HARDWARE array/mirroring

[Corinne Peters]

I have 3 SCSI drives/ I created a hardware array (RAID 5). I also have a 36.4 scsi drive on the same smart array controller. I installed win 2k3 server on it and configure it. I want to purchase another 36.4 scsi drive and mirror the existing one, create a RAID 0/1. My question is, will I loose any data when recreating the array? Right now, the OS drive is a RAID 0, logical drive. Thanks!

[Ivan Ferreira]

The array configuration utility has an option to migrate Logical Drive. But I haven't done so I cannot tell if it works.

Migrate a Logical Drive

This option lets you alter the stripe size (data block size) or RAID level, or both, for a selected logical drive. There might need to be unused drive space available on the array for the migration to be possible, depending on the initial and final settings for the stripe size and RAID level.

Back up all data on the logical drive. Although migration is unlikely to cause
data loss, observing this precaution provides additional data protection.

[Steven E. Protter]

I strongly suggest a full backup of all data before proceeding.

Breaking and rebuilding the array almost always leads to data lost. If all you do is add a drive and mirror the Windows partition you may be okay, but its not a risk I'd take.

SEP

[Corinne Peters]

I decided to wait until I get the 36.4 gb hard drive and create the RAID Array mirror 0/1 then. I tried to use ghost to clone the SCSI OS drive onto an IDE drive and it did not work. Norton Ghost sees only the SCSI drives in this case. I can only clone from a SCSI drive to another one if they are both dynamic disks. It does not work even to clone between SCSI dynamic volume to SCSI simple volume.

[Basil Vizgin]

I have migrated from single disk to mirror (RAID0->RAID1) without problems on range of Smart Array controllers.
At first upgrade controller firmware to latest version, add new drive into exiting array (expand array)--this can take some time (you can change expand priority of controller to accelerate this process), than migrate Logical Drive from RAID0 to RAID1.
And dont forget to do a backup before such operations -- unforunally possibility that something goes wrong always exists.