W2K Server reinstall with RAID/SCSI..advice?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.general (More info?)

Working with W2K Server....more details below - questions mainly about
RAID, SCSI, etc.

I currently have a Dell Poweredge 2500 server connected to an external
array (dell powervault 200S). The server has 2 of 6 bays filled with 2
14gb u160 80 pin hot swappable drives and the array has 5 of 8 bays
filled with 5 73gb u160 80 pin hot swappable drives. RAID 1 on the
server, RAID 5 on the array, with a PERC3 card running, Windows 2000
Server, with Dell Openmanage array manager software.

We want to rebuild the server from the ground up, in the following
fashion. Rearrange the drives to be like: Keep the 2 14gb u160 drives
as the RAID 1 drives to run the OS. Take 4 of the 5 73gb drives from
the array, and fill the other 4 bays of the server, run RAID 5 on these
4. Then purchase 8 146gb u320 drives for the external array, and run
RAID 5 on the external box. Wipe everything clean and reinstall OS,
reconfigure arrays, etc.

Questions - is the system going to be OK with u160 drives on the server
box, and u320 drives on the external box?

Also - is the same type of cable that I'm using now going to be
suitable for connecting the external box, since all the drives are now
going to be u320?

In what order should I do everything? Below is what I'm thinking so far
- correct me if I'm wrong....

1. Backup all data
2. powerdown machine, fill 4 empty server bays with existing u160 73gb
drives, fill all 8 bays in external array with new u320 146gb drives
3. format everything (is this probably available in the scsi bios?)
4. run openmanage server assistant to start RAID card configuration &
start OS install
5. complete OS install
6. install Openmanage array manager, reconfigure all arrays
7. recreate users, groups, permission, restore data

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.general (More info?)

There are a couple more considerations.
1. you have no plans for hot spares in your arrays. Recommend (3) U160
drives for OS and (7) drives for data
2. I don't recommend raid5 when 0+1 or 10 are much better performance wise.

Personally I would combine all (7) u160 drives for your data volume and only
get three u320 drives for the OS. Less to purchase. You don't mention a
u320 controller nor do you mention dual channel. If going to u320 it has to
be supported by the raid backplane [u320 into a u160 backplane will only work
at u160 or not at all], the connecting cable and the raid card. In other
words you will have to replace the external u160 raid cage with a u320
version. You would have to have a dual channel raid card if you expect to
cable both the internal and external arrays and combine them into a hardware
raid array.

Make sense?

"unc27932@yahoo.com" wrote:

> Working with W2K Server....more details below - questions mainly about
> RAID, SCSI, etc.
>
> I currently have a Dell Poweredge 2500 server connected to an external
> array (dell powervault 200S). The server has 2 of 6 bays filled with 2
> 14gb u160 80 pin hot swappable drives and the array has 5 of 8 bays
> filled with 5 73gb u160 80 pin hot swappable drives. RAID 1 on the
> server, RAID 5 on the array, with a PERC3 card running, Windows 2000
> Server, with Dell Openmanage array manager software.
>
> We want to rebuild the server from the ground up, in the following
> fashion. Rearrange the drives to be like: Keep the 2 14gb u160 drives
> as the RAID 1 drives to run the OS. Take 4 of the 5 73gb drives from
> the array, and fill the other 4 bays of the server, run RAID 5 on these
> 4. Then purchase 8 146gb u320 drives for the external array, and run
> RAID 5 on the external box. Wipe everything clean and reinstall OS,
> reconfigure arrays, etc.
>
> Questions - is the system going to be OK with u160 drives on the server
> box, and u320 drives on the external box?
>
> Also - is the same type of cable that I'm using now going to be
> suitable for connecting the external box, since all the drives are now
> going to be u320?
>
> In what order should I do everything? Below is what I'm thinking so far
> - correct me if I'm wrong....
>
> 1. Backup all data
> 2. powerdown machine, fill 4 empty server bays with existing u160 73gb
> drives, fill all 8 bays in external array with new u320 146gb drives
> 3. format everything (is this probably available in the scsi bios?)
> 4. run openmanage server assistant to start RAID card configuration &
> start OS install
> 5. complete OS install
> 6. install Openmanage array manager, reconfigure all arrays
> 7. recreate users, groups, permission, restore data
>
>