GUID partitions

[Guest Michael Kantor]

Hello,

 

I am in the process of building a file server with 8 750GB drives running in

RAID5 for a volume of 5.25TB. It got the computer up and running with XP Pro

32-bit, but once the array was built, I realized that it will not go past 2TB.

 

This is a huge problem, and I did not anticipate it because I read that NTFS

supports far over 2TB, but had not encountered information about the

distinction of MBR and GUID prior to seeing this problem.

 

Please answer these questions for me if you can:

 

1. I read that XP Pro 64-bit would support the GUID partition. Does it also

need an Itanium chip to do this, or will it work on Core2 Duo? I read some

notes on Itanium, but perhaps they were outdated.

2. If #1 is resolved, and then I format the array to its full size, will a

computer on the network (32-bit XP or OSX) be able to read/write into the

full 5.25TB of this shared drive? I would assume so, since network computers

just talk to the OS, and not the storage drivers, but I havent been able to

confirm this.

 

 

Thank you,

Michael

[Guest Theo]

Re: GUID partitions

 

If you want to boot from a GUID partition you will need

Intel IA64 Windows.

 

If you just want to use GUID for large storage volume, then

Win x64 for AMD and EM64T CPUs will work. You will still

have to boot from a MBR partition.

 

 

 

Michael Kantor wrote:

> Hello,

>

> I am in the process of building a file server with 8 750GB drives running in

> RAID5 for a volume of 5.25TB. It got the computer up and running with XP Pro

> 32-bit, but once the array was built, I realized that it will not go past 2TB.

>

> This is a huge problem, and I did not anticipate it because I read that NTFS

> supports far over 2TB, but had not encountered information about the

> distinction of MBR and GUID prior to seeing this problem.

>

> Please answer these questions for me if you can:

>

> 1. I read that XP Pro 64-bit would support the GUID partition. Does it also

> need an Itanium chip to do this, or will it work on Core2 Duo? I read some

> notes on Itanium, but perhaps they were outdated.

> 2. If #1 is resolved, and then I format the array to its full size, will a

> computer on the network (32-bit XP or OSX) be able to read/write into the

> full 5.25TB of this shared drive? I would assume so, since network computers

> just talk to the OS, and not the storage drivers, but I havent been able to

> confirm this.

>

>

> Thank you,

> Michael

[Guest Michael Kantor]

Re: GUID partitions

 

The boot is being done from a seperate drive, these are just for storage.

 

So then XP 64 should work with the current hardware, and I guess networked

computers will see the full space on the share drive?

 

"Theo" wrote:

> If you want to boot from a GUID partition you will need

> Intel IA64 Windows.

>

> If you just want to use GUID for large storage volume, then

> Win x64 for AMD and EM64T CPUs will work. You will still

> have to boot from a MBR partition.

[Guest Sam Crawford]

Re: GUID partitions

 

Just curious why you don't run some type of server software?

[Guest Michael Kantor]

Re: GUID partitions

 

The person I am making this for declined Linux, I'm not sure why exactly, but

it could be because he needs an ability to use it as an extra workstation if

one is needed. He is a photographer so that means all kinds of Adobe

offerings.

 

What else is there, Windows Server 2003? Thats $600+ last time I checked,

thats a big premium for one feature, especially if XP 64 can do the same

thing. If I'm missing some other obvious software please let me know and I'll

try it.

 

I see that I can get a trial of XP 64 from Microsoft, I'm going to install

that and see if it does the job.

 

"Sam Crawford" wrote:

> Just curious why you don't run some type of server software?

>

[Guest Juergen Kluth]

Re: GUID partitions

 

Hi,

Windows x64 can read gpt disks as data disks only (needs an mbr disk to

boot)

windows server x32 with sp1 too

jk

[Guest Sam Crawford]

Re: GUID partitions

 

 

On 30-Aug-2007, =?Utf-8?B?TWljaGFlbCBLYW50b3I=?= <mekantor@gmail.com> wrote:

> The person I am making this for declined Linux, I'm not sure why exactly,

> but

> it could be because he needs an ability to use it as an extra workstation

> if

> one is needed. He is a photographer so that means all kinds of Adobe

> offerings.

 

 

 

I think it is dangerous to use a server as a workstation. Too many ways to

mess stuff up.

 

This is a Windows group but I'm thinking Ubuntu, Server 2003 or something

for this server.

 

I understand the need for the Adobe products and that eliminates Linux but

there has to be another option for either an inexpensive workstation or

another PC for the hard disks.

[Guest Charlie Russel - MVP]

Re: GUID partitions

 

No reason why he can't use XP x64 here. He's not got a huge number of other

workstations connecting to him. And GPT disks are supported just fine in XP

x64.

 

--

Charlie.

http://msmvps.com/xperts64

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

 

 

"Sam Crawford" <sam@somewhere.com> wrote in message

news:%23CdTT706HHA.4660@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>

> On 30-Aug-2007, =?Utf-8?B?TWljaGFlbCBLYW50b3I=?= <mekantor@gmail.com>

> wrote:

>

>> The person I am making this for declined Linux, I'm not sure why exactly,

>> but

>> it could be because he needs an ability to use it as an extra workstation

>> if

>> one is needed. He is a photographer so that means all kinds of Adobe

>> offerings.

>

>

>

> I think it is dangerous to use a server as a workstation. Too many ways

> to

> mess stuff up.

>

> This is a Windows group but I'm thinking Ubuntu, Server 2003 or something

> for this server.

>

> I understand the need for the Adobe products and that eliminates Linux but

> there has to be another option for either an inexpensive workstation or

> another PC for the hard disks.

[Guest Charlie Russel - MVP]

Re: GUID partitions

 

Michael -

As others have pointed out, you need to use a GPT disk as a data disk.

You won't be able to boot from it in XP x64. All x64 versions of Windows can

use GPT disks for data. And this is reaquired for disks >2TB.

 

--

Charlie.

http://msmvps.com/xperts64

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

 

 

"Michael Kantor" <mekantor@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:983B1DA1-14C5-4688-A774-EE627FE8F951@microsoft.com...

> Hello,

>

> I am in the process of building a file server with 8 750GB drives running

> in

> RAID5 for a volume of 5.25TB. It got the computer up and running with XP

> Pro

> 32-bit, but once the array was built, I realized that it will not go past

> 2TB.

>

> This is a huge problem, and I did not anticipate it because I read that

> NTFS

> supports far over 2TB, but had not encountered information about the

> distinction of MBR and GUID prior to seeing this problem.

>

> Please answer these questions for me if you can:

>

> 1. I read that XP Pro 64-bit would support the GUID partition. Does it

> also

> need an Itanium chip to do this, or will it work on Core2 Duo? I read some

> notes on Itanium, but perhaps they were outdated.

> 2. If #1 is resolved, and then I format the array to its full size, will a

> computer on the network (32-bit XP or OSX) be able to read/write into the

> full 5.25TB of this shared drive? I would assume so, since network

> computers

> just talk to the OS, and not the storage drivers, but I havent been able

> to

> confirm this.

>

>

> Thank you,

> Michael

[Guest John Barnes]

Re: GUID partitions

 

My recollection was that one prior poster could not get a GUID and RAID5

combo to work. I don't have enough history to research what his solution

was.

 

"Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message

news:156E0D2F-76A4-4224-8344-D6FFC0563BDC@microsoft.com...

> No reason why he can't use XP x64 here. He's not got a huge number of

> other workstations connecting to him. And GPT disks are supported just

> fine in XP x64.

>

> --

> Charlie.

> http://msmvps.com/xperts64

> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

>

>

> "Sam Crawford" <sam@somewhere.com> wrote in message

> news:%23CdTT706HHA.4660@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>

>> On 30-Aug-2007, =?Utf-8?B?TWljaGFlbCBLYW50b3I=?= <mekantor@gmail.com>

>> wrote:

>>

>>> The person I am making this for declined Linux, I'm not sure why

>>> exactly,

>>> but

>>> it could be because he needs an ability to use it as an extra

>>> workstation

>>> if

>>> one is needed. He is a photographer so that means all kinds of Adobe

>>> offerings.

>>

>>

>>

>> I think it is dangerous to use a server as a workstation. Too many ways

>> to

>> mess stuff up.

>>

>> This is a Windows group but I'm thinking Ubuntu, Server 2003 or something

>> for this server.

>>

>> I understand the need for the Adobe products and that eliminates Linux

>> but

>> there has to be another option for either an inexpensive workstation or

>> another PC for the hard disks.

>

[Guest Charlie Russel - MVP]

Re: GUID partitions

 

There should be no issue at all. Once the driver is loaded, it's just a

disk. A really big disk. GPT doesn't care.

 

I have GPT disks running on top of RAID 5 and RAID 6. I just can't boot off

them. On the box that doesn't have a pair of RAID1 standalone disks, I used

the RAID software to create two separate volumes, one smallish for the boot,

and one very large. The very large is GPT. The smallish one is MBR. All are

part of the same RAID6 array. With a hot spare.

 

--

Charlie.

http://msmvps.com/xperts64

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

 

 

"John Barnes" <jbarnes@email.net> wrote in message

news:O0OAsH26HHA.1148@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> My recollection was that one prior poster could not get a GUID and RAID5

> combo to work. I don't have enough history to research what his solution

> was.

>

> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message

> news:156E0D2F-76A4-4224-8344-D6FFC0563BDC@microsoft.com...

>> No reason why he can't use XP x64 here. He's not got a huge number of

>> other workstations connecting to him. And GPT disks are supported just

>> fine in XP x64.

>>

>> --

>> Charlie.

>> http://msmvps.com/xperts64

>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

>>

>>

>> "Sam Crawford" <sam@somewhere.com> wrote in message

>> news:%23CdTT706HHA.4660@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>

>>> On 30-Aug-2007, =?Utf-8?B?TWljaGFlbCBLYW50b3I=?= <mekantor@gmail.com>

>>> wrote:

>>>

>>>> The person I am making this for declined Linux, I'm not sure why

>>>> exactly,

>>>> but

>>>> it could be because he needs an ability to use it as an extra

>>>> workstation

>>>> if

>>>> one is needed. He is a photographer so that means all kinds of Adobe

>>>> offerings.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> I think it is dangerous to use a server as a workstation. Too many ways

>>> to

>>> mess stuff up.

>>>

>>> This is a Windows group but I'm thinking Ubuntu, Server 2003 or

>>> something

>>> for this server.

>>>

>>> I understand the need for the Adobe products and that eliminates Linux

>>> but

>>> there has to be another option for either an inexpensive workstation or

>>> another PC for the hard disks.

>>

>