I currently have a RAID10 setup that consists of 4 2TB hard drives. I've only used 100GB of the total 3.8TB available and I really don't see the need to use 4 hard drives for this. Is there any way that I can downgrade it into a RAID0 array and reformat the other two?
I could just wipe everything and start over, but I'd prefer to just keep my Windows installation running on a Raid0 and then setting up one of the other drives for backup and the other drive for running OS X and Linux.
Nope.
been in a similar situation.
[QUOTE=Van-man;30071375]Nope.
been in a similar situation.[/QUOTE]
What would happen if I degraded the two hard drives from the array and then reformatted them? I just lost power a little while ago so the mirror for each side was degraded. I can still use my computer, just two hard drives are "dead" in the eyes of the array right now. If I reformat them rather than rebuild will it kill shit?
You can't downgrade unless you are willing to all of your data currently stored on the array
If you've taken two of the drives out of the raid10, you can use them to build a new raid0 and copy the data over, then remove the other two drives from the raid10 and use them to extend the raid0.
It's a bit risky since there's a period in the middle where you have no redundancy, but if you're already degraded, it's not much additional risk.
[QUOTE=Wyzard;30071891]If you've taken two of the drives out of the raid10, you can use them to build a new raid0 and copy the data over, then remove the other two drives from the raid10 and use them to extend the raid0.
It's a bit risky since there's a period in the middle where you have no redundancy, but if you're already degraded, it's not much additional risk.[/QUOTE]
This is what I wanted to know. Thanks much!
BTW, this assumes your RAID implementation supports extending a raid0 with additional drives to increase capacity. You didn't mention which implementation you're using (e.g. Linux MD, Windows dynamic disk, Intel Matrix Storage). I know Linux MD can do it; I don't know about others.
[editline]26th May 2011[/editline]
Since you mentioned running both Windows and Linux, I guess it's not an OS-specific implementation like Linux MD. Motherboard "hardware" RAID presumably (though those are really software RAID implemented in the driver, plus some BIOS support).
In a nutshell:
-Backup contents or RAID
-Take the RAID offline, rearrange the hardware to the new setup you want
-Rebuild the RAID
-Restore files to RAID
I have no idea why the hell you guys are going on about what OS he's using or pull active RAID drives to then backup to them at the loss of contingency. It's only 100 gigs he's using. This isn't rocket science.
"Only 100 gigs" is still a lot if one doesn't have another drive (besides the RAID ones) to copy the data to. I assume adamjon858 doesn't, or he wouldn't have asked this question.
Besides, copying all the data to another drive (which presumably isn't a RAID array) isn't any safer than degrading the array he already has by removing drives from it. Either way you're without redundancy for awhile.
Accidentally wiped the wrong drive, cleared everything. Installed OS X on RAID-0 with 2 drives and then RAID-1+Time machine on the 2nd set.
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