Can a spanned volume survive a server rebuild?

[Guest John Rotton]

If I install Windows Server 2003 on a system disk (250 GB) and then create a

spanned volume encompassing 3 seperate disks (just a spanned volume, not

RAID0), will the spanned volume and the data it contains remain intact if for

some reason I need to format the system disk and reinstall server again from

scratch? Or will the spanned volume be unrecognizable to the newly rebuilt

OS?

 

Note...I realize that a spanned volume has no data redundancy and that a

failure of any disk in the volume causes a total loss. That's not the gist of

my question. (All the data on this volume will be 100% duplicated elsewhere.)

I just want to know if an intact spanned volume survives a complete OS

reinstall.

 

Thanks.

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Can a spanned volume survive a server rebuild?

 

John Rotton <JohnRotton@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> If I install Windows Server 2003 on a system disk (250 GB) and then

> create a spanned volume encompassing 3 seperate disks (just a spanned

> volume, not RAID0), will the spanned volume and the data it contains

> remain intact if for some reason I need to format the system disk and

> reinstall server again from scratch? Or will the spanned volume be

> unrecognizable to the newly rebuilt OS?

>

> Note...I realize that a spanned volume has no data redundancy and

> that a failure of any disk in the volume causes a total loss. That's

> not the gist of my question. (All the data on this volume will be

> 100% duplicated elsewhere.) I just want to know if an intact spanned

> volume survives a complete OS reinstall.

>

> Thanks.

 

I would assume not, because it's the OS that set it up in the first place. I

recommend hardware RAID exclusively on all servers, though, so this should

be an academic question only :)

[Guest John Rotton]

Re: Can a spanned volume survive a server rebuild?

 

 

 

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> John Rotton <JohnRotton@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> > If I install Windows Server 2003 on a system disk (250 GB) and then

> > create a spanned volume encompassing 3 seperate disks...

>

> I would assume not, because it's the OS that set it up in the first place. I

> recommend hardware RAID exclusively on all servers, though, so this should

> be an academic question only :)

>

 

Yeah, I know. This particular scenario doesn't justfy the expense of

hardware RAID. I just need a large (3+ terabyte) extendable volume. It's not

mission-critical and downtime isn't a factor, and the data is duplicated

elsewhere. If I have to rebuild, it's no big deal other than a lengthy file

copy.

 

I just wondered if the spanned-volume on dynamic disks would survive the way

a regular basic disk would. Heck, maybe I'll just try it anyway.

 

Academic, you might say. ;-)

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Can a spanned volume survive a server rebuild?

 

John Rotton <JohnRotton@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

>

>> John Rotton <JohnRotton@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>>> If I install Windows Server 2003 on a system disk (250 GB) and then

>>> create a spanned volume encompassing 3 seperate disks...

>

>>

>> I would assume not, because it's the OS that set it up in the first

>> place. I recommend hardware RAID exclusively on all servers, though,

>> so this should be an academic question only :)

>>

>

> Yeah, I know. This particular scenario doesn't justfy the expense of

> hardware RAID. I just need a large (3+ terabyte) extendable volume.

> It's not mission-critical and downtime isn't a factor, and the data

> is duplicated elsewhere. If I have to rebuild, it's no big deal

> other than a lengthy file copy.

>

> I just wondered if the spanned-volume on dynamic disks would survive

> the way a regular basic disk would. Heck, maybe I'll just try it

> anyway.

>

> Academic, you might say. ;-)

 

Do post back. I think you'll find you've got nada, but you've piqued my

curiosity.

[Guest Chris D]

Re: Can a spanned volume survive a server rebuild?

 

Not 100% sure but i think as they are seperate disks and i assume dynamic

disks, then they should remain intact. each disk knows about the other ones

so you may just have to import foreign disks once you have rebuilt your OS

 

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

<lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmailatyahoo.com> wrote in message

news:%23eVCqnKfIHA.4164@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> John Rotton <JohnRotton@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

>>

>>> John Rotton <JohnRotton@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>>>> If I install Windows Server 2003 on a system disk (250 GB) and then

>>>> create a spanned volume encompassing 3 seperate disks...

>>

>>>

>>> I would assume not, because it's the OS that set it up in the first

>>> place. I recommend hardware RAID exclusively on all servers, though,

>>> so this should be an academic question only :)

>>>

>>

>> Yeah, I know. This particular scenario doesn't justfy the expense of

>> hardware RAID. I just need a large (3+ terabyte) extendable volume.

>> It's not mission-critical and downtime isn't a factor, and the data

>> is duplicated elsewhere. If I have to rebuild, it's no big deal

>> other than a lengthy file copy.

>>

>> I just wondered if the spanned-volume on dynamic disks would survive

>> the way a regular basic disk would. Heck, maybe I'll just try it

>> anyway.

>>

>> Academic, you might say. ;-)

>

> Do post back. I think you'll find you've got nada, but you've piqued my

> curiosity.

>