Mobo Migration, RAID rebuild questions

[creizlein]

Im currently running a RAID-1 setup with 2 WD disks (of course) using the Intel chip/storage on my current motherboard, a gigabyte GAP35c.

Im now going to migrate to a new motherboard which is a GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD5H .

Question is how to rebuild or even better keep the raid without of course loosing any data?

I have never did it before so im looking for best practices here, in theory i know i can break the raid in the current mobo, which will leave the 2 disks with the data, and then just rebuild based on the data of one of them, but not sure if there is a better way?, plus, the feeling of breaking the raid doesn't fell good, i don't want to lose 3TB of data...

 

[Kelthar]

Breaking a RAID 1 array is perfectly safe. Hell, you could even switch motherboards, take one of the disks and set it on fire, and you'd still keep your data safe and sound on the other disk (that's the point of RAID 1).

The new motherboard should automatically detect the RAID array (without you having to break it and reconstruct it) as long as the storage mode in the BIOS is set to RAID, and continue functioning with it. If it doesn't, you can recreate the RAID array there.

Worst case scenario, as long as you do not do anything wrong, it will erase one of the disks and begin copying everything over. It shouldn't have to "interrupt" normal computer usage, but if it does tell you it needs to rebuild the array before you can continue, then I guess you'll have to.

EDIT: RAID 1 is especially safe in terms of transferring arrays, because even if you break the array completely, you're left with two disks that have the full information. There's no "half information here, half there", or information split between several disks. They're all the same: as long as you keep one intact, all the information is safe.

 

[creizlein]

Well, i do know that i can lose a disk, thats the point, but im a bit fear about manually breaking the raid and the fact that the disks end "empty" after the break to be honest, hehe.

So what would be the best way to go again? you recommend just to migrate the disks to the new mobo without breaking the raid and let the new mobo recognize the old raid? My bad feeling is that upon raid rebuild it will rebuild with an empty drive, no with the current data on it.

thanks for your input

 

[Kelthar]

Make sure you don't accept anything that mentions formatting both disks, or formatting the entire array. Anything of the sort, stop and make sure you want to press "Okay".

I recommend just transferring them over and setting it to RAID in the BIOS. It SHOULD automatically detect since it's the same controller. Even if it isn't the same controller it should still detect there was an array there previously (since that information is stored in the disks).