Help Replacing failed RAID drive

[Dr_Weasel]

I have a RAID 1 array set up on the Nvidia raid controller on my motherboard and over the weekend one of the drives failed. The old drives were 250GB but as they were nearly full I ordered two 500GB drives as replacements.

Would I be right in thinking I could do the following;

- Insert 1 of the 500GB drives to replace the failed 250GB drive
- Rebuild the array
- Once the array is rebuilt, remove the remaining 250GB drive and replace with the other 500GB drive
- Rebuild the array
- Once its all booted on the 500GB drives, use the Vista disk management tool to extend the partition into the new free space.

It sounds feasible to me, but i dont particularly want to lose all my data doing something that I shouldnt....

Cheers

 

[old.Osy]

I would rather take a virtual disk snapshot and restore it on the new RAID Array formed from 2x 500.

This way you don't have to meddle with RAID, and the risk is minimum.

Of course you would need to solve the issue of backing up the image somewhere (external disk? you could use one of the 500 GB), and also having a second computer to help you transfer the data between disks.

1. Take snapshot. (Acronis)
2. Save snapshot on one of the 500Gb drives.
3. Clean up the 250 Gb drive.
4. Copy the snapshot onto the 250 gb drive. (Second PC, stage left)
5. Build the Raid Array from the 2x 500 Gb drives.
6. Boot up with the Acronis rescue CD.
7. Restore the snapshot on the new RAID Array from the 250 Gb disk.

 

[Kryten]

I'd side with Osy on that one, and will certainly be quicker than rebuilding arrays - twice!

 

[Dr_Weasel]

Thanks fellas. Im presuming before I go buy Acronis, that the rescue CD can see the RAID array?

Numbers of HDDs isnt an issue. I have an external 500GB drive that I can connect up via eSATA that I could store the image on. What does concern me is that Im low on raid ports. As soon as I remove the 250GB array to create the new 500GB array I will be in a situation where windows doesnt boot, so the rescue CD would have to be able to see the eSATA drive with the image, and also the new 2x500GB array outside of Windows

 

[old.Osy]

The Acronis True Image line of products supports most RAID Controllers, so unless your computer is part of some niche specialized hardware line, you should be fine.

Anyway, you can try before actually doing anything. Just install Acronis on your current OS, create the rescue CD, and then boot from the rescue CD, simulate the restore steps, and see if the destination step provides you with your VD.


Good luck!

 

[Dr_Weasel]

Sweet. Ill give it a blast. Im using an ASUS 8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard so hopefully it will be pretty standard.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Dr_Weasel]

Im also concerned about how similar yours and mine avatars are

 

[old.Osy]

Except yours doesn't have the hat. THE HAT.

 

[Dr_Weasel]

Thanks for the advice. Following Osy's advice its all now back up and running on a 500GB partition!

That Acronis software seems pretty good. Last time I used anything like that it was Norton Ghost and it was pretty clunky.