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Can I ghost a RAID array???

I've heard that some ghosting programs have problems ghosting a RAID-0 array. Is there any truth to this?

I'm doing a complete reinstall of XP this weekend. The only configuration difference will be that I'll have XP on a 40GB RAID-0 array and have an 80GB Maxtor as my backup drive. So, once I get the array up and XP installed with Pgms and Drivers, I'd like to Ghost it.

So if anyone can please let me know about this RAID vs. Ghosting problem, is it a myth or will I not be able to do this properly???

BTW I have Norton Ghost_2002. So the real question will be...

Will I have any problems Ghosting a RAID array with Norton 2k2?

BastardAle
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I have had no problems using PowerQuest PartitionMagic or Drive Image on my RAID-0 array. I've done multiple formats, etc. As soon as the BIOS loads it acts like a single drive. I've got the kind where the raid controller is built into the motherboard. I don't know how it works with 3rd party raid controllers.

cscgal
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I have had no problems using PowerQuest PartitionMagic or Drive Image on my RAID-0 array. I've done multiple formats, etc. As soon as the BIOS loads it acts like a single drive. I've got the kind where the raid controller is built into the motherboard. I don't know how it works with 3rd party raid controllers.

...which is what I'll be using. A Highpoint HPT370A controller card, NTFS, and XPpro.

Anyone see a problem with that???

BastardAle
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Yes 2002 + 6.5 and later Ghost should work.

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2000062209523525?Open&src=w&docid=1999010613522725&nsf=ghost.nsf&view=docid&dtype=∏=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl =

"To perform a disk-to-image cloning operation on a dynamic disk, run Ghost with the -IA switch on the Ghost command line, such as

Ghost.exe -ia

Ghost supports creating a disk image of a dynamic disk only when using the -IA switch on the Ghost command line.

Partition-to-Partition
Ghost supports cloning a partition from a dynamic disk to a basic disk for both simple volumes and mirrored volumes. Ghost does not support cloning a partition to a dynamic disk.

After cloning simple volume or mirrored volume to a basic disk, use the Windows 2000/XP Disk Management MMC utility to convert the destination partition to a simple or mirrored volume."

antioed
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Yes 2002 + 6.5 and later Ghost should work. http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2000062209523525?Open&src=w&docid=1999010613522725&nsf=ghost.nsf&view=docid&dtype=∏=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl = "To perform a disk-to-image cloning operation on a dynamic disk, run Ghost with the -IA switch on the Ghost command line, such as Ghost.exe -ia Ghost supports creating a disk image of a dynamic disk only when using the -IA switch on the Ghost command line. Partition-to-Partition Ghost supports cloning a partition from a dynamic disk to a basic disk for both simple volumes and mirrored volumes. Ghost does not support cloning a partition to a dynamic disk. After cloning simple volume or mirrored volume to a basic disk, use the Windows 2000/XP Disk Management MMC utility to convert the destination partition to a simple or mirrored volume."


Nope. Windows 2000 Dynamic disks are a little different.

You can't create a stripe set that's going to be the boot partition because you need to have the OS installed first...and dynamic drives will not work until you're up and running. Now, seperate or hardware arrays, sure. But not boot stuff using Windows built in stuff, that's a big no-no. You can't mirror using XP or 2000 Pro, redundant RAID stuff is only with Server editions.

I know it doesn't really relate, but here's my tour with Dynamic Disks: http://www.genmay.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=200682

Yes, I have battlewounds from that day. :P

feigned
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If your data is important I would strongly recommend moving to a raid 1,10 or 0+1 before the inevitable happens.

Theoretically you can Ghost a striped array BUT if anything goes wrong you could lose the lot.

My IT manager tried to ghost his Raid 10 and got a corruption error midway through,norton ghost had corrupted one of his drives during the image writing.Luckily it was one hard drive on a Raid 10 so it was recovered but if this were to happen on a striped array you could be in big trouble

Teachingmyself
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95 posts since Dec 2006
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This article has been dead for over three months

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