New to Sage & HD-PVR & Building an HTPC

[TorontoSage]

Originally Posted by Peter_h

For my OS 2 x 250 gb in a raid 1 and 1 extra 250gb drive as a hot swap so the system keeps running in case of a drive failure/RMA.

I am going to set up my WHS server in the next couple of weeks. I was wondering do you keep the OS (are you using WHS?) and the SageTV files on the 250gb? I'd like to use the same setup where I can just hot swap if my OS drive dies but am not quite sure what to put where.

Starting from scratch would I just install one drive, put the OS etc on it, then take it out and put in another drive and put the OS on it and keep the first drive aside for hot swapping in case the OS drive fails? Also, as one uses the OS aren't there some things that change with respect to pointers to files, etc, so that if the OS drive fails simply putting in another drive with the OS on it won't quite work from scratch?

[Peter_h]

Originally Posted by TorontoSage

I am going to set up my WHS server in the next couple of weeks. I was wondering do you keep the OS (are you using WHS?) and the SageTV files on the 250gb? I'd like to use the same setup where I can just hot swap if my OS drive dies but am not quite sure what to put where.

Starting from scratch would I just install one drive, put the OS etc on it, then take it out and put in another drive and put the OS on it and keep the first drive aside for hot swapping in case the OS drive fails? Also, as one uses the OS aren't there some things that change with respect to pointers to files, etc, so that if the OS drive fails simply putting in another drive with the OS on it won't quite work from scratch?

Yes, I run WHS.

The reason the drives are 250gb is because I went with Western Digital Enterprise class single platter drives for the OS. The current model only comes in 250gb and 320gb.


I am running a RAID 1 (mirror) of the OS Drive. I have an extra drive that sits there for no reason other than to be popped in if one of the drives fails in the RAID array.

The hot swap is nothing more than a spare drive sitting there ready to be used. That way, I can remove the failed drive and RMA or purchase a new drive without any down time.

What you are describing is a backup or image of the install. Installing the OS twice is actually the least efficient way to do it but that is irrelevant here. While making an image is fine for other OS's, it will not work with WHS.

Please read the Microsoft white papers on the Drive Extender and how it works and you will understand why.

This is why I run a RAID.