Storage Solutions Enable and Disable RAID.

m-jeri

m-jeri

A Nobody.
Skilled
Hi.

So I have 2 CPU. CPU 1 and CPU 2 both with RAID 1. Data Mirror.

I need to put the HDD1 from CPU 2 into CPU 1 as HDD1 by removing the HDD1 from CPU1. Do some testing, and put the HDD1 from CPU1 back.

CPU1 RAID Health should be normal or ok. it should not be degraded.

What are the options?

Can I disable the RAID in CPU 1 and swap the hard drives? Do i need to rebuild the RAID in CPU1? If so will it take time? Asking coz, if the RAID is disabled, HDD is swapped and technically there should not be any difference to the RAID setup if I turn it back on. correct?
 
m-jeri said:
@vivek.krishnan

Yes. All the same.

Intel RAID Controller.

Windows 7.
Click to expand...

So I am guessing this is done from the BIOS. Well, should work. However, RAID 1 is a mirror of the entire drive, so when you return the drive from CPU1 to CPU2, the second HDD may not be in sync, as some changes would have occurred in the original HDD1 of CPU2. Now, how does the RAID controller see this, I cannot say.
 
Yes. Its done from the bios.

Well no. I think you have mis understood me. I do not return the drive from CPU 1 to CPU 2. Its always CPU 1 that matters to me.

CPU 2 is just a tinkering system which has the exact same setup of CPU1 for me. CPU 1 is that matters. I will put the drive 1 from CPU 2 to drive 1 slot of CPU 1 after disabling the RAID. Once all my testing done. Put the drive 1 of CPU 1 back in, turn RAID on.

Hope I am being clear.
 
Well. HDD 1 is on a sata back plane. So I have access to it. HDD 2 is inside the enclosure.

Do you think when I put the HDD1 and re-enable the RAID, how much time it will take to rebuild the RAID setup?
 
I think irrespective of whatever you do, once you disable and re enable RAID, the second HDD will get overwritten.

Speed - depends on the amount of data that needs to be written. You have not mentioned capacity.
 
~500GB.

Can you tell me how the HDD 2 is getting affected? I will turn the RAID off. It means both HDD is separate. So if i change the HDD 1, why the HDD 2 is over written?

Then i will put the original drive HDD1 back and turn the RAID on. Things should be same. correct?
 
m-jeri said:
~500GB.

Can you tell me how the HDD 2 is getting affected? I will turn the RAID off. It means both HDD is separate. So if i change the HDD 1, why the HDD 2 is over written?

Then i will put the original drive HDD1 back and turn the RAID on. Things should be same. correct?
Click to expand...

You will disable RAID, then enable it. At this juncture, the RAID controller - which I believe is not that intelligent, will start to overwrite HDD2 from HDD1. Agreed, your data may not be changed, but still, it may take time.

So yeah, things would be the same.
 
Ok. Still the data rebuild will happen. Thats what you are saying. :(. That sucks.

For the scenario I want, CPU1 cannot be spending time rebuilding. :(.

As of now, things do happen the way I want. Without turning the RAID off. but the moment I put the HDD1 of CPU1 back in, the RAID health becomes degraded. :(
 
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