Technical Q: What's the best option...

[KC5AV]

or why would you do it differently?

I am getting ready to order a new server. It is going to have a 6 disk RAID-5 array. I have the option of 2 other drives in RAID-0 or RAID-1 for the OS (Win2k server). Would there be any serious difference (other than the cost of 2 extra drives) if I just install the OS on a partition and make it part of the the RAID-5 array? Will either configuration give any serious performance boosts? Can you think of any better way of doing it?

Thanks for the help.

 

[GAZZA]

Apart from the cost (like you already mentioned) I would say just create a partition within the Raid 5 array, if money is no option then Raid 1 would be your next move I would think, but obviously not as fast as Raid 5.

 

[redbeard1]

That is basically how we setup all of our clients with the need for critical up time. The os is setup as a raid 1 mirror on 2 drives, so if there is a failure, you can just pull a drive out and keep going. Then the data is on a 3 or 5 drive raid 5, so they can keep going while a new drive is found and installed if one of the drives fails.

 

[bozo1]

Ditto the message above. Usually do Raid 1 on my boot drives - usually using 15K RPM 18GB drives (9 giggers work too if you can find them), Raid 5 on the rest (10K RPM drives). I've done my OS and everything on Raid-5 but I prefer having my OS separate on fast drives.

 

[KC5AV]

Good deal. Thanks.