RAID question (from a RAID newb)

[ChipDeath]

I would've stuck this in the HDD section, but it hasn't had a post for a month and I'd like a little feedback on this before monday...

For a few reasons I need to set up a simple RAID 1(mirrored) array here at work.

My basic question is, are there any 'Gotchas' I need to watch out for? This RAID array will NOT be bootable, and will NOT have an OS on it - it will simply be extra storage. Just any hints & tips for someone who's never done anything with RAID before?

I don't need suggestions for Parts, since I need to be able to order from a certain supplier we have a trade account with, and they only stock one type of SATA PCI card anyway 😱 .. It's more anything I need to think about for the software/configuration side of things.

Short bit of background for those who care:
In a couple of months or so we're going to be getting a nice shiny new server, but until then we need some fairly safe HDD space, which will be accessible over the network, by three people (It'll contain a Visual Sourcesafe Database and hardly anything else).

So my plan is to buy a PCI SATA raid controller & two SATA drives, set it up as a mirrored RAID array, shove the whole lot in my PC here at work and simply share it out over the network so myself and the two other guys can see it - a sort of 'mini-server' really.

My Work PC is a P4 2.8C, Aopen AX4SPB-UN mobo (i848), 512Mb RAM. (it has 2xSATA ports, but not RAID, and I don't want to use Software RAID)

Any advice or suggestions welcome.

---
Epox 8RDA+ rev1.1 w/ Custom NB HS
XP1700+ @205x11 (~2.26Ghz), 1.575Vcore
2x256Mb Corsair PC3200LL 2-2-2-4
Sapphire 9800Pro 420/744

 

[etp777]

Tips for raid/safe data:

Get Seagate drives
Make sure there is clearance around drives for airflow
Make sure there is a good power supply and system is on a UPS, nothing like crummy power to kill attempts at keeping data safe
Use another backup option anyways if you really care about this data, RAID or not.

Lastly, Learn to use a calendar, as last post in the HDD section was five minutes ago. That was probably more recent than your original post here, but have been a bunch of other posts just today, much less in the last month.

 

[jammydodger]

The only possible problem I can think is that the RAID card you get might have compatability issues with your MB...but thats very unlikly. Why dont you want to use software RAID throught the ICH5R?

P4 2.6@3.38
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Ge-Force4 Ti4200

 

[endyen]

If it's a decent raid card, the disk that comes with it will have all the help you need. Check the readme file, It's ok, we wont tell.

 

[Tom_Smart]

Make sure that the drives you choose can be replaced easily. If one goes you will usually need another of the same to rebuild the array. I have a pal who had a 5 disk array go bad and couldn't get the drive he needed so had to buy 5 more, an expensive option but the only one he had.

Well, it's hardly my fault that everyone chose that morning to throw themselves off buildings! Made the papers, you know. "Lemming Sunday," they called it.

 

[ChipDeath]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll bear your thoughts in mind.

I didn't want to use software RAID as I wanted to avoid any performance hit, but I've since checked and the windows help suggests that you need a server OS to make mirrored arrays - In PRO it only allows striped arrays apparently (the help is actually talking about 2000Pro, whereas I'm using XP Pro, but I'm assuming this is still the case.)

Oh yeah - I was wrong when I thought the last post in the HDD section was a month ago - I was in a hurry and forgot the dates are always in the illogical american format on these forums 😱 . sorry 'bout that!.

---
Epox 8RDA+ rev1.1 w/ Custom NB HS
XP1700+ @205x11 (~2.26Ghz), 1.575Vcore
2x256Mb Corsair PC3200LL 2-2-2-4
Sapphire 9800Pro 420/744