ML110G4 Raid 5 Configuration

[Lim Pei Yi]

Hi,

I bought an E200 Array Controller for ML110G4 to configure RAID 5. However, the server has already install 1 HDD with Windows server and partition with no RAID configured. I now have 2 new HDD to plug in for RAID 5 configuration with the new array controller. I wish not to disturb the installed windows and data if possible.

Do anyone have any idea or step by step guide on how to do it?

[KarloChacon]

hi Lim Pei Yi

if the server right now has windows with no Raid Level configured there is not way to migrate to RAID 5 but take a look and check if you have at least RAID 0 if so you can do a migration level RAID 0 to RAID 5
** Remember to have RAID 5 you need 128 MB as BBWC
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12460_na/12460_na.html

by the way check the RAID level using this
ProLiant Array Configuration Utility
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/27533.html

so you will realize which RAID Level you have and if you have the option to migration

in case you have the option to migrate check the manual, page 25 migration
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00294139/c00294139.pdf

regards

[HP_Sammy]

Hi Lim,

Found something intresting u can try this

Did you know that we can migrate from Jbod to Raid 0/1 on Embedded SATA RAID Controllers.

What does that mean:

1. Install OS with Embedded SATA RAID Disabled(No Drivers or F6 required) on one Harddrive.
2. Once OS is installed, Extract the Embedded SATA RAID Drivers to a folder.
3. Goto Control Panel-> Add New Hardware->Device is connected->New Hardware->Raid Controller->Have Disk->Browse to the folder where the Embedded SATA RAID Drivers were extracted. Select the .inf file->Install Adaptec Raid Driver.
4. Restart the Server goto BIOS enable the Embedded SATA RAID.
5. Press F8 and goto Sata Raid BIOS->Configure the Drives->Create Array->Raid 0/1 A warning message will appear "Warning: Configuring the drives will erase all Array information from the selected drives, if that drive is part of an array. Arrays using any of these drives as members will be affected! Do you want to continue?(Yes/No):". Press "Y" to continue.
6. If Raid 1 is selected it will ask you what is the Source Disk, select the Right Disk in which OS was installed previously. Warning message might appear again. Select "Y".
7. Rebuild will take sometime, once rebuild is complete restart the server.

Once rebooted Raid would be detected and windows would boot up, in windows it would detect new hardware and Adaptec Raid drivers will be installed. Now Server is built migrated to Raid Successfully.


Before trying this make sure u have backedup data.

Cheers :)

[HP_Sammy]

Oops thats for embeded SATA yes i know but i think procedure would still remain the same if u want can give it a shot and please let me know if it works thanks

Cheers :)

[KarloChacon]

hi Lim

Sammy that is E200 controller...

I had a bad experience using that procedure which I really try avoiding it(sometimes is much better nlite and is used for SATA Controllers)


Lim just configure the RAID level using Array diagnostic utility with the link I gave you
or on BIOS



regards

[RufusG]

I installed a hardware RAID Controller and added 2 extra SATA disks to create a RAID store that is fail-safe.

I only put the Operating System on to the original single disk.

I only put Data on to the RAID drive.

There are 4 advantages to this:

1. The hardware RAID drive starts the moment the power is on and is virtually independent of the rest of the computer.

2. You could move the RAID disks and Controller card to another computer in minutes

3. The Windows Swap File and the Data are on 2 separate drives, so the overall system performance is improved.

4. You can rebuild and upgrade the Operating System or re-format the original single disk without disturbing your Data.

I keep working Data on my workstation and I have a backup utility to copy complete files and folders over to the RAID drive on the server as they change.

- Belt & Braces
- LOCKS ( Lots of Copies Keep Safe )

This way I am storing personal Data and family photographs going back to 1984.

Not a very expensive solution and it is very very effective.

Hope that this helps you

[RufusG]

This is slightly off topic but, as supplied, the ML110 ( G2, G3 & G4 ) have only a single DIMM memory module installed.

This reduces the CPU-memory performance by half and reduces the overall system performance by 10-25%

If you install matched pairs of DIMMs - in the correct sockets - you will improve the performance of the complete system.

See the attached document for more details

Click on the paperclip in the top right of this message to read it.

[KarloChacon]

hi

really sorry I've seen this a lot of times
it seems like a Trojan really at the beginning I thought that this was like an automatic reply from a trojan or something

" This is slightly off topic but, as supplied, the ML110 ( G2, G3 & G4 ) have only a single DIMM memory module installed.

This reduces the CPU-memory performance by half and reduces the overall system performance by 10-25%

If you install matched pairs of DIMMs - in the correct sockets - you will improve the performance of the complete system.

See the attached document for more details

Click on the paperclip in the top right of this message to read it."

regards and really sorry

[RufusG]

Dear Karlo:

I post this message every time I see questions about the ML110 or ML150. ( Copy & pasted from prepared text, which is why it looks the same every time )

I wrote the attached paper in 2005 and sent it to the Product Manager at HP in Grenoble, who sent it on to the world-wide Product Manager in USA.

Since they did not take any notice and still ship ML110 & ML150 with only a single DIMM, I post this message to help newcomers who may have never seen it before.

If you read all the messages, you may see it a number of times

- but to the poster it may only be the first time they have seen it

HP continues to deliver low-end servers where the perfomance is crippled, which could be improved 10-25% by installing matched pairs of DIMMs at very little extra cost.

While they do that I will continue to post my message.

Some people have thanked me for informing and educating them about something that was not obvious.

.

[Blazhev_1]

Hi,

if the old HDD is attached to the Embedded(non-Smart Array) controller and you attach it to a Smart Array, the Smart Array will rewrite the boot sector with about 1100 sectors RIS information and you will not be able to boot from that HDD again.
The optimal solution is backup the HDD, attach the 3 HDDs to the E200 and create a new array with a new RAID 5 logical drive, then restore the data.
Migrating from 5x to 6x SA controllers is supported but from a "normal" controller to a SA is NOT.

Regards