Raid 5 compatable OS

[GGabus]

Building a file server with 4 x WD 250s and an Adaptec ATA Raid 2400a controller. I couldn't get the windows based software to build the array but did get the rom based software to build the array, but now windows (w2k) doesn't see the drive array. After some research I think i know why..W2K doesn't support Raid5. Looks like only W2k server or W2003 server support Raid 5, can anyone confirm that? XP pro?

thanks

 

[Fuzznuts]

The os has nothing to do with the type of array you build it is down the the cards bios. Its not that win2k wont see the raid 5 array the problem either lies with your drivers or the set up. I know some old Raid cards would only allow you to see the first 8gig of the drives to boot from. so you may need to partitoin your drive before you install win2k .

if you dont and you card cant see past the first 8 gig it wont boot. if however you already have the os install and are simply trying to make a raid 5 data store then its a driver/setup isse. try and find the latest drivers maybe that will sort it.

Basically the raid type is set at hardware level not OS level

 

[SaigonK]

Umm...Windows 2000 Pro does support Raid-5.

Try <U>HERE</U>

 

[Buddha Bart]

you've got to get hardware vs. software raid sorted out. I'm pretty sure your card is a hardware raid card.

In this case, the card takes control of all the drives, and presents one virtual drive to the OS, so windows only sees one drive (you can actually config it to more, but the point here is that there is an abstraction layer).

In software raid the OS sees all the drives, and does the work of splitting up reads/writes across them itself.

 

[GGabus]

The controller is hardware based and I've successfully created the array. The controller reports the correct size and reports optimum condition but 'my computer' doesn't show a drive for the array. have the OS on another drive. The idea that W2k pro doesn't support Raid 5 came from the help menu..Disk management..Raid5 volumes. "Raid 5 volumes are available only on computers running windows 2000 server". this is what my disk manager looks like..what do i do next?
btw, have the latest bios and firmware for the controller installed and SP3 for w2kpro
When i try and switch to dynamic disk it warns that any filesystem will be force dismounted, that scares me because it took 20hrs to build the array and would hate to start over again.
tia

 

[Fuzznuts]

have you acutally created a partion and assinged it a dirve letter use the disk manager mmc?? a raid array that has not been fdisked or set up will show nothing in windows the mmc will show it as unknown disk but should report the correct size. is it at least showing up in the management console?

 

[GGabus]

I can use MMC to define a logical drive for the first 232 gigs (and it assigns a drive letter ) but the rest (465) is unallocated, what do i do with it? Windows wants to make a primary partition out of it and I'm sure that's not correct.

Ok solved the problem, made a logical drive of the first 238 gigs then made another logical drive of the rest and used partition magic to merge the 2 partitons