Quick RAID Question

jb2uk · 2006-12-06, 23:42

Hi

I'm in the middle of building a nas server out of an old P3 733 machine, its runnign Freenas which is working fine with an old 80gb ide i had kicking about, my plan is to move the two 300gb sata drives from my htpc into the server and put a smaller drive into the htpc (for the os and tv recordings (i don't want to come home and find nothing has recorded cuz the networks gone down etc)) my question is when i move the 300gb drives to the server and plug them into my raid card if in the future i buy 2 more disks will i have to reformat the previous disks to be able to add the new ones to the array? this could cause a problem as i won' have anywhere to put all my files while the disks format

thanks in advance

Elliot Roebuck

quiller · 2006-12-07, 03:52

I assume you mean RAID 0? I've never done it myself, but I was always under the impression that you can add a new drive and the system will automatically bring it up to speed (figuratively speaking). For RAID 1 (backup, rather than striping), I don't know.

infinityloop · 2006-12-07, 07:52

Some raid controlers allow do use existing data of the attached HDDs when building a raid. But this option is always risky.

Befor you create a new raid, i suggest to perform a full surface scan on every HDD, to make sure that they are 100% okay.

Expanding an existing Raid5 later with more drives should be possible with every raid controler.

jb2uk · 2006-12-11, 20:21

hi thanks for the advice but in the end i swapped to server 2003 and have all the drives formatted in ntfs and they appear as folders in the shared folders of the server

cheers

2006-12-06, 23:42	#1 (permalink)
jb2uk Portal Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Quick RAID Question Hi I'm in the middle of building a nas server out of an old P3 733 machine, its runnign Freenas which is working fine with an old 80gb ide i had kicking about, my plan is to move the two 300gb sata drives from my htpc into the server and put a smaller drive into the htpc (for the os and tv recordings (i don't want to come home and find nothing has recorded cuz the networks gone down etc)) my question is when i move the 300gb drives to the server and plug them into my raid card if in the future i buy 2 more disks will i have to reformat the previous disks to be able to add the new ones to the array? this could cause a problem as i won' have anywhere to put all my files while the disks format thanks in advance Elliot Roebuck

2006-12-07, 07:52	#3 (permalink)
infinityloop Project Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 127.0.0.1 Age: 29 Posts: 6,219 Thanks: 174 Thanked 136 Times in 98 Posts Country: My System	Some raid controlers allow do use existing data of the attached HDDs when building a raid. But this option is always risky. Befor you create a new raid, i suggest to perform a full surface scan on every HDD, to make sure that they are 100% okay. Expanding an existing Raid5 later with more drives should be possible with every raid controler. __________________ regards chris MediaPortal Project Coordinator Test Team Leader Do not start to moan if something is not working as you want it to be. Remember that MediaPortal is Open Source. YOU can improve it!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Quick question	giantjoebot	General Talk	2	2006-12-14 09:20
quick question for rtv! (thumbnails)	zombiepig	Listen Music	11	2006-12-13 09:18
Quick question	robj20	General Support	9	2006-10-21 16:24
Quick Question About Channel Thumbs	jb2uk	General Support	6	2006-06-23 13:02
MP convert... quick question	JKeats	MediaPortal 1 Talk	3	2006-04-21 19:43

2006-12-07, 03:52	#2 (permalink)
quiller Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nebraska Age: 23 Posts: 90 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	I assume you mean RAID 0? I've never done it myself, but I was always under the impression that you can add a new drive and the system will automatically bring it up to speed (figuratively speaking). For RAID 1 (backup, rather than striping), I don't know.

2006-12-11, 20:21	#4 (permalink)
jb2uk Portal Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	hi thanks for the advice but in the end i swapped to server 2003 and have all the drives formatted in ntfs and they appear as folders in the shared folders of the server cheers