Is there such a thing as (mirror) RAID software for a 2 HD external 1394b enclosure?

[computer]

Hi all. I just got this external 1394b enclosure and I didn't realize it at the time that the RAID functions are only for MAC. (I use XP Pro SP3). That's one of the main reasons I got it because I wanted to put two HD's in it and have my backup mirrored to each HD.

So I'm wondering if there's some kind of software I can get that will allow me to use RAID 1 with two HD's in this enclosure. It uses an Oxford 912 chipset (FW912-TQAG) and so far all I see is RAID info for Oxford 911 chipsets. The other chipset in it is a TI TSB81BA3.

Does anyone know if that Wiki 911 chipset info can be applied to the 912 chipset? A PDF file on the line mentions "Striping, spanning, splitting" on page 27 of the PDF (physical page 19) which sounds like RAID options to me. This is detailed more on page 31 of the PDF (physical page 23), and it is indeed RAID. But they are showing setup dialog screenshots and I have no idea how to get that kind of software it's apparently showing....I assume they are from some kind of RAID setup software.

That PDF has a title in it of "Oxford semiconductor uploader utility" but I can't find any results for that, only UG's and PDF manuals about it, no info about downloading it. Or is that utility only for MAC's?

But according to the Wiki page it can be done on XP, the question is can it be done on the 912 chipset.

Here's another PDF that mentions RAID, but it doesn't say anything about OS's.

Thanks for any info.
-Clint

 

[computer]

Well isn't this special. That Wiki page has link to download the utility:

"Get the uploader tool which will allow you to flash the Oxford 911 bridge and tweak settings to enable the slave device. http://fwdepot.com/firewiredepot/xp_updater_1_64.1.zip."

.....and naturally it's a frickin' bad link! The website doesn't even exist anymore.

 

[rasczak]

when plugged into the xp box do both drives come up in"my computer"? if so then you can do a windows software raid through computer management.

 

[computer]

when plugged into the xp box do both drives come up in"my computer"? if so then you can do a windows software raid through computer management.

Thanks for replying. Yeah the two HD's in the enclosure both show up as drive letters in My Computer. It can't be that simple, can it?
-Clint

 

[computer]

BTW, using the Web Archive I was able to get to that fwdepot.com homepage, and the links actually worked through the Archive's URL's. I found this page (warning that it takes about an hour to load) and I downloaded: "Click here to download the Oxford Firmware data file v1.2 for the Oxford 912 chip" and "Click here to download the Oxford utility (Windows utility included - windows_uploader.ini)". The first one is a .bin file, but the second one is a .sit MAC file, and contrary to claims, "Universal Extractor" won't open it. I'm about to try StuffIt for Windows. Hopefully that file needed from the Wiki page I mentioned above is in it, because later that fwdepot page it says: "1. Unzip the "xp_updater_1_64.zip" file and save the files on your local hard drive." 😕 But it doesn't say HOW or WHERE to download it! So hopefully it's in that .sit file.

But if I don't need all this and XP can do it by itself, that's great.

 

[0roo0roo]

xp is a pos and doesn't do raid volume mirroring.

 

[Ika]

Why exactly do you want RAID mirroring on two separate hard drives, especially in Windows, especially for your purposes? Wouldn't it just be better to copy your backup to the other hard drive?

 

[computer]

xp is a pos and doesn't do raid volume mirroring.

Ok so one person says you can and you say you can't. 😕

I've still been looking into this and M$ says it can be done, but only mentions RAID 5 and nothing about FireWire. But that page was linked from that Wiki article about RAID on XP with the Oxford 911 FireWire chipset. So evidently it applies. I also found this article that says how to do it (with some hacking), but again only RAID 5.

"Rasczak" can you please explain your post on how it can be done via Computer Management?

 

[computer]

Why exactly do you want RAID mirroring on two separate hard drives, especially in Windows, especially for your purposes?

😕 That's all the more reason to do it! HD's cannot be trusted, they fail. For years I've backed up everything on an external USB HD enclosure, and an external FW400 enclosure, each taking a pretty long time (almost 100gb). Not only is it much faster with FW800, but I'd only have to do it once with two HD's in RAID 1.

Wouldn't it just be better to copy your backup to the other hard drive?

Sure it can be done, but it wouldn't be "better". That would of course take twice as long, copying all data once to one HD then again to the other. Hence the reason for mirroring.

 

[Nothinman]

MS didn't support redundant RAID levels in their software RAID until Win7 and only then it's available in the Pro and up versions IIRC. There are hacks around to make it work in XP Pro and such, but it's a really dumb idea.

And I don't think Windows will let you do software RAID on removable drives so it's probably a moot point anyway.

 

[computer]

And I don't think Windows will let you do software RAID on removable drives so it's probably a moot point anyway.

Apparently you can, see the links in post #6 (specifically the Wiki link).
-Clint