How reliable is Software RAID-5 on Windows Server OS?Windows Server ? 3

[tonymcp]

Has anybody out there tried to build a RAID-5 using Windows 2000 or 2003 Server? Is it reliable? If the stand-alone hard drive containing the Windows Installation gets corrupted or replaced or formatted and Windows reinstalled will the RAID-5 structure on the other disks be affected or is there risk of corruption?

 

[itsp1965]

I have never considered using Windows software RAID implementation. It may be very reliable (don't know anyone who uses it), but I'd rather spend the money on a hardware based raid solution than use MS proprietary solution (just my 2 cents)

 

[anawrocki]

Spend the $$$ on a RAID controler if this is a prod box. Life will be better in the long run.

 

[tonymcp]

I appreciate your comments. But let me explain myself and why I asked this question. I am a Computer Technician/Salesman and a MCP based in Cyprus (Island in the Mediterranean Sea) and although I do prefer hardware RAID myself, some of my customers do not understand the importance of fault tolerance implementation on their servers and proper RAID-5 controllers cost at least double the $$$ around here than in the States. So if anyone out there has tried soft raid-5 or knows anyone who has please let me know.

Tony

 

[anawrocki]

I want your job. Honestly no hardware techie worth a grain of salt is going to recomend software RAID 5 for a production system. It performs poorly, has limitations, and does not have the same health self checking and monitoring abilities that even the most basic RAID5 hardware controlers have.

 

[pagy]

If the disk with Windows on it dies then the RAID5 array will still be there when you re-install Windows, just be careful when you re-install and the drives in the RAID array are still in the server, don't format the wrong partition!!!! (I've done this). The array may show as foreign but you just have to re-import it,
you can even move the entire RAID5 set to another windows server and import the array into that server.
Software RAID5 really stresses the OS though and has a very negative impact on performance. H/W RAID is really the only way to go.

 

[Niksen]

We had a customer that didnt want to invest in a hardware RAID, but we needed a huge drive for a DB so we installed it on a MS software RAID.
the 3 180GB drives (i think it was at the time) was 4 days in building the RAID information on the drives.
Even bigger was the problem that it would quite often, if the slightest error ocurred, it would start rebuilding again, allmost after every reboot. You can use the drive while this happens but with very poor performance.
After a few months with this bad setup the customer agreed to invest in a hardware solution.
I strongly advice against using MS software RAID.

brgds Nicolai

 

[tonymcp]

Thank you all for your replies ! Believe it or not that is exactly what I wanted to hear ! It's back to hardware RAID or nothing for my customers then...

Tony
AP CompuServices
MCP