RAID between IDE and SATA disks

[Richard Spandit]

I've just bought a new computer that has a 160GB SATA HDD. From my old computer, I have a perfectly serviceable 160GB IDE HDD. Is it possible to set these up together in a RAID, or should I just make sure I regularly sync between them?

I'm using SuSE Linux 10, by the way... no dual boot... just pure Linux...mmm... breathe it in

[Saab Dastard]

I don't believe it is possible at a hardware level.

It may be possible at a software (O/S) level to set up a stripe or mirror set.

[Richard Spandit]

Thought I might be clutching at straws - wasn't the reason I bought the new computer though so not a problem

[Mac the Knife]

HOWTO: SUSE 10.0 and Software RAID a.k.a FakeRAID

You can do it at software level and here's how - http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1664

Confession - Haven't done it myself.

At hardware level it MAY be possible, depending on your hardware - I Googled for "raid mixed sata (ide OR PATA)" and found a lot of references.

Go SuSE!

Mac

PS: It looks quite a performance - hope you don't have anything else planned for the weekend!

[Richard Spandit]

Originally Posted by Mac the Knife

It looks quite a performance - hope you don't have anything else planned for the weekend!

Unfortunately, I've got the sim- all this weekend...

[Feline]

What are you trying to achieve?

It really rather depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you are taking on a technical challenge to prove that it can be done - well, good luck -- and read no further.
If on the other hand you simply want to maintain a backup of your C: drive -- then read on!
You need to understand that SATA Raid technology (more precisely, Raid Mirroring) simply provides you with an exact mirrored copy of whatever is on your C: drive. As I understand it, the Raid adapter simply splits whatever is being written to disk into two paths and writes one set to your primary disk, and precisely the same data at the same time to the second disk in the raid set. Thus, if your primary disk physically fails completely (rather unusual these days), you can get yourself back up and running quite quickly.
However: Note Well that everything that is written to your primary disk -- be it a corrupt file, a virus or whatever -- is simultaneously written to the second disk. So the second disk isn't going to save you if you inadvertently overwrite a file, or can't use the system because of a corrupted file. I found this out the hard way - somewhat later than I needed to know!
If you're looking to use your second disk for backup, then I would strongly suggest that you simply configure it as a second disk - and copy all your files across on a regular basis. I use a nifty little (Shareware) programme called FileSync to achieve just this (it lets you copy only files that have been updated since you last wrote it. Get it from www.fileware.com - thirty day free trial period and then you get nagged to register. (Usual disclaimer that I have nothing to do with FileWare!). Or you can use something like Acronis to keep a complete image on your second disk (though not sure whether that works under linux)

FWIW - Works for me!

[AdLib]

C: drive ... what's that?

[Feline]

Not sure whether you're sh1tting me AdLib - but I'll take the bait anyway - your C: drive is your hard disk (old DOS naming convention): the A: and B: drives are traditionally reserved for stiffy disk drives, then C: is your first hard disk, then D: (which may or may not be your CD-ROM drive) --- and so on ...

[Saab Dastard]

Feline,

stiffy disk drives

Technically, I believe that the 5 1/4" diskettes were "floppies" and the 3 1/2" are, indeed, "stiffies".

I honestly can't remember when last I used one (oo-errr, missus, phnurrr!)

But we digress!

SD

[Richard Spandit]

I've just bought a brand new computer and it came with a floppy disk - don't know what's on it as I specifically asked for no floppy drive...

You can hardly get a Word document on a floppy these days...

I remember when it were all fields