Ghosting SATA to Adaptec SATA RAID 1

[goombawaho]

The goal is to move a Windows 2003 server from a single SATA drive to an Adaptec 1220SA RAID 1 using Ghost.

This procedure specifically mentions Ghost as handling this type of operation. "For copying server partitions, I recommend Norton Ghost."

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/196922-32-switching-storage-controllers-reinstalling-windows

it also says this which sounds positive (the last line):
"If you will be copying the startup Windows partition to a different drive, the disk controllers involved in the copy operation must support Extended INT13h extensions so that they can be seen by the partition copy software. (Most SCSI and RAID controllers, and all modern IDE/SATA controllers support this)."




But here, on Adaptec's site, it shoots that idea down.

http://ask.adaptec.com/scripts/adap...nBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9Z2hvc3Q*&p_li=&p_topview=1

Maybe the Adaptec article doesn't specifically apply to that controller. If you look on the left side, it doesn't list my product.

Not sure how to figure out if it will work without buying the hardware first and giving it a trial run on another computer. Expensive way to find out!!!!

 

[stduc]

Would ghosting a single drive and then building the RAID 1 work? I don't see why not, so that would be your backup plan if your initial plan failed?

 

[BadBigBen]

for one, why Ghost and not another, such as Easus ToDo or Paragon Migrate OS to SSD (my favorite and it works with PHYSICAL drives as well as with RAID systems)...

Datasheet for Migrate OS to SSD

http://www.paragon-software.com/docs/MSSD_Datasheet240910.pdf

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[goombawaho]

Would ghosting a single drive and then building the RAID 1 work?" I'm not following this idea. You mean like ghost the single drive to a NEW drive, then attach it to the RAID controller and tell it to build the RAID 1 off the first drive?? What about the SATA controller driver not being installed on the NEW drive??

Easus ToDo or Paragon Migrate OS to SSD
Never heard of these AND I HAVE Ghost in my pocket. Kind of wanting a "name brand"/something I can trust product.

 

[stduc]

Yes goombawaho, I mean exactly that. If possible, pre-install the required drives prior to ghosting and installing the new card. I would however expect the new hardware to boot from the ghosted drive with just that 1 drive attached. Allow you to install the drivers, re-boot to check and then add the second drive and build the array.

The build takes a while usually. So prepare to leave it building overnight.

On a side note, if possible I prefer to use BIOS based RAID controllers that let you do it all prior to booting with no drivers required. My biggest issue usually is making sure I build the array in the right direction - i.e. FROM the drive with data TO the new drive. It's a real bummer when you end up with an unformatted RAID - LOL

 

[goombawaho]

I see, but I don't understand the latter part of your comment - "on a side note...."

The driver is required for Windows to see a windows installation and boot. The array configuration utility is done via CTRL A with Adaptec cards and you do that through the "BIOS" of the card - nothing involving Windows yet.

So, I'm questioning what you're saying because there is NO booting going to happen if there isn't a windows driver installed.

In GENERAL and nothing to do with my original question, the procedure is:

1. Install controller card.
2. Attach X number of drives to card
3. Boot computer and press CTRL A
4. Use configuration utility to set up RAID level, hot spare, etc.
5. Insert bootable O.S. media and provide controller driver via F6


What I'm trying to do would be to bypass anything including and after step 5. My step 5 would be toc clone the O.S.

 

[stduc]

Understood. But I meant driverless RAID - either onboard or via a card. Like the REVO64 card for example - no drivers either required or wanted. Just looks to the O/S like 1 drive whether you do RAID 0, 1 or 5. In which case you boot the cloned drive, just to check it out with RAID unconfigured. Then you reboot, enter the RAID BIOS (not the computer BIOS) and set up the RAID - BUT - you can ONLY do RAID 1 this way. However with driverless RAIDs all cloning software I have ever used can of course see the RAID as they are not aware it is a RAID. So you just configure the RAID and clone the original drive.

For RAID 1 I would assume you can boot without the RAID configured, install the drivers and then set up the RAID - but maybe not. It was only a suggestion.

 

[BadBigBen]

Kind of wanting a "name brand"/something I can trust product.

sorry, Goom, but both I named are also NAMEBRANDS...

though, what stduc is suggesting would/should work...

1. attach RAID card to PC, with the drives attached that you have created as RAID 1...
2. boot up with the OLD OS drive...
3. install drivers when it finds the new hardware...
4. now clone/move the OS to the RAID...
5. Power down and remove old OS drive, and restart...

similar approach below:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/253961-14-move-raid-drive

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[goombawaho]

Well - this is what Adaptec emailed me (exactly as sent with the errors), so it looks like it's going to work using my procedure. It appears that the article WAS referring to older controllers, but it would have been nice in the specs of this newer controller, they mentioned that it was INT13H compatible, which apparently is the key to NOT requiring a driver to "see" the array.

"this is in answer to your question regarding the Adaptec 1220SA SATA II HostRAID controller.
This article is related to older controller.
Symantec is notmally accessing the logical volume over the DOS INT13, which the controller is supporting, and you do not need any drivers for the controller under DOS.
Otherwise you can use as well Acronis in order to clone drives. We are also supporting it.

 

[goombawaho]

I appreciate all the suggestions. I didn't mean to get caught up in the semantics of the StDuc's post, but it didn't make sense to me.

I'll update this after the deed is done. I'm planning on doing a test run on my home computer running XP, so that should prove things out since Server 2003 is just XP (more or less).

 

[goombawaho]

So, I ran the test on my home PC and it worked just fine - no issues, booted right up after ghosting. Now if things go as well ghosting the server, I'll be happy.

I would try that deal where you use the "source" drive and tell the controller to clone FROM it to the "destination" drive, but it scares me to pick the wrong direction. I guess you would still have the original drive.

I ghosted the wrong way one time and I'll never forget that - two drives of the same size. I still am not sure how I would have been able to determine which disk was which, so I am very cautious about ghosting ever since. Fortunately, you're normally going from smaller to larger disks.

 

[stduc]

Bin there - done that - LOL - A mistake I'll not repeat I hope. You can usually tell the direction by either the drive serial numbers or more usually drive number. But it's a nightmare. I ensure I have a good image before I start.

I hope you have the same good luck with the server.