Software RAID on WinXPPro

[Peahippo]

I was investigating getting a computer (Celeron, 512MB, XP Pro SP2) running with dual 7.5GB IDE HDDs, using a software RAID1 (simple "mirror") as I used to do all the time in my WinNT 3.51/4.0 days. The HDDs are on the same IDE cable as master/slave.

Well, I got to the point where the disks are set to dynamic, but then I discovered to my annoyance that XP doesn't do RAID1.

AARGH! Is there a shareware or freeware solution out there to make this system mirror the drives?

The goal here should obvious: I want to survive a possible HDD failure with minimal disruption. All of the machines I use are not RAIDed, and I have too much data at risk in one way or another. Sure, I have backups, but with HDDs being so cheap, and software RAID being possible, I just figured that making a machine with dual, mirrored HDDs would be just the thing I need.

 

[rvnguy]

XP only supports Raid 0 , without an add-on card. The server environments will support other RAID levels.

A simple pci card for IDE raid is relatively inexpensive.

Hope this helps

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[Peahippo]

Will RAID1 (mirroring) be recoverable when the card dies? I'm pretty sure that some forms of RAID (particularly RAID5) are problems when there's a hardware problem.

 

[rvnguy]

I was investigating getting a computer

Is this yours? a used box from a source? or one that you are condidering building?

7.5GB HD's are very small by todays std's. What are you attempting, specifically?

I do not use RAID for any of my personal pc's and only for servers. I do use a backup regiement religously.

If a card 'dies', RAID 1 is recoverable as each drive can be used independantly as they are identical images. There are/can be issues is an identical card can not be found for replacement. The main reason for backups, no matter what type of redundancy you employ. Redundancy is for keeping a server/pc online and not to replace backups.

Post back with what you are trying to accomplish
Hope this Helps

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[Peahippo]

I'm tired of making backups or relying on relatively small network shares. I'm ready to move onward to a RAID system for my critical files. I do know RAID is not a substitute for backups, which is why I'm curious about the survivability of a failure of the RAID card.

If a RAID card doing RAID1 produces a TRUE mirror image on the 2nd drive -- no proprietary formatting at all -- then having a HDD die on me becomes a virtual non-issue.

The box itself is a corporate WinXPPro(SP2) generic computer. The 7.5GB drives are spares, hence available for my project. Those may seem small by some standards, but for my business needs they are more than enough.

I have the box sitting on the network now, with 1 HDD on the primary IDE and the other on the secondary IDE. In XP, both disks are set to dynamic, but according to my information, XP still won't perform RAID1 for them. Drat! I was easily able to do this with NT Server 4 in the late 1990s, so I naively assumed XP would have had this feature embedded.

 

[Peahippo]

Anyhoo, I went and purchased a Rosewill RAID 0/1/0+1 card from NewEgg. Total cost almost 18 bucks.

 

[rvnguy]

So you are now in business...

The survival after a card fail should be a non issue dur to your backups...

NT was more of a server platform from it's inception while XP is more win2X with a 95/98 interface for the mainstream. Actually, anyone serious about their needs for raid wiil opt for a hardware implementation vs soft raid.



rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[richcleverley]

There is a software mirroring piece of software for xp called mirror folder. It can do live mirrorring of a whole disk (operating system the lot). I use iot for one of my clients and it seems to work well.

Can't remember the url for the website but I am sure a google for it will bring something up.

Richard

 

[Peahippo]

Thanks for all of the advice. That mirror folder software is located here:

http://www.techsoftpl.com/backup/index.htm

It's $39. My Rosewill RAID card arrived yesterday. I'll be able to try both (since I can RAID-up another computer at home, while I'm at it).