RAID array: types and creation process. Windows Server. Setting up software RAID Software raid 0 windows 10

Hello friends! If you look at the comments of readers on our website in the section about repairing hard drives, you will be surprised how many people were not prepared before their accumulation of information was in order and all the important files: project and, plans, diplomas, chairs, roses, above the kind of people who work for many months after sleep, simply disappeared into nowhere. It is important to tell a professional repairman, not just a simple repairman. Tom, eIf you value this special tribute, then be sure to read today’s article. We will show you how to createRAID-1 array with two HDDsin new Windows 10Fall Creators Update. It’s even easier to earn money, even thanks to technology« disk mirroring» integrated into the operating system.

This article is revised as follows: tim scho "Mirror"» We will create it directly for the system drive (C:) and directly in working Windows 10!

On the cob of statistics I’ll tell you, What is a RAID array or “Mirrored Disks”, which is a parallel recording of data on two hard drives. If one breaks HDD all information remains intact and confidential on another hard drive. The axis and the whole secret!To better understand the information, let’s look at everything on a specific practical application, so you will understand everything much more clearly, even if I tell you the theory right away.

Creating a RAID array or mirroring disks in the new Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Let's take the primary computer in the organization where I work.

Right-click on the Start menu and select "Keruvannya with disks."

In this window you can mark two hard drives connected to your PC.

The first disk (Disk 0) has two partitions: (C:) and (D:). On disk (C:) Windows 10 installed. There are important work folders on the OS desktop. If folders disappear for some reason, the work of the entire organization slows down for several days and I am still afraid of revealing all the remains. on disk(D:) There is no serious information, just movies and photographs. So I’m creating a mirror for one system partition(C:).

The other hard drive (Disk 1) is absolutely clean and there are no partitions, the entire area is unpartitioned. Same on the new and removable disk mirror (C:). All information recorded on the system disk will also be duplicated on the mirror disk.

It is important that the HDD you want to mirror is one without partitions and no smaller in size than the output disk on which the operating system is installed. In our case, the two hard disks are completely different.

Right-click on the disk (C:) and select “Add mirror...”

Windows 10 prompts you to select the disk that we want to use in the Mirror space. Visible with the left mouse button, blank Disk 1 is embossed« Add a mirror to that».

Come out ahead of time Because the disks will be converted into dynamic ones and if several operating systems are installed on your PC, then after conversion you will be able to install only the current operating system. Let me explain.

nalashtovuvati RAID-1 array or “Mirrored Disks” is better only in the case where you have one operating system installed on your computer, which requires one storage device. If you have an OS installed on your PC, for example, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, then you can mirror disks in the same Windows that is installed. Tobto, you installedWindows 8.1, then Windows 10, in which case we can install RAID-1 array in Windows 10 and after that, only Windows 10 will be installed on your computer. RAID-1 array in Windows 8.1, then Windows will not be installed on the PC. This problem is connected with the peculiarity of the work of dynamic disks, about which it would be bad to write an article, but I wouldn’t get around to it.

There is only one OS installed on my computer. I stamp “So.”

The process of disk resynchronization begins when the mirror is closed. In simple words, Windows 10 creates an exact copy of the drive (C:) on another hard drive (Disk 1).You can create a section from an undivided space and use it without any problems.

The process of resynchronization of terminations and the OS is ready for work.

This article provides an overview of the possibilities for organizing RAID arrays using Windows Server methods and reports on the pitfalls that may arise during the creation and operation of such arrays.

Possibilities of software RAID in Windows Server

The advancing massifs are being supported:

  • striped volume (RAID0)
  • mirror volume (RAID1)
  • RAID5 volume
  • craves that (spanned volume, one logical volume is located more on one physical disk)

dynamic disks

RAID arrays can only be created on dynamic disks - there is a special layout of physical disks (understandable only in Windows), due to the current features:

  • The primary (basic) disk can be turned into a dynamic disk only as a whole.
  • It is possible to convert the dynamic disk back to the basic one, or simply delete all volumes from the dynamic disk.
  • A dynamic disk is one large NTFS partition, which, along with other clever service information, can accommodate a large number of volumes (both simple and RAID), and the ability to resize simple volumes using standard methods Windows. However, to what extent the data is distributed optimally and fragmentedly is unknown to me.
  • My disk cloning, updating, and resizing programs do not support dynamic disks.
  • Dynamic disks that contain RAID volumes can be transferred to another computer running Windows Server, so as to contain the necessary information for the correct formation of the array.

It is impossible to create volumes with different RAID levels

On one group of physical disks you can create RAID volumes of only one type (level). For example, we have 3 physical disks, and we created RAID5 on them without taking up all the space. It is not possible to create volumes of other RAID levels (RAID0 and RAID1), but only RAID5 and simple volumes.

One-hour synchronization of volumes

If a number of RAID volumes are created on one group of disks, then whenever there is a failure after the computer is damaged, the stinks begin to appear immediately. Celestial, legends EPIC FAIL! A simple situation: there are two physical disks, two RAID1 volumes are created on them, one for the operating system, the other for data.

This scheme works miraculously until the first failure (the simplest types are a redundant connection or a blue screen). And it’s a shame to come here. The operating system becomes infected and at the same time begins to simultaneously synchronize the two RAID1 volumes. Thus, physical disks generate competing commands for intensive subsequent operations in three different physical areas. As a result, the disk mechanics wear out wildly, and the cache is ruined.

From the side, this “visibility” looks like a real problem: the disk subsystem’s operating speed drops by 20 times, the OS itself starts to change, or after synchronization of one of the volumes is completed (for example, 15, since the value is small, g by 50), or hvilin after 20 and it will be marna to The end of synchronization of one of the volumes.

I respect the above-described behavior as an unacceptable architectural design on the part of Microsoft and am happy that this problem has not been solved until the advent of software RAID in Windows 2000 Server.

If you are in the situation described, then you can’t worry about maintaining the OS and wearing out the disks.

  1. Connect one of the physical disks.
  2. You will be attracted to the OS with normal speed.
  3. You break the mirror by turning RAID1 volumes into simple ones.
  4. Connect another drive back.
  5. You create only one mirror for the volume you need.

RAID5

I will describe a scenario in which you will not be able to restore degraded RAID5 arrays to a healthy state, for which all minds are given.

  1. Є RAID5 array of six disks (Disk1-Disk6).
  2. Among them is one zipped disk1 (for example, a couple of megabytes cannot be read from a terabyte system), but the operating system does not yet know and does not mean any zipping.
  3. For some reason or another, the reference disk2 was turned off.
  4. According to the RAID5 logic, when there is one disk, the efficiency of the array is saved, such an array is designated as degraded, the performance of its work drops sharply, synchronization with a new reference disk is required.
  5. The right disk2 is connected to the place. The system of yoga knows how it is done. To synchronize the array, this zipped disk must be removed from the RAID5 array and marked as empty.
  6. Everything is ready to synchronize the array. We run array repair (repair) on empty disk2.
  7. RAPTOM synchronization encounters read errors on the faulty disk Disk1 and stalls.
  8. The surface of the massifs becomes degraded. Disk1 is used to store errors (errors), disk2 is set to be online, and does not store new correct data due to interrupted synchronization.
  9. We hope that a completely new reference Disk7 will be connected to the update. The updated array is launched on the new one.
  10. As a result, the good disk2 is replaced with another good disk7, and the synchronization is interrupted again, having detected a breakdown on the faulty disk Disk1.
  11. And so on through the cycle.

There is nothing to be done except by copying the data that is still being read and rebuilding the entire array.

Abi will not allow himself to recognize the defeats, I am trying to make the next speech:

  • Synchronize the array with skipping read permissions on the disk Disk1 (even more than a megabyte or a whole terabyte). But Microsoft does not provide such flexibility.
  • Sector-by-sector rewrite of the entire backup of Disk1 to another healthy disk using an additional cloning program. However, the programs available to me with dynamic disks did not work.

Example of competent implementation of software RAID

As a result of the overhaul, the hardware and software implementation of the RAID controller, known as Intel Matrix Storage, has been removed, and has recently been renamed Intel Rapid Storage (operating on RAID versions of chipsets, such as ICH9R, ICH10R). Hardware-software RAID from Intel will provide many advantages over the “grown-up” RAID controllers:

  • Possibility of hot-swappable discs
  • the ability to create volumes of different RAID levels on one group of disks
  • consistent synchronization and verification of RAID volumes on disk groups

The main disadvantage of replacing hardware RAID controllers is the loss of “software”, which results in:

  • the number of caches stored and the ability of an autonomous robot in the event of an accident
  • completely dependent on the operating system and drivers
  • Contained operations on the disk subsystem consume the main processor and memory
  • Daily support for the most expensive RAID levels, such as RAID6

Korisni poslannya

  • What are dynamic disks - Windows IT Pro [read old article]
  • The whole truth about dynamic disks - Hacker [read carefully, the “whole” truth is mixed with nonsense]

Setting up a software RAID array in the Windows environment is much simpler than under Linux systems, and it has its own peculiarities. The most inconclusive and widespread knowledge in this area leads to confusion, and among the middle of administrators there are myths and legends about the “sweetness” and “glitchiness” of this mechanism in Windows. In this regard, we will try to fill this clearing.
Before we continue, let us again recall the basic principle of hardware arrays: one array element - one physical disk. The basis of software arrays is the logical disk. Insignificant price difference is a guarantee of success; something that can be condensed into a hardware array can be disastrous for a software array, especially when it comes to removing one of the elements of the array.

To create software RAID in the Windows core, we need to understand the concept of a dynamic disk, since software arrays can only be created on them. The reputation of dynamic disks is ambiguous; many administrators swear by them like hell. And of course, having memorized a few simple rules of work with dynamic disks, the table becomes as simple as the basic ones.

The main rule: installing either a backup of Windows with a dynamic volume is possible only in the event that this disk is recreated with a system or backup of the volume. If you have a few sample OSes, then after turning the disk into a dynamic one, you can download only the copy that is on the backup partition.

Based on this rule, it becomes obvious that for backup and system volumes it is possible to create only a mirrored array (RAID1), but the creation of other types of arrays is impossible, since they may interfere with the installation of the system behind the creation of the partition.

Why is it obvious? Unrespectful of all exchanges, varto. The main drawback of hardware arrays is the connection to a specific controller model. If your motherboard or controller burned out, you will need exactly the same one (or a motherboard with a similar controller), otherwise you can say goodbye to the data. For software RAID, install machines with Windows Server installed.

In practice, work with software arrays and dynamic disks is carried out through equipment Saving - Disk Management V server manager. To rearrange disks dynamically, click on one of them with the right mouse button and select Convert to dynamic disk, In the window, you can select to reorganize under the number of disks.

Remember that this operation is non-negotiable and pay special attention to the system partition, you will no longer be able to re-partition the valuable disk (more precisely, after which it will no longer be necessary), the only thing you can do is expand go to the shell of the undivided space.

Once you have created the array, right-click on the required volume and select the appropriate option; for system and backup volumes, there will be only one option - mirror, then you will be prompted to select a disk to accommodate the mirror cal to that. Upon completion of the creation of the massif, resynchronization will immediately begin.

By connecting additional disks, you have a wider range of possibilities, you can either combine several disks into a single volume or create RAID 0, 1 or 5.

With the help of nothing folding, it’s important to protect the boundaries of the building for anyone at any time. However, do not rush into the operation of new installations; there are no serious problems, since it is customary to distribute the system and data across different disks, ensuring that copies of daily disks are not exceeded by the costs. For example, for our test server we created a mirror for the system disk and RAID5 for data.

Moreover, all this satisfaction can be realized on a basic budget motherboard, ensuring that the productivity of the software array does not differ in any way from cheap hardware, this technology looks even more attractive. We will talk about methods for ensuring visibility and operations with virtual disks in our upcoming article.

Good afternoon. Today I got my hands on two brand new hard drives, thinking for a long time about what I could do with them to help all my readers. Having thought about it, I still believe that I can hardly write anything better about RAID 1, created by the operating system itself. So, what is RAID 1?

RAID 1 is a system of two disk drives, the information on which is duplicated on both disks. Then you have two disks, which are duplicate copies of each other. Why bother? First of all, for the sake of safety, save information. Since the likelihood of getting both disks out of order is very low, if one disk gets out of order, you will always lose a copy of all the information on the other. On a RAID 1 array, you can save any information as on the original hard drive, which allows you not to worry about an important project that you have been working on for a long time.

Today we’ll look at how to create a RAID array using Windows itself when two empty disks are removed (I must reiterate that this instruction works on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1). If you want to create a RAID array from the disk of an already stored disk, then you need to talk about this topic.

I, please, instructions for your information:

1) To begin with, install hard drives into the system unit and start the computer.

2) Open “Control Panel → System and Security → Administration → Computer Management → Dashboard → Disk Management.” The first time the utility is turned on, it will notify you about the installation of new disk devices and will prompt you to select a layout for them. If you have a 2.2TB disk, choose GPT for more, or MBR for less.

3) At the bottom of the window, find one of our new hard drives and click on the new one with the right key. Select “Create a mirror volume”:

4) The master of the created image is revealed. Pressed away.

5) On this page you will need to add a disc that will duplicate the previous disc. Then select the disk on the left side and press the “Add” button:



Pressed away.

6) Select the letter that will represent the new volume. I selected M (English: Mirror). We press further.

7) Set the file system, cluster size and volume name. I also recommend checking the box next to “Swedish format”, and don’t forget to do everything at once. I’ll say it again.

8) Let’s check what we got, since everything is correctly stamped “Ready”.

I welcome all, dear readers of the blog site. I think a lot of you have heard about this concept on the Internet - “RAID array”. What does this mean and why might you need a cross-sectional koristuvachev, the axis is about today. The most important component in a PC goes to the processor.

In order to compensate for the “innate” abundance there, they didn’t get up to the point (I’m talking about servers and high-performance PCs) they came up with a so-called RAID disk array - a “link” from a number of new hard drives, so qiyu in parallel. This solution allows you to significantly increase the speed of purchasing and reliability.

First of all, RAID arrays allow you to provide high capacity for hard drives (HDD) of your computer by combining several hard drives into one logical element. Obviously, to implement this technology you need at least two hard drives. In addition, RAID is not easy, and all the information that previously had to be copied on the backup drives (external hard drives) can now be deleted, since the risk of repeated losses is minimal and almost zero. don't forget about it a little lower.

RAID works something like this: theft of a set of inexpensive disks. The name came from those days, when large-capacity hard drives were very expensive and it was cheaper to take one hard disk array from disks with a smaller volume. The essence has not changed since then, in general, like the name, only now you can create from several HDDs a great monster, or create it in such a way that one disk will duplicate another. And you can also consume offending functions, thereby eliminating the advantages of one and the other.

All these massifs are identified by their own numbers, which is what everyone has heard about them - raid 0, 1 ... 10, or massifs of different regions.

Types of RAID

Shvidkisny Raid 0

Raid 0 has nothing resembling reliability, and it only promotes volatility. You need at least 2 hard drives and in this case the data will be “split” and written to the same disk at the same time. Then you will have access to all of these disks, and theoretically this means that you will get 2 times the read/write speed.

Ale, let's realize that one of these disks is broken - in which case the loss of ALL your data is inevitable. Otherwise, it seems that you will still have to regularly make backups so that you can later update the information. Here you can choose from 2 to 4 disks.

Raid 1 or “mirror”

Here the reliability does not decrease. You take away the disk space and productivity of just one hard drive, then you get double reliability. One disk breaks - the information is saved on another.

The array of RAID 1 does not add up to flexibility, however - here you have only half of the total space of disks, which, by the way, in raid 1 can be 2, 4, etc., then - a couple of units. The main “trick” of the raid of the first level is reliability.

raid 10

It will bring together everything in the best way possible. I'm talking about the results - this is how it works on four HDDs. Also, information is written in parallel on two disks, and the data is duplicated on two other disks.

As a result, the speed of access increases by 2 times, and the volume of only two of four disks in the array. If two disks break, you won’t be able to waste the data.

raid 5

This type of array is very similar to RAID 1 in its own right, only now it requires at least 3 disks, one of which will save the information necessary for the update. For example, if there are 6 HDDs in such an array, then only 5 of them will be used for recording information.

Through those that data are written immediately on a number of Winchesters, the readability is high, which is ideal for saving a large amount of data there. Ale, without an expensive raid controller, speed will not be very high. God forbid one of the disks breaks - updating the information will take a good hour.

raid 6

This array can survive the failure of just two hard drives. This means that to create such an array you will need at least a few disks, although the write speed will be lower than that of RAID 5.

Believe me, without a productive raid controller, such an array (6) is unlikely to succeed. If you have only 4 hard drives, it’s better to choose RAID 1.

How to create and configure a RAID array

RAID controller

A raid array can be created by connecting multiple HDDs to the motherboard of a computer that supports this technology. This means that such a motherboard has an integration controller, which is usually included. Alternatively, the controller can be external, which is connected via a PCI or PCI-E connector. The skin controller, as a rule, has its own software for configuration.

The raid can be organized both on the hardware level and on the software level, the remaining option is the greatest expansion of home PCs. Controllers don’t like the motherboard because of their filthy reliability. In addition, once the motherboard is damaged, updating the data will be even more problematic. On a software level, the role of a controller plays, in which case you can easily transfer your raid array to another PC.

hardware

How to create a RAID array? Why do you need:

  1. Discover here with raid support (in the case of hardware RAID);
  2. Buy at least two new hard drives. In short, so that the smells are identical not only in terms of characteristics, but also in the same brewer and model, and are connected to the motherboard. pay for one additional help.
  3. Transfer all data from your HDD to other media, otherwise the raid will be reduced during the process.
  4. Next, you need to enable RAID support in the BIOS to make it work with your computer - I can’t tell you, because everyone has the same bios. This parameter is called something like this: “SATA Configuration or Configure SATA as RAID”.
  5. Then restart your PC and a table with more fine-grained settings will appear in the raid. You may have to press the key combination “ctrl + i” during the “POST” procedure so that this table appears. For those who have an external controller, you will press “F2” for all the requirements. The table itself is stamped “Create Massive” and selects the required array level.

After creating a raid array in the BIOS, you need to go to “disk management” in OS -10 and format the NOT allocated area - this is our array.

software

To create software RAID, you won’t have to enable or disable anything in the BIOS. You, in fact, do not need support for the raid with a motherboard. As has already been stated above, the technology is implemented using the central processor of the PC and the capabilities of Windows itself. Yes, you don’t need to install any third-party software. True, in this way you can create any RAID of the first type, like a “mirror”.

Press the right button on “my computer” - item “manage” - “disk management”. Then click on one of the hard destinations for the raid (disk1 or disk2) and select “Create mirror volume”. At the next window, select a disk that will be a mirror of another hard drive, then enter a letter and format the pouch partition.

In this utility, mirrored volumes are highlighted with one color (black) and designated with one letter. In this case, files are copied to two volumes, once to one volume, and the same file is copied to another volume. It is noteworthy that in the “My Computer” window our array will be displayed as one section, another section as if it were a place, so as not to “disturb” your eyes, even if there are the same duplicate files there.

If any Winchester goes out of order, the message “There is no arrogance” will appear, and in the other section everything will be lost intact.

I assume

RAID 5 is required for an enclosed number of units, if more than 4 disks are collected in a large array. For most players, raid 1 is the shortest option. For example, if there are disks with a capacity of 3 terabytes, in RAID 1 in this type there are 6 terabytes of storage. RAID 5 in this form gives more space, however, the speed of access is greatly reduced. RAID 6 will still give you the same 6 terabytes, but even less speedy access, and you will also benefit from an expensive controller.

Add more RAID disks and you will see how everything changes. For example, all disks have the same capacity (3 terabytes). In RAID 1, only 12 terabytes of space will be available for recording, half of which will be closed! RAID 5 in this application will give 21 terabytes of disk space + it will be possible to retrieve data from any one damaged hard drive. RAID 6 provides 18 terabytes and data can be transferred from any two disks.

By the way, RAID is not a cheap thing, but especially I would like to have a first-tier RAID with 3-terabyte disks in my system. There are even more sophisticated methods, such as RAID 6 0, or “raid from raid arrays”, but there is a sense with a large number of HDDs, at least 8, 16 or 30 - wait, this will go far beyond the scope of the basic “out-of-the-box” search i I'm complaining about drinking the stupidest thing in the servers.

Something like this, remove the comments, add the site to bookmarks (for easy reference), there will be more zucchini and cinnamon, and lots of fun on the blog’s pages!

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