How to move data from one raid to another?

[jdraughn]

Im going to be in a pickle. I currently have two 320GB drives in raid zero, and the drive is pretty much full, nearly 600GB of data. I ordered 3 500GB drives that will be here soon, which I want to place in raid 5, so I will be left with a little under 1TB of space.

The problem is the motherboard only has 4 sata ports that are raidable, so I can't setup both raids at the same time. Apart from buying an raid sata card, which I can't afford now that I bought the hard drives, anyone have any ideas?

[axan]

hook up drives in another comp and transfer data over network? aside from buy a controller to get more sata ports there isn't much you can do

[Rabidfox]

sorry to tell you, dude, but a RAID 5 with 3 x 500 GB disks will net you 1TB of space total. 1 drive is used for parity data.

[puffcap]

It would be a long and painful process but you can also do the following:

1. Copy data from 2x320 RAID to two 500GB drives
2. Break the RAID. Format them as individual drives.
3. Copy data back from two 500s to the two 320s.
4. Unplug one of the 320s, plug in all three 500s.
5. Set up 3x500 RAID.
6. Copy data from 320 to 3x500 array.
7. Plug in the other 320 drive. Repeat step 6.

[jdraughn]

sorry to tell you, dude, but a RAID 5 with 3 x 500 GB disks will net you 1TB of space total. 1 drive is used for parity data.

Did you read my post?

[jdraughn]

You are the man, thats how I will probably do it. Don't know why I didn't think of that.

It would be a long and painful process but you can also do the following:

1. Copy data from 2x320 RAID to two 500GB drives
2. Break the RAID. Format them as individual drives.
3. Copy data back from two 500s to the two 320s.
4. Unplug one of the 320s, plug in all three 500s.
5. Set up 3x500 RAID.
6. Copy data from 320 to 3x500 array.
7. Plug in the other 320 drive. Repeat step 6.

[Ockie]

It would be a long and painful process but you can also do the following:

1. Copy data from 2x320 RAID to two 500GB drives
2. Break the RAID. Format them as individual drives.
3. Copy data back from two 500s to the two 320s.
4. Unplug one of the 320s, plug in all three 500s.
5. Set up 3x500 RAID.
6. Copy data from 320 to 3x500 array.
7. Plug in the other 320 drive. Repeat step 6.

Thats about the only solution that will work.


I would recomend a controller, your onboard is most likley going to make your machine suffer with RAID5.

[jdraughn]

I would recomend a controller, your onboard is most likley going to make your machine suffer with RAID5.

Yep, I eventually want a 8 port hardware raid controller card, but seeing as how they are about 800.00, that ain't going to happen for awhile.

[Ockie]

Yep, I eventually want a 8 port hardware raid controller card, but seeing as how they are about 800.00, that ain't going to happen for awhile.

You must be wanting some incredible controllers! :eek: Heck a areca 24 (TWENTYFOUR) port controller is only $1100.

You can get a good RAID5 8-porter for around 200. $500 if you want some high end.

[jdraughn]

Oh yeah, that was my bad, I was quoting from memory from a few months ago, I guess what i was REALLY looking at wanting to get was a 12 port. I glanced over them again and it looks like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816151016 is the one I would most likely be to get if I had to order right now and had the money.

I love collecting libraries of tv shows and movies, only thing is media center can get pretty slow when the amount of items starts to go through the roof. I have not yet tried vista's media center though, I would think with the way it indexes media it wouldin't be a problem.

You must be wanting some incredible controllers! :eek: Heck a areca 24 (TWENTYFOUR) port controller is only $1100.

You can get a good RAID5 8-porter for around 200. $500 if you want some high end.

[Ockie]

Good choice in the controller... personally I'd spend that little extra for the 24 porter (300 bucks) and then you would double your ports. Who knows, may be the same price in a month or two... they are dropping crazy fast in price.


Well since you are planning on moving raid arrays, you may want to make sure that you can move a 1tb array when you get your new controller, or will you be buying 3 500's at that time and transfer over?

[jdraughn]

Well since you are planning on moving raid arrays, you may want to make sure that you can move a 1tb array when you get your new controller, or will you be buying 3 500's at that time and transfer over?

Right now I am going to go with the built in raid controller on my motherboard for the 3x500GB I have ordered. In the future when I go to order a nice raid card, I would order more 500GB drives, or larger drives if by then it's most cost effective to get 750GB or 1TB drives.

Not sure how I would transfer the data over, I still have alot to learn. Could I go with a minimum of 3 500GB drives on the new controller card, then transfer from the previous 3x500GB drives to the new array, then seperate the old array and add them to the new array one at a time and have it grow the whole thing? Im not sure how that works or if it's possible to add drives to an existing raid 5 array. Wouldn't it have to rebuild the array every time you added a drive?

I would like to make my two current 320GB raided in 0 for my boot drive, but not enough sata ports on my new motherboard!

[Ockie]

Not sure how I would transfer the data over, I still have alot to learn. Could I go with a minimum of 3 500GB drives on the new controller card, then transfer from the previous 3x500GB drives to the new array, then seperate the old array and add them to the new array one at a time and have it grow the whole thing? Im not sure how that works or if it's possible to add drives to an existing raid 5 array. Wouldn't it have to rebuild the array every time you added a drive?


Yes you can with a good controller (add in drives to a live array and expand your array capcacity)


I would like to make my two current 320GB raided in 0 for my boot drive, but not enough sata ports on my new motherboard!


Keep your two 320's raided, add in two 500's, keep them seperate, dump your files on the two 500's. Then use a USB to SATA adapter or a cheap sata controller ($10) and connect your third 500. Then you have all the added space and the R0 array that you want plus you have the bulk storage without the performance loss. When you are ready for your new controller, then dump the data on the new array, and dump the 500's on the new array.

[Rabidfox]

Did you read my post?

'thought you meant you'd have under 1TB left after copying your 600 gigs to a 1.5TB partition, sorry, the math added up when I looked at it and I thought you were confused on RAID 5, just trying to help.

[jdraughn]

'thought you meant you'd have under 1TB left after copying your 600 gigs to a 1.5TB partition, sorry, the math added up when I looked at it and I thought you were confused on RAID 5, just trying to help.

Ahh, no worries. I see alot of people who respond to other posts without really reading it but I totally see how you made that mistake. I should have been more clear in my original post.