trying to use IDE drives to replace tape drive

[Norcross]

I have a server running Win2000 Server with 4 SCSI 15K 18GB mirrored for a total of 36GB. I have always seem to be having problems backing up to tape so a decided to replace the tape drive with a couple of IDE drives. I built up a shoe box with a removable kit. The idea was to back up to the IDE and then swap out the drive.
Problem- If the BIOS is set to auto detect the IDE drive gets set to drive 0 and the system tries to boot from the IDE instead of the SCSI. If I set the BIOS to manual (setting CYL, Heads, SEC to the specs) the system hangs. If I boot with the IDE powered OFF the system will boot OK. After the system is up and I power On the IDE, windows detect the drive OK and it will let me partition and format the drive but won?ft let me write to it. The IDE drive is set to be the master. I have not tried setting it to be a slave, yet, but I would doubt thate having a slave without a master would work.
Any body tried this? Or anybody have any ideas on how to set up the IDE?fs to work in this configuration. I know that I should have used SCSI drives but was trying to save a few bucks. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Vincent]

What's the boot order in your BIOS? If it's "A, C, SCSI," then you should try putting SCSI first.

 

[tristan]

hi,

u should be booting in your first SCSI hardisk if you set your BIOS (to boot SCSI first). However the IDEs would quickly follow and if you have set up your RAID1 before putting the IDEs (which is the case based on what you wrote) then your RAID1 will not work... when you suddenly pop-in the IDEs (assuming you set up a software RAID). If youre doing a hardware RAID, your first RAID1 may 'go' because they would be treated as 'one' on the BIOS level but your second set would be affected and be moved backwards.

i honestly doubt that you can do what you want with the kind of setup you have, it it's all of the same kind then there should be no problem.

or maybe if there is a BIOS that would allow us to utilize ALL SCSI first rather than just the first one...

 

[Norcross]

The Boot order is CD, Floppy, HD, Network. I will try changing thing around tonight. I do not have a bios setting for SCSI per say, just HD. Raid is software raid. Thanks for the input.

 

[tristan]

the lack of BIOS support for booting to a SCSI may prevent you from doing want you want at all.

When I first use Windows 98 (first version) at that time I also had 2 SCSI and and IDE on the smae PC. What I did was, I did not 'declare' the IDE on the BIOS (because doin so would prevent me from booting to SCSI, back then I also didn't have the SCSI in my BIOS boot option).

Windows 98 1st ed would still detect my IDE however and promptly assign it as the 3rd hardisk (drive E for the matter, C&D for my SCSIs and F for my CD drive).

However, when I upgraded to Win98 SE, the ability to detect the IDE hardisks without 'declaring' it in the BIOS where gone. WinME and Win2k alike.

so there you are... unless you use same type of hardisk you may not be sucessful on what you want to achieve.

if however you do find a way, please post it ok?

 

[Norcross]

Thanks for the feedback. It seems that when you try to save a few bucks it ends up costing you more. I should have stayed with SCSI's but 30GB SCSI are three time the price. I will play with this a while longer but I have a strong sinking feeling that I'll have to buy a couple of 30GB SCSI's. If I do get it to work I will post the ?ghow?h.

 

[zzzz]

did you try drive type "none" for the ide drives?

 

[Zach]

Might need to make the IDE disks have just logical partitions, no primaries, to keep drive letters safe too.

Being slave with no master is fine, BTW. The slaves aren't actually slaves to the master drive, just #1 and #2.

 

[Norcross]

Yes I did set the drive to none, well didn't have "none" as a selection but set it to "manual" which should have the same results as "none". I have not tried setting the drive up as a slave, will try that tomorrow.
Thanks

 

[Norcross]

The weird thing about this is that when the drives are power ON after boot-up Win2000 will recognize the drives and allow me to partition and format them. It just won?ft let me write data to them.