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RAID 5 and Windows 2000 Server 1

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wjc

MIS
Dec 20, 2002
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Does anyone have advice for converting a Dell PowerEdge 2400 with RAID 5 from netware 4x to win2k server? I've backed up all pertinent data and now I'm not sure how to format the RAID 5 for a fresh install. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Nice one.
You will need:

The latest PERC Firmware upgrade,
Windows 2000 PERC Drivers
Windows NT4 / 2000 SCSI Drivers

Get it all from Dell's website, it's well laid out, or call them and they'll tell you exactly what files to download, anyway, you upgrade the firmware first, and then you start the win2000 installation. If you press f6 STRAIGHT AWAY as the installation starts, you'll be able to provide the PERC drivers, and then the Adaptec SCSI drivers (in that order)

If you've backed up your files, you can then re-partition, re-format and re-install at your leisure (or Win2000's!!)

Just keep about 4-6 floppys handy for downloading the drivers, and be sure that RAID is enabled in the Dell BIOS. If not, the firmware upgrade won't work, and then the drivers won't work.... tragic.

Also, I don't know how NTFS partitions will like having backed up data from a different format (ie FAT32) being put on them? maybe you should re-format using what you had before

PS use CD booting wherever possible.. booting from 4 floppies takes FOREVER as you may know


Hope this helps u out.

Tels
 
Tels,

Thanks for the response. Once I've upgraded the firmware and drivers does the win2k install utility allow me to format across the raid or is there something else I need to consider when formatting across the raid 5 prior to the installation? Thanks again for the help.
 
I havn't seen it yet, but I am sure you can set it up within the scsi config utility, which kicks in when you add or remove a drive and restart the dell... once the SCSI controllers have been started, you'll get an option to configure them, when I did, I remember seeing a RAID configuration option.

It's something which is part of the hardware setup, so you need to effectively set up the RAID controllers BIOS to do it.

PS did you get the rest sorted in the end?
 
To setup your Raid 5 array, reboot your Server and whilst booting up you will momentarily see the option to configure the SCSI setup. "Ctrl M"

This load the Drive array configuration program, select the Configuratiion option and select to creat a new array.

You will then be shown the drives in the system, select the drives and press the space bar to highlight them, press F2 to create logical array. Then press enter and you will then see a box and here you select what you want, i.e. RAID5.

Exit out of this and save configuration, you can also setup your Hot Spare in this if required and remember to initialise your drives before exiting utility and rebooting.

Regards

Neil
 
What Neil said was spot on. I remeber it now.
 
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