SBS2k3 reinstall & 3ware Raid5 doesn't show up???

[fritzman]

I'm new to add-in cards, but had set up a simple 3 x scsi drive raid0 array for the O/S and a 3ware 9550 8-port Sata PCI-X card with 4 x 500Gb Seagates in a 1.3Tb Raid5 array with all my data.

No prob's initially, but when I set it all up the 1st time, I must have stuffed up the networking side:bang head, so figured I would do a clean install.

I left the 3ware card in place with the drives, formatted the scsi drives and did a fresh install. The install went fine and the networking aspects are now all sorted.

The install of SBS is the original standard version, so the first thing I did (after installing the 3ware drivers and software) was install SP2.

I have now installed all available updates, but the E drive (the Raid5) doesn't show up properly... there is no size associated with it, and if I double-click the drive, it shows up as 0Mb with 0Mb free:bang head.

In the 3ware manager, it shows up as a 1.3Tb Raid5 okay. I have no way of telling at this stage whether or not my data is intact, but presume that it is.

I have gone into Device Manager, and uninstalled the 3ware card, restarted and then using windows update, installed the latest drivers, with the same result.

I assumed that after the reinstall of SBS2k3 the drive and data would all have been in place and alive.

+++ edit... Okay... went into Disk Management, and the srive shows up there, with the right amount of used space, but get this... it (along with the other two spare scsi drives) shows up as a Dynamic Disk... I haven't googled that yet, but what do I do to change that to Basic?


Anyone???

Hoping someone might have some ideas please.

Thanks

[fritzman]

ttt...

Okay... knowing nothing about the 'actual' impact of the fresh install on the Raid5 array that is now being seen/used as 'dynamic'... would the issue be fully resolved if I switched the server off and removed the 3ware card, did a fresh install and then put the card back in? I am unsure as to whether actual changes have been made to the array during the fresh install, or whether or not the install has just set up what it thinks is best. I don't mind how it ends up, but I would really like to be able to get all the data off onto an external drive and then set it up right and then put all the data back on, assuming that the dynamic disk setup is better than basic.

Can anyone help/point me in the right direction?

[chop_wood]

unfortunately you cant change back to basic without deleting everything(pretty sure windows prompts this when trying the option). i have no idea why both would show up as dynamic though.

[fritzman]

Thanks... not what I really wanted to hear, but I have lodged a support case with 3ware in the interim and hopefully it's one they've come across before and have a workaround for (otherwise I'll be really ****ed)

[fritzman]

Updated...

3ware support have effectively said they can't help/there is no workaround, so go and buy some data recovery software and have a go at recovering your data.

I have installed and run Active Undelete and it has found all the data no prob, so will commence copying it all off onto my 1Tb external and then rebuild the array.

New Question... Once I have all the data off... should I be setting the Raid5 1.3Tb array up as a 'Basic' disk or a 'Dynamic' one? At some future point, I will be adding another 1 or 2 drives, so want to easily be able to migrate (I assume the card/software allow me to simply add/extend the drive size) to a larger array (if that has a bearing on things).

Thanks