Using RAID controller for one hard drive

[QuakeReaper]

What is the basic purpose of RAID? I initially thought it was a controller for adding another HDD. I tried it and my W.D. HDD didn't work properly. I already have to HDD a CD-ROM drive and a CD-RW drive. I would like to be able to attach my zip drive also, but I'm not sure if this will work out.

Another thing is when I installed the HDD on IDE1 and installed Windows XP, it set the drive letter to (F. Is there any problem with this? I tried changing the drive letter in XP but I can't because it's the main drive.

Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.

Jesse

QuakeReaper@USA.com

[Hungrycookpot]

As i understand it, (and i could very well be wrong) RAID is a controller that lets you use two hard drive systems together, transfering half of each peice of data to each HD, in effect making it seem as if you have one hard drive which is as big as both your hard drives added together and both their speeds added together. So if you have 2 80 gig hard drives at 7200 rpm, and you set them up on this type of raid, you would have one 160gig hard drive at 14000 rpm. I might be wrong but thats how my friend explained it to me.

[TODComp]

There are many different types of RAID, buty only 2 that I know you can use with IDE. One was explained above. This is RAID 0. You can also use RAID 1 with IDE which is a mirror type raid. In this case you set up 2 drives. One would be an exact copy of the other. You use this if you have a lot of data that you can't lose. Mostly for business. Anyway, both of these options require you to have 2 of the exactly same model drive

[QuakeReaper]

Thanks

[John Prophet]

RAID means "redundant array of inexpensive drives".

as they said, there are several different types of raid setups.

But I was always under the impression that you COULD just use it to add another hard drive by itself. Possibly you would set it as a RAID O setup with only 1 drive.

I know also that you arent usually supposed to run cdroms and dvds etc off raid cards..just hard drives.

If you cant get the raid card to work, you can probably get someone to trade you for just an 'IDE controller' card...or they might call it an 'ATA 133" card or similar.

Lots of people have extra "ide controller" cards now cuz the big drives come with them and not everyone needs them.

JP

[Hungrycookpot]

Originally posted by TODComp
There are many different types of RAID, buty only 2 that I know you can use with IDE. One was explained above. This is RAID 0. You can also use RAID 1 with IDE which is a mirror type raid. In this case you set up 2 drives. One would be an exact copy of the other. You use this if you have a lot of data that you can't lose. Mostly for business. Anyway, both of these options require you to have 2 of the exactly same model drive

Yeah srry i forgot to mention that, it could be important

[Skywalker[TSG]]

There are Raid 5 cards for IDE , I know that promise makes them
atleast here in europe.

You should be able to use the controller for all kind of IDE devices
you _DO_ not have to use them in RAID.Atleast not on the controllers i've seen.

[noisedude]

i run a small recording studio and need my drives on seperate channels for speed and stability, so i buy boards with onboard RAID adaptors and use them simple for extra IDE channels. i don't set up an array cos i back up regularly (mirroring) and if one drive fails you lose the lot (striping) but as a way off adding hard drives its very cost-effective.