Windows Backup

[epod69]

Hi All,
We are wanting to get a new RAID controller card for our server instead of the horrid Broadcom HT1000 onboard Raid we are using right now. I was thinking of doing a backup using the windows backup utility and then restoring it on the new raid array. I can't just image the hard drive because Windows probably won't recognize the new RAID controller.

Is using the Windows Backup Utility the best bet for me or is there better options?

Thanks!
Jesse

 

[Roadki11]

This kind of stuff never works like you hope. I dont think you will ever get your current rendition of that server running on a new raid controller. You will probably need to do a migration of sorts. If its a just a member server hosting some file shares and what not i would just back up the user data and rebuild it. if its a domain controller i would install a second domain controller and migrate the FSMO rolls and GC to the 2nd domain controller then rebuild the server on the new raid controller and migrate back then demote the 2nd server. If you have some concoction of Exchange, MS SQL, or TS running on the server this will complicate and prolong your transition. Guess i would ask myself why the heck do i need to do this, is the old raid failing? sounds like pain you dont need to inflict on yourself unless you really really need to.

Just my 2 cents,

RoadKi11

 

[LWComputingMVP]

Completely agree with Roadki11

Any backup and restore using a different controller would likely fail as the controller information would have changed. You MIGHT be able to preinstall the drivers and/or controller to get it to work, but odds are, you'd spend FAR more time trying to get it working again than you would if you simply did a fresh install and if necessary built another temporary domain controller. (If you need to build another temporary DC, consider using Virtual Server/VMWare/Virtual PC for the server - especially if you don't have any spare hardware).

 

[epod69]

Hi Roadki11,
Luckily, it is just a Trend Micro Scan Mail server with maybe a couple shares. Another partition on that server is running Linux with DansGuardian, which Linux is a bit more nicer then Windows when it comes to changes.

Right now the broadcom raid is saying our Raid 1 array is broke, for who knows why really. I want to just recreate it but my boss wants to put a better one in.

Thanks for the input,
Jesse

 

[Roadki11]

You dual booting that server or running VM of some sort? Sounds "easier" to fix the mirror to me, not that easiness should be the deciding factor.

RoadKi11

 

[epod69]

AH! Now that you brought up the VMWARE, the server is a bunch of virtual servers on VMWARE. I didn't install this server so I don't know how the install process went, but from my understanding, VMWARE was installed ontop of Linux and there are two virtual servers ontop of that. I check device manager of the scanmail server (Windows Server 2003) and for disk drive it shows "VMware, VMware Virtual S SCSI Disk Device" and it doesn't appear to be using drivers for the RAID controller. So does this mean the VMware is handling the raid and if I was to reinstall VMware on a new raid controller and copy the virtual server, that I wouldn't have to worry about the raid drivers for the windows server?

Thanks all for the help!
Jesse

 

[Roadki11]

ohh well that should be real easy then, wish you had said that to begin with, would have saved me some finger cramps. I would just shut the VMs down, copy them off then reinstall the linux server on the new raid and reinstall the VM then copy the VM servers back and fire them up. Should be just that easy.

RoadKi11

 

[epod69]

LOL, thanks for your finger cramping time. I guess I am a little tired this morning. Didn't think through everything.

Thanks a ton for the help.

PS: Any RAID controller recommendations. Most important thing we are looking for is a more detailed raid configuration utility, and performance of course but we are only going to do RAID 1.

Jesse

 

[Roadki11]

I use Intel or Adaptec, they both have good web interfaces and or a console GUI you can install. Most important thing for you will be to make sure its supported on the Linux flavor you are running.

RoadKi11