Moving RAID set from one server to an another

You need to keep the drives in the EXACT same order.

There are also other issues with configuration on the card etc.

Its possible but the odds are that you will lose all the data unless the servers are identical.

If they are identical then move the raid card with the drives.


All the moves of cards and drives are done with the server
OFF and the AC POWER CABLES unplugged from the server.

Message Edited by SpeedStep on 04-10-2004 05:18 PM

I moved a RAID 5 array from an old machine to a new 600SC and didn't lose any data.  I am using a Promise SX4000 lite controller and IDE drives.  I kept the cabling identical, simply unbolting the drives from the old server chassis and bolting them into the new drive cage on the 600SC.  I have a 5th disk for the OS which runs on one of the motherboard IDE channels and is mounted in one of the 5-1/4 inch bays with an adapter bracket.  I had the same arrangement on the HP so I could set up the computer and its OS independently of the drive.  The operating system merely sees it as another drive and doesn't manage the disks.  I have a second server where the RAID 5 is done in software using Windows 2000 server and moved that array from an old HP machine to another 600SC (I love these machines) and Windows had no problem finding and configuring the 4 drives without losing any data.  Again, I have a 5th drive which holds the operating system and any programs on the server, the RAID is just for data.  In both cases the 600SCs had their OS's installed from scratch on the dedicated hard disk before mounting the already formatted and data laden RAID array.