RAID Controller upgrade

[EngineerWhat]

Hello,
I am currently running a RAID 5 System with 4 drives in an internal Icy Dock bay connected by SATA cables to a Promise EX8350 8 port RAID controller. I need to connect 2 more sets of 4 RAID drives totaling 12 RAID Drives. All the drives have information that I need to access at once so I need to access the 12 drives but only have 8 ports on the controller. Is this possible to upgrade the RAID controller to a 12 port controller? Will adding more drives to a RAID controller confuse the RAID or re-write any information?
Thanks in advance!

 

[foscooter]

Yes, adding more drives to a RAID controller will/can confuse it.

Are you wanting 12 drive RAIDed to look like 3 drives (3 arrays of 4 drives each)?

And why so many? Speed? Size? Server?

 

[EngineerWhat]

Correct, 3 arrays of 4 drives each. I am mixing a band that recorded their show on a system that had the RAID setup of 4 drives, they changed the drives after every show, they recorded 3 shows and I need to access all the shows to mix the album. I don't want to copy all the files to a drive, it does not sound good!

 

[festerovic]

Can't you just get another 4 port RAID card and then you will be done?

 

[foscooter]

Ok, I'm sorry. I can't help you find a "12 port RAID controller."

I'd look for 2 more 4 port RAID cards. You should be about to set up what drive go to what array if you use an 8 port.

But, moving drives from one RAID controller to another, you could loose it all. UNLESS, it is the SAME RAID controller (i.e. Intel chipset).

I think they went overboard recording to a RAID 5 array. It would have been much easier to record to one large drive. But hindsight is 20:20.

Good Luck.

 

[EngineerWhat]

I just found a Promise 12 port RAID controller online which is the same brand as the original card. If I take out the 8 port and put in the 12 port, do you think I will see all the drives? I will make a backup of the files in case I lose everything! A copy of the files is better than no files at all, even if they do not sound as good!
I agree, they went way overboard and created this hassle.
Thanks again

 

[foscooter]

Same chipset manufacture, you should be good.

And very good in backing everything up!

Cheers.

 

[EngineerWhat]

Well I purchased the new RAID Controller, installed the Controller and all the drives and everything worked perfectly! Thank you all for your help!

 

[EngineerWhat]

Best answer selected by EngineerWhat.