I'd like to set up RAID drives on this box that I am using. I want to set them up as redundant (level 1) drives, but I've never done this before...
Some questions.
1) Do the drives exactly mirror one another, such that even the OS is installed on both?
2) What is the order for setting up the RAID drives? I'm assuming that once the drives are installed, I have to select RAID 1 in the bios settings. Then install the OS. Or do I need to format drives first once installed, and load driver SW prior to the OS SW?
Once again, any clues appreciated.
Quote from: NM_Shooter on April 21, 2009, 10:56:25 PM
I'd like to set up RAID drives on this box that I am using. I want to set them up as redundant (level 1) drives, but I've never done this before...
Some questions.
1) Do the drives exactly mirror one another, such that even the OS is installed on both?
Yes, the OS sees a single drive (C: for example) however the single drive is actually made up of two physical drives presenting one volume. When the OS write to any file, the underlying architecture puts that write in both queues. When you go to read, it can seek across both disks - giving a performance gain. In any event, the two disks are 100% mirrored.
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2) What is the order for setting up the RAID drives? I'm assuming that once the drives are installed, I have to select RAID 1 in the bios settings. Then install the OS. Or do I need to format drives first once installed, and load driver SW prior to the OS SW?
Once again, any clues appreciated.
it depends on whether you have a hardware card that can support raid, or will be doing it in software. If you have an adaptec or 3ware card, or if your bios supports raid directly- then you will perform it there. If not, you would need to do it within the OS. In linux, its free - and I know it is supported in Windows server 200,2003, and even back in Nt4 server. I am not sure of XP or windows 2000 home would offer support for it. (google for it?). I have no idea on vista as I have never even logged into a vista machine.
Thanks...
The MB that I have picked out supports RAID in levels 0,1,5,10 if I remember correctly.
I read through the documentation, but it is not written in a way that someone who is a noob can set it up correctly.
A buddy of mine told me that to set up the system, that I first load the OS, then load the .ini files, then get updates to the OS. But that was pre-RAID plans.
I'm trying to figure out how to set up the RAID drives (and how I would know that they are actually working!)
Thanks for the help....
-f-
I've used Abit and Asus motherboards with RAID built in. I simply built the machine as normal, installing both C: drives (for RAID 1). The RAID drives had their own pair of IDE connectors. I haven't done the newer ISA drives with a RAID. The OS is installed as normal. Then on booting there would be a brief on screen message with a keystroke pattern to use to get into the RAID BIOS. Once the mirror is setup then the system mirrors the existing info to the hidden disk. The motherboards I used could also mirror a second set of drives, and still had two more pair of non RAID connectors. I had a whole mess of drives in that box by the time it was mature.
After the mirror is setup in the BIOS it takes a while for the mirror to be created. Plan on leaving it sit there a while.
Remember RAID 1 is instantaneous. If you delete something it's gone from both drives. Mirrors also don't help with virus or worm infections.
On my boards, before the mirrors were setup, the two drives that would become the hidden mirrors were visible as F: and G: or some such thing. Once the mirror was active those letters disappeared. Once for some reason one of the mirrors broke. The reappearance of one of those drive letters clued me in. A look into the RAID BIOS would have also told me something was awry.
Raid is wonderful in case a drive goes physically bad, as did to me once. We hardly missed a beat.
You should still run data backup software to other devices to protect against data loss.
I can't say I never noticed any read performance increase though.