Building a Mirror (RAID1) on a x206 Server

[Dimarc67]

I've an IBM x206 server with a single 146GB Ultra320 SCSI SCA hard drive running Windows Server 2003.

The x206 has an integrated Adaptec HostRAID adapter. I'd like to install a 2nd, indentical drive as a mirror for the existing drive.

Can this be done without backing up, wiping clean, building the mirror, then restoring?? I can't help thinking that I should be able to simply install the 2nd drive and tell the system to build the mirror with the existing data.

Am I wishing?

David Marcus
David@Dimarc.com

 

[catorze]

I don't recommend monkeying around with your installed configuration without a backup! That said, yes, you can create a mirror with the second HDD and not completely wipe out your data - if you do it correctly! Take a look at the Installation Guide for the x206.

 

[Dimarc67]

Catorze--

Can you provide a page number in the installation guide for this info?

I spoke directly with IBM support. They report that there is no method of building the mirror based on the current drive's data. The initialization process, by design, wipes both drives clean, forcing you to backup, build the mirror, then restore.

Also, IBM reports that the integrated Adaptec HostRAID adapter takes one hour per gigabyte of disk size for the intitialization process. With 146GB drives, that means it would take SIX DAYS TO INITIALIZE the mirror before I could even start to restore the OS and data partitions. I even had the tech put me on hold to confirm both the procedure and the time involved.

It wouldn't surprise me if there's still a way to do this. But it's not worth it to me to hash it out.

Dimarc67