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  #1  
Old 10-23-2009, 11:06 AM
GT
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Posts: n/a
Default RAID help

I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
possible...

I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900+GB is my
data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.

If I buy a second, identical hard drive, can I configure them as a mirror
with the above 2 partitions matched on each? I'm looking for data security,
not a speed boost, but that would be a nice bonus! Is it possible to
partition up 2 mirrored drives?

My ASrock 4coredual-VSTA motherboard has sata built-in and there is an
option for it in the BIOS, but I would rather not have to reformat the
drive. Would I need to re-format the drive? What happens when 1 of the
drives finally fails - can I just replace the faulty drive and have the
system copy the existing one to the replacement one?

Thanks in advance.


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  #2  
Old 10-23-2009, 11:34 AM
GT
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

"GT" <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:0129fa95$0$22447$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
> I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
> possible...
>
> I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
> which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900+GB is my
> data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.
>
> If I buy a second, identical hard drive, can I configure them as a mirror
> with the above 2 partitions matched on each? I'm looking for data
> security, not a speed boost, but that would be a nice bonus! Is it
> possible to partition up 2 mirrored drives?
>
> My ASrock 4coredual-VSTA motherboard has sata built-in and there is an
> option for it in the BIOS, but I would rather not have to reformat the
> drive. Would I need to re-format the drive? What happens when 1 of the
> drives finally fails - can I just replace the faulty drive and have the
> system copy the existing one to the replacement one?
>
> Thanks in advance.


Sorry, that was a bit of a panic post. I have hunted through the setup CD
for my motherboard and found a PDF manual for configuring RAID options.
Looks like it is pretty easy to set up and you have the option of keeping
all the data on the source hard disk - the system will copy the data to the
mirror drive for you. I just need to figure out if I am allowed to have 2
partitions on the mirrorred drives.


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  #3  
Old 10-23-2009, 11:41 AM
Gerard Bok
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 +0100, "GT"
<ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>possible...
>
>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900+GB is my
>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.
>
>If I buy a second, identical hard drive, can I configure them as a mirror
>with the above 2 partitions matched on each? I'm looking for data security,
>not a speed boost, but that would be a nice bonus! Is it possible to
>partition up 2 mirrored drives?


For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
not RAID but replication to an external drive.

Many types of disaster strike a RAID pair equally (virus, user
error, fire, theft, corrupted filesystem, burned hardware).
Storing a copy of your data on an external device may prevent
many more problems. (Especially if you either alternate 2
external units and/or store the external unit somewhere else.)

Free software for this purpose: e.g.
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

--
met vriendelijke groet,
Gerard Bok
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  #4  
Old 10-23-2009, 12:33 PM
GT
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 +0100, "GT"
> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>possible...
>>
>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900+GB is my
>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.
>>
>>If I buy a second, identical hard drive, can I configure them as a mirror
>>with the above 2 partitions matched on each? I'm looking for data
>>security,
>>not a speed boost, but that would be a nice bonus! Is it possible to
>>partition up 2 mirrored drives?

>
> For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
> not RAID but replication to an external drive.
>
> Many types of disaster strike a RAID pair equally (virus, user
> error, fire, theft, corrupted filesystem, burned hardware).
> Storing a copy of your data on an external device may prevent
> many more problems. (Especially if you either alternate 2
> external units and/or store the external unit somewhere else.)
>
> Free software for this purpose: e.g.
> http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp


Very useful link. Thank you.


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  #5  
Old 10-23-2009, 02:48 PM
Ken Maltby
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help


"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 ?, "GT"
> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>possible...
>>
>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900 is my
>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.
>>
>>If I buy a second, identical hard drive, can I configure them as a mirror
>>with the above 2 partitions matched on each? I'm looking for data
>>security,
>>not a speed boost, but that would be a nice bonus! Is it possible to
>>partition up 2 mirrored drives?

>
> For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
> not RAID but replication to an external drive.
>
> Many types of disaster strike a RAID pair equally (virus, user
> error, fire, theft, corrupted filesystem, burned hardware).
> Storing a copy of your data on an external device may prevent
> many more problems. (Especially if you either alternate 2
> external units and/or store the external unit somewhere else.)
>
> Free software for this purpose: e.g.
> http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
>
> --
> met vriendelijke groet,
> Gerard Bok


Another thing to consider, for your video work, is that
it is much better to have at least two separate drives.
You want to be to be able to input data from one master
drive into a process, and output from the process into
a different master drive.

Luck;
Ken


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  #6  
Old 10-23-2009, 04:41 PM
Gerard Bok
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:48:12 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
<kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 ?, "GT"
>> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>>possible...
>>>
>>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
>>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900 is my
>>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.


>> For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
>> not RAID but replication to an external drive.


> Another thing to consider, for your video work, is that
>it is much better to have at least two separate drives.
>You want to be to be able to input data from one master
>drive into a process, and output from the process into
>a different master drive.


Very true.
But don't confuse this with my advise regarding the use of an
external drive :-)
You won't be happy editing video if a USB drive is involved!
(Internal drives usualy run at double the speed of a USB
connected drive.)

--
Kind regards,
Gerard Bok
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  #7  
Old 10-23-2009, 08:10 PM
GT
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
news:4ae1cdea.19944150@News.Individual.NET...
> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:48:12 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
> <kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>>news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
>>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 ?, "GT"
>>> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>>>possible...
>>>>
>>>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
>>>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900 is my
>>>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.

>
>>> For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
>>> not RAID but replication to an external drive.

>
>> Another thing to consider, for your video work, is that
>>it is much better to have at least two separate drives.
>>You want to be to be able to input data from one master
>>drive into a process, and output from the process into
>>a different master drive.

>
> Very true.
> But don't confuse this with my advise regarding the use of an
> external drive :-)
> You won't be happy editing video if a USB drive is involved!
> (Internal drives usualy run at double the speed of a USB
> connected drive.)


My internal hard drive will be more like 10x USB! Samsung SATA 1TB does
about 70-80MBps USB will be around 10.


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  #8  
Old 10-23-2009, 08:50 PM
Ken Maltby
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help


"GT" <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:0048e7c2$0$1566$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
> "Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
> news:4ae1cdea.19944150@News.Individual.NET...
>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:48:12 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
>> <kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>>>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>>>news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
>>>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 ?, "GT"
>>>> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>>>>possible...
>>>>>
>>>>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary
>>>>>partition,
>>>>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900 is my
>>>>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.

>>
>>>> For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
>>>> not RAID but replication to an external drive.

>>
>>> Another thing to consider, for your video work, is that
>>>it is much better to have at least two separate drives.
>>>You want to be to be able to input data from one master
>>>drive into a process, and output from the process into
>>>a different master drive.

>>
>> Very true.
>> But don't confuse this with my advise regarding the use of an
>> external drive :-)
>> You won't be happy editing video if a USB drive is involved!
>> (Internal drives usualy run at double the speed of a USB
>> connected drive.)

>
> My internal hard drive will be more like 10x USB! Samsung SATA 1TB does
> about 70-80MBps USB will be around 10.


Of course, and I was indeed talking about internal drives
( although an eSATA interface might work as well), the
point is related to how the processing is facilitated by
having a more effective throughput. Two separate drives
on different master channels (most SATA implementations
use independent channels for each drive). Processing
video and audio streams on one drive (even if it is
partitioned) is not a good practice, and can lead to problems.

Luck;
Ken



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  #9  
Old 10-23-2009, 10:28 PM
kony
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:10:58 +0100, "GT"
<ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:

>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>news:4ae1cdea.19944150@News.Individual.NET...
>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:48:12 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
>> <kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>>>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>>>news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
>>>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 ?, "GT"
>>>> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>>>>possible...
>>>>>
>>>>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary partition,
>>>>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900 is my
>>>>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.

>>
>>>> For this type of use it may be wise to consider another option:
>>>> not RAID but replication to an external drive.

>>
>>> Another thing to consider, for your video work, is that
>>>it is much better to have at least two separate drives.
>>>You want to be to be able to input data from one master
>>>drive into a process, and output from the process into
>>>a different master drive.

>>
>> Very true.
>> But don't confuse this with my advise regarding the use of an
>> external drive :-)
>> You won't be happy editing video if a USB drive is involved!
>> (Internal drives usualy run at double the speed of a USB
>> connected drive.)

>
>My internal hard drive will be more like 10x USB! Samsung SATA 1TB does
>about 70-80MBps USB will be around 10.
>



It wouldn't necessarily be all that bad if you were reading
from or writing to a compressed format on the USB connected
drive. Reason being that the other drive and processing of
the video will tend to be the bottleneck. Decent USB
controllers can get that 10MB up to about 28MB/s with large
file writes, up to about 35MB/s on reads.

As for having multiple partitions on your RAID array it
isn't a problem, the RAID controller works at a lower level
and the first drive is simply duplicated to the second one
(even if it had no partitions yet).
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  #10  
Old 10-25-2009, 10:37 AM
GT
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: RAID help

"kony" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
news:mq74e513nbbm824vbi16v2a9a92186t2uj@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:10:58 +0100, "GT"
> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>>news:4ae1cdea.19944150@News.Individual.NET...
>>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:48:12 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
>>> <kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>"Gerard Bok" <bok118@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
>>>>news:4ae18696.1681075@News.Individual.NET...
>>>>> On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:24 ?, "GT"
>>>>> <ContactGT_rem_ov_e_@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>I've never setup raid before and want to know if the following is
>>>>>>possible...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I currently have a 1TB samsung SATA drive with a 50GB primary
>>>>>>partition,
>>>>>>which is my C: system drive (WinXP_32_ProSP3). The remaining 900 is my
>>>>>>data drive.containing HD video work, games, photos etc.
>>>

[snip]
>
> As for having multiple partitions on your RAID array it
> isn't a problem, the RAID controller works at a lower level
> and the first drive is simply duplicated to the second one
> (even if it had no partitions yet).


Brilliant - thanks.


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