We have a server that is being used in production, but it was not originally meant to. The main thing I want to add to it is a Dell PERC S300 RAID Card to have the main hard drive (Windows Server 2008 R2) mirrored on another hard drive. I can not initialize the disk and wipe the the OS to create the array and then re-install. Is there a way to create the array with a current hard drive, without affecting it, and just mirroring the drive? If that card is not an option, is there a card that would allow that? The server is a Dell PowerEdge T110 II.
3 Answers
If you are looking to create a RAID 1 from an existing disc. The following procedure has worked for me.
- Use Acronis to clone the drive to another drive.
- Use Acronis to backup the drive as a recoverable image and store it on an external drive.
- Install the RAID card of choice.
- Install new drives or reuse the original with another drive.
- Create a RAID 1 on the drives.
- Use Acronis to restore the image we made in Step 2.
- Boot system on new RAID 1.
Steps 1 is critical if you choose to reuse the original drive in the array. IF anything goes wrong you will still have a copy of the OS you can simply put back in the system and continue as if nothing happened.
We do not have a controller that supports what you are wanting to do. The SAS5/6, H200, and S100/S300 auto-initialize when an array is created. Any data on the drives would be deleted during this process.
The PERC 5/6 or H700/H710 may allow you to perform what you are wanting to do. It is not a supported function, so I am not sure of the exact outcome. It may still wipe the data, but you can try this.
Create a single drive RAID 0 with your current drive. Then install Openmanage Server Administrator in the operating system. Within OMSA is an option to reconfigure an array. It will allow you to reconfigure the RAID 0 drive to a RAID 1 array if there is another compatible drive present. It will then copy the contents from the original drive to the new drive.
I am not sure if the initial creation of a stripe/RAID 0 on the drive will make the data inaccessible or corrupt it. Just be sure that you do not select the option to initialize the array during this process.
Thanks
With Windows 2008 you can do a baremetal recovery of the system, so backup sytem, reconfigure the RAID and to finish, with the Windows DVD boot the system and select recover a system from a backup.