RE: [ActiveDir] [OT] RAID 5 Best Practice

[Arnold Arce]

This is how I’d configure a server for peace of mind.  One drive for the OS, and then a separate RAID 5 for the data.  When building the server from scratch, you can create an image of the system drive after you’re done.   If the drive crashes, you can just restore the image, restore any system state backups you have, and then you’re all set.    For the RAID 5 configuration, hardware RAID is always faster than RAID done by the OS.  That being the case, I’d be hesitant to use a RAID controller built into a motherboard.  I’d have a separate RAID controller instead.  If the motherboard dies, you’d have to wait until the motherboard is replaced to see if it’ll recognize the existing RAID configuration.  If you have a dedicated card, you can just move it onto the new motherboard and still keep your array.    Just my two cents.   Overall, there probably isn’t a single right answer here.    From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Timothy Foster Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 12:19 PM To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org Subject: [ActiveDir] [OT] RAID 5 Best Practice   Using a RAID controller's configuration utility I can build and initialize a RAID 5 container.  When installing the OS, I can, if I choose, create a partition.  Is this a good or bad idea?  In other words, if I partition RAID 5 container during the OS install will it make any difference if I ever need to replace a drive and rebuild the array?  Will the partition table be recognized during the rebuild?   Thanks for your input.   Tim