which drive should be master in this server?

[Beavis]

I have a 120GB Maxtor ATA drive as my master in my server but I just bought a 160GB Western Digital SATA II drive but I'm unsure how to set these up. For one thing already installed Windows Server 2003 on the Maxtor because that was the only drive I had at the time. Should I use the Maxtor as the master operating system drive and transfer all my files to the WD? Or the other way around and install Windows Server on the WD? I don't need to use it much once I'm done configuring it so the actual speed of the operating system is not important but I do want fast file transfers to my other computers.

If I map network drives located on the WD slave, would the request be slowed down because it has to check with Windows Server on the Maxtor to see if I have permissions for that drive on the WD? I hope that makes sense.

My mobo is the Tyan Thunder K8SE dual Opteron motherboard.

http://www.tyan.com/products/html/thunderk8se.html

[Know Nuttin]

it shouldn't really matter. even with gigabit ethernet, the hard disk is not the bottleneck (unless you have multiple requests at once).

[Beavis]

it shouldn't really matter. even with gigabit ethernet, the hard disk is not the bottleneck (unless you have multiple requests at once).

Oh good, I was afraid I would need to setup the server all over again. I guess I need more ram since file transfers right now are not as fast as I would like. Compared to my workplace anyway, my network is not as fast and it bugs me.

[Know Nuttin]

it depends on the data that is being moved, and network card chipsets. there are other factors as well but I find those are the main ones, assuming the cables are all at least Cat5e and the switches are 10/100.

[Beavis]

That makes sense since the folders on my network are loaded with tons of data whereas my workplace just has office docs that are small in comparison. The cables are all cat 5e or 6 and my router has a 10/100 switch so I guess I'm going to have to split up some of my folders to speed things up.

[Beavis]

What about if I wanted to run a game server in the future, would a regular ATA be sufficent?

[da_spork]

You could always setup the game server on the sata drive. It doesn't have to be on the master :D

[flamerail]

I have a network server which has 2 20GB ide drives running 5400 RPM... There more than fast enought to bottle neck the Gigabit network here. :(