raid 0 setup and backup

[exo336]

first of all i have absolutely ZERO experience with raid so forgive my ignorance on the subject.

that having been said i want to use raid 0 im my new gaming build as my main drive and there are a few questions that i can't find answers to anywhere.

1. can you backup raid 0 to a HD? and if so do i need any software or can i just do it in windows?

2. i will be using the asus crosshair formula z is this motherboard's onboard raid good or will i need a raid controller?

3.i will be using 2 500gb samsung 850 evo and one wd green 2tb as my backup drive. if one ssd fails is it possible to wipe the good ssd add a new one in raid 0 and restore all of the data(os and everything)from the backup?

4.if i use a program to do regular backups will they rewrite over the previous backups(i don't want the backup drive to get full.)?

since i will be using this computer mostly for gaming and internet use i am not to worried about some minor data loss in the case of a drive failure if i have a backup i can easily restore from.

thanks for any help you guys can supply on this subject.

 

[drtweak]

1) Yes you can I do it on my RAID 0 of 2TB to a single 4TB

2) Yes onboard will be fine for this. Only when you are mainly running servers, important data, etc do you then start looking for better RAID controllers

3) Yes as long as the Backup Image does NOT exceed the size of a single SSD. So if you do a backup, and it is 300 Gigs you can restore to a single 500 GB. If back is bigger than a single SSD (like 600 GB) got to get another SSD, RAID 0 it, and restore the image

4) I use this http://www.macrium.com/ it is free and easy to use and you can just make images of your hard drives (VS Full on cloning) this way you can just restore that image. If you clone it will wipe the whole drive you clone it to.

when you install it MAKE THE RECOVERY DISK! you can use this to boot form if your RAID 0/OS Fails and recover from a backed up image. Just install the program, then make the recovery disk (You can turn it into a Bootable USB Drive. Only takes like 200MB. Also make sure to click "Change PE Version" and make sure it is set to Version 5.0 (Which the new Version 6 seems to do) this way it uses windows 8.1 to boot and has better driver detection for RAID's and can be booted from USB 3.0. Now you can burn to DVD, or in that drop down menu make an ISO for later or put on a USB Device.

Once in the program just find your RAID 0, and under it it should Clone this disk or Image this disk. You want to image it. Then save it where you want (Assuming 2TB or any other drive that can fit it) and then save it. It will reboot and then save the OS image.

Then if your OS fails boot off of the disk, then you want to go to Restore, browse where the image is (on your 2TB) and restore it to your SSDs or SSD.

That should do it. Pretty easy.

 

[exo336]

awesome thanks

 

[drtweak]

Just make sure you have enough space for the Image on the 2TB and i would delete the old image when you make a new one.

 

[tomatthe]

Just wondering, but was there a reason "that having been said i want to use raid 0 im my new gaming build as my main drive"?

I don't think you would notice any actual performance gains which leaves the only advantage being having a single drive to work with vs 2 x 500g ones. Even if you keep the data backed up its a hassle to rebuild from a failed raid set and the backup would only be as good as the last time it ran.

 

[drtweak]

Yea I would assume he just has 2 500GB's and just wants more space.

Also if you do an Image of the drive there really is no rebuilding. It just make a new RAID 0 or just use a single drive then, and restore the image.