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Multiple RAID arrays, same box
Starting my small medical office with an onsite server (PE320) with H710 PERC for anticipated RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays. The content of my questions exposes my ignorance. I am using the Life Cycle Controller app to try to configure stuff. I had thought to put MS Server 2012 on the RAID 1 array and plop all of my other apps (MySQL based in the main one) on the RAID 10 side of things. Can this be done? Is it even wise? Or would you just take all 6 2.5" 15K 300 GB drives and put them into a RAID 10 array. It's a small office, with just 4-5 clients. Doubt performance issues will be big, and plan on back-up in other ways. Oh, and is it correct to refer to the individual arrays (1 and 10) as VDs? Just looking for some light...
Dr. P
DELL-Chris H
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March 17th, 2015 06:00
Joseph Perkinson,
It is possible, and in almost all respects the recommended configuration. The reason being is it allows you to separate the OS from the data. This adds a level of stability, as well as protects the data from any issues that can arise from the OS. It does have a slight performance decrease from a straight Raid 10, but it is negligible. With the office size you described, it wouldn't even be noticeable.
That is correct, they are called VDs for Virtual Disks.
Let me know if this helps answer your questions, or if you have any other.
Joseph Perkinso
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March 17th, 2015 12:00
Thanks much, Chris. I'm not sure how Dell shipped the box (probably the way it was supposed to be), but I fiddled with the LCC and I think I have to reload the OS. Have a USB Optical drive which should work.
Entered the LCC. Have not connected the box so skipped Firmware Update. Also don't have iDRAC activated. So moved to RAID Config Wizard. Shows me the PERC H710 in slot 6. Seems like it only lets me configure one array though, or is it a consecutive thing?
Select RAID level. Well, I want the OS on a RAID 1 array on physical disks 0 and 1. SAS protocol, HDD media, non-encryption, and I select the first two disks and label it "Boot," sized at 278.875 GB and all the defaults. I unchecked the assign hot spare, as I forgot to order one. Perhaps I can get one later and add it?
It whips through the configuration in about 12 seconds.
Now what do I do? Click the back arrow or, more likely, go back to the configuration wizard and configure and label RAID 10 array?
If I go back to the start of configuration to do the next array (RAID 10), the implication in the language and when I tried it, is that it erases the prior operation even if I'm dealing with different physical disks. Is that right?
Joseph Perkinso
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March 17th, 2015 12:00
From the Dell LCC RAID white paper, page 17 (section 2.1): "Lifecycle Controller GUI allows you to create only one virtual disk on a controller at [sic] anytime." Hmmmm. So how do I configure multiple RAID arrays on one box?
DELL-Chris H
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March 18th, 2015 05:00
Once you finish loading the OS, you can install OpenManage Server Admin (OMSA). With that you can create the new Virtual Disks from within the OS. You can find OMSA links below.
32-bit OMSA- www.dell.com/.../DriversDetails;
64-bit OMSA - .www.dell.com/.../DriversDetails
mattedj
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November 11th, 2017 11:00
Just don't use the raid wizard when you get into the lifecycle controller. Goto the device configuration then perc 710 raid controller and it'll give you all the options you need. The wizard doesn't let you do anything but one span of disks
Monir Hossain
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April 3rd, 2018 04:00
Does Dell Server Support Multiple Disk Size (300GB+600GB) into a Single RAID?
theflash1932
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March 15th, 2022 11:00
Yes, you can have multiple arrays on one controller. "How many" depends on the controller, but they will all do at least two VD's (arrays).
putiah
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March 15th, 2022 11:00
Hello, sorry to continue this discussion, I have dell R730 with 7 disk but different capacity in one single disk, can we make 2 array raid ?
first one for OS using raid 1 and for storage using raid 10 with single raid controller (hardware)