Changing from RAID 0 to RAID 5

[Patricia Cully]

Just started here. Seems a server was to have been configured with Smart Array 532 controller running RAID 5 but the configuration utility shows it as RAID 0.

If I reconfigure to RAID 5, do I have to restore the data from a backup or will the Smart Array reconfigure the data for me? (Now wouldn't that be nice!)

Thanks,
Patricia

[Mohamed K Ahmed]

As you have said...It would have been very nice. I don't think it is that smart of n Array after all :)

Mohamed

[Nagarajan Balakrishnan]

Yeah,

The only way is to backup into a tape or another disk if you have. Reconfigure the array to RAID-5 and restore it back from the tapes.

If and only if you are using Tru64 AdvFS and have the AdvFS licenses and free disks accessible to the system, you would not require a down time and can move around the data online and achieve your objective. Let me know if you have the above and I shall outline the procedure.

Cheers
Baalki

[e4services]

Patrica,

RAID0 to RAID5 is a viable upgrade path for the controller. Without details of the system, drives and data on them, it is difficult to suggest a path for you. You suggest the system is new. 3 drives? OS on the first? What?

[Dan Baxter]

You can reconfigure, but it depends on your current configuration. How many drives are currently being used? Do you have any open drive bays?

[Patricia Cully]

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm running 4 - 18.2 gig drives. Drive "C" which is one 18.2 gig drive is bare, running w2k server only. The remaining 3 - 18.2 gig drives make up the raid array on drive "D." Drive "D" contains only data. Drive "D" is currently RAID 0. I will be reconfiguring to RAID 5.

The reason for my posting is that a tech we outsource to said they called compaq and we could just move the data around. My experience with software raids, which I believed carried over to hardware raids, was that you are basically "reformatting" and need to restore the data.