create a raid

I bought a Dimension E510 with one SATA HDD. Soon afterward, I bought a
second SATA HDD (on sale and not from Dell) and added it as a second or D:
drive. They are both 250 GB drives.

I would like to copy my data from D: to C: and use the second drive as a
mirror to the first. RAID 1. If I create the array from the BIOS, will that
erase both my hard drives or can i mirror the second drive to the first?

Of course i would do a backup of both drives, just in case.

~alan

"~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-> wrote in message
news:Sv8vh.1813$Pk5.174@trndny04...
>I bought a Dimension E510 with one SATA HDD. Soon afterward, I bought a
>second SATA HDD (on sale and not from Dell) and added it as a second or D:
>drive. They are both 250 GB drives.
>
> I would like to copy my data from D: to C: and use the second drive as a
> mirror to the first. RAID 1. If I create the array from the BIOS, will
> that erase both my hard drives or can i mirror the second drive to the
> first?
>
> Of course i would do a backup of both drives, just in case.
>
> ~alan
>
>

I'm thinking that you should be able to go into BIOS and enable the RAID
controller, then exit and reboot into (hopefully) the RAID BIOS (just after
the Dell splash screen) and create the array.

Since you're looking at RAID1 mirroring, then (in theory) C:\ should just
build/copy over to D:\...

On my machine (homebuilt, SiS RAID controller) it's about that simple.
Simulating a drive death (by unplugging it) and then a new drive added (by
re-plugging it and then booting) causes the RAID controller to detect the
added drive and immediately copy the contents over before booting into
Windows.

The Intel controller, however, is probably a different animal.

Stew

S.Lewis wrote:
> "~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-> wrote in message
> news:Sv8vh.1813$Pk5.174@trndny04...
>> I bought a Dimension E510 with one SATA HDD. Soon afterward, I bought a
>> second SATA HDD (on sale and not from Dell) and added it as a second or D:
>> drive. They are both 250 GB drives.
>>
>> I would like to copy my data from D: to C: and use the second drive as a
>> mirror to the first. RAID 1. If I create the array from the BIOS, will
>> that erase both my hard drives or can i mirror the second drive to the
>> first?
>>
>> Of course i would do a backup of both drives, just in case.
>>
>> ~alan
>>
>>
>
> I'm thinking that you should be able to go into BIOS and enable the RAID
> controller, then exit and reboot into (hopefully) the RAID BIOS (just after
> the Dell splash screen) and create the array.
>
> Since you're looking at RAID1 mirroring, then (in theory) C:\ should just
> build/copy over to D:\...
>
> On my machine (homebuilt, SiS RAID controller) it's about that simple.
> Simulating a drive death (by unplugging it) and then a new drive added (by
> re-plugging it and then booting) causes the RAID controller to detect the
> added drive and immediately copy the contents over before booting into
> Windows.
>
> The Intel controller, however, is probably a different animal.

Does the E510 come standard with a built-in controller?

--
Notan

"Notan" <notan@ddressthatcanbespammed> wrote in message
news: ...
> S.Lewis wrote:
>> "~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-> wrote in message
>> news:Sv8vh.1813$Pk5.174@trndny04...
>>> I bought a Dimension E510 with one SATA HDD. Soon afterward, I bought a
>>> second SATA HDD (on sale and not from Dell) and added it as a second or
>>> D: drive. They are both 250 GB drives.
>>>
>>> I would like to copy my data from D: to C: and use the second drive as a
>>> mirror to the first. RAID 1. If I create the array from the BIOS, will
>>> that erase both my hard drives or can i mirror the second drive to the
>>> first?
>>>
>>> Of course i would do a backup of both drives, just in case.
>>>
>>> ~alan
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I'm thinking that you should be able to go into BIOS and enable the RAID
>> controller, then exit and reboot into (hopefully) the RAID BIOS (just
>> after the Dell splash screen) and create the array.
>>
>> Since you're looking at RAID1 mirroring, then (in theory) C:\ should just
>> build/copy over to D:\...
>>
>> On my machine (homebuilt, SiS RAID controller) it's about that simple.
>> Simulating a drive death (by unplugging it) and then a new drive added
>> (by re-plugging it and then booting) causes the RAID controller to detect
>> the added drive and immediately copy the contents over before booting
>> into Windows.
>>
>> The Intel controller, however, is probably a different animal.
>
> Does the E510 come standard with a built-in controller?
>
> --
> Notan

Yup, mine did.

"Notan" <notan@ddressthatcanbespammed> wrote in message
news: ...
> S.Lewis wrote:
>> "~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-> wrote in message
>> news:Sv8vh.1813$Pk5.174@trndny04...
>>> I bought a Dimension E510 with one SATA HDD. Soon afterward, I bought a
>>> second SATA HDD (on sale and not from Dell) and added it as a second or
>>> D: drive. They are both 250 GB drives.
>>>
>>> I would like to copy my data from D: to C: and use the second drive as a
>>> mirror to the first. RAID 1. If I create the array from the BIOS, will
>>> that erase both my hard drives or can i mirror the second drive to the
>>> first?
>>>
>>> Of course i would do a backup of both drives, just in case.
>>>
>>> ~alan
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I'm thinking that you should be able to go into BIOS and enable the RAID
>> controller, then exit and reboot into (hopefully) the RAID BIOS (just
>> after the Dell splash screen) and create the array.
>>
>> Since you're looking at RAID1 mirroring, then (in theory) C:\ should just
>> build/copy over to D:\...
>>
>> On my machine (homebuilt, SiS RAID controller) it's about that simple.
>> Simulating a drive death (by unplugging it) and then a new drive added
>> (by re-plugging it and then booting) causes the RAID controller to detect
>> the added drive and immediately copy the contents over before booting
>> into Windows.
>>
>> The Intel controller, however, is probably a different animal.
>
> Does the E510 come standard with a built-in controller?
>
> --
> Notan


I believe those models are all capable, yes. I have to be honest, though.
I had one helluva time with the Intel Matrix storage drivers and configuring
one of these systems after wiping it completely.

Lesson learned.

Stew

Yes the E510 has a built-in RAID controller.

"Notan" <notan@ddressthatcanbespammed> wrote in message
news: ...
> S.Lewis wrote:
>> "~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-> wrote in message
>> news:Sv8vh.1813$Pk5.174@trndny04...
>>> I bought a Dimension E510 with one SATA HDD. Soon afterward, I bought a
>>> second SATA HDD (on sale and not from Dell) and added it as a second or
>>> D: drive. They are both 250 GB drives.
>>>
>>> I would like to copy my data from D: to C: and use the second drive as a
>>> mirror to the first. RAID 1. If I create the array from the BIOS, will
>>> that erase both my hard drives or can i mirror the second drive to the
>>> first?
>>>
>>> Of course i would do a backup of both drives, just in case.
>>>
>>> ~alan
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I'm thinking that you should be able to go into BIOS and enable the RAID
>> controller, then exit and reboot into (hopefully) the RAID BIOS (just
>> after the Dell splash screen) and create the array.
>>
>> Since you're looking at RAID1 mirroring, then (in theory) C:\ should just
>> build/copy over to D:\...
>>
>> On my machine (homebuilt, SiS RAID controller) it's about that simple.
>> Simulating a drive death (by unplugging it) and then a new drive added
>> (by re-plugging it and then booting) causes the RAID controller to detect
>> the added drive and immediately copy the contents over before booting
>> into Windows.
>>
>> The Intel controller, however, is probably a different animal.
>
> Does the E510 come standard with a built-in controller?
>
> --
> Notan