Have two h/drives fitted in Raid Array 0. Seem to be getting a 'wirring' or 'clicking' sound coming from one of them every time I request an action from the drives. Worst case scenario, if one fails how easy is it to replace or should I consider replacing prior to it failing. Drives are cleaned every week. - George. Appreciate any help or advice.
Raid H/drives
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If you think you're in danger of losing all your data, get another hard drive, internal or external, and use a software program such as Acronis True Image to make a backup of your complete operating system. True image has 4 levels of compression, so you don't need a huge hard drive to back up.
A whirring sound is often a prelude to hard disk failure, sad to say, and if one disk fails in a RAID 0 array, you've lost the whole thing, permanently
A whirring sound is often a prelude to hard disk failure, sad to say, and if one disk fails in a RAID 0 array, you've lost the whole thing, permanently
Thanks for the replies
Thanks guys for the replies. You have confirmed what I really expected. Seems like it's time to put my hand in my pocket. I should have known better when I put in Raid 0 array and didn't have a backup factility in place.
Thanks guys for the replies. You have confirmed what I really expected. Seems like it's time to put my hand in my pocket. I should have known better when I put in Raid 0 array and didn't have a backup factility in place.
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PotGuy said:
Yes. You'll need four identical hard drives. The two forming RAID 1 will simply be a constant backup/image of RAID 0.
Almost foolproof, really. But expensive.
Going back to what 'floppybootstomp' recommended. Have now got the back up software he advised (Acronis true image) and the new hard drive should be here tomorrow. Will then back up my whole systems - files - the lot. Then I want to install this new h/drive to replace the defective one - BUT can I change the raid array from '0' which I have at present to either '1' or '0+1'. The new h/drive is 120gb and the remaining good one which I will leave in the machine is 80gb. Appreciate any advice - Thanks
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A few points:
You can't just run a RAID 1, that's used for backup only.
You could change to a RAID 0 + 1 if you had four identical hard disks and enough SATA connectors on your motherboard/controller to accomodate them.
If you run a RAID 0 again, you'll lose 40Gb of space on your new hard drive. RAID 0 is best run on two identically sized HDD's, preferably both of the same make and type.
If you set up a 120Gb and an 80Gb disk as a RAID 0 array, the controller will only see the 120Gb drive as 80Gb, as it will default it to the smallest sized disk in the array.
As you now have two different sized disks, I'd strongly recommend not bothering with a RAID setup and reinstall your current setup to one of your disks and use the other one as storage.
Personally, I'd use the 120Gb disk for main operating system and 80Gb as storage. You could then (using True Image) keep a constant compressed backup of main disk on the storage disk.
But how you arrange the disks, is, of course, your choice.
You can't just run a RAID 1, that's used for backup only.
You could change to a RAID 0 + 1 if you had four identical hard disks and enough SATA connectors on your motherboard/controller to accomodate them.
If you run a RAID 0 again, you'll lose 40Gb of space on your new hard drive. RAID 0 is best run on two identically sized HDD's, preferably both of the same make and type.
If you set up a 120Gb and an 80Gb disk as a RAID 0 array, the controller will only see the 120Gb drive as 80Gb, as it will default it to the smallest sized disk in the array.
As you now have two different sized disks, I'd strongly recommend not bothering with a RAID setup and reinstall your current setup to one of your disks and use the other one as storage.
Personally, I'd use the 120Gb disk for main operating system and 80Gb as storage. You could then (using True Image) keep a constant compressed backup of main disk on the storage disk.
But how you arrange the disks, is, of course, your choice.
Problem sorted
Thanks for your advice. I received Acronis and after putting the new drive in - installed, formatted and then copied my two raid drives into it. Will now set up to update itself. Thanks for all you help. If I get any problems in the future I know where to come. - Thanks
Thanks for your advice. I received Acronis and after putting the new drive in - installed, formatted and then copied my two raid drives into it. Will now set up to update itself. Thanks for all you help. If I get any problems in the future I know where to come. - Thanks
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Raje said:
I'm assuming you mean transfer a complete OS from single IDE drive to two SATA drives in RAID 0 format?
In theory, yes, of course.
However, my version 8 of Acronis True Image, though a fine piece of software, wouldn't recognise my RAID 0 setup once when I came to do a reinstall from backup. All it saw was two seperate drives, despite them being configured as RAID 0 in controller.
I'm hoping that TI V9.0 has addressed this problem, but I don't know.
You could certainly do a disk duplicate from IDE to SATA, single drive, no problem.
Anybody else ever experienced this problem? Or know of alternative backup/imaging software that recognises a RAID config?
I'd be really interested to hear.
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Actually i meant it the other way around... I want to run my OS off the two SATAS in Raid 0 for the day to day speed... but can't afford 4 SATA drives .. so would want to back up the OS images onto the IDE drive. Does that sound correct.. The two SATA in raid should be faster accessing stuff.. and I would just use a HUGE single IDE to back everything up and use it as a major storage center.
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Raje said:
Yep, that'd be fine.
Storage disk wouldn't have to be that huge, most backup software uses several different levels of compression.
But do bear in mind what I said above about some backup software not recognising a RAID 0 setup when you come to do a reinstall.
Might be wise to ask the software vendor if their stuff can do this before you purchase.
Raid 0
Can confirm what Floopybootstomp has said. I have just installed a backup diskin Raid 1 format. After my one of my main Raid 0 disks started playing up. Now have 2 x Raid 0 (main) and 1 x Raid 1 (backup). As an exercise I tried doing what was said and Acronis wouldn't recognise the two Raid0 when i swapped them to backup disks.
Can confirm what Floopybootstomp has said. I have just installed a backup diskin Raid 1 format. After my one of my main Raid 0 disks started playing up. Now have 2 x Raid 0 (main) and 1 x Raid 1 (backup). As an exercise I tried doing what was said and Acronis wouldn't recognise the two Raid0 when i swapped them to backup disks.