RAID on RAID - hardware or Software?

[Beth20]

RAID on RAID - hardware or Software?


Hey all,

My problem is I've got to remove big video files off a pair of striped raid drives. The drives are currently OFF any system. They were originally run off a promise TX 100 controller. They are older, slow drives, and I want to replace them with ONE big new [ NON raid] drive to run video. ( so the raid setup will only be only temporary to download the files]

1. Can I hook up the fastrack card to a mother
board that is already booted by a highpoint 2 drive raid ?


2. Is there an XP PRO - software type - temporary raid that could solve this problem?

3. Anyway to hook these two drives to a laptop
to download the data?

thanks for all suggestions.

Beth

 

[TekTippy4U]

hi;
my 2 cents -
1. dunno, it's dicey at best
2. no
3. no afaik - i can't even think of where to begin using a laptop for this, except over a network, which has nothing to do with setting up an already existing RAID0 array.

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[Beth20]

hi;
my 2 cents -
1. dunno, it's dicey at best

........thanks. I dont see why is shouldnt work. once windows is booted, the other drive
array wouldnt effect it would it?


2. no


........i thought xp, could run as a software
boot raid. that doesnt mean it would help here
though.



3. no afaik - i can't even think of where to begin using a laptop for this, except over a network, which has nothing to do with setting up an already existing RAID0 array.


...........I wish I could find some software
to RAID it together from just hooking up 2 usb
drives to my laptop, and merge the data correctly onto the boot drive.




TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs

 

[TekTippy4U]

hi Beth20;
first you don't have to copy my Sig at the bottom of my posts...ppl will get confused who's posting

as far as;
2 . Yes XP can do some RAID through disk spanning, (Dynamic Disk) and 2k/2k3 Servers have more capabilities in this arena - this is totally diff than a Hardware RAID though....you want to save the Data ...correct? if so, forget #2, plus it sucks anyway in general.

3. In this situation, you also need the Hardware RAID controller to access/rebuild/recognize the previously built Array.

1. I guess this is your best bet to try..just be very careful with the BIOS settings and recognition as far as Boot devices.
Other issues;
you can't necessarily just disconnect the Highpoint drives (Onboard Controller, correct?) and run a new Bootable array off the Promise PCI card b/c the Hardware is different in Highpoint machine.
So we're left to slaving - but usually this implies a RAID 0+1 mobo (with Onboard Controller) in which the 2nd Striped Pair of HDDs are the mirror of the first Striped pair. But, since the Promise is a PCI Card addin, it may be accessible, it's dicey, but worth a shot - could be disastrous if you configure it improperly or let XP or other software alter the Disks in any way (such as Repair, or even chkdsk)


TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs