Re: RAID Controller & Info

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: root (postmaster_at_buchanangc.com)
Date: 06/28/04 

Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2004 18:24:19 -0700

"Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]" <sbradcpa@pacbell.net>
wrote in message news:%23sU03pKXEHA.3640@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Historical postings in this group for
>
> SATA drives
> Promise controllers
>
> SATA drives may cause issues during the install process [you may have to
> flip the drive to dynamic to get the install to complete.

I reviewed all those old threads in google. There is no real relation to
SATA. What seems to have been reported and discussed was that various
HW/firmware RAIDs were causing problems to SBS2003. When SBS2003 was
presented with a RAID array to do an initail install upon then the install
would fail unless the pre-existing HW/firmware RAID was changed to a dynamic
disk.

SATA HDs unassociated with HW nor firmware RAID work fine on an SBS2003
install and further they work fine using SBS0223's intrinsic SW RAID 1. And
yes for one to use the intrinsic SW RAID 1 the HDs must be converted to
dynamic. But that dynamic conversion and RAID 1 array setup need not be
initiated until well after the install is complete and all is stable. You
can keep the 2nd HD in a drawer until SBS2003 is all installed and stable.
Later plug in the 2nd HD convert both to dynamic and initiate the mirror and
with less than a hour you got RAID 1.

> Check and make sure the Promise controllers are on the HCL.

Don't panic if it's not. Check the Promise site to see if they say it
works.

> Also an
> installer who used the exact same Promise controller model [sorry I
> forget which one] worked perfectly with the SBS 2003 standard but
> totally barfed the backup when layering on the ISA/SQL in the Premium.

Explain how the Promise controller got involved with 'backup', please.

> In my network at the office, I have for the past three years {?}, a Raid
> 1 and Raid 5 combo. Raid 1 for the OS [software based], Raid 5 for the
> data [hardware based - adaptec controller card]. It's worked like a
> champ and I've been very pleased with it.

A reasonable configuration.

> Ensure that whatever hardware you choose is on the Windows 2003 HCL and
> then you won't go wrong.

But you'll tend to be expensive and limited to a few sources and often
behind on current products.

> There are many ways to do things in SBSland, Root.
>
> root wrote:
> > "Frank McCallister" <anonymous> wrote in message
> > news:OBAG2tJXEHA.3420@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >
> >>Here we go again!! The last one went 79 posts. How many this time ;-)
> >
> >
> > What's even better is that you guys at least are no talkin about the
right
> > issue and that is [S]ATA RAID <VBG>.
> >
> > An [S]ATA RAID controller is rather inexpensive but isn't really needed
for
> > RAID 1 as MS's intrinsic SW RAID 1 is so effective and one doesn't have
to
> > chase any special device drivers nor do any F6 driver installs during
> > SBS2003 install.. The mobo I've been using Asus P4C800-E Dlx includes
an
> > onbaord Promise RAID chip which DOES have W2K3 drivers. But I don't use
it
> > for RAID 1. I use the SATA ICH5R for the two SATA HDs and MS's
intrinsic SW
> > RAID 1. I use the Promise, which makes SATA HDs look like SCSI, for
> > removeable HDs in trays for backups etc.
> >
> >
> >>"root" <postmaster@buchanangc.com> wrote in message
> >>news:uI2YJfJXEHA.716@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> >>
> >>>"billyw" <b@brainless.net> wrote in message
> >>>news:O79Oj4EXEHA.3664@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >>>
> >>>>RAID can be achieved through software.
> >>>>if you turn the disks to dynamic disks (read up on the effects of
doing
> >>>>this)
> >>>>i have a price sensitive customer that uses this set up using raid 1
> >>>>(mirrors the disk onto another.
> >>>>but the best way to accomplish this is to you a raid card.
> >>>
> >>>A card offers little over the intrinsic SW RAID for RAID 1.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>in UK you can get one for 40GBP (approx 70UDS) and this will take a
> >
> > fair
> >
> >>>>amount of the strain that software raid can suffer from
> >>>
> >>>There is no 'strain' from SW RAID 1.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>"Steve" <someone@somewhere.com> wrote in message
> >>>>news:OjXfzaEXEHA.212@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >>>>
> >>>>>Our organization has very limited funds. We have purchased SBS2003
> >>>>
> >>>>premium
> >>>>
> >>>>>edition. We intend to install it on a Dell OptiPlex GX240 1.5 MHz
> >>>
> >>>Pentium
> >>>
> >>>>4
> >>>>
> >>>>>w/768MB of PC133 memory. We purchased two new WD 80GB 7200rpm hard
> >>>
> >>>drives
> >>>
> >>>>>for this machine. What is the best way to set up these drives?
> >>>
> >>>Currently
> >>>
> >>>>>our company uses a 30GB partition for data storage on a Windows 2000
> >>>>
> >>>>server
> >>>>
> >>>>>and it is plenty. Can I set the drives up in some sort of redundant
> >>>
> >>>way?
> >>>
> >>>>>I've heard about RAID but don't really understand it? Do I have to
> >
> > buy
> >
> >>>a
> >>>
> >>>>>special controller for basic RAID. Should I just use one drive for
> >>>
> >>>backup
> >>>
> >>>>>purposes? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>TIA
> >>>>>Steve
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
>
> --
> http://www.sbslinks.com/really.htm

Relevant Pages

  • RE: Cant get windows to install on new SATA drive.
    ... phones.....1st,thier is no slave and master on SATA drives in a RAID ... can do that,or mfg utility,once formatted,configure a RAID array,you'll ... floppy drivers,you can continue on and install xp.If you have problems,go to: ... > ICHR6 one as the master and one as the slave. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: I deleted a raid 1 array, now cannot access the data on either disk.
    ... It sounds like you, errantly, used non-identical disks and have ended up ... of the OS and install your back-up copy of your data. ... I have two identical 120 GB SATA drives. ... > this machine up with Raid 1 because mirroring seemed like a good idea. ...
    (alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus)
  • Re: Need to add redundancy
    ... Follow the instructions that come with your RAID controller.... ... Install the RAID card driver on existing IDE drive. ... The SBS 2003 Server has 2 IDE drives with no redunancy. ... --Pickup a SATA raid controller and a couple of identical SATA drives ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: OT Flat Screen Monitors
    ... setting for 'SATA RAID ROM', and when I set that to 'disabled', the SATA drive appears as another IDE channel. ... If this doesn't work, or you don't want to fiddle with the BIOS settings, then you can use F6 during the install and install the drivers from floppy; I think the one you want is the "NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER" you mentioned earlier. ... I don't claim to be the world's expert on this, but I have now done XP installs on three different machines with SATA drives, so I'm starting to get a feel for it :-) ...
    (uk.sci.weather)
  • Re: RAID compatibility between different controllers.
    ... board RAID, or use say, an external Promise controller, will they ... will they at least see the drives as individual entities? ... install anything else or fuss any further. ... I bought a new MB and a Promise controller and installed everything ...
    (alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt)