Smart Array 641 and multiple Arrays

[Bill Bushong]

Hello,
I have 4 drives in the cage of an ML350G3, and 2 are doing nothing. When the server was ordered, they did not order a RAID controller (Before my time). What they did however, was create one partition on Drive 0 and a second on Drive 1 (Drive 2+3 are empty spares). So my hope is that I can put a Smart Array 641 in there, and hook the single channel into the single channel cage, and create 2 seperate arrays... one for Drive 0 (And 2) and one for Drive 1 (And 3)...

Am I thinking right??!!

Thank you!!
Bill Bushong

[Gus Kwong · Accepted solution]

Hi Bill,

I am afraid that will not work --- upgrading from basic SCSI controller to SA6xx/x will lose data inevitably.

one example can be found here
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=977496

However, I guess you can (1) install the PSP + SA641 (2)Backup (3)rebuild new RAID sets (4) Restore...

Hope this helps.

Gus

[Bill Bushong]

Not the answer I was hoping for... but oh well... So I guess the question I still have however, can I do your steps (Install HP's Proliant Support Pack, The Smart 641, Blow away my Data ), and then setup the RAID controller to support TWO SEPERATE arrays (4 Drives total = 2 Arrays w/ RAID 1)??

I don't mind rebuilding (Too much), but can have two arrays (Both RAID 1) w/ one controller and the existing Hot Cage?

Thank you again,
Bill Bushong

[Gus Kwong]

I would probably go for RAID 0+1, and then create 2 logical drives. Thus, you can afford two failed disks in the future.

[Bill Bushong]

OK... that makes a lot of sense... Thank you... Just so I know for the future though... could I create two separate RAID 1 arrays if I wanted? (I guess Raid 0+1 would always make more sense... but just so I know).

Thank you for a long weekend behind our server

Bill Bushong

[Gus Kwong]

Absolutely --- you can create 2 raid1 sets.