Help with simple Raid setup

Question

I am setting up a t130 power edge using the embedded PERC. I have already installed server probably five times because each time I go into try to reconfigurate I end up wiping the drive or making it unusable. I don't want to start with data transfer from the current server until I know I'm set up the way I want to be.

I have two drives that will be the operating system drives. I really don't care if these drives are mirrored or not because they literally will only host the operating system and run as a file and QuickBook server. The Data drive are the ones that are really important. I have two options I have a set of match drives that I can use for operating system if they need to be in a mirrored array and I have a set of match drives that must be in a mirrored array.

The issue I had was setting it up with the three drives I realize that changing the OS drive to non-raid made it unusable... it wasn't even found until I switched it back. Is it possible to set two of the drives to mirror each other and host the operating system and the other two drives to mirror each other and host our files? Basically (2) raid one arrays. If it's not possible can the operating system drive be outside of the array completely in only mirror the two secondary drives?

My other question is that I've found there are more than way to configure raid and they all have different options. You can configure it through the ctrl+r or by going into lifecycle >device management & then perc controller directly.. is there a "best way" to set it up? On a mirrored array is it best to leave the option set at default as far as cache, read write thru etc? Also the hot swappable option I not familiar with. You would think in a mirrored disc set the drives would be interchangeable?

Lastly, to start from square one what is the best way to put my hdd's back into "out of the box" state and go in and start setting up raid as if it was first time?

Thanks for any help

_Riggz · Accepted Answer

Thanks for the help. I finally figured out the issue. Apparently server 2016 needed an updated driver for the RAID controller. I downloaded the driver and put it on a USB stick and at the "where do you want to install Windows" screen I loaded that driver and immediately was able to see all of my RAID drives. So I started over with the three drive setup just to see if it may work and I set my two data drives to raid one mirror and did nothing with the OS drive other than set it to Non RAID. I started installation again, loaded the driver and two drives appeared one was my 500 GB OS drive and the other one of the two terabyte data drives. So apparently this controller will do a mix of RAID and NON-RAID drives simultaneously.

This is now set up and working exactly as I wanted it to but I have hopefully a final question. Before I deploy is there any way for me to verify the mirrored drive is working correctly? We do an off-site backup as well but I would still like to at least know that if one of these drives should fail the other is ready to go. Also, the documentation is a bit vague as far as the process and the event of a failure.. if one of these mirror drives fails will it continue to operate without any human help? Since it is set to raid and mirrored.. if one of these drives fails will it still boot or will it catch it as "hey I'm set to raid 1 and there's only one drive functioning so I'm just not going to boot?

DELL-Joey C · Answer

Hi,

I basically understand what you needed, so you need the data drives to be in RAID1.

Can you let me know more about the server, how many total drive you have in the server? 2? What RAID controller do you have in the server? If you only have 2 drives, then you can only set 1 RAID1 VD. Though, you can partition the VD into 2 in the RAID configuration. You can configure the VD partition size.

There is no best way do setting up the RAID, rather to be what is the preferred way. That would be either. I'm most prefer from Lifecycle. RAID configuration would best left the settings at default.

_Riggz · Answer

I believe I have it figured out. This is how they are appearing in the S130 config utility.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DiJ81o6L9ZyfE9wh9

The 500gb is the OS drive and the 2TB drives are the Data drives. If I decided to mirror the OS drive as well would I go about it the same way and would having two arrays impact performance at all?

Thanks for the help.

_Riggz · Answer

Actually that didn't work because I was unable to see any hard drives when trying to install windows server. I tried the OS drive as a virtual, physical, a regular volume and nothing worked. Is it not possible to have the one drive not in Raid and have the other two secondary drives set for Raid 1 with this controller?

DELL-Joey C · Answer

Hi,

It's not possible to mixed configuration like you intended, Non-RAID drive with a RAID array.

I tried to check on S130, it listed that minimum disk for RAID0 is 2. I was going to request you to try creating a RAID0 with just 1 drive, though, could you try that and let me know if it does work with 1 drive on RAID0. I know other Dell RAID controllers can do it.

Could you try using the Lifecycle controller to install the OS: https://dell.to/2F6capR, though the OS must be a support OS by the server. Else it won't actually install without errors.

DELL-Stefan R · Answer

Hi,

Nice job! Well, it's often that the missing driver is the solution. Happy to hear that it works now

Regarding your final question, a RAID works exactly like that if one drive fails it changes its state to degraded but will continue to work until another drive fails.

If you have a hot-spare setup, this one will be used then to replace the failed drive and will be added as the new member. The rebuild will start and mirror back the data.

The new drive will be set up as a global hot-spare again to jump in if any other drive fails.

And as you never know if the RAID will work like expected, you always do the backup.

Please, don't be afraid of using the RAID - it will work as it should.

Best regards,
Stefan

_Riggz · Answer

Thanks for the clarification. And you are exactly right an on-site duplicate is really not a backup when the building burns, floods, or the server is stolen.

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

Help with simple Raid setup

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