Raid 0 Array & Single Drive

phoenetia

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Jan 10, 2006
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Hi

I have a single drive Raid 0 array that im looking to move from my mobo, am i likely to lose my data in the migration ?

The controller is a promise 20378 on a sk8v.

Any advice most apprec !

P
 

mpjesse

Splendid
First of all, how do you have a RAID 0 array with just one drive? That's impossible.

If by "single drive RAID 0 array" you mean 2 drives seen as 1 logical drive in Windows, then yes, you are most likely going to lose your data in the migration. However, keep in mind that you're going to have to reinstall Windows anyways if you change chipsets. (i'm assuming of course you're using Windows/Linux/Whatever on this RAID 0 array)

The only other option is to create an image of your drive using Norton Ghost or something similar. But even then there's no guarantee that windows/linux will boot w/ the new motherboard.

Please provide us with more information. Like where are you moving this RAID 0 array? What OS are you using? And how in god's name do you have a single RAID 0 array?

-mpjesse
 

phoenetia

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Jan 10, 2006
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pc spec

Asus sk8v Mobo
AMD FX51 2200mhz
BIOS 1001.01 AMI
RAM 512mb Corsair * 2
VIA SATA RAID 0 array on 2 * Seagate 120gb hdd (boot drive)
Radeon XT 9800 256mb
Creative Audigy 2 Platinum
Promise 20378 controller on 1 * Maxtor 300gb hdd

I'm looking to move the Maxtor into either another PC or put it inside an external hdd enclosure... considering all the info is on one drive, i'd have thought it shouldnt be a problem...

PS i created the "array" by only picking one drive when creating it in the promise raid config menu.
 

mpjesse

Splendid
OK now this makes sense.

You cannot simply just migrate a RAID 0 array to an external enclosure or new motherboard- it won't work.

You're going to have to image the drives/array, move the array, format the array, and copy the drive image to the new arrary.

Make sense?

-mpjesse
 

phoenetia

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Jan 10, 2006
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even though the "array" is only 1 drive ? i dont mean to question your opinion but it conflicts with what others have told me... Im dubious it can be done but numbers of others claim its not a problem as its not really array...
 

crazyj

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If the raid controller is made by the same manufacturer you can move the drives no problem and all your data will be there. I had 2x80g Samsun 8mb cache Hard drives raid 0 in my XP 2200+ and when I went to a P4 3.0E and changed mobos it had a FastTrak 100 IDE Raid controller which was the same manufacturer and the data and everything came with the drives. I was pleasantly surprised.

Best way to find out if it'll port over is to go to the website of the Raid controller and check out FAQs or tech support. That's how i found out mine should work.
 

FlyGuy

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Aug 14, 2005
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If you try to move the 2 Seagate drives that form the RAID 0 array you will lose any data. If you are moving the stand alone Maxtor 300GB drive (which isn't in an array) you will be fine.
 
NVidia RAID (nvraid) does allow you to create a RAID 0 array conatining a single drive. (See the media shield user's guide). NVRaid also allows you to morph from a RAID 1 to a RAID 1 (adding additional drives).

The only reason I can see for doing this is so that you can install the OS to this drive and later you can expand the array without having to reinstall the OS.

Anyhow, if the array is a single drive there is no striping, so I don't see why it wouldn't be able to be moved safely.
 

joex444

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Original poster said it was on a promise controller (assuming mobo integrated), so the nvraid wouldn't really work on that.

Even if you had a single drive raid 0 array, on an nvraid, my instinct tells me that you could only move it to another mobo with nvraid, it wouldn't be a "normal single drive partition" -- that RAID information, despite its effective nonusage is written into the boot record and won't function like a normal drive. Having never used nvraid, I can't confirm this, though.

BTW, if you have a RAID controller (PCI, PCI Express or PCI-X) you can save your array if you move the controller card :) Hopefully on my next build, in the next generation of AMD's socket, I'll be able to get a PCI-Express RAID5 controller and 4 HDs...IDK, maybe like 4x250GB for a 750GB array.
 

Craigmandu

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Promise 20378 controller on 1 * Maxtor 300gb hdd

This is the hard drive you are moving.......approximately how much information is on it? The reason I ask is the simple way to do this would be to back the data up to your primary Raid 0 (two 120GB drives) array and then move the drive to your external enclosure.

If it works great, if it doesn't, then you have a backup and can repartition that drive and get the files back.

I would suggest you do it two ways:

Use Norton Ghost or another Disk level backup utility (if you have it)
AND
The built in Windows backup program.

At least this way you have more chance of being able to restore should something go wrong.

Also, you may need to download MS-DOS level drivers for the different "Raid" chipsets you are using these drives on to even be able to access them from a Norton Boot Disk or another Disk level utility.

Gluck