Re: Replacing hard disks in an RAID array


"Paul" <nospam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:fehen8$ate$1@xxxxxxxxxxx
Brad P wrote:
I have a P4P800 SE board and 2 200GB drives in a RAID 1 mirrored array.
I
want to replace both drives with 2 320's on a RAID as well. I am
planning on
doing this over the course of a few days or perhaps even a few weeks. If
I
unplug my current RAID and pop in the new drives and create a new array,
and
install the OS, then plug my old drives back in, will the board
recognize my
old array? even after creating a new one on 2 new disks?

Appreciate any help on this....thanks.



I get the impression, from reading the description here, that the RAID is
only on
the SATA connectors. You have two SATA connectors. You want to connect
four SATA drives, and move some data off one RAID1 to a second RAID1 ?


http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=1809&OSFullName=Windows*+XP+Professional&lang=eng&strOSs=44&submit=Go%21

One procedure you could use.

1) Turn power off.
2) Unplug one 200GB drive. Install one 320GB drive. Start computer.
3) Computer will declare array "degraded".
4) Boot into Windows. That should work, because it is a mirror after all.
Check the boot order in the BIOS, and make sure you are attempting to
boot from the degraded array (i.e. the 200GB drive, not the 320GB).
5) Bring up the Intel Management software for handling RAID arrays.
Declare the 320GB as a replacement for the 200GB that is missing.
Do a "rebuild", making sure to state that the 200GB is the source
and the 320GB is the destination. I expect the software will make this
obvious, but what do I know...
6) You will end up with a 200GB capacity array.
7) Shut down, remove the last remaining 200GB drive. Install the second
320GB.
Boot into Windows. Use the Intel utility, to rebuild, this time being
very careful to state which of the two 320GB drives is the source.
Perhaps
it will be obvious, because at this point in time, the 320GB with the
data
on it, will already have a reserved sector declared, and will be noted
as
a "member of an array". The second new disk, will be "unassigned" or
whatever
terminology they use. Do a "rebuild".

At this point, all data is moved to the new array. Only 200GB of the array
is
being used (using whatever set of partitions you had set up originally).

Now, using a copy of Partition Magic, either declare a new partition, or
stretch an existing partition.

If you need to back out, and start over again, note that:

1) The 200GB drives are each now declared as "orphans". That would have
happened at step (3) above. If you plug in both 200GB drives, you
would need an option in the RAID interface, that said to join them
together again without rebuilding. Otherwise, to make a mirror out
of the 200GB drives, it will take a rebuild, copying data from one
drive to the other. Any time drives in a mirror get separated, the
RAID driver or RAID BIOS should mark the array as degraded, and
you would normally need to rebuild, and that copies data from one
drive to the other. In selecting a drive as the master, you want to
make damn sure, that the source drive is the "good" one.

Another option, considering how cheap drives are, is to back up the data
from the mirror, to a third drive. Say an IDE one, that could connect
to one of the IDE ribbon cables. Use a backup utility that supports a
"bare metal" restore. Transfer the 200GB mirror to a 200GB or larger
IDE drive (you do that regularly anyway, right ?). Your backup software
will also have an option to make a recovery CD. Once the recovery CD
is burned, and you've scanned it as being error free with your CD
burning software, now you can disconnect the 200GB mirror, install
the 320GB mirror, and do a bare metal restore from the third drive,
back to the 320GB. Good backup software might even arrange the size of
the partitions properly, such that you don't need Partition Magic or
the equivalent. It depends on whether the backup software is "file by
file",
or some kind of "image" software, as to what options you might get on a
restore. The nice thing about backup and restore, is it doesn't involve
endangering the array in the process. If you needed the array, as long
as both drives of the pair were plugged in, the array status should
remain "good".

I know which option I would choose :-)

Best guess,
Paul

Thats a pretty good idea on how to do it but I am looking to install a new
OS. I am just looking to find out if I can swap one RAID array with another
RAID array where both were built on the same machine. If I unplug my old
200GB array and install the 320's and build a new array, then unplug those
and plug back in the 200GB array, the chipset should recognize the old
array? and boot normally? I am assuming RAID information is stored on the
drives and not on the chipset.

Sorry for the misunderstanding


.

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