2tb storage on Windows server 2003 . Is it possible?

[ranj]

Hi Folks

 

We purchased a server recently from one of our suppliers. We were looking to use this to replace our old backup server.

 

So we purchased a server with 6 * 500GB sata drivice which are configured in a RAID 5 and 2 160gb drives in RAID 1 for booting the server.

 

The company we purchased it of said with Windows 2003 its not possible to make the whole RAID 5 2tb, instead it would need to be split to 2 1tb drives.

 

I just wanted to know if what they are saying is true. Does windows have a limitation on how big the RAID array can be?

 

We have an ADAPTEC 4000SAS RAID controller. Does anyone else have this controller and know of any limitations with it with Windows Server 2003.

 

Thanks

[Norphy]

Windows doesn't have a limit as such. However, NTFS has a limit of two terabytes per simple volume or mirrored RAID set. If you use software striping or RAID 5, that is increased up to 64TB.

 

Information here

[Quackers]

Windows has in its Quota settings

 

KB

MB

GB

TB

PB

EB

 

so its gotta somehow support very large volumes.

[srochford]

2Tb is the limit for a simple volume but not for a dynamic volume - that can be very, very big :-)

 

We've got 2 servers with 4Tb volumes (I think they are 12 x 400Gb drives on a RAID controller)

 

To use very big discs you need to use a GUID partition table (GPT) - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302873 has details about this and http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/LUN_SP1.mspx has some info about changes in SP1 for Server 2003 to allow this (I have a vague recollection about having to do "something" to make the big drives work but it's a while since I did it and old age has dulled my brain :-()

[zag]

The limit for xp is 1.91tb as far as I am aware. I think you need to mess with the registry to get it any bigger.

 

Thats what my home media server has anyway

[plexer]

But we're not talking about xp pro so that is irelevant to the question really.

 

Thanks for pointing it out though.

 

Ben

[zag]

I think it was the same in early 2003 versions as well, but service packs have removed the need to change any registry settings with dynamic volumes.