[dba-Tech] RE: Going to Raid - Win2K

DJK(John) Robinson djkr at msn.com
Sat May 15 12:45:21 CDT 2004


Ah, William, I think you may be right, despite the fact that XP Help tells
you how to do it, and even adds:

"Important      
When mirroring the system volume, always test to make sure you can start
Windows XP Professional from each mirror in the event that one of the disks
fails. Always use identical disks and controllers to help avoid startup
problems."


Curious.  Looks like I originally fell for the confusion I referred to in my
other posting.  Maybe I did well to choose the hardware option?  ;-)

John


> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com 
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of 
> William Hindman
> Sent: 15 May 2004 16:50
> To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
> Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] RE: Going to Raid - Win2K
> 
> 
> ...the only way of mirroring a drive under WXP on a WXP 
> system, that I'm aware of, is using a hardware RAID board 
> that does the mirroring beneath the WXP layer ...I'd love to 
> be proved wrong on that.
> 
> William Hindman
> "The world's becoming a museum of socialist failures." John Dos Passos
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "DJK(John) Robinson" <djkr at msn.com>
> To: "'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'" 
> <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>
> Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 10:20 AM
> Subject: [dba-Tech] RE: Going to Raid - Win2K
> 
> 
> > (was [AccessD])
> >
> > All the Win2K documentation I can find says that a software mirror 
> > (RAID
> 1)
> > can be ONLY on Win2K Server, not Win2K Pro.  A possible area of 
> > confusion
> is
> > that you can apparently use Win2k Pro to create a mirror on 
> a Server, 
> > so I guess the administrative software is on both but the 
> functional 
> > code only
> on
> > the Server.
> >
> > With WinXP Pro you can do it, however.
> >
> > Copying files on NT4?  Is (was) this a supported facility?  
> Sure, it 
> > might work, but would I trust valuable data to it?  Doubtful.  
> > Irrelevant now, anyway.
> >
> > HTH
> > John
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of JMoss
> > > Sent: 15 May 2004 07:09
> > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] Going to Raid - Win2K
> > >
> > >
> > > I was looking around in diskmanagement on 2000 pro and it 
> appears to 
> > > have RAID 1 configurability. In NT4 you had to copy files from 
> > > server to get the RAID 1 configurability in NT 4 Workstation.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of JMoss
> > > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 12:40 AM
> > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] Going to Raid - Win2K
> > >
> > >
> > > With the Promise RAID, you get two cables. I think that 
> you can put 
> > > both drives on one cable but I also think that the 
> controller has a 
> > > channel per connector, which is almost as good as having two 
> > > controllers for duplexing in case a controller flakes.
> > >
> > > I can't lay my hands on a manual right now so I cant be 
> sure about 
> > > the  two drives on a cable, but like I said I think that 
> you gain a 
> > > channel by using both connectors, and thats just like 
> adding a pair 
> > > of suspenders along with a belt to insure that your pants stay up.
> > >
> > > This is definitely the way to go for anyone that just absolutely 
> > > can't afford to lose their data, and a lot of motherboards are 
> > > shipping with RAID controllers on board. I read 
> somewhere, maybe on 
> > > winternals.com that you can use the software RAID 
> functionality of 
> > > Win 2000 Server on 2000 Pro.
> > >
> > > J
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of John W. 
> > > Colby
> > > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 12:22 AM
> > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] Going to Raid - Win2K
> > >
> > >
> > > This brings up another question, do you place both mirror 
> drives on 
> > > the same IDE cable?  If you can choose, is there any advantage to 
> > > giving each drive it's own IDE cable (simultaneous operations and 
> > > the like)?.
> > >
> > > John W. Colby
> > > www.ColbyConsulting.com
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of JMoss
> > > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 1:01 AM
> > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] Going to Raid - Win2K
> > >
> > >
> > > John,
> > >
> > > If the Highpoint is anything like the Promise RAID 
> controller, all 
> > > that you have to do is load the drivers with the first 
> drive still 
> > > connected to the original controller, and then reboot. At the 
> > > reboot, power down the system move the controller cable 
> to the RAID 
> > > controller and plug the new drive in also. Just make sure 
> you know 
> > > which connector is which. When the system reboots, the 
> RAID utility 
> > > runs and allows you to build the mirror. One thing, make 
> sure that 
> > > the RAID is set for Security rather than Performance because
> > > performance doesn't mirror but stripes. See this link for an
> > > explanation of RAID 0 striping, and RAID 1 mirroring.
> > >
> > > You might want to check out some other vendor than 
> Newegg, because 
> > > they recently starting collecting sales tax, or they did in 
> > > Tennessee. Sales tax and their shipping rates forced me to switch 
> > > back to www.tcwo.com who's shipping in a flat $6.95 for up to 150 
> > > lbs, plus they don't collect Tennessee tax.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > > [mailto:accessd-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: [AccessD] 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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> > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com 
> > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
> > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > >
> > > --
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> > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
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> > >
> > >
> > > --
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