Boot options

[AndreF]

Good day

In a HP Proliant 350 G3 server is it possible to, when you have 2 logical drives both in a raid 1 configuration, choose which logical drive to boot from? If not is it possible to have 2 raid controllers and 2 sets of logical drives one on each controller?
Is it also then possible to choose the logical drive or controller to boot from?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Igor Karasik]

Andre,
AFAIK, when you have 2 logical drives on SmartArray controller - you CANNOT choose which logical drive boot from.
If you have two SmartArray controllers you CAN choose boot controller in server BIOS.

[AndreF]

Hi Igor

Thanks for the prompt reply. Forgive my stupidity but just so I can clarify for myself.
I have the out of the box smart array with 2 80 Gig drives in Raid 1 configuration.
Does the array controller keep the logical drive info in its bios? Can I remove the original array controller install a new one with a new logical drive and have the option to put back the original configuration(controller and logical drive)as if nothing happened?
I need to do this because I have a few hours over 3 weekends that I can do a upgrade on this server to SBS 2003 from SBS 2000. The problem is though every Monday morning it is business as usual and therefore I need the ability to revert back to the original configuration without hassles.

[Igor Karasik · Accepted solution]

Andre,
>>Does the array controller keep the logical drive info in its bios?

SmartArray configuration holded on SCSI drives. If you move SCSI drives from one server to another server with identical SmartArray controller - new SmartArray will read array configuration from drives.

>>Can I remove the original array controller install a new one with a new logical drive and have the option to put back the original configuration(controller and logical drive)as if nothing happened?

I never tried this way, but I think it will work.

But you can just change SCSI drives without SmartArray controller changing - I think it's more easy way. Before upgrade to SBS 2003:
you can do GHOST of the server, pull out original (SBS 2000) SCSI drives, put new SCSI drives, restore GHOST image on new drives and do upgrade to SBS 2003. If something going bad during upgrade you can just pull out new SCSI drives and put old (original) drives - in such way you back your server to SBS 2000

[AndreF]

But you can just change SCSI drives without SmartArray controller changing - I think it's more easy way. Before upgrade to SBS 2003:
you can do GHOST of the server, pull out original (SBS 2000) SCSI drives, put new SCSI drives, restore GHOST image on new drives and do upgrade to SBS 2003. If something going bad during upgrade you can just pull out new SCSI drives and put old (original) drives - in such way you back your server to SBS 2000