Under Windows Server 2011 (Small Business), I have the Intel Rapid Store Technology RAID controller setup for the hard drives. I have 4x 500GB drives, currently using 3 as the RAID 5, and the fourth sitting there as the active spare. I have enabled write caching, but it still seems quite slow to me. I would like to upgrade it to RAID 10, using all 4 disks. The issue? The documentation says it does not support going from RAID 5 to RAID 10 directly. I do know that with Linux's mdadm, I could grow a RAID 5 into a RAID 10 with some "tweaks". So, is this possible with the Intel RAID controller?
asked Feb 12, 2014 at 17:35
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
To your question specifically, you just have to figure out a couple things about your raid controller.
- Can you build a 2 disk degraded RAID 10 array on your controller at all?
- Can you build a 2 disk degraded RAID 10 array on your controller while running a separate degraded raid 5 array?
If you can do both of those things, then you can degrade the RAID 5 array giving you two free disks; then build a 2 disk degraded RAID 10, copy the data from the RAID 5, check the data, blitz the RAID 5 freeing up your other two disks, then finally add the new free'd disks to your RAID 10.
I would do it another way, but you need another drive. A safe way and simple way to accomplish this is to offload the RAID 5 array onto another disk, verify the write, then blitz the RAID 5 array and start from scratch with 4 fresh and empty disks. Build the 10 array, get it running, then copy the data back. Most solutions for migrating arrays utilize degraded arrays (no redundancy for a period of time) for migration so this shouldn't put your data anymore risk than an equivalent MDADM solution.
-
Windows is loaded on to the RAID 5. Can I use imaging programs with that RAID? Commented Feb 13, 2014 at 16:47
-
Theoretically, you can use an imaging program if it will recognize and read from the raid controllers array. A Linux Live CD might be your best bet here. Now you're into the semantics of working with the partitions on the array vs the array itself which might warrant a new question.– DamonCommented Feb 13, 2014 at 17:18
-
Be ready to solve possible boot sector problems though. They are not the end of the world if they happen, but it can be frustrating when your computer doesn't boot and says there is not system disk, and then fixmbr and fixboot do not work and you have to troubleshoot further.– DamonCommented Feb 13, 2014 at 17:23
-
Checking for Software: softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/1074/… Commented Feb 13, 2014 at 17:25