Is RAID 5 Installed? Question on RAID 5 set up

[Macattak1]

Hi,

I am trying to set up RAID 5 on my new system. ABIT IP35 + 3 HDs and WinXp.

I put the drivers on floppy. Started WinXP install. F6'ed for RAID drivers. Then it started OS install. Formating drives.

Question is:
When, How do I get to set up the RAID 5 specific or do you not do that per se? I have 3 partitions/the 3 HDs. But am I missing something?

I have read tons of web sites on RAID and Seting up RAIDs and RAID 5, etc.

But no where do I get info on the process after the floppy device drivers???

Any help/further explanation of the process would be great. Thanks!

 

[alevasseur14]

Just after you leave your motherboard's POST screen, you should see another screen telling you to push a certain key to get into your RAID controller's BIOS. That's where you'll tell the controller what drives to include in the array, strip size, etc... The controller will then initialize the drives in the array and format them.

When you're done there, you can enter XP's setup and install your RAID drivers.

It's hard to be more descriptive without knowing if you're using your mobo's onboard RAID controller or an add in card but that should cover the basics.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

alevasseur14 is right. You first have to create the RAID 5 array in the RAID controller BIOS. Then you boot windows, F6 install to install the drivers so that windows can find the drive to install the OS to.

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
alevasseur14 is right. You first have to create the RAID 5 array in the RAID controller BIOS. Then you boot windows, F6 install to install the drivers so that windows can find the drive to install the OS to.

Yes, but intel matrix raid manager can do it on fly in windows as long as raid drivers have been installed.

 

[alevasseur14]

I've never used Matrix before but I doubt it can be set up on the fly from within a Windows installation. It probably can from within an existing installation but if you want to install Windows onto that RAID array, you'll need to initialize it first the way I described.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg/Windows installation or RAID initialization?

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: alevasseur14
I've never used Matrix before but

then shut up, and stop giving wrong advices.

Create a RAID Volume from a RAID-Ready System

A RAID-ready system is configured with the Serial ATA controller set to RAID mode and with at least one hard drive with no RAID volumes (a pass-through drive). The operating system must have the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager installed. The following RAID configurations are possible (refer to Table 1 of this help file to determine which RAID levels are supported by your system):

* RAID Ready to a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6-drive RAID 0
* RAID Ready to a 2-drive RAID 1
* RAID Ready to a 3, 4, 5 or 6-drive RAID 5
* RAID Ready to a 4-drive RAID 10

Follow the steps below to convert the system to a RAID system by migrating data from the existing system drive to a RAID volume.

1. Note the serial number of the hard drive that you want to migrate the data from and ensure that it is connected to the system. You will need the serial number later in the procedure to identify this drive as the source drive.
2. Connect the desired number of additional Serial ATA hard drives to the system to be used as the volume's member drives. Note that these hard drives will need to have a capacity equal to or greater than the capacity of the source hard drive.
3. Start Windows* and open the Intel® Matrix Storage Console.
4. Select 'Advanced Mode' from the 'View' menu.
5. Select 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive' from the 'Actions' menu. The 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard' will launch.
6. Follow the instructions throughout the wizard. The migration will begin once the wizard is completed.
7. To view the migration status, right-click on the volume name in the device pane and select 'Show Migration Progress'. A tray icon message will pop up when the migration is complete and the volume's 'Status' will display 'Normal in the information pane.
8. After the migration is complete, restart the system. If you migrated to a RAID 0 volume, use Disk Management from within Windows* to partition and format the empty space created when the two hard drive capacities were combined. You can also use third-party software to extend any existing partitions within the RAID volume.

If you have a single, non-system hard drive that contains program or personal data, you can use the migration feature to use this hard drive as the source drive for a RAID volume.

 

[alevasseur14]

Wow, it's no small wonder I rarely try to help people on here. It's jerks like you that think they're top dog.

Obviously, the OP is starting with a fresh installation of Windows. It'd be my personal preference to start with the RAID volume already created when installing Windows. Cleaner and a whole lot simpler. Besides, nobody said he was even using the onboard Matrix controller.

Grab a cup of coffee and try to relax, OK?

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: alevasseur14
Wow, it's no small wonder I rarely try to help people on here. It's jerks like you that think they're top dog.

Obviously, the OP is starting with a fresh installation of Windows. It'd be my personal preference to start with the RAID volume already created when installing Windows. Cleaner and a whole lot simpler. Besides, nobody said he was even using the onboard Matrix controller.

Grab a cup of coffee and try to relax, OK?

No, it is the people that give advices before trying them first.

Yes he is using onboard controller ABIT IP35 + 3 HDs, which is intel's ICH9R and supports RAID5.

You haven't been much constructive.

 

[montag451]

Can I just butt in and ask a couple of semi-(un)related questions here -

Is a RAID5 array controller dependant?
For example, if I had a RAID5 array, and one of the drives goes down, would it be possible to use a different mobo's/different controller to recreate the array.
For a RAID1 array which is supposedly a clone, would this be controller independant?

 

[alevasseur14]

Alright postmortemIA, you're a golden member, you win. Congratulations. Apparently you can read minds. I'll buy you a cookie some day. I didn't know it was unheard of to use an add-in RAID controller card to create a RAID array even if your board has an onboard controller. I'm well aware of the controller that resides on that board. I've also never, ever, set up a RAID array, aside from the one I'm using RIGHT NOW... oh, and the others I've used and maintained. I'll read up on that. If you're comfortable completing such low level functions from within Windows, that's your thing. This serves as my last response to you.

montag451, an array of almost any kind is pretty controller dependent. Chances of recovering an array from a controller of one chipset on a controller of another are pretty slim. That said, the benefits of RAID 5, 6, and others are in their built in redundancy. If you lose a drive, you can still keep going without it and then migrate a new drive back into the array when you get it (ASAP). As far as RAID 1 goes, you can lose 1 drive and move the surviving drive to another computer AFAIK. You need to add a new drive to maintain RAID 1 but it should work on it's own, RAID or not. Don't quote me on that one but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Hope that helps...

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: alevasseur14
Alright postmortemIA, you're a golden member, you win. Congratulations. Apparently you can read minds. I'll buy you a cookie some day. I didn't know it was unheard of to use an add-in RAID controller card to create a RAID array even if your board has an onboard controller. I'm well aware of the controller that resides on that board. I've also never, ever, set up a RAID array, aside from the one I'm using RIGHT NOW... oh, and the others I've used and maintained. I'll read up on that. If you're comfortable completing such low level functions from within Windows, that's your thing. This serves as my last response to you.

First time user not happy with onboard RAID... you watch too much fantasy. Obviously it is only not clear to you why he specified which board he has as a relevant fact.

BTW nVIDIA RAID tool allows you to build RAID on fly as well...

 

[imported_Baloo]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: alevasseur14
Wow, it's no small wonder I rarely try to help people on here. It's jerks like you that think they're top dog.

Obviously, the OP is starting with a fresh installation of Windows. It'd be my personal preference to start with the RAID volume already created when installing Windows. Cleaner and a whole lot simpler. Besides, nobody said he was even using the onboard Matrix controller.

Grab a cup of coffee and try to relax, OK?

No, it is the people that give advices before trying them first.

Yes he is using onboard controller ABIT IP35 + 3 HDs, which is intel's ICH9R and supports RAID5.

You haven't been much constructive.

Go away troll, alevasseur14 is correct. You can't install windows onto the array without setting it up first in the raid bios. Settting up an array from within windows is not going to move windows onto that array - windows does not support that. Oh, to be fair, it can be done, but not easily, and that matrix software is not designed to migrate windows installations..

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: Baloo

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: alevasseur14
Wow, it's no small wonder I rarely try to help people on here. It's jerks like you that think they're top dog.

Obviously, the OP is starting with a fresh installation of Windows. It'd be my personal preference to start with the RAID volume already created when installing Windows. Cleaner and a whole lot simpler. Besides, nobody said he was even using the onboard Matrix controller.

Grab a cup of coffee and try to relax, OK?

No, it is the people that give advices before trying them first.

Yes he is using onboard controller ABIT IP35 + 3 HDs, which is intel's ICH9R and supports RAID5.

You haven't been much constructive.

Go away troll, alevasseur14 is correct. You can't install windows onto the array without setting it up first in the raid bios. Settting up an array from within windows is not going to move windows onto that array - windows does not support that. Oh, to be fair, it can be done, but not easily, and that matrix software is not designed to migrate windows installations..

another troll giving advices without knowing what matrix software does. You really have no clue. It is fairly simple to make raid0 form a two drives, where first has installation, and second is empty.

since you couldn't read entire post, here it is again for you:

Create a RAID Volume from a RAID-Ready System

A RAID-ready system is configured with the Serial ATA controller set to RAID mode and with at least one hard drive with no RAID volumes (a pass-through drive). The operating system must have the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager installed. The following RAID configurations are possible (refer to Table 1 of this help file to determine which RAID levels are supported by your system):

* RAID Ready to a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6-drive RAID 0
* RAID Ready to a 2-drive RAID 1
* RAID Ready to a 3, 4, 5 or 6-drive RAID 5
* RAID Ready to a 4-drive RAID 10

Follow the steps below to convert the system to a RAID system by migrating data from the existing system drive to a RAID volume.

1. Note the serial number of the hard drive that you want to migrate the data from and ensure that it is connected to the system. You will need the serial number later in the procedure to identify this drive as the source drive.
2. Connect the desired number of additional Serial ATA hard drives to the system to be used as the volume's member drives. Note that these hard drives will need to have a capacity equal to or greater than the capacity of the source hard drive.
3. Start Windows* and open the Intel® Matrix Storage Console.
4. Select 'Advanced Mode' from the 'View' menu.
5. Select 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive' from the 'Actions' menu. The 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard' will launch.
6. Follow the instructions throughout the wizard. The migration will begin once the wizard is completed.
7. To view the migration status, right-click on the volume name in the device pane and select 'Show Migration Progress'. A tray icon message will pop up when the migration is complete and the volume's 'Status' will display 'Normal in the information pane.
8. After the migration is complete, restart the system. If you migrated to a RAID 0 volume, use Disk Management from within Windows* to partition and format the empty space created when the two hard drive capacities were combined. You can also use third-party software to extend any existing partitions within the RAID volume.

If you have a single, non-system hard drive that contains program or personal data, you can use the migration feature to use this hard drive as the source drive for a RAID volume.

People who never used Intel's matrix storage manager should just STFU.