE
controllers.

I bought a second SATA 320 gig disk identical to my boot drive. I do
a lot of DVD stuff so I'd like to Stripe Set but on the other hand I
wouldn't mind safely and a mirror set. Here's my questions:

Can I add the new HD to make either type of RAID now that I'm already
up and running? I know it's a simple question but I just can't find
the answer. It seems possible for a mirror set but dubious for a
stripe set... But I don't know...

Thanks!!!!!

This page:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_raid.html

has this manual on it - "ForceWare MediaShield User¹s Guide"
http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_28159.html (6MB downloadable manual)

"Array Morphing Questions
* Is it possible to Morph a single bootable drive to a two-disk
stripe array? That is, if I have a single drive in the system
that is not RAID enabled, then decide to add a second drive to
the system, will I then be able to Morph the single bootable
drive to a two-disk stripe array?

If "RAID Enable" in the BIOS RAID Config screen is not enabled
when the OS is installed, it is not possible to convert the SATA
boot drive into a multi-disk bootable RAID array. Therefore, if
you want to retain the capability to Morph a single SATA boot drive
into a multi-disk RAID array at a future time, you must perform
the OS install onto a single disk stripe array. You can do this
by following the instructions in ³Setting Up a Bootable RAID Array²
on page 15 and selecting "RAID Mode" striping and then adding just
your single boot disk. Then install the OS using the F6 install
mechanism as described in Installing the RAID Drivers. Later, when
you want to morph the single disk into a multi-disk RAID array,
follow the instructions in ³Morphing From One RAID Array to
Another² on page 63."

This manual is 157 pages long, and flipping through it, I still
don't know the difference between "rebuilding" and "synchronizing"
an array. You'd think in 157 pages, they could do a little less
"copy/paste" of manual text, and a little more educating. And the
above answer doesn't tell me whether I could build a mirror from
an existing boot drive.

My advice, when you don't know how a RAID really works, is to do
a backup and restore to the new array. Then, you have a backup
(which you should have anyway, because a mirror can get wiped out
too - imagine if the +12V on your power supply, goes to +15V
and burns all the disk drives...).

Also, in light of the lack of underlying explanations in the manual
(such as "reserved sector" versus "system data" and the like), I would
experiment with the array, to be sure you understand how it works.
Make a mirror with two drives (not your boot drive), then break the
mirror by disconnecting one drive. Now try "rebuilding" or on the
next experiment try "resynchronizing", and see if you can figure out
what the options do. Keep a couple of files on the array, and see if
the files get lost or not. Experimenting with tiny disks (like a pair
of old 4GB IDE disks), will keep the run time of the experiments short.

There is nothing worse, than seeing a posting from some poor user,
whose array is broken, they have no backup, and they expect the
USENET community to give them precise instructions to save their
bacon. Most of these poster go home empty handed :-( If you don't do
the necessary experiments now, and learn how to use RAID arrays,
when the day comes that the array dies (which it will), you'll be
stuck. This is one reason I don't use RAID - for my simple mind,
doing a backup is easier to understand, and doesn't make my brain
hurt.

HTH,
Paul

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage kxdude4 wrote:
Hey guys!

Just to get it out of the way I have:
MB : ASUS P5ND2 SLI
Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyper-threading LGA775 800Mhz FSB
4 Gigs DDR2 240 pin

Present set up:
320 Gig SATA Primary

300 Gig Master IDE
Plextor DVD burner Slave

160Gig Secondary IDE master
DVD ROM Slave

MB has 4 SATA plugs as well as both Primary and Secondary IDE
controllers.

I bought a second SATA 320 gig disk identical to my boot drive. I do
a lot of DVD stuff so I'd like to Stripe Set but on the other hand I
wouldn't mind safely and a mirror set. Here's my questions:

Can I add the new HD to make either type of RAID now that I'm already
up and running? I know it's a simple question but I just can't find
the answer. It seems possible for a mirror set but dubious for a
stripe set... But I don't know...

You can allways (allmost) add an additional mirror. In order to
add to stripe, you RAID software/firmware has to support that
particular operation. It does it by basically copying the array
in-place to the new configuration. Most RAID software/firmware
does not support this operation. Also you haave to grow your
partition table afterwards and possibly your filesystems. Again
something that is possible, but usually not supported.

Arno

"kxdude4" wrote in message
...
Hey guys!

Just to get it out of the way I have:
MB : ASUS P5ND2 SLI
Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyper-threading LGA775 800Mhz FSB
4 Gigs DDR2 240 pin

Present set up:
320 Gig SATA Primary

300 Gig Master IDE
Plextor DVD burner Slave

160Gig Secondary IDE master
DVD ROM Slave

MB has 4 SATA plugs as well as both Primary and Secondary IDE
controllers.

I bought a second SATA 320 gig disk identical to my boot drive. I do
a lot of DVD stuff so I'd like to Stripe Set but on the other hand I
wouldn't mind safely and a mirror set. Here's my questions:

Can I add the new HD to make either type of RAID now that I'm already
up and running? I know it's a simple question but I just can't find
the answer. It seems possible for a mirror set but dubious for a
stripe set... But I don't know...

Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done, because it can. I did it on my
Gigabyte mobo, but it wasn't easy. Here are some basic steps:

(1) The problem is that by creating the array you'll wipe your C: drive, so
you'll need to clone it to another drive first. I used Norton Ghost 2003,
the version that works in DOS mode outside of the Windows OS, and it works
like a charm. Using an old IDE is most convenient, as you can use a
standard IDE port. Be forewarned that Ghost needs DOS drivers to read/write
to firewire or USB drives, and I have never been able to get USB to work
properly. Otherwise, Ghost should work with any drive seen by the bios. I
would not feel safe with one clone and would make two, along with a complete
backup elsewhere.
Be paranoid.

(2) After the clone, I enabled the controller in the bios and selected RAID
mode. I used the ICH5R on-chip controller of my GA-8KNXP mobo, but the
procedure should be similar with either your Nvidia or SI controller.
Reboot and be prepared to install drivers for the new hardware, if you
haven't already done this. Double-check Device Manager that the controller
is installed and that it is "working properly."

(3) Power down the system, install your second drive, reboot, enter the
RAID bios as it appears on the screen soon after POST, then set up the
array. Use a 64k chunk (stripe) size unless you're working mostly with
large files, in which case you may want 128k.

(4) Since Ghost may not see the new array without first partitioning and
formating it, I used a Windows ME version of FDISK and FORMAT from a floppy
drive to first partition, then format it. Beware that older versions of
these programs may not work on large drives.

(5) Power down again, temporarily install the cloned drive, and run Ghost
again to restore the clone to the new array. If you do it wrong you may
clone to the wrong drive and end up with two blank drives, so be careful!

(6) Reboot into the bios and make sure the new array is your new boot drive
by checking the boot order.

(7) When you boot into Windows for the first time on the new array it
should be without problems (knock on wood). Again, make sure you're backed
up before starting! This is an invasive procedure and things can go wrong.
I used a different mobo and controller and this worked for me, but don't
blame me if yours burps or otherwise protests during the procedure,
rendering your original Windows installation unusable. Plan ahead and cover
yourself with backups.

"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...

The most important question is why you want raid 0.

(1) Speed and/or (2) double your drive size using two less-expensive drives.
Risk? Yes, but I just cover myself with multiple clones and backups. I've
used RAID0 for about five years now and have never had a failure of either
hardware or an array, but I'm backed up to the hilt and can be up and
running again in 30 min. if the array fails.

Bob Davis wrote
Rod Speed wrote

The most important question is why you want raid 0.

I was asking him, not you.

(1) Speed

There arent many situations where that is actually needed anymore.

and/or (2) double your drive size using two less-expensive drives.

Stupid approach if that is all you need.

Risk? Yes, but I just cover myself with multiple clones and backups.

Pointless going to that trouble unless you actually
need the small increase in speed. Very few do.

I've used RAID0 for about five years now and have never had a failure of
either hardware or an array,

Irrelevant.

but I'm backed up to the hilt and can be up and running again in 30 min.
if the array fails.

Makes more sense to not use raid 0 unless you actually
need the small increase in speed. Thats unlikely.

Bill wrote
Rod Speed wrote

(1) Speed

There arent many situations where that is actually needed anymore.

Risk? Yes, but I just cover myself with multiple clones and backups.

Pointless going to that trouble unless you actually
need the small increase in speed. Very few do.

The speed increase in many situations is far from small.

Bull****.

Most file activities that are not CPU or memory
intensive can be up to twice as fast.

Almost never anything like that, and there is **** all
of that sort of file access on most systems anyway.


For instance, something like zipping up a bunch of large files may
only be 10% faster, but reading an uncompressed disk spool

Which is something **** all ever do.

can be 95% faster.

And hardly ever is.

Heck, even something as simple as using a Par2
program to rebuild Rar files from usenet is twice as fast.

Bare faced lie. And **** all do that anyway, and its a tiny part
of the time required to download them in the first place anyway.

It all depends on your needs. For many people,
RAID 0 is a real performance enhancer

Bare faced pig ignorant lie. For **** all, actually.

and well worth the minimal risk. And for a bit of safety creating
a 4-drive RAID 0+1 array offers the best of both worlds.

At a stupid price. No thanks.

"Bill" wrote in message ...
Rod Speed wrote:
Pointless going to that trouble unless you actually
need the small increase in speed. Very few do.

The speed increase in many situations is far from small. Most file
activities that are not CPU or memory intensive can be up to twice as
fast.

For instance, something like zipping up a bunch of large files may only
be 10% faster, but reading an uncompressed disk spool can be 95% faster.
Heck, even something as simple as using a Par2 program to rebuild Rar
files from usenet is twice as fast.

All those example benefit far more from two independent disks, not RAID 0.

It all depends on your needs. For many people, RAID 0 is a real
performance enhancer and well worth the minimal risk. And for a bit of
safety creating a 4-drive RAID 0+1 array offers the best of both worlds.

Bull****. A 10/15K drive for the OS and a 7.2K drive for data is faster.
You can image the OS to the second drive, which is safer than RAID 1.