Windows Software Raid 0
We have had quite a few discussions about the differences between hardware and software RAID and I am hoping I can get some input on the topic.
For instance let's say I had 10 TB I wanted to mirror as opposed to hardware RAID'd. With a hardware RAID I would have a high end RAID controller with a good chunk cache - let's say 1 gig - and then add a pile of drives - let's assume SATA for this discussion - that would end up being more than 10 TB depending on the type of RAID I wanted.
With a software mirror I could at the low end just have two arrays of 10 TB drives on a single drive chain.
At the high end for mirroring I could have 2 not so top of the line controllers with minimcal cache, let's say - each at half the price of the expensive controller (which is approximately correct for some actual gear I've scoped out) - each controller with its own chain of drives.
In the latter two cases the obvious extra cost is more drives but let's say ease of transportability is determined to be worth it in this case - e.g. ability to move the drives and/or controller to another system if there should be a problem.
I know it's difficult to give hard numbers but approximately what kind of a hit would there be with scenario 1 - RAID - vs scenario 2 - simple software mirror - vs scenario 3 - dual controller mirroring?
Would the size of the drives make a difference e.g. 5 - 4TB drives vs 10 2-TB drives?
How much difference would adding 500 meg of cache to each controller be so that the aggregate is 1 gig just as with the expensive controller?
Does Windows software mirroring allow for 'spare ready-to-go' hot swap as is available in RAID configurations - you setup an extra drive in the RAID unit that lays dormant until such time as a failure of a drive in the RAID and then it gets swapped in automatically.
RAID field experience is what I primarily want - not just technical but general 'sense' of how things would work - but that being said any links I can be directed to for technical comparison of the scenarios I have outlined that would be appreciated as well.
Creating a software RAID array in operating system software is the easiest way to go. Windows 8 comes with everything you need to use software RAID, while the Linux package “ mdadm ” is listed. Jul 12, 2017 Create Your RAID. In Windows they don’t call their RAID options by the traditional 0, 1, 5, 10 etc. Instead they use spanned, striped, and mirrored as the options for creating software RAIDs. Note: RAID-5, although one of the options, isn’t actually available in Windows 7 due to licensing issues. Thanks to the commenters for pointing that out. In the disk manager in 2008, you get RAID 0, 1, and 5. No multi-level arrays, no hot swapping, no hot spares. It is generally fine, however, to use Windows software RAID on simple storage.
Ask any enthusiast with a competent desktop PC tower and they’ll tell you that one of the best advantages of a traditional rig is the easy upgradeability.
Indeed, there truly is no pleasure greater than that which results from popping a spare SATA cable onto a brand-new SSD or hard drive. Unfortunately, the thrill often stops there.
As you begin to install new apps, divvying up folders between multiple drives, seemingly basic tasks become obstructive challenges. Once you run out of storage for your overwhelming archive or Steam games, the question arises: should you move something from your current Steam folder to the Recycle Bin or start a brand-new one on a secondary drive?
For instances like this, there’s a clear-cut solution that we don’t talk about enough in the computing world. Dubbed RAID 0, a name that refers to the redundant array of independent disks (RAID) and the level zero at which it’s performed, this technique is designed to “stripe” data between multiple drives.
In turn, a RAID 0 configuration will produce a single virtual drive listed under the “This PC” section of File Explorer, effectively cutting down on all the clutter. In this tutorial, we’ll explain how to achieve this yourself in , covering everything from the prerequisites to the final, consolidated product.
First steps to RAID 0 in Windows 10
The first step in prepping your PC for some much-needed storage blending is to make sure that each of the drives you plan on unifying are the same make and model, and use the same firmware.
Of course, it’s certainly possible to fuse different drives in a RAID 0 arrangement, but it’s not ideal as the configuration will automatically assume the speed of the lesser drive.
After you’ve checked for brand solidarity, it’s absolutely essential that you relieve the drives completely of any file systems or volumes. That means, yes, you’ll need to backup everything on the drives in question prior to forging a RAID 0 array.
Windows Xp Software Raid 0
Once you’ve backed everything up, head to the search bar at the bottom left-hand side of your screen and key in 'Disk Management'. This will bring up the the option to 'Create and format hard disk partitions'.
Click that before locating the drives you wish to combine in the lower half of the newly opened window. Next you’ll want to clear any evidence to your PC that the drives still exist by right-clicking each volume followed by the 'Delete volume' command.
Pro tip: if you have a recovery volume still lingering on a previous boot drive (where an operating system was once stored), the best way to get rid of this is with outside software like . Without familiarity with the command line interface, removing these without the use of third-party apps can be unnecessarily painful.
Using Storage Spaces
Now that your drives are unallocated and your conscience is clear, it’s time to get to work. Windows 10 doesn’t call RAID 0 by name, but you’ll find the option to create a RAID 0 array under a search term called 'Storage Spaces'. Type that in the Search bar next to the Start button and simply click on the resulting match.
At this point, a new window will open, headlined by the 'Manage Storage Spaces' label. Subsequently, navigate to the Create a new pool and storage space hyperlink and click it.
It is possible that my virus software incorrectly flagged this program but if that is the case and I'd still give a negative review for this product. This feature made me think 'malware' before the excel document it created got flagged as risky. The interface is pretty straight forward and easy to use and understand but you will have to click through a pop-up before and after every use telling you how many uses you have left in your free trial and reminding you to purchase the full version. Submitted on 8/9/2017 Review title of JessePop-Ups & Virus AlertsThe first file I converted from PDF to excel triggered my anti-virus software. So the worst case scenario this is simply malware and doesn't do the one task it is supposed to do. Convert pdf to excel format.
Microsoft will then ask for administrative privileges, which you’ll want to approve in order to carry out the RAID 0 array. On the next screen, verify that the unformatted drives listed are the ones you’re looking to merge and select 'Create pool'.
The next step may take a few minutes, but at the same time you don’t really have to do anything at all. So sit tight and grab a coffee or something as Windows prepares your drives to initiate their impending RAID 0 composition. On the next screen, you’ll be asked to choose a name, “resiliency type” and size for your array.
Resiliency type is just a fancy way of attributing the level that we talked about early on. In the accompanying drop-down menu, you’ll want to opt for 'Simple (no resiliency)', which is Microsoft jargon for RAID 0. The drive letter and name are only important for your own sake, personal identification and so forth. You can assign whatever you want to these sections, but it’s best to keep the file system as NTFS.
Final steps
If it’s still open, you may want to close out of the Disk management window as well as any other application that may be utilizing your drives. If you used MiniTool Partition Wizard or anything else to eradicate the volumes on your solid state or hard drive, close out of them before creating a RAID 0 array. Finally, click Create storage space to commence the procedure.
Windows Server 2016 Software Raid 0
And that’s all there is to it. You’ve now established your first RAID 0 array on a Windows 10 PC. Assuming it consists of two identical drives, you can now store twice the number of files and applications on the “same” device – at least that’s the illusion presented to your computer.
Windows 10 Software Raid 0 Performance
If you backed up both of your drives preceding the operation, now is the time to restore that data back to your freshly conceived storage space.