Move SBS 2003 to digger Array.

[CRAIG2432]

Hello.

I have checked if this has been asked before but cannot seam to see anything.

I have SBS2003 install on our server. We need to increase the storge space we have. So we are upgrading the same server to Raid 5 with new disks (6 x 250Gib Sata Drives. Could not afford SAS)

I am looking for a process or program to clone / copy the old C: drive onto the new array.

The new array is setup in raid 5 but I have not yet made the partition active.

Any ideas or sugestions

 

[wahnula]

Does SBS now see the array? I assume you have added a PCI/PCI-X/PCIe SATA RAID card, and you currently have a single-disk SBS installation? I also assume you meant "bigger" array...

Here's how I would do it, with the caveat that I am not an SBS professional:

1. Backup C: and check backup;
2. Install the card & the disks;
3. Provide the driver for SBS to see the new array;
4. Using Ghost 2003 (cheap and still available on eBay) or Acronis True Image $erver, clone the C: drive to the new array. Triple-check that your clone is going in the correct direction;
5. After cloning & before rebooting, disconnect your old boot drive;
6. Enter BIOS and assign the new array as first boot device (sometimes you will need to make the array bootable in its RAID BIOS)
7. Boot into SBS and check operation.

If there are any problems, you will still have the ability to reconnect the old drive and return to where you started.

Ghost 2003 is the last version that has Server 2003 support without buying the "server version" which is $$$$. I have used Ghost 2003 many times for cloning arrays in SBS with success, when I upgraded my RAID 5 array I cloned it to a single disk, then cloned it back to the new array. Worked perfectly.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[PaulGillespie]

If your C drive is intact, you could just add the additional RAID array and then transfer your files across. This might be a safer option if you don't fee confident. Raid for the OS is always good. If you are on a single disk, the least you could do is add a second similar sized disk and use the built in software RAID feature of windows.