what's the best why to put 2 HD in a system non raid style?

[1eyedjak]

I am getting a 40 gig IBM but am thinking about keeping the 13.6 I have for backup.

what is the best arrangement with my setup?

13.6 WD 72oorpm
40 IBM 7200
48X cd-rom
32X cd-rw

I have a raid board but am going to do the raid thing later.

I have a drive copy program to copy the 13.6 to my 40gig. I just re-installed all my stuff to my 13.6 last week after new mobo.

thanks,
mike

 

[David]

I assume windows is on the 40G?

IDE #1 master: 40.0GB HDD
IDE #1 slave : 13.6GB HDD
IDE #2 master: CDRW
IDE #2 slave : CDROM

 

[1eyedjak]

W2K currentl on the 13.6
haven't gotten the 40 gig yet. on it's way.

I have HD copying software to copy 13.6 drive to 40 gig drive.

 

[Xaotic]

I'll propose something different. Since you have a RAID board, you have 4 IDE channels. The motherboard should support booting from that RAID IDE controller without RAID being configured. If so, select the motherboard to boot that way in the BIOS. Set the 40G on the RAID primary master and the 13.6G on the Raid secondary master. Do not configure it as an array. Use the onboard primary master for the CDRW and the secondary master for the CD. This will give you 4 isolated channels for data with no conflicts.

 

[1eyedjak]

sounds good. will the work the best with least conflictts?

If it is going to be a hassle in any way I will use just the new HD.

thanks,
any more info would be great . never done a raid board.

 

[David]

sounds good. will the work the best with least conflictts?

If it is going to be a hassle in any way I will use just the new HD.

thanks,
any more info would be great . never done a raid board.

Xaotics idea is the best - it means that any drive will be able to send data to the burner without data crashes.
If I copy CD to CD I often have trouble as my CDROM and CDRW are on the same cable

 

[1eyedjak]

let me make sure I got this straight.

put the HD's on the raide IDE channels #1#2

put the cd-rom & cd-rW on the normal IDE #1#2

Is this right? sounds easy enough.

Which HD will the sytem run off? I assume if the 40 gig is on the Raid #1 then it will run the system? Raide #2 will be my backup?

sorry for the ignorant questions. I have never used raid before.

thansk,
Mike

 

[Arkaine23]

raid channels

You should have the option b4 windows loads to enter the raid controller's bios. You can probably select which drive to boot from in there. There aslo might be a relevant setting in your main bios for this... or for boot order- Raid/SCSI.

 

[1eyedjak]

I will most likelt have to install my raide software first and then hook it all up. When I get my new HD I will do that.

mike

 

[Xaotic]

Agreed, as to the settings it may vary by type. I have a board with a Highpoint 370 controller running my data storage drives. The drive setting that I would be using are to set the motherboard BIOS to boot from FDD, CDROM, then ATA100 RAID and select the drive to boot from in the RAID controller BIOS. As I currently have HDDs hung from the RAID controller in standard IDE mode, I checked DOS mode reads with FDISK and all 4 of my HDDs were accessible, so you should have no problems there. I have a SCSI CD burner and don't run into the bandwidth problem you are avoiding, but this solution should give you the best configuration for your current drives.

Since the 40G is probably ATA100 or 133 run off that drive and retain the 13.6 which is probably ATA 66 for data or backups.

No RAID software installation will be needed other than the optimized drivers for the RAID controller in windows. Sounds like doubletalk, but it'll just be updating the IDE drives in reality.

 

[bdf24]

I'll propose something different. Since you have a RAID board, you have 4 IDE channels. The motherboard should support booting from that RAID IDE controller without RAID being configured. If so, select the motherboard to boot that way in the BIOS. Set the 40G on the RAID primary master and the 13.6G on the Raid secondary master. Do not configure it as an array. Use the onboard primary master for the CDRW and the secondary master for the CD. This will give you 4 isolated channels for data with no conflicts.

That's exactly how I had my rig setup till I reinstalled. Worked perfect. I ALWAY'S prefer to keep my drives on seperate IDE channel's if at all possible.

 

[Arkaine23]

separate ide channels

That's how I run as well, but my cd burner is external and plugs into a USB port.

 

[Mothra]

Is there a reason you're putting the HDs on the Raid IDE channels vs. the Normal IDE channels and not the other way around?

Just wondering if there is a benefit since I have the same set-up currently - but swapped (HD's on Normal and CD/CDR on Raid channels) - obviously not running an array at the moment.

Thanks-

 

[bdf24]

Is there a reason you're putting the HDs on the Raid IDE channels vs. the Normal IDE channels and not the other way around?

Just wondering if there is a benefit since I have the same set-up currently - but swapped (HD's on Normal and CD/CDR on Raid channels) - obviously not running an array at the moment.

Thanks-

Well some think the Raid controller may have a slight performance advantage over the normal IDE channel's. Which maybe true. But I doubt you'd notice a difference without benchmarking. Your setup should be fine as well.

 

[David]

Is there a reason you're putting the HDs on the Raid IDE channels vs. the Normal IDE channels and not the other way around?

Just wondering if there is a benefit since I have the same set-up currently - but swapped (HD's on Normal and CD/CDR on Raid channels) - obviously not running an array at the moment.

Thanks-

I don't think it matters which device is on which type of IDE controller, as long as each device has its own channel.

 

[turd]

If you are planning to use the present install of 2k -nonraided- on your new raid setup you will need to install the drivers for your raid controller Prior to pulling that drive off the IDE channel and placing it onto the raid controller, or you will not get a boot from 2k

if going with a fresh install of 2k make sure u hit f6 right at the beginning and load your raid controllers, or the install most likely will not recognize your controller and therefor your drive

 

[Xaotic]

It matters greatly. The RAID controller and RAID/IDE PCI card manufacturers, both Promise and Highpoint, specify that the controllers are optimized for HDDs and warn of problems with mounting ATAPI drives. If it's running ok leave it alone, but be prepared for complications should they occur.

 

[1eyedjak]

Main point of all this is Iam going to tranfer the Data off the 13.6 to the 40. I don't want to reformat it all over cause I just did this past week.

Having both drives is not crucial but Iwanted to have the 13.6 as a data backup hd.

If I could get someone to be really specific as to how I do this that would help.

I'm talking form start to finish. I mean at present-1 13.6 hd master/ 2 cd-roms. going to possibly 2 HD's and 2 cd-roms.

thanks

 

[turd]

ok list your MB and type of raid controller you are using

STEP 1 usually what u need to do is take and run your drive utility softaware and transfer your OS(partition) over from the smaller to larger(slave the larger drive to your smaller)
drive and have it expand out to encompase the entire drive,
then pull off the large drive, and use the utility alone on the small one to
format out the old small one restore it a blank fat partition and put the small one aside

reset your new big w2k drive into the place of the old drive and go for a good 2k boot, if u get it goto 2

BUT you must be formated in FAT and not NTFS for it to be that generic because most disk utility software wont transfer NTFS partitions


STEP 2
since you are using w2k and going to a raid controller from a non-raid controller setup you first want to load your raid drivers that came with your controller card into w2k then reboot,

then shut down and pull that drive, insert the large one as master on cable to the raid setup(again watch all the jumpers)

take and position your cd and cdw how you want them and jump them accordingly, possibilities are(best) cdw master ide 0, cdr master ide1 or OK cdw master, cdr slave ide0 or 1



step 3
go into bios (generic instructions)
and enable your raid controller
boot other device
and boot first from raid controller

ok turn it on

WHEN raid screen comes up watch and make sure its got your drive

then if you get a good boot into 2k shut down and then add your second drive(watch jumpers)



(note at that point before you boot into your two single raided drives stop and look at all your jumpers on CDR etc-are theY positioned as master/slave where necessary? where wanted

ok now watch your raid screen and make sure its got both your drives, do the key sequence and configure if necessary(or check) and make sure that you do not have a striped set and that your large drive is set as boot


step 4 from into 2k, format the now empty small drive, make sure all devices are picked up


enjoy

hope this helps, kinda generic

JUMPERS WILL cause you probs-screw with them till you get it right
note that sometimes singledisk raid is flakey
note that if you are using highpoint onboard you need to free up pci port 5 before enabling it, cause it shares it and dosent like to

 

[1eyedjak]

more info

I forgot to mention.

I have a Shuttle AK35GTR .

I am going to have to read my raide manual cause I haven't got a clue.

But, you have been really helpful either way.

thanks,
Mike