How exactly do u do Raid-0?

[MitaDC]

Ok I know what RAID is etc. but how exactly do u do it and how much does it increase your performance? TY

[FastHotRod]

RAID can be accomplished a couple of different ways. You can do a hardware RAID using a RAID card, or use a built in RAID configuration that is already installed on our motherboard, or do a software RAID if you have the right operating system.

Either way, you need to have two hard drives. Preferably, you want two drives that are exactly the same for best performance. There are different configurations of RAID, but to be really basic about it you have to decide if you want safety/backup or performance.

Mirroring is just what it sounds like... one drive is a "mirror" of the other. If one drive fails, the other is there and protects your data. Striped drives work together for performance, but lack the safety that mirroring offers. Performance will vary based on other system performance levels, but you can basically look at it like this: How many cars can drive on a typical 4 lane freeway at any given time? Now make it an eight lane freeway.

My last hardware RAID was WAY faster than my current software RAID steup. (RAID in WinXP PRO) I have Serial ATA RAID on my MB but haven't decided to buy two new drives... yet.

I can give you more specifics if you want, but you might be better to do a search in the forums or on Google for a detailed answer. I'd test your system using Sandra to see your current drive speeds and if it's a bottleneck before jumping into a RAID. Let me know if this helped or if I can give you more information.

Mark

[John Prophet]

Raid 0

basically you either have a raid controller card or onboard raid

What you have to do with raid 0 is first "build the array"...which will of course wipe out the data on the drive.

you put the drives onto the raid controller...go to bios and do whatever it says to "build" the raid 0 array.

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Then you install windows on it....for XP you'll need drivers on a floppy and it'll prompt you to hit f6 for "mass storage drivers"..so you hit f6 and it'll keep going and it'll read the floppy fot he drivers etc.

JP

ps..for raid 1 u dont have to wipe the drive etc..you just put them on the raid controller and when it builds the array it will just copy the one drive to the other...so make sure u have the right drive selected as "source"..otherwise you will copy the blank over the one with windows.

[MitaDC]

Alright TY guys

[sechs]

For most users, RAID won't do anything but improve your reliability (if you choose an appropriate RAID level). There are plenty of very good tutorials on the various RAID levels, and their pros and cons.

[I2n0ld]

Originally posted by sechs
For most users, RAID won't do anything but improve your reliability (if you choose an appropriate RAID level). There are plenty of very good tutorials on the various RAID levels, and their pros and cons.

Do u recommend any site? i also want to learn.

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/...214332,00.html

more information on raid

I2n0ld at the bottom it talks about the each

[John Prophet]

This is my faveorite raid site...because of the cool diagrams etc http://www.acnc.com/04_01_00.html

[sechs]

I suggest http://www.storagereview.com

Ars Technica also has a reasonable explanation of RAID levels.

[jl123]

Here ya go!

It can be somewhat outdated(saying how it's not used in PC's) but it explains everything that you would want to know.