Re: RAID on server

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

Morning,

Thank you for everyone's help.

After reading the following you may have a bit of inkling where my confusion
come in. A bit of the background info. First of all, the person (my manager)
who assigned the initial job to work on this backup server, told me it is on
RAID. (BTW, never touch a server before or any hardware, so just take in
what I was told) And I have to get the RAID working. Finally, it was my
manger who configured the RAID on this server. Then problem with various
issue, one day HP engineer was called. The engineer confirmed this server
RAID is not a hardware RAID, it is only software RAID. (My manager thought I
was b****king when I told him the server is on software RAID). As thing move
on and I never dare to ask question about the RAID.

At present, this backup server is config (by my manager) as the live server.
The free space on the live server is running out and need solutions to
resolve the free space issue.

I was trying to do the following.
1. this backup server at present is a mirror image of the live server,
except the data is not up to day. Took a disk image of current backup server
on to another drive (with bigger capacity). Hoping this newly 'mirror' disk
would be boot up from this backup server. However, due to 'RAID' issue, the
server cannot see the drive at all, let alone bootup from this drive.When I
was doing this, the bigger drive was in slot 1 and the original drive was
still in slot 0.
2. Since option 1 doesn't work, I tried - took out the original drive from
slot 0 and put in the bigger drive in slot 0, to see whether it will boot
from this bigger drive. Of course it doesn't. As my manager question me
whether I have done anything to the RAID. I didn't.
3. Since option 1 and 2 doesn't work, my posting before I do anything else.
If I carry on with option 2 but 'config' the RAID for the bigger drive, if
the server would boot up from this bigger drive, great, all issue resolved.
However if it doesn't bootup from this bigger drive and I have 'configured'
the RAID for this bigger drive in the server, if I put the original drive
back to slot 0, Will the RAID be rebuild from this drive info, will I be
able to boot from this originally working drive and will data be lost.

Other then option 3, if anyone have a way to increase the size of drive c in
a server that would also resolve my problem.



"Larry Struckmeyer" <lstruckmeyer(at)mis-wizards(dot)com> wrote in message
news:ed$2iUoBIHA.464@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Smiley:

No, you don't upset me or anyone else. Just that RAID0 causes any server
geek to get the willies.

You have a little work to do. Not so bad, really. Find the documentation
for your LSI adapter and read it. If you don't understand it, call LSI or
the mfg of the computer (HP from the looks of it, and you will probably
have better luck there than with LSI, since this seems to be a card made
for and branded by HP) and ask them. This is fairly important. In fact
it is VERY important.

Either do that, or hire an outside person who is SBS centric. Not an
enterprise person who has never seen SBS.

BTW, google can be your friend:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/arraycontrollers/smartarray641/index.html

which says in part:

<snip>
The Smart Array 641 Controller (SA-641) is a 64-bit, 133-MHz PCI -X,
single channel, SCSI array controller for entry-level hardware-based fault
tolerance. Utilizing the internal SCSI channel of the SA-641 allows you to
configure up to 6 internal hard drives to store up to 1.80 TB of storage.

The 64MB and 128MB BBWC (Battery Backed Write Cache) Enabler upgrade
allows the SA-641 controller an option to add transportable BBWC for
improved controller performance and increases the total controller memory,
up to 192MB. The SA-641 also features complete data compatibility with
previous generation's Smart Array controllers to ease data migration from
server to server and for easy controller upgradeability.
<snip>

Sounds like a nice card and server. 1.8 TB of storage... should take you
some time to fill that up. <g>

Once you, or someone you trust understands your hardware, in particular
the storage subsystem and its controller, you can figure out how to add
more drives to this system to give you either RAID1 or RAID5.

If you need additional help on which of the above to use, open a new
thread.

Larry

"Smiley" <firework123@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fe2h1n$q$2$8302bc10@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Larry,

If I have upset you in any way, please pardon me. Never intend to upset
anyone but my lack of knowledge might 'p*****' some of you off.

I know things doesn't seems to add up at my end which is why I am lost
when doing work.

Forget the word RAID in my posting. The reason which I referring to it
was that was what I have been told.

Yes, there is only one physical drive in the SBS production server and it
has 4 partition.

It is SCSI hotswop drive.

The controller - don't know how to check but when I boot up the server,
it always say Smart Array 641 controller. Is this what you are asking. I
have also check the Hardware device manager which said
LSI Adaptor, Ultra 320, SCSI 2000 Servie (1020/1030)
LSI Adaptor, Ultra 320, SCSI 2000 Servie (1020/1030)
Smart Array 641 controller.

Hope this help to identify my muddled query.

Many thanks and Kind regards,

"Larry Struckmeyer" <lstruckmeyer(at)mis-wizards(dot)com> wrote in
message news:%23gCsG9QBIHA.4880@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Smiley:

One drive is not RAID anything. If you have only one drive you cannot
directly mirror it and get more space. Can't imagine why you refer to
this arrangement as RAID0, unless you interpret multiple partitions on
the physical drive in that manner.

So first you need to verify that there is in fact only one physical
drive in the SBS production server. Just open the case and look. Next,
it would be helpful to know if PATA, SATA, SAS or SCSI, and what
controller is in place.

Also, how is the drive partitioned.

Larry



"Smiley" <firework123@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fdtl4u$t5r$2$8300dec7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Larry,

Sorry to get you in such a state.

My answer to your queries

1. There is only one drive in the production server. I am afraid this
is NOT what you are hoping to see.
2. NO, they are RAID0 for one drive. It is only a software raid (FYI, I
found this out the hard way. My manage didn't believe me at the time
till the 3rd party engineer told him so).
3. Yes, I do have space in the drive cage for more physical drives
4. I am not sure about this as I have no experience in checking this, I
know the server do have a raid controller installed
5. I am sure the controller will allow me to "MIRROR" the new drive if
the existing raid would allow me to do so. Which is exactly the
question which I was asking, If I make a disk image of current drive on
a larger capacity drive then take the existing drive out, put in a new
larger capacity drive, if that doesn't boot up, can I put back the old
drive in and will the server rebuild the RAID from the information on
the drive. If this is not possible, I have to look for other way to
recalculate my risk factor again.

Hope you would give me some new direction.

Many thanks


"Larry Struckmeyer" <lstruckmeyer(at)mis-wizards(dot)com> wrote in
message news:%23chaCSEBIHA.3400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Typo:

Please confirm:

there are two drives in the production server.
they are joined in RAID1 to = the combined size of them added
together. (80+80 = 160)

Make that RAID0 in the above sentence. The word frightens me so badly
I can't even type it correctly.

you have space in the drive cage for more physical drives.
you can add more drives to the controller
the controller will allow you to MIRROR the new drive to the "seen
as one" existing pair.

Larry


"Smiley" <firework123@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fdr2vm$a25$2$8300dec7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,

Know this is a very slim chance for rectification but I like to ask
before I give up.

Server on RAID0, due to space problem, need to seek other way to add
extra spaces to the OS drive. One lucky thing is I do have a spare
server which is configured as the live server. However, if I put in
any drive in this server for testing, I will break the RAID on this
server. I am right on this??? If I have the RAID broken, will it be
rebuild if I put the original drive back ???? If not, Anyone knows
of anyway which I would add extra space on the os drive to the
current live server ?

Many thanks















.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: bad blocks on raid5 cause filesystem failure
    ... It is setup in in RAID 5. ... How could a RAID controller botch this up? ... should be rebuilt on spare drive if available from remaining drives. ... All is fine unless you have double fault. ...
    (comp.os.linux.hardware)
  • Re: HP proliant ML115 G5 on debian lenny
    ... dardrives to do RAID 1 backup for several other servers. ... simple backup server, any drive over 1 GB will hold all the ... system onto a 6 GB partition on one of the drives. ...
    (Debian-User)
  • Re: New Install of SBS 2003?
    ... What if I went with a raid 1 on two drives ... localy and have them install the sofware at my local computer guru's ... I do believe in overengineering ones' server. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Promise SATA and SuSE 9.1
    ... > Promise RAID controller with a pair of Samsung drives connect... ... Make sure you buy a proper server case ...
    (alt.os.linux.suse)
  • Re: Migrating to Raid
    ... >>> a RAID Mirroring environment. ... >>It is unclear whether you want to migrate the two existing 200GB drives into ... >uses FC4 as a file server, one uses SUSE as a web server, and one is ... >planning on upgrading to Win 2003 SBS from their existing NT4 setup. ...
    (alt.os.linux.suse)