Switching from software Raid5 to Hardware Raid5

[Peter Bellone]

As I read the info about Raids I see I should have found a Smart Array card (model ??) and installed it instead of using the external SCSI and Win2000 software raid. What kinds of head aches and dangers am I looking at? There isn't much moved to the RAID5 yet so should I just delete files and takedown the RAID and move to a card??
Pete

[Steven Clementi]

Peter:


If you do not have a lot of data to worry about, it would probably be easiest to just move it somewhere and/or back it up to tape, remove the software raid, create the hardware raid and put the data back.

I do not think there is anyway to "move" to hardware raid from software raid5, but did read about moving software raid0 to hardware raid0, then you can migrate to R1 or R5 later.


Steven

[Peter Bellone]

Any reccomendation on card to use? I manage a Proliant 800 (P14), 2X550mhz 1gb RAM. Internal 4X9.1gb drives & external Proliant Storage System F1 loaded with 7X18.2gb.

[Igor Karasik]

I think SmartArray 431 will be good enough.
SmartArray 431 listed as supported for Proliant 800
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10539_div/10539_div.html
The only problem is to find SmartArray 431, it is relatively old controller.