Is it normal for a format using embedded RAID to take so long?

[Stephen (Ireland)]

Hi

I'm trying to set up a RAID 1 in a new HP Proliant ML 110 G3 server using the embedded SATA RAID software using 2 x 200Gb Seagate SATA drives (having failed to get my Promise SX4100 RAID Controller card to work).

When I enter the RAID setup on bootup, I can see both drives but when I choose Create Array, it indicates that there is not enough room for another array. When I choose the Delete Array option it says there are none.

I then decided to use the Disk Configuration Tools in the same RAID setup to format the hard drive to see if this would make any difference. It has been formating for 2.5 hours and only reached 15%! At this rate it is going to take some 16 hours for each drive.

Is this normal or is there something else going on here. The only history on the drives is that I used them previously (for 1 day) in another RAID on another pc and then partitioned and formatted them using FDISK in preparation for the new RAID.

Any help/suggestions greatly appreciated.

Stephen

[e4services]

Well the creation of the lgoical drives by partitioning and formating with FDisk is why there is no space. To create a RAID with the drive you would need to remove the partitions with FDisk first.
What you are doing with Format under the Disk Tools is unknown, though it sounds like a Low Level FOrmat, which shouldn't have been done, and that does take a LONG time.
Background is that the RAID controller is going to take the place of FDisk under DOS. It need drives with no other formating or logical drives/partitions. It will create it's own logical drive using the blank drives as it needs. THEN you format the new logical drive with your OS

[Stephen (Ireland)]

Thanks for that .. I have a much better understanding of how it works now, thanks to you.

Would I be right in saying then, that I could stop this low level format now, use FDISK to delete the partitions and then try the RAID array setup again?

What exactly is a "low level format" compared to a normal format?

And finally .. could the fact that these hard drives were partitioned and formatted first be the reason that the Promise SX4100 Controller that I originally tried to use (but failed)couldn't be seen as a RAID hard drive in the BIOS?

Thanks again