RAID1 & RAID5: Does changing RAID1 affect RAID5

porbar

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May 31, 2013
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We have server with 5 drives. Two make a RAID1 and this is the Windows2003-32bit OS as C:\ partition. Three drives make RAID5 and most programs are installed here,including SQL server 2005...this is partition D:\.

We need to change OS to Windows 2008-64bit, so will be reformatting RAID1. The SQL server will replaced by SQL 2008.

How will replacing OS affect programs in RAID5? For example, will they show up in Start>programs list? Will they be able to be uninstalled after OS is replaced if we want to..that is are they in Add/remove Programs? Whe should we uninstall SQL 2005?

Thanks
 
If you replace the OS, it will no longer know of any applications on the raid 5. They won't show up in the start menu or the add\remove list.
You would need to re-install all the applications.

Probably the best thing is to back up the data(databases and other data) on the raid 5(the data not applications). Then install the OS and patches to the raid 1, and then format the raid 5(you should have an empty volume), and re-install all your applications to the raid 5, and then restore your data.