1 Raid 5 array, or multiple Raid 1 / Raid 5 1

[pepper08]

I am brand new to server configuration, and especially brand new to Raid setup and configuration. I have done some reading on my own, but wanted to ask for some recommendations.

I am going to be setting up a previously-owned Win2000 SMB server that one of our customers just purchased. The server came in this week and I had a chance to physically review the hardware.

The server is a Compaq Proliant ML350 with a SmartArray 641 controller, and a 5 disk array (5 18GB drives).

This server will be the first and only server for the company (for at least a year) and will act as a network file server (along with being the DC, DNS, and WINS server). There are 10 users who will be accessing the server.

The previous company that owned the server wiped it clean, and setup the drives into a single Raid 5 configuration with a single 50GB "C" drive (4 drives in the Raid 5 config with the 5th drive acting as a spare).

My questions are:

1) Would it be better to redo the array configuration and set up a 5-10GB Raid 1 configuration (across 2 of the disks) for the "C" drive, which would then only contain operating system files....and then configure the remaining freespace into additional Raid 1 and/or Raid 5 configurations for data files (creating a "D" drive, and others as needed)??

2) With the server configured as it currently is (single Raid 5 config), why am I missing 20gb of space? (4 drives x 18gb each = 72, but bios and operating system only reports ~50gb). Is the missing space just part of the overhead with Raid 5?

TIA,

Dave

 

[blister911]

Dave,
Yes the missing drive space is parity and due to formatting. 4x18GB in a RAID 5 is actually more like 3x17.1GB with the 4th drive basically removed from the equation for parity (although its not all on the 4th drive).

Others may have a different perspective, but this is how we handle it. Keep the array configured as it is. Create 2 partitions on the array; C:\ and ?...we use E:\. The D:\ drive we leave for the CD/DVD drive.

Using it this way allows the users to fill the E:\ drive (and believe me they will), but won't crash the server. The big question you will have with this setup is what size to make the partitions. We have been using 12GB C:\ and the rest for user data. You may need to resize accordingly, base on the configuration requirements of DC, DNS, and WINS (we don't use these so I don't know if additional space would be required).

 

[2hard4you]

Hello,

old config: 2 Drives going down - but the server works

your config: 2 Drives going down - may be, Server is down, if the drives in the same array

Greetings from good old Saxony

24

Greetings from Dresden, Saxony, Germany

1. If it doesn't fit, use a bigger hammer...
2. The F1-Key doesnt destroy your PC

 

[tf1]

Definitely set up a mirrored pair reserved for the system disk and 3 disks in RAID 5 as the Data disk. Neither Windows 2000 server or Windows 2003 server like the system pagefile.sys on a RAID 5 array.

As 18GB disks are already end of life, I suggest that you try to get another one and fill the final slot. That should give you about 54GB Data storage (pre-formatted and partitioned).



Regards: tf1