is it possible to implent hardware RAID after OS is installed?

[Sam Wakefield]

Hi, I have 3 Compaq Proliant ML530 G1 servers. Each one came with a Raid controller. Compaq Smart array 221, Compaq smart array 431, and the adaptec 2100S. The 431 seems to always fail drive 4, but if i run it on the 221 or 2100s, all the drives are fine. The 2100s has something wrong with its firmware that i cant even fix, it keeps flashing red lights at me. The 431 obviously wont work either. So im left with the 221. The best part about my one working controller is not only did HP provide me with the drivers for it, they forgot to make a txtsetup.OEM file, so i cant load the drivers during a clean install of windows, thus making my RAID controller useless. i have 6 18GB drives that i can attach to the 221 controller. I found 2 spare SCSI harddrives that wont fit in the regular hard drive bays, but they will fit in the media bay. I was wondering, suppose i were to install windows on one of the extra hard drives, would it be possible for me to set up RAID 5 with my 221 and implement in the enviornment?

[Víctor Cespón]

Hi, you can download SmartStart 5.5 and use it to install the server. It has the drivers for the G1 servers and the old SmartArrays.

ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/supportsoftware/ZIP/smartstart-5.50-0.zip

There's the option to purchase a 2 bay cage, that's put on the media bays. If you connect it to another RAID controller, there's an option on the server BIOS to choose boot controlle order.
To access the server BIOS use SmartStart 5.5 or the 3-diskette version of the SCU.