Re: RAID 0

12GB is 'a little tight' for an SBS OS partition, IF creating a RAID1 pair
to hold the OS (or if basing the system on any other drive subsystem) I
would currently recommend 20GB, but 12 is 'acceptable' (barely).

The OP has four drives. Creating a RAID5 array out of 3 of them and using
the 4th as a hotspare is what I would do. If we're correct on the drive
size, 80GB, then this results in 160GB usable space, 20GB for the OS would
be good and one or two additional partitions for DATA would be my preferred
condition.

"Kerry Brown" <kerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx*a*m> wrote in message
news:eKFnGIFnGHA.4376@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I don't see a way around reinstalling. If the current setup truly is RAID 0
you need to get rid of it. RAID 0 doesn't belong on a production server
except for very specialised uses. It sounds like you have a hardware RAID
controller. You would set it up in the controller BIOS or with a supplied
disk for the controller. From your description it sounds like you have 4 x
80 GB hard drives. Create a RAID 1 (mirror) with two of them and use this
array for the OS. 12 GB is way too small for the OS. 80 GB may be a little
large but it doesn't make sense to partition 80 GB. What you do with the
other two depends on what the server will be used for. Personally I'd ditch
them and install three larger drives in a RAID 5 array. The next best
option would be to install one more 80 GB drive and create a RAID 5 array.
If that isn't possible and your data storage needs aren't that great create
another RAID 1 array with the two remaining drives.

--
Kerry
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

JohnnyD wrote:
Thank you for your reply
What would be the best way of resetting the array?
Would it not be possible to just add another hard drive away from the
RAID Array and SBS backing up to it? (not entirely sure if that is
possible) Can one just change the Raid Array/Controller through
'Array Configuration Utility'?
And what about the Data already on (operating sys etc.) would like to
avoid reinstalling?
Sorry a little bit rusty on this!
Thank you again for your help.


"Leythos" <void@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Qd9pg.6301$Eh1.4758@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <#nxACrDnGHA.724@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, jdiggle@xxxxxxxxxx
says...
Hi
Just received new SBS 2003 with RAID 0 Array over four disks. I
think that this was a supplier error as was hoping for two sets of
two drives each striped, with the operating system on one pair, as
well as file, and backup & other files to be put on the other pair
of disks. (SBS preinstalled) Having switched it on and gone through
the SBS Setup, I have discovered in the Disk Management console I
have only one Logical Hard Disk (0) - with a 12Gb C drive and
285+GB D-drive...
I can only assume that it is striping over all four disks - am I
correct in thinking that if one of the disks goes down then little
data will be redeemable? If so then surely there no point in doing
a system backup, since if there is a single hard drive corruption
then It will all go down. Can one add a normal basic disk for
systems backup purposes? (there will be offsite backup for data)

Than you in advance for any advice

RAID-0 - stripe without PARITY across all disks - any disk fault and
ALL data is lost.

If you are going to do this, make life simple, reset the array with
4 x Disk as RAID-5, so that you can have some redundancy, and then
make it one BIG partition. Yea, it's not a best practice, but it
will save you a lot of time moving things/profiles to the second
partition and it will keep you from running out of space on the
small C partition if you set it to 12GB.

--

spam999free@xxxxxxxxxx
remove 999 in order to email me




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