[Mr OCD]

Anyone configured RAID on a DELL Poweredge before?

Its my first DELL server ... coming from a HP background I'm struggling to get my head round configuring the DELL as it uses virtual disks with only RAID 0/1 available when building...

What util is used to configure RAID on this machine?

I've created a virtual disk on disks 0 and 1 ... to get started but now wish to use the remaining three disks for RAID 5 tolerance... how do I do this?

Is there a shortcut key I'm missing for RAID on startup?

[madman045]

With our 2900, when it's booting up, there is an option come up with the Perc bios and I think it was control & I (It does state the option) and this is where you configure the arrays

Which raid card does your 2900 have currently?

How many disks do you have in the server?

[Mr OCD]

Originally Posted by madman045

With our 2900, when it's booting up, there is an option come up with the Perc bios and I think it was control & I (It does state the option) and this is where you configure the arrays

Which raid card does your 2900 have currently?

How many disks do you have in the server?

The option defo doesnt come up as thats what I was searching for ...

Off the top of my head (not at work now) its a SAS 5i but I can check on Monday.

It has 5 x 160GB drives...

Using the DELL startup CD I configured two drives for the system as a virtual disk but for some reason the system only sees three of the drives!

Help!

[Mr OCD]

It seems I could be missing a RAID card in my system if I'm right ...

[DYasny]

what is the raid controller that you have there? is it a PERC5 or PERC6, or is it a SAS5 ?

[madman045]

Beginning to sound like a Sas IR card and not a Perc 5/6i

The IR cards afaik can only do a raid 0 or 1

[DYasny]

my point exactly - only the PERCs are real raid controllers. the SAS series is only capable of raid0/1 and are a fakeraid solution, having no cpu, ram or bbu onboard.

[Mr OCD]

Originally Posted by madman045

Beginning to sound like a Sas IR card and not a Perc 5/6i

The IR cards afaik can only do a raid 0 or 1

Give that man a clap... your correct

It has a DELL SAS 6/iR Integrated Controller...

Whoever spec'd this machine with 5 x 160GB drives didnt think about the RAID solution...

Cheers Guys

[Mr OCD]

I'm assuming my other HDD's in this server wont be 'seen' until I install the RAID controller?

Currently the system 'sees' 3 x 160GB HDD... with two of the disks being a virtual disk and the other spare...

Anyone know of a cheaper RAID DELL PERC 6 Controller than will do the job?

£160 + VAT seems pricey too me...

[DYasny]

the SAS6 controller only has 4 SAS channels, so 5 disks will not be seen at all

you need a PERC6i. the price you have, is it from Dell direct, or from a reseller? also, check the specs of the server order, maybe it was erroneously delivered with a SAS card, while a PERC was ordered?