Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

[Guest saflyfish]

I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My question is

this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk be

formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this doesnt

answer my question

 

Thanks

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

 

"saflyfish" <saflyfish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:12150DE2-08C9-466B-B050-F45A3A135B67@microsoft.com...

>I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

> I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My question

> is

> this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk

> be

> formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this

> doesnt

> answer my question

>

> Thanks

 

It must be unformatted and unpartitioned. The Windows Disk Manager will let

you remove all existing partitions.

 

Keep in mind that while having a server with a mirrored disk is a fine

thing, the vast majority of all problems are software related. If you want

to play it safe then you must create a full back-up of your system disk, or

alternatively an image. Not only this; you must then test that backup. An

untested backup is close to useless.

[Guest dan]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

 

"saflyfish" <saflyfish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:12150DE2-08C9-466B-B050-F45A3A135B67@microsoft.com...

>I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

> I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My question

> is

> this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk

> be

> formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this

> doesnt

> answer my question

>

> Thanks

 

saflyfish, I'd strongly urge you not to use software RAID. I used it (once)

on one of my early servers and had all sorts of problems later when I wanted

to image the drives and install the image on larger drives. The imaging

programs really don't like dynamic disks.

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

 

"dan" <dan(remove)@westerveltconsulting.com> wrote in message

news:ORVSsaCDJHA.4700@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> "saflyfish" <saflyfish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:12150DE2-08C9-466B-B050-F45A3A135B67@microsoft.com...

>>I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

>> I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My question

>> is

>> this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk

>> be

>> formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this

>> doesnt

>> answer my question

>>

>> Thanks

>

> saflyfish, I'd strongly urge you not to use software RAID. I used it

> (once) on one of my early servers and had all sorts of problems later when

> I wanted to image the drives and install the image on larger drives. The

> imaging programs really don't like dynamic disks.

 

I completely agree.

[Guest Dusko Savatovic]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

I'm using Symantec Ghost Solution Suite for imaging.

Ghost can read dynamic disks without a problem, but it can only write to

basic disks.

FWIW, dynamic disk mirror saved my bacon on several ocasions, last time a

month ago.

I do agree, however, that hardware RAID 1 is better, but I cannot always

make a buying decision.

 

Dush

 

"dan" <dan(remove)@westerveltconsulting.com> wrote in message

news:ORVSsaCDJHA.4700@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> "saflyfish" <saflyfish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:12150DE2-08C9-466B-B050-F45A3A135B67@microsoft.com...

>>I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

>> I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My question

>> is

>> this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk

>> be

>> formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this

>> doesnt

>> answer my question

>>

>> Thanks

>

> saflyfish, I'd strongly urge you not to use software RAID. I used it

> (once) on one of my early servers and had all sorts of problems later when

> I wanted to image the drives and install the image on larger drives. The

> imaging programs really don't like dynamic disks.

>

>

>

>

[Guest dan]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

I certainly agree software RAID is much better than no RAID at all.

 

"Dusko Savatovic" <nospam.savatovic@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:eaT1BLFDJHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> I'm using Symantec Ghost Solution Suite for imaging.

> Ghost can read dynamic disks without a problem, but it can only write to

> basic disks.

> FWIW, dynamic disk mirror saved my bacon on several ocasions, last time a

> month ago.

> I do agree, however, that hardware RAID 1 is better, but I cannot always

> make a buying decision.

>

> Dush

>

> "dan" <dan(remove)@westerveltconsulting.com> wrote in message

> news:ORVSsaCDJHA.4700@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>>

>> "saflyfish" <saflyfish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

>> news:12150DE2-08C9-466B-B050-F45A3A135B67@microsoft.com...

>>>I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

>>> I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My

>>> question is

>>> this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk

>>> be

>>> formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this

>>> doesnt

>>> answer my question

>>>

>>> Thanks

>>

>> saflyfish, I'd strongly urge you not to use software RAID. I used it

>> (once) on one of my early servers and had all sorts of problems later

>> when I wanted to image the drives and install the image on larger drives.

>> The imaging programs really don't like dynamic disks.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

[Guest Hank Arnold (MVP)]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

dan wrote:

> "saflyfish" <saflyfish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:12150DE2-08C9-466B-B050-F45A3A135B67@microsoft.com...

>> I want to create a software raid for my 2003 server.

>> I believe i have to convert both hard drives to dynamic disks.My question

>> is

>> this: when i add the second drive(drive to be mirrored to) must the disk

>> be

>> formatted or unformatted?Microsoft says RAW or unpartitioned but this

>> doesnt

>> answer my question

>>

>> Thanks

>

> saflyfish, I'd strongly urge you not to use software RAID. I used it (once)

> on one of my early servers and had all sorts of problems later when I wanted

> to image the drives and install the image on larger drives. The imaging

> programs really don't like dynamic disks.

>

>

>

>

 

I agree 1000%. A vendor once created a software RAID 5 array on a serve.

Long story short, we lost all the data on the array (thank the gods for

tape backups).

 

I'm curious, what imaging software do you use that *does* support RAID

arrays? My problem with them (we use Ghost CE) is how the drivers get

loaded....

 

--

 

Regards,

Hank Arnold

Microsoft MVP

Windows Server - Directory Services

[Guest Dusko Savatovic]

Re: Windows server 2003 raid 1 query?

 

 

"Hank Arnold (MVP)" <rasilon@aol.com> wrote

<snip>

> I agree 1000%. A vendor once created a software RAID 5 array on a serve.

> Long story short, we lost all the data on the array (thank the gods for

> tape backups).

>

> I'm curious, what imaging software do you use that *does* support RAID

> arrays? My problem with them (we use Ghost CE) is how the drivers get

> loaded....

 

Well, I use Symantec Ghost Solution Suite. It runs on WinPE. And as you

know, you can include mass storage drivers in WinPE.