Do winserver08 support OCE with software raid5 ?

[Mech0z]

I want to use Online Capacity Expansion and I would like to use software raid 5 so I can keep adding drives cheap and have one big (None bootable) partition!

But is it possible to use Online Capacity Expansion in windows on software raid at all?

 

[Syntax Error]

Not that I know of.

Such a feature is usually reserved for hardware RAID, though I also know that Linux mdadm can also do OCE.

 

[Mech0z]

Well I am considering buying the HighPoint RocketRAID 2320 but people on Newegg (Cant find anywhere else to check userreviews) say its very unstable and if it is then I am not sure I dare to use raid5 on it and then steadily increase the number of drives.

Its not that easy to find IO controllers here in Denmark for reasonable prices (2320 is in my mind expensive)

I just cant figure out if I should buy a super cheap controller and do software raid5 with 4 drives. Or buy a big raidcontroller (Like the 2320) and then add drives on the go as I need the space.

 

[RebateMonger]

No, you can't extend a Windows Software RAID that uses Striping (RAID 5). You could always remove the array, create a new one, and restore the data from your backups.

Microsoft: Administering Volume Sets and RAID Arrays

 

[Mech0z]

That just requires me to have backupspace for all the data which is something I dont have, Iam trying to do this in a cheap way, but hardware raid seems like the only way to do it :/ but if the Highpoint is not stable then I dont dare do that either :S

 

[Emulex]

if you have a compatible motherboard you can pickup a p400 hp with bbwc for about $99 to $199 used. with the bbwc enabled you can do online raid expansion, migration, and stripe size change.

 

[Jeff7181]

You seem to be under the impression that if it's not that particular RAID controller you mentioned, it's software RAID. There are other RAID controllers in the universe...