Add on RAID Card in LC2000

[Alex Cheng]

1. I will install NetRAID 1M into Lc2000 Server for more reliable reson. But I have a NT4.0 Server already runing inside for more than 6 months.
Is that necessary to reinstall OS after Hardware installation?

2. If I install the card and driver first, than exchange the cable from on board to RAID crad. Will it work?

Thanks For Help!

[Greg Carlson]

Alex,

You can not migrate from the LC2000's embedded Symbios controller to any NetRaid controller. You will have to have a good backup. Then move the cable from the Symbios embedded SCSI A over to the NetRaid. Then configure your array and initialize the array in Ctrl-M or NetRaid Assistant off the Navigator CD. Once you have done that you will be ready for a reinstall.

I'm assuming that all of your hard drives are hotswaps in the drive cage.

Ciao,
Greg

[Marco Hogeveen · Accepted solution]

Alex,

It should be possible to migrate from Symbios to Netraid without loosing all your data.
But, since it's quite risky: make a good full backup first.
It only works if your current disks are standalone disks, not if you have software RAID.
What you should do is:
-install the appropriate drivers on NT4 for the 1M controller.
- Built in the Netraid 1M and connect the SCSI cable
- Power up the server and, during Power On Self Test, press Ctrl-M to Enter Netraid Express Tools.
- Select Configure, View/Add Delete
- Highlight the disk with your OS with spacebar and select Enter, if you had more then one disk in your server, do this for every standalone disk.
- When all disks are selected, press Escape. For every disk in the server you will see an array and get the possibility to create a logical drive.
Use maximum size for logical drive an dleave the RAID level as RAID0.
When all logical drives are created press Escape to exit and save changes.
DO NOT INITIALIZE !!!! This will destroy all your data.
Now exit and reboot to see if the server boots NT (it should).
If it doesn't: don't worry, you can always go back: just enter Netraid Express Tools with Ctrl-M, and Clear Config and do it all over again.

When NT has booted, you need to install Netraid Assistant Software.
Now you can add additional disks to your current logical drives to migrate from RAID0 to RAID1 (with 1 extra disk) or RAID5 with 2 or more extra disks.

If you tell me the current disk configuration in your server and the configuration you want finally, I can tell you in a little more detail.
But this should work also.

Good luck!

marco.

[Alex Cheng]

Hi Marco,

Looks your method is very nice one. Thanks for help!

My LC2000 configuration:

NT 4.0
18GB HDD x 1
(1.5GB NTFS + 16GB NTFS)
No Soft RAID.

I will add one more 18 HDD for RAID 1. I think it will successful with your method.