[dba-Tech] Going to Raid - Win2K

I know this isn't a popular opinion, but I really lik software raids.
Unfortunately, Win2k Pro doesn't offer a mirror.  You have to have Server to
Mirror a drive in W2k.  However, when you mirror a drive, you don't need to
install anything.

On other peice of advice.  40 gig's is WAY too big for a root drive.  I
highly recommend sticking to 8 gigs or less.  I personally install stuff
like the MSDN, which takes up a lot of space, so I create a larger P:
('Programs') partition, and install software to that.  Mirror them both, and
it doesn't matter if you lose a drive or not.

There is a lot of reasoning behind a smaller root drive, but one of the best
I can offer at this point in time (had a little to drink tonight....<grin>),
is that with a smaller partition, you have a small 'fat' table, even though
you should be using NTFS, it still creates a fat table of sorts.  Just like
any database, the smaller it is, the faster it is.

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of John W. Colby
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 11:44 PM
To: Tech - Database Advisors Inc.; AccessD
Subject: [dba-Tech] Going to Raid - Win2K


Folks,

About 6 months ago my less than one year old Maxtor 120g hard drive bit the
dust.  I replaced it with an old 40g drive I had laying around and a 160g
drive.  I had intended to just replace it with a 160g but quickly discovered
that Win2K doesn't natively support large hard disks until you get SP3 or
better installed and manually edit the registry.  Thus the old 40g to get
Windows up, then the 160g set up.   That 40g drive failed this week.  In
both cases my C: drive (partition) was lost.  Backups simply aren't the end
all and be all in a case like this because of all the programs and
individualized settings for each program - the registry etc.

What I have learned from this is that the lost productivity was roughly 2-3
days per incident, waaaay more than the delta cost of Raid 1.  I have
decided not to go through that again.  I am now researching a Raid 1
solution (simple mirror) using a pair of Maxtor 120g drives.  This gives me
40g for the system partition (drive c:) and 80g for my dev stuff, web dev
etc.

My current choice for controller (I do have $ limits to face) is a Highpoint
RocketRaid 133.  In order to get back up before the weekend I went down to
Staples and plunked down the $ for a Maxtor 6y120P0 120g 8mb buffer hard
disk.  My intention at this point is to order a matching drive and the raid
controller from www.Egghead.com and when I get it, set up the mirror.  I
have a couple of questions though for anyone who may have experience in
this.

1) I have already partitioned the new drive and installed Win2K Pro, Office
and other programs.  Once I get the controller, can I just unplug this disk
from my motherboard, plug it in to the raid controller, plug the matching
drive in, and tell something to "set up the mirror"?  I.e. the new drive
gets the exact same partitions (there are three of them) created, files
written, and I'm up and running mirrored?

2) If not am I facing a reinstall of everything again?

3) Is there anything I need to know?  I just want it to work - I am not a
(trained) system admin, I am a developer working in a SOHO.

The idea is to get my dev system set up so that all of my installed software
and development stuff never again die because a disk dies.  I have found and
read a bunch of articles on raid in general but can't find any detailed
information on the PROCESS of setting the thing up, and specifically with
this controller.  I assume the documentation with the controller will tell
me most of what I need to know, but of course.... what can go wrong will.

Any comments or suggestions appreciated.

John W. Colby


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