How to set up RAID for HP ML350 G5

[JimmyExplorer]

Hi all,

My company had two HP ML350 G5 server with E200I 128MB RAM that plan using Windows Server 2003 R2 64bit to be
1. Domain-Based DFS
2. MS SQL Database application with the Account System ...

Now we had five 250GB SATA Plugabled HDD ...

I hear the saleman said that our server can using the HDD to be Hot Spare ... with four other HDD be the RAID-5

I go to HP's official web site, have not find any manual that teach how to setting up like that ...

And how about the size? Make it 128K or 64K or 32K or other value while the RAID build, I had experience of using ICH6R, 7R, 8R, 9R to make RAID-0, which K is best for File Server and Database at the same machine?

I am wonder, how the Hot Spare HDD working when the system is good health, and if one HDD dead, what will happened if have the Hot Spare HDD here.

Or using total five HDD to build a RAID-5 is better or using 2 HDD make RAId-1 for Os, other 2 HDD RAID-1 for Data, one HDD for Hot Spare? Do one E200I array card can do like that?

P.S. I am new to HP Server.

Thank you.

[Mi6t0]

Hi,

It will be the best idea to download the Software CD (Smart Start) and deploy the server using it.
The raid configuration you can make in the Array Configuration Utility (you can search for a manual for this application).
If a HDD fails, the hot-spare automatically gets part of the rait - there is a rebuild and the hot-spare works till you change the faulty HDD.

But please, take in mind, that E200 is not fully suitable for this kind of purposes, it is mainly used for raid 0/1. And SATA HDDs for 24/7 use and databases... I know that it's cheaper, but sometimes cheap hardware costs much more than we expect.


Regards,

Mi6t0

[Víctor Cespón]

Hi, find ACU user guide here:
http://docs.hp.com/en/9320/acu.pdf

Spare management is on page 26

Create a logical drive on page 22

The kind of RAID to create and stripe size depends on the application, if it writes or reads mostly, and if it's random or sequential access.
- RAID 5 has slower write performance than RAID 1.
- Stripe size in RAID should match the chunk size of the database files.
- A spare disk is used to rebuild the RAID afer a disk failure. After the failed disk is replaced, the spare goes back to be spare.
- SATA disks are slower than SCSI disks, update SmartArray E200 firmware to latest version, so at least the internal cache of the disks is enabled.

[Khalique]

ML 350 standard server comes with E200i/64k cache that support only raid 0/1. So, for raid 5 or 1+5 you need to upgrade your raid controller cache to 128k. After upgrading cache use smartstart CD which has ACU(Array Configuration Utility for this purpose. However, ML350 G5 servers has standard that if you plugged two drives it automatically build raid 1 and if you have 3 or more than 3 drive raid 5 would be build automatically.

[JimmyExplorer]

Thank you

My Server added addition money upgrade the E200i to support RAID-5 already ...

Just hear other said if for a SQL Database, using 1+0 is better than using RAID-5, and the fault-totxxxx is better than RAID-5, do it really?

And each Server have total five HDD already ...

So for the array plan using SmartSmart CD to boot the server and setting ...

It will be RAID-5 Auto? How to let me choose using RAID 1+0 also let me setting using which four HDD for the RAID-5 , and which HDD for Hot Spare?

Do on the SmartStart CD Boot environment can let me do above?

IF not, how to setting the RAID by other way? F8 or F9?

Since I read the manual said that using manual build the array, then install the OS, need F6 to install the driver ....

But using SmartStart CD this way, it will help you load the driver before the OS install, but since the experts here answer me it will two HDD help you make the RIAD-1, three or above help you make RAID-5, then it maybe not what I want to control for ...

Sorry of my poor English and my questions a bit not clear.

I am total new on using HP Server. It is my first time setting up RAID 1+0 or RAID-5, I had experience setting up RAID-0, RAID-1 by using two HDD on ICH7/8/9R on Desktop PC...

HP Server's install Windows and Array way look like not same as general PC do.


Thank you so much for the kindly answer and manual provide for me.