Raid 0 Offline!!!

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

> I have a problem with two hd Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 160gb ata/133
> in raid 0 configuration. I have an Asus P4C800-E De luxe motherboard
> with the Promise PDC20378 controller.

So onboard s/w RAID - boot code in the BIOS.

> All is gone ok for six months then, last evening at the boot I had a
> message that told me that one of the two disks was off line.

RAID-0 means Striping - there is no mirroring or redundancy.

o You need to identify if the disk has failed
---- verify *cables are connected ok* -- especially if SATA
---- verify if the BIOS can detect the drive
---- verify if any RAID config is stored in the BIOS (& changed)
---- verify if a manufacturers diagnostic app will work

o If a drive has failed, the data is non-recoverable
---- data-recovery firms can recover data from RAIDs
---- however RAID-0 is striping, and things get pricey
---- cheapest -- drive controller board failure
---- expensive -- head detached from the arm, motor failure

So it comes down to "do you have a backup"?

With 2 drives you have a greater chance of drive failure than 1 drive.
With RAID-0 there is more chance of failure than with 1 drive, and if
either drive fails you lose all data from the array - it is called RAID 0.

RAID-0 usage requires both:
1) Data *recreatable verbatim from another source*
2) Speed is of utmost importance re application or money

In a RAID-0 environment, watch drive temps - emphasis should be
given to keeping HDs cool as temperature does affect their longevity.
One reason why servers run noisy & get stuck in machine rooms :-)

Check the easiest first - cables (power & data) are easy to knock off
with SATA drives, then the manufacturers diagnostic diskette. The
diagnostic apps have non-destructive tests, as well as telling you in
the first instance whether the drive is basically alive or not.
--
Dorothy Bradbury
www.dorothybradbury.co.uk for quiet Panaflo fans