Buscuit wrote:
> "Paul" <> wrote in message news:emqf7i$c66$...
>> Buscuit wrote:
>>> Just built my new PC using an ASUS M2V AM2 dual core mobo, AMD 3800+ dual
>>> core cpu, 1GB of Crucial ram, Nvidia 7300 graphics and a Seagate
>>> ST3160811AS 160GB 7200.9 SATA II 7200rpm HDD.
>>>
>>> The only problems I've had apart from installing the SATA drivers (Raid
>>> only as I realised later) are
>>>
>>> 1. Figuring out if the non RAID SATA connection is running at 150b/sec or
>>> 300b/s.
>>>
>>> 2. Trying to find out why the drive only shows up as a 127gig in size.
>>>
>>> Any clues
>>>
>>> Buscuit
>>>
>> The Viaarena site has drivers for your VIA based chipset.
>>
>> The VIA RAID package is described here.
>> http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx...icleID=467&P=2
>>
>> The VIA SATA/PATA is described here.
>> http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx...icleID=467&P=3
>>
>> You can download here.
>> http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx...0&SubCatID=143
>>
>> AFAIK, the 8237A SATA ports would be 150MB/sec only. The Marvell
>> chip apparently has SATA II speeds (300MB/sec) as an option, if you
>> happen to be connected to that. But the Marvell chip would need a
>> different driver.
>>
>> http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/ch...237a/specs.jsp
>>
>> I would install Windows with a slipstreamed Windows installer disk.
>> If you had, say, an original Windows with no Service Pack, you
>> can use a program like AutoStreamer, to build a CD that incorporates
>> SP1 or SP2 that you have already downloaded. Then, burn a new CD
>> which would be WinXP SP1 or WinXP SP2.
>>
>> For more info on big disks, see this (start at page 7 for SATA).
>> Using AutoStreamer, in fact, makes building a slipstreamed disk easy.
>> And you may have a WinXP install disk, which has a Service Pack
>> already installed in it.
>>
>> http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/tp/137gb.pdf
>>
>> HTH,
>> Paul
>
> Thanks for info.
>
> So could I install the SATA drivers from disc/download and plug the existing
> install straight onto the RAID connection and it will work or do you think
> I'd need that floppy driver from the start of XP install?
>
> Managed to find these instructions
> http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/di...disk_mgmt.html
> which had the extra 21,000 or so extra MB formatted as an extra drive in 2
> minutes. Very simple indeed.
>
Well, I managed to find drivers, but I don't really know a lot about
messing around with RAID. Obviously, if you were installing a boot
partition on a RAID array, then F6 install of a RAID driver would be
a good thing. If I were attempting to move a non-RAID, to a RAID array,
I'd install a RAID driver while booted on the single drive, then copy the
image to the RAID array and try it. What I'm not sure about, is if the
contents of boot.ini would have to change, and how you'd do that. But
at least, as long as some RAID driver is installed, there is a chance
it would work.
In place migration is possible with some chipsets (and their associated
software), but not every RAID controller supports it. In the case of
Intel, they like you to install their RAID driver, when only one disk
is present, and then they have limited options for moving to a
two disk RAID config. (Nvidia also offers options, but they are
for "morphing", which is changing from one RAID format to another.
But that is not the same thing as moving from non-RAID to RAID config.)
Copying the boot partition from the single drive, may leave you with a
"same sized" partition on the RAID. Then it would be good to have a copy
of Partition Magic or a similar tool, to resize the partition if necessary.
I don't bother with RAID myself, because there is too much to know, to make
it practical. One thing I hate to see in the newsgroup, is "my RAID just
broke, it was my boot drive, can you give me an *exact* recipe that will
save all my data and save my ass". Knowing what to do, when your RAID just
broke, is something you want to research ahead of time. If you have
a brand new mirror set up, for example, try disconnecting one drive
(with the power off), and go through the scenario of rebuilding/repairing
the array. Learn how to use your RAID array's features, while there is no
user data on there. There is nothing worse than trying to resuscitate a
system, where you have no backup of the data, you cannot boot (because you
put the boot partition on the RAID), and you don't know which commands in
the RAID BIOS are safe to use. For those reasons, I choose to use a single
disk, where possible. Call me lazy :-)
If you do nothing all day, but copy big files from one volume to
another, then I'd be real interested in RAID. But from a reliability
perspective, there is little difference in my eyes, between running
a single disk (with a second disk having a recent backup) and
running a mirror. You should still have a backup disk covering the mirror,
because mirrors do fail. So you still need a backup. The distinction with
the mirror, is too small for me to care. And a RAID 0+1 or RAID 10
configuration, makes too much noise, as it is four disks that are spinning
all the time. I use fewer disks, partially to keep down the noise level. And
also to reduce the probability of a disk failure. Since I don't download
movies or music, my storage requirements are quite small.
Paul
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