Single drive to RAID 1 HELP
We have a PowerEdge server with a single SATA drive that seems to be failing.
We have two new SATA drives and a RAID controller and would like to move from a single drive to RAID 1.
I thought about cloning the drive with Clonezilla, building the RAID and dumping the image back.
However, my logic tells me this is not going to work because the image will have drivers for the old controller and not for the new RAID controller.
Is there a solution for this scenario that does not involve reinstalling everything from scratch?
We have two new SATA drives and a RAID controller and would like to move from a single drive to RAID 1.
I thought about cloning the drive with Clonezilla, building the RAID and dumping the image back.
However, my logic tells me this is not going to work because the image will have drivers for the old controller and not for the new RAID controller.
Is there a solution for this scenario that does not involve reinstalling everything from scratch?
superpsycodude
I have done something similar moving from an IDE hard drive to a SATA. Basically, you have to load the RAID controllers drivers on the failing hard drive, then clone to one of the new drives and set up the RAID array
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Also, if you are worried about the drive degrading more by booting the OS, you could clone it to one of the new drives, boot the OS off of it, load the RAID controller's drivers, and finally, set up the RAID array.
Make sure the cloning is not a bit-level copy. That will not work if the disks are all the same size. (The RAID controller steals a little of the disk for metadata, so you will end up with fewer usable blocks). use a backup product that will do a hot metal restore and resize partitions, and deal with slightly different HAL). Acronis has a good product to do this.
I am not saying clonezilla won't work. I do not know, I am just telling you that it is not just a bit-level copy problem if the disks are same capacity due to metadata requirement.
I am not saying clonezilla won't work. I do not know, I am just telling you that it is not just a bit-level copy problem if the disks are same capacity due to metadata requirement.
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TechnicallyMaybe:
" Set the boot controller to the new array controller."
How would you set the boot controller to the new array controller? Isn't this done from the OS?
" Set the boot controller to the new array controller."
How would you set the boot controller to the new array controller? Isn't this done from the OS?
No you would do this in the BIOS
You would make sure that the controller is listed (and active) in the boot order. What controller are you thinking of using? In which PowerEdge server?
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SAS6ir controller / PE R200
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@dlethe
Do you know the name of the Acronis product?
Do you know the name of the Acronis product?
acronis universal restore ... it will let you restore with different disk configs, as well as different HAL. Free eval too on their website (or there used to be one).
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Great, thanks.
A RAID 1 with one drive should boot the SATA drive with the controller's built-in BIOS. Since it is a free-standing drive (not paired or mirrored), you should, in most cases, be able to boot it or a clone on a different controller.
If it doesn't boot, try changing the controller to install its own BIOS on boot up and see if it boots.
Important:
I'd use the clone and never touch the original after the clone is made.
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This morning, I copied a SATA drive to another SATA drive and booted it on a PERC 3 RAID. Since there is only one drive, I just told the array controller to accept a single drive RAID but I DID NOT INITIALIZE the drive.
I used Ghost and expanded the partition while I was at it.
The computer booted first time. Now I can add a second drive and mirror etc.
If it doesn't boot, try changing the controller to install its own BIOS on boot up and see if it boots.
Important:
I'd use the clone and never touch the original after the clone is made.
**************************
This morning, I copied a SATA drive to another SATA drive and booted it on a PERC 3 RAID. Since there is only one drive, I just told the array controller to accept a single drive RAID but I DID NOT INITIALIZE the drive.
I used Ghost and expanded the partition while I was at it.
The computer booted first time. Now I can add a second drive and mirror etc.
ASKER
@lscarbor
So on my scenario where I do not have the controller yet installed, are this the steps I would follow?
1) install new controller
2) attach one drive to the controller without initializing it.
3) clone the original drive to the one attached to the controller
4) add the second drive to the controller and let it rebuild
Why did you have to expand the partition?
What version of Ghost did you use?
So on my scenario where I do not have the controller yet installed, are this the steps I would follow?
1) install new controller
2) attach one drive to the controller without initializing it.
3) clone the original drive to the one attached to the controller
4) add the second drive to the controller and let it rebuild
Why did you have to expand the partition?
What version of Ghost did you use?
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