RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, and is a technology which can provide increased reliability, performance, and/or redundancy by utilizing multiple hard drives simultaneously. RAID can be implemented in a computer via either a hardware or software controller.

learn more… | top users | synonyms

20
votes
12answers
3k views

What are my options for a multi-Terabyte home NAS? [closed]

I've got alot of DVDs and have been slowly ripping, encoding, and tagging them and I've nearly filled my WD MyBook 1TB. I'm estimating that I've got about 1.5 or 2Tb to go to complete my current ...
11
votes
5answers
2k views

Is TRIM supported on RAID 0 configurations for SSD drives in Windows 7?

I know this question has probably been asked at some point in the past, but I am trying to figure out if Windows 7 supports passing TRIM commands through RAID controllers yet. I am trying to decide ...
17
votes
5answers
40k views

Which software raid modes does each version of Windows 7 support?

Being familiar with the software raid modes and dynamic disks from the server versions, I was wondering if there is a document or even just common crowd knowledge that indicated what software raid ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views

One large or two smaller SSDs?

I'm looking at getting a Crucial M225 SSD. Now the question that's on my mind, is is it worth RAIDing these things? In fact are there any RAID downsides particular to SSDs that you don't see with ...
5
votes
3answers
5k views

Start a ZFS RAIDZ zpool with two discs then add a third?

Let's say I have two 2TB HDDs and I want to start my first ZFS zpool. Is it possible to create a RAIDZ with just those two discs, giving me 2TB of usable storage (if I understand it right) and then ...
2
votes
3answers
886 views

RAID5 / RAIDZ - is it possible to enlarge without losing data?

If I have a RAID5 with 4x1TB drives, and then in, say, a year I decide to upgrade to 4x2TB, can I swap out one drive at a time, then let the parity rebuild, even if it's mixed-size drives? Obviously ...
4
votes
2answers
142 views

RAIDing flash drives

The other day I had what I thought was a great idea - I could buy up a bunch of cheap USB 2.0 drives and fill up the spaces in my 7-port USB hub for a super-fast RAID device! But in the light of day ...
3
votes
6answers
3k views

Can someone explain RAID-0 in plain English?

I've heard about and read about RAID throughout the years and understand it theoretically as a way to help e.g. server PCs reduce the chance of data loss, but now I am buying a new PC which I want to ...
7
votes
10answers
7k views

Use RAID for desktop computer?

I'm building a new computer over the summer. I'm fairly competent in computer hardware, and am thus building the computer from scratch. I have everything planned out, but I was wondering if I should ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views

Windows 8 Killed my SSDs

I have a computer running 2 256GB Crucial M4's (CT256M4SSD2) in a RAID 0 (striped) array on an ASUS P9X79 Pro using Intel's (built-in) RAID system. I recently installed Windows 8 Pro as UEFI on this ...
3
votes
2answers
672 views

Raid 0 - what happens with the data when hdds plugged into another motherboard

I am buying a new motherboard Asus M4A785TD-V EVO to replace the Asus A8N32 which has recently went dead. The original motherboard has a NVIDIA NVRaid controller which I was using to strip (raid-0) ...
5
votes
1answer
370 views

RAID for home use

Read so far most of RAID-related posts on this site, but still several points remain shaded so far. First, my mode of working: I am writing music / doing graphical works, so the RAID is kinda ...
11
votes
11answers
54k views

What's the difference between RAID 1 software mirroring and Fake RAID?

I've just ordered two new hard drives for my main desktop and a copy of Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. I'd like to do a clean install of Windows 7 onto the new drives (leaving my old Windows XP ...
10
votes
4answers
955 views

Is it worth buying SSDs for a RAID?

Im seeing people using SSDs for RAID-0 and getting excellent improvements in read/write rates. But now there is a good opportunity to acquire another SSD Force Corsair F60 identical to mine. I'm ...
3
votes
2answers
813 views

Why are hardware RAID solutions relatively expensive?

I was looking more recently into building a RAID-10 array for good drive performance and parity, and I started looking into hardware RAID cards. I was thinking I'd be paying under $100 for one, but it ...
7
votes
2answers
876 views

Is the speed difference I get from putting my SSD in RAID mode negligible?

I've got two 80GB Gen2 Intel SSDs, currently in RAID 0. I'm about to reformat for an unrelated reason, and I'm wondering if maybe I should just leave them as independent drives. The primary reason ...
4
votes
4answers
11k views

Looking for open-source NAS software

I've got an AMD 64-bit Phenom x3 chip and will be dedicating my computer to all-NAS functions. Mobo has 6 SATA connectors & 2GB. Can you recommend NAS software that can handle staggered spin-up; ...
14
votes
9answers
15k views

RAID 0 performance gains?

I'm building a new computer over the summer. I'm fairly competent in computer hardware, and am thus building the computer from scratch. I have everything planned out, but I was wondering about RAID. ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views

To RAID or not to RAID: SSDs and virtualization

I am approaching that time where my main PC has slowed enough due to Windows rot that I should probably reinstall. Instead of spending a week arm-wrestling, reinstalling and configuring only to find ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views

Does fake RAID offer any advantage over software RAID?

Does a fake RAID controller do any useful work or is it just like a place where to store the parameters? I know that Linux offers much more flexibility than my poor on-board controller, but this is ...
2
votes
1answer
164 views

help! striped raid causing bsod!

This links to my previous question. I've been running my machine (mobo is XFX 790i Ultra Sli) off a raid 0 for a couple of years now with two Samsung f1 1tb drives with no problems. I've also been ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views

Is it possible to put different sized hard drives in a NAS?

Today there are many NAS devices like this on the market. I guess this depends on the model, but I would like to know if they usually tend to allow you to connect hard drives of different sizes (for ...
18
votes
8answers
44k views

How to get an inactive RAID device working again?

After booting, my RAID1 device (/dev/md_d0 *) sometimes goes in some funny state and I cannot mount it. * Originally I created /dev/md0 but it has somehow changed itself into /dev/md_d0. # mount ...
13
votes
7answers
6k views

Onboard RAID vs Software RAID

My motherboard, an Asus M4a79t Deluxe, advertises RAID 0/1/5 capabilities. My limited understanding is that onboard RAID is better than software RAID. Is this necessarily true? Is an onboard RAID ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views

Will mirroring with an SSD improve read performance?

If you use Windows 7 to mirror a volume across an SSD drive and a mechanical hard drive, will the read performance be similar to a single SSD drive? I.e. is Windows smart enough to read from them ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views

Practical RAID Performance?

I've always thought the following to be a general rule of thumb for RAID: RAID 0: Best performance for READ and WRITE from stripping, greatest risk RAID 1: Redundant, decent for READ (I believe it ...
5
votes
1answer
12k views

Add Intel RAID Drivers to existing Windows 7 install BEFORE enabling RAID in BIOS?

I'm trying to: Take a system image of my current WIndows 7 x64 setup, which is using IDE-mode storage Enable RAID in the BIOS Install two new drives and set up a RAID mirror Restore my system image ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views

Any difference between Hardware RAID and Software RAID?

I'm building a new server (Small Business Server 2008), but I can't get the built-in RAID controller (AMD SB700) to work and have basically given up on it ever working with Server 2008. Fine. But my ...
12
votes
7answers
9k views

Simple mdadm RAID 1 not activating spare

I had created two 2TB HDD partitions (/dev/sdb1 and /dev/sdc1) in a RAID 1 array called /dev/md0 using mdadm on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin. The command sudo mdadm --detail /dev/md0 used to ...
7
votes
12answers
2k views

Is RAID 0 as risky as people say it is?

I'm just about to set up my hard drives with RAID 0. Is it really as risky as people say it is?
5
votes
2answers
2k views

Solid State Drive Occasionally Freezes For A Minute While OS Is “Beach Balling”

Almost a month ago I bought Intel 330 128GB solid state drive, migrated my data with Intel branded limited-feature Acronis from old HDD to new SSD, optimized with Intel Toolbox and started using it. ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views

Hybrid SSD/HDD RAID

I just read about Hybrid RAID arrays consisted of SSDs and common HDDs which are supported by Adaptec's RAID controllers. Is such RAID configuration real advantage? Isn't write performance downgraded ...
5
votes
2answers
857 views

My Computer hangs for a few minutes just after startup, and then is fine

So I just built myself a reasonably beefy computer, and I installed Windows 7 on it. However, I start the machine up each morning and within a few minutes, the computer will semi hang. That is the ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views

Intel Rapid Storage / Smart Response SSD caching issue

Background Recently built my own PC. It works! Almost. It's been a while since getting into the guts of these things, so I'm familiar but may be missing something simple. FYI, I don't care about ...
4
votes
1answer
10k views

How can I add a RAID 1 array in Ubuntu 10.04?

I have an existing Ubuntu 10.04 desktop system setup and running on a hard drive (drive A). I'd like to add two more hard drives (drives B and C, same size) to the system and mount them as a RAID 1 ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views

New motherboard or new PC to gain access to RAID drives

I have a PC that refuses to boot. I have 4 disk drives on a RAID array (RAID 0, or possibly 1), that is provided by my motherboard. I have 1 primary HD, and an extra 4 for the RAID. I want to recover ...
4
votes
4answers
940 views

Adding RAID to my computer

I am concerned about data security on my computer. I am worried about a hard drive failure causing me to lose valuable information (a thesis for example), to combat this, i would like to implement a ...
2
votes
4answers
3k views

RAID 0 with multiple HDDs versus a single SSD

Me and a buddy were debating about this earlier, and neither of us are really pros in the field. I figured someone on here might know. The debate was about weather it would be smarter (in terms of ...
2
votes
1answer
406 views

Disk Read Error whenever i install XP pro

I have a computer which has a raid 0 with 2 hard drives When i installed Vista on the computer it worked fine, saw the raid setup and allowed me to install quickly But like most people i hated vista ...
0
votes
4answers
478 views

Can XP load pre-installation drivers from anywhere other than a floppy?

I'm planning to install XP Pro on a new machine with a motherboard that supports RAID. The partition XP will run from will be on RAID 1. To set this up you normally enter a floppy disk with the ...
11
votes
10answers
5k views

Looking for an actual experience of RAID 5 2 drive failure? [closed]

I'm wondering if anyone has any personal experience of RAID 5 2 drive failure with large drives? As I understand it, the theory is that with large 1-2TB drives, if one drive fails in the raid set, it ...
6
votes
3answers
8k views

Creating a RAID1 partition with mdadm on Ubuntu

I'm trying to set up a RAID1 partition on my Ubuntu 9.10 workstation. On this dual-boot system, Ubuntu is running from a separate drive (/dev/sdc - an SSD that is quite small, which is why I need ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views

Windows 7 not booting after failed SRT (SSD caching) install

This is a fairly new computer, only about a month old. i7 2700k, z68 motherboard, with a 1.5tb WD black HD, and a 128gb crucial M4 ssd. I followed the instructions for setting up ssd caching, the ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views

How to safely remove eSATA drive when it's not in the Safely Remove Hardware dialog

I have Windows 7 32bit which was installed when the SATA devices on my PC (DVD & HDDs) were set as AHCI in the BIOS. Today I added two extra disks that are to be set up as RAID 1 so I went into ...
4
votes
2answers
773 views

Is RAID 1 on a home PC useful? [closed]

Is RAID 1 on a home PC useful?
4
votes
3answers
953 views

Recommendations for hard drive performance boost

I'm going to be building a new system soon and I'm willing to spend a few more dollars to improve my hard drive performance. This will be a general use system so I just want to see HD intensive tasks ...
3
votes
0answers
2k views

Is it possible to create a software RAID 1 with different sector sizes?

For some reason I decided to spontaneously buy a new hard drive that is not of the same model of the main drive and so I mirrored it. Unfortunately the following error message came up in the Windows 7 ...
2
votes
3answers
413 views

Ideal location for pagefile for workstation?

I have a workstation with 16GB of RAM, an 80GB boot SSD, and a software 4x 80GB array for scratch, running Windows 7 64-bit professional. The SSD is slower in sustained throughput than the array ...
2
votes
1answer
319 views

Software RAID and backup altogether

In this thread I've got most valuable tips regarding the home RAID solution options as well as their pros and cons: RAID for home use I've figured out for myself a few important points (the ...
2
votes
1answer
492 views

Software RAID 5 with Multiple Partitions (one encrypted partition)

Can I have multiple partitions using Software RAID 5 on an Ubuntu Server? For example, say using a 4 drive RAID 5 setup, I want one massive partition for storage and a second smaller but encrypted ...

1 2