Moving RAID5 array from old, dead computer to new system.

[IsenMike]

The mobo on my computer just bit the dust. Since the computer was relatively old, I've decided to buy or build a new system, rather than deal with replacing the mobo on the old one. I'm curious about the sort of trouble I might run into while moving the hard-drives, though.

My storage drive consisted of three HDDs in a RAID5 array, using the mobo's onboard RAID controller. (The mobo in question was EVGA's nForce 680i SLI 775.)

How difficult will it be to migrate the array from the old system to a new one, with the data intact?

Do I have to find a mobo with the same brand of RAID controller? Or will any RAID controller be able to restore the array as it was?

(Before anyone chides me on it, yes I did have an external back-up solution. Unfortunately, I've just found out that for some reason the regularly-scheduled backup hadn't successfully run in several months. I don't think that anything too important would be lost, but I'd obviously prefer to just get the array migrated with the data intact.)

 

[imagoon]

Only time I have had success with doing exactly this is going from same chip to same chip. IE Hi-point to Hi-point. I learned my lesson from a failure so I started using I/O cards instead so I could just move the card over.

On board Hi-point to Hi-point PCI card worked years ago.

 

[nanaki333]

i'm not sure how picky nforce raid controllers are, but on intel chipset boards, i took a raid0 from a s775 to s1366 to s1155 to s2011 just fine. and yes, i've kept the same spinpoint f1's through that whole ordeal

 

[IsenMike]

I've been pretty out-of-the-loop on hardware lately; does Nvidia even make nforce controllers for new CPUs anymore? I'm only just getting started looking at new system options (the old one died last night), but I'm only seeing nforce MCP's on LGA775 boards.

Am I definitely screwed without an nforce board?

 

[nanaki333]

I've been pretty out-of-the-loop on hardware lately; does Nvidia even make nforce controllers for new CPUs anymore? I'm only just getting started looking at new system options (the old one died last night), but I'm only seeing nforce MCP's on LGA775 boards.

Am I definitely screwed without an nforce board?

your chances are not lookin good... you can probably get another mobo to replace your old one with the same chipset to backup that array. then make a new array on whatever your new machine is going to be.

 

[IsenMike]

your chances are not lookin good... you can probably get another mobo to replace your old one with the same chipset to backup that array. then make a new array on whatever your new machine is going to be.

As luck would have it, back when I built my system I also built a nearly-identical one for my father, using the same mobo. Unfortunately it's in Maryland, while I'm in NYC. Guess it might be time to pack a bag full of HDDs and backup software, and hop on a bus...

 

[exdeath]

Not going to work unless it's a similar nForce chipset. RAID members won't be recognized on other vendor's controllers. Can you just get a compatible nForce board on Ebay for $20?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Tried RAID2RAID?

 

[IsenMike]

Tried RAID2RAID?

Just googled it. Certainly sounds like the sort of thing I'm looking for. I won't be able to try it until the new system shows up, though. (It ships out next week; I'll probably get it sometime the week after.) In the meantime I'm on an old laptop.

Honestly, though, I'll probably just head down to Maryland to visit my folks and hook up the HDDs to my dad's system. Been looking for an excuse to take a trip anyways. But I'll definitely keep RAID2RAID in mind if this problem comes up again in the future.

 

[taltamir]

I wouldn't risk my data if I were you.
Get another nforce board on ebay cheap, recover your data, and then build a new array from scratch on the new intel board (reselling the nforce one online)

 

[Nothinman]

Just boot a Linux Live CD with the drives hooked up to anything and see if it'll assemble the array. Most of those onboard software RAID formats are supported by Linux dmraid and if it doesn't work you've only lost a half hour or so of your time.