Using WindowsXP to Make RAID 5 Happen
-
Page 1:WindowsXP RAID 5 Features Exploited
-
Page 2:Unleashing RAID 5 Under WindowsXP
-
Page 3:Creating A RAID 5 Array
-
Page 4:Worst Case Test: What If A Drive Fails?
-
Page 5:Porting A Windows RAID Array To Other Systems
-
Page 6:Test Setup
-
Page 7:I/O Performance
-
Page 8:Transfer Performance
-
Page 9:Conclusion
Unleashing RAID 5 Under WindowsXP
Limbering up WindowsXP in order to run RAID 5 requires a hex editor (e.g. Ultra Edit) as well as your WindowsXP CD. First of all we need to copy some files into a temporary folder:
C:\windows\system32\drivers\dmboot.sys
C:\windows\system32\dmconfig.dll
C:\windows\system32\Dmadmin.exe
Next, these files need to be opened using your hex editor:
| dmboot.sys: |
|---|
| Before:
0000f1f0h: 74 00 54 00 79 00 70 00 65 00 00 00 57 49 4E 4E ; t.T.y.p.e...WINN 0000f200h: 54 00 00 00 53 45 52 56 45 52 4E 54 00 00 00 00 ; T...SERVERNT.... After:
|
| dmconfig.dll: |
|---|
| Before
00005140h: 4C 41 4E 4D 41 4E 4E 54 00 00 00 00 53 45 52 56 ; LANMANNT....SERV 00005150h: 45 52 4E 54 00 00 00 00 57 49 4E 4E 54 00 00 00 ; ERNT....WINNT... After
|
| dmadmin.exe: |
|---|
| Before
00001c30h: 73 65 72 76 65 72 6E 74 00 00 00 00 6C 61 6E 6D ; servernt....lanm 00001c40h: 61 6E 6E 74 00 00 00 00 50 72 6F 64 75 63 74 54 ; annt....ProductT After
|
The original files in Windows' System32 directory need to be replaced by our modified versions now. However, simply exchanging the files by overwriting them will cause Windows to take notice, which eventually causes Windows to restore its original files by using backup files.
If your system drive is running FAT32, simply go ahead and boot any DOS operating system in order to overwrite the files manually. Since FAT32 does not cater for security at all, we do not recommend using this file system.
In an NTFS environment you will have to boot from the WindowsXP CD and launch the recovery console. This can be achieved by pressing 'R' in the first selection screen. At this point, you should have copied the modified files onto a floppy disk.
Let's go into the Windows directory first:
C: [ENTER]
cd\windows [ENTER]
Now, copy the files one by one by using the following commands. All files are located in two different directories each!
copy a:\dmboot.sys system32\drivers
copy a:\dmboot.sys system32\dllcache
copy a:\dmconfig.dll system32
copy a:\dmconfig.dll system32\dllcache
copy a:\dmadmin.exe system32
copy a:\dmadmin.exe system32\dllcache
The feature that you want/asking about is called X-RAID
For those of you wondering, I was able to get my data back by installing Server 2003 and importing the RAID5 drives. No data lost, WHEW! You can also use a trial Windows Server 2003 to access your data for 30 days. Get the download from here.
To get it to work with SP3, you just have to redo the changes above.
To get it to work with x64, just locate those same strings in the files and apply the changes. Notice how the changes are only swapping the locations of the words SERVERNT and WINNT. I'd post the exact changes here, but it would take forever to type out all of those hex values. UltraEdit doesn't seem to allow one to copy the hex data to the clipboard.
Anyone has a solution for this?
Is there a way to get those SP2 files from somewhere please? Else i think i might try the server2003 solution.
As for the "re-activate the drive every time I reboot" it has happened to me in my old PC after the mod, but could not find a way to solve it
What if i copy the files, install SP3 again and just replace them with the current ones? Do you think it might work? Or i will end up needing "reactivate the drive every time i reboot" ?
When I did this, I can boot fine, it recognized the array automatically (as healthy too - no rebuild needed), and I do not have to start it or anything.
dmboot.sys starting at offset 00011070h, the hex between brackets are the only bytes you need to change:
00011070h: 54007900 70006500 0000[5345 52564552
00011080h: 4E545749 4E4E5400 0000]0000 00004C41
dmadmin.exe starting at offset 00001C38h, the hex between brackets are the only bytes you need to change:
00001C38h: [77696E6E 74000000] 00000000 6C616E6D
dmconfig.dll starting at offset 00005140h, the hex between brackets are the only bytes you need to change:
00005140h: 4C414E4D 414E4E54 00000000 [57494E4E
00005154h: 54000000] 00000000 53455256 45524E54
Note the new offsets for all but dmconfig.dll. Don't forget to backup files you mod (before and after).
HTH
J
i have this solution working but there are major problems. My data transfer speeds have really really slowed down. Another issue is that whenever i reboot it shows that the array is rebuilding again. please help
Anyone have any benchmarks to confirm?