Moving 4 RAID 5 disks

[Dos_Box]

My nice storage array is having problems and I suspect that a new motherboard will be the answer (plus RAM and CPU).
My question is this. Will my array still retain the information if I just try to repair the server (2003) software when the new hardware is installed and I power on?

[Geoff]

Software or Hardware based raid?

[Dos_Box]

Hardware.

[Geoff]

Probably not. Definately not if your replacing the raid controller or your raid controller has no battery backup onboard.

[Dos_Box]

No backup. Mind you, I have a surplus of removable USB HD at the mo to stick all of the contents on to whilst I upgrade.

[tarquel]

As i understand it...

[and i probably understand it wrong]

...when you create the hardware raid, the raid info [i.e. what drives there are, how things are linked, etc... too far over my head there] is either held within the chip on the controller on the motherboard/raid controller.

If you change motherboard and the raid controller is on it, then the new motherboard is not gonna have the info of what the raid is, details, etc.

Same if its a seperate raid controller with no battery backup on it (like geoff says) because if you remove that card [which you'll have to do if youre changing the mobo lol] its most likely not gonna keep its info and you'll have the same result.

I dont know if there are intellegent raid controllers out there that will detect the raid and rebuild it - but most likely not - and who knows whether it'd be a fully working one then in that case.

Get backing up that info or ghost it all onto many DVD's lol

[yes.... this was a much more long-winded way of saying what geoff said - i hope i had some logic in it somewhere lol]

Regards
N.

[Geoff]

I dont know if there are intellegent raid controllers out there that will detect the raid and rebuild it.

Top end cards from the likes of Adaptec can do this. The prices will scare you.

[tarquel]

ha - i had a feeling they existed.

I scare easy so dont tell me lol

i'm getting a adaptec sata-II raid controller but I doubt i'll have that luxioury in it for the price lol

Regards
N.

[Ric_]

@Geoff: Some of their cheaper SATA-RAID controllers do too.

[Dos_Box]

ha - i had a feeling they existed.

I scare easy so dont tell me lol

i'm getting a adaptec sata-II raid controller but I doubt i'll have that luxioury in it for the price lol

Regards
N.

That is the one I'm using. Its an Adapted 2410SA 4 channel SATA card. Works well, which can't be said of the motherboard it sits on.

[tarquel]

Not sure of the one i'm getting [as edugeek is blocked at work at the moment [until i sort out my unfiltered/less-restricted ip address] but it could be the same one.

I had a feeling it was 20 at the end but the SA bit looks familair

think its a 4 channel one - bout £150 as I remember.

Regards
N.