Help Creating RAID w/Disk Utility and MP

[Tricone]

I wasn't sure whether to post this to another sub forum, but decided to post in Mac Pro because it has the smartest folks. (How's that for sucking up)?

I take delivery of a Mid-2010 8-Core Mac Pro on Monday. I ordered it bare bones and plan to install two 2TB Seagate Barracuda XTs, so that I could create a RAID 1 Mirror set. This machine will be used as my server at work. I was planning on cloning the 1TB system drive that ships with the MP using CCC, after which I'd install the new 2TB drive along with its twin. I was then planning on using Disk Utility to create the RAID set.

After reading the instructions, it seems that ultimately, Disk Utility will reformat both the drives in the newly created RAID set. Obviously, this would be a problem, as one of the drives is the system drive. I'm, assuming that there is a workaround. I briefly looked into SoftRaid 4.x, but also read some horror stories with its use. My main goal is to end-up with a MP that has 2x2TB drives in a RAID 1 mirror *but also* lose the initial 1 TB HDD that ships with the system.

 

[thankins]

I wasn't sure whether to post this to another sub forum, but decided to post in Mac Pro because it has the smartest folks. (How's that for sucking up)?

I take delivery of a Mid-2010 8-Core Mac Pro on Monday. I ordered it bare bones and plan to install two 2TB Seagate Barracuda XTs, so that I could create a RAID 1 Mirror set. This machine will be used as my server at work. I was planning on cloning the 1TB system drive that ships with the MP using CCC, after which I'd install the new 2TB drive along with its twin. I was then planning on using Disk Utility to create the RAID set.

After reading the instructions, it seems that ultimately, Disk Utility will reformat both the drives in the newly created RAID set. Obviously, this would be a problem, as one of the drives is the system drive. I'm, assuming that there is a workaround. I briefly looked into SoftRaid 4.x, but also read some horror stories with its use. My main goal is to end-up with a MP that has 2x2TB drives in a RAID 1 mirror *but also* lose the initial 1 TB HDD that ships with the system.

If the 1 TB hard drive just has the OS on it and you aren't putting in data on it why not just pop in the two new hard drives. Download the USB Recovery tool for Lion and setup the RAID that way - it will install a fresh install of Lion on the RAID. Then you don't have to mess with CCC or anything.


On a side note - Why not leave the OS on the 1 TB in sled 1 and then put the 2 x 2 TB drive in Sled 2/3. I always like having my OS on one hard drive and the network shares/server data on another in case the OS crashes you don't loose all your data.

 

[Tricone]

If the 1 TB hard drive just has the OS on it and you aren't putting in data on it why not just pop in the two new hard drives. Download the USB Recovery tool for Lion and setup the RAID that way - it will install a fresh install of Lion on the RAID. Then you don't have to mess with CCC or anything.


On a side note - Why not leave the OS on the 1 TB in sled 1 and then put the 2 x 2 TB drive in Sled 2/3. I always like having my OS on one hard drive and the network shares/server data on another in case the OS crashes you don't loose all your data.

Thanks for the advice! Regarding the use of the Lion Recovery Tool, could I immediately remove the 1 TB drive that ships with the MP and install the two 2 TB drives and then not only install the new OS but also create the RAID array at the same time using the Recovery Tool?

Or do I have to first create the RAID set from the 1 TB drive (after installing the two 2 TB drives), then remove the 1 TB drive and proceed with installing the OS using the Lion Recovery Tool.

Regarding your second piece of advice, I was actually thinking of keeping the 1 TB drive internally, but using it for Windows, so that I could refer to my legacy Windows-based program that is being replaced by a Mac program.

 

[nanofrog]

I wasn't sure whether to post this to another sub forum, but decided to post in Mac Pro because it has the smartest folks. (How's that for sucking up)?

I take delivery of a Mid-2010 8-Core Mac Pro on Monday. I ordered it bare bones and plan to install two 2TB Seagate Barracuda XTs, so that I could create a RAID 1 Mirror set. This machine will be used as my server at work. I was planning on cloning the 1TB system drive that ships with the MP using CCC, after which I'd install the new 2TB drive along with its twin. I was then planning on using Disk Utility to create the RAID set.

Put the disks meant for the RAID 1 in the system, then create the RAID 1 volume. Once that's initialized (initialization will wipe any existing data), then clone the OS over to the RAID 1 and set it as the boot volume (don't let the clone utility size the disk based on the 1TB disk).

On your choice of disks, I'd recommend avoiding Seagates, as their failure rates have been over 30% lately OTB (QC went south back in 2008, and has continued to get worse). It gets worse when you consider the rest that fail after being service for awhile, but die before the warranty expires.

 

[thankins]

Thanks for the advice! Regarding the use of the Lion Recovery Tool, could I immediately remove the 1 TB drive that ships with the MP and install the two 2 TB drives and then not only install the new OS but also create the RAID array at the same time using the Recovery Tool?

Or do I have to first create the RAID set from the 1 TB drive (after installing the two 2 TB drives), then remove the 1 TB drive and proceed with installing the OS using the Lion Recovery Tool.

Regarding your second piece of advice, I was actually thinking of keeping the 1 TB drive internally, but using it for Windows, so that I could refer to my legacy Windows-based program that is being replaced by a Mac program.

Here is the workflow

1. Download the Lion Recovery USB image on another mac - or run through the setup process on the new MP and download it.

2. Setup USB Lion Recovery Image on USB

3. Turn off MP and remove the 1 TB drive and insert the 2 x 2 TB drives

4. Insert USB drive and boot off it (hold down option key at startup)

5. It will load the Lion Recovery tool -

6. Go into Disk Image and create your RAID array

7. Install Lion on your RAID


There is no need to clone the 1 TB drive or set the RAID up with it. Complete waste of time

8. Enjoy beer.

 

[Tricone]

Here is the workflow

1. Download the Lion Recovery USB image on another mac - or run through the setup process on the new MP and download it.

2. Setup USB Lion Recovery Image on USB

3. Turn off MP and remove the 1 TB drive and insert the 2 x 2 TB drives

4. Insert USB drive and boot off it (hold down option key at startup)

5. It will load the Lion Recovery tool -

6. Go into Disk Image and create your RAID array

7. Install Lion on your RAID


There is no need to clone the 1 TB drive or set the RAID up with it. Complete waste of time

8. Enjoy beer.

Thanks, thanking! Just created the Lion Recovery Tool on a USB thumb drive. Now it's time to wait until Monday . .

Heck, while I'm at it, any positive comments about SoftRAID 4.x? It seems to be more feature-laden, but installs its own driver. I like added features, but not at the cost of overall system stability.

 

[Tricone]

On a side note - Why not leave the OS on the 1 TB in sled 1 and then put the 2 x 2 TB drive in Sled 2/3. I always like having my OS on one hard drive and the network shares/server data on another in case the OS crashes you don't loose all your data.

According to tech support, the server's 'mission critical software' must be installed on the system drive and reside in the system drive's Applications folder.