Getting a RAID-0 with SATA and a RAID-1 with IDE / ATA to work again

[gero]

Hi,

I had a ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe mainboard with a Promise RAID controller
onboard for Serial ATA and Ultra or Parallel ATA (IDE). I had two RAID
arrays, one RAID-0 based on two SATA drives, one RAID-1 based on two
IDE harddisks. Unfortunately, my mainboard stopped working and right
now I am trying to figure out how to get my old arrays working with a
new mainboard. Problem is, there are very few socket 478 mainboards
available, so I managed to get an Asus P4V8X-MX P4M800 with a SATA
RAID controller onboard (based on a VIA 8237R PLUS) and a Promise
FastTrak TX2000 controller for my IDE RAID-1.

Now, I encounter two problems:
- The VIA RAID controller does not recognise my SATA array I built
with my old Promise controller
- The Promise FastTrak TX2000 recognises my RAID-1 IDE array, but
only works, if the onboard RAID controller is switched off

My question is, what external Promise controller should I buy to make
both arrays work again? And is it possible two have two Promise
controller in one system and have them both working? I once read, that
an external promise card will not work together with the onboard
promise controller. If that is also true for two promise controller
cards, I don't see how I will get my arrays to work again.

Best regards,

Gero

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi,

I had a ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe mainboard with a Promise RAID controller
onboard for Serial ATA and Ultra or Parallel ATA (IDE). I had two RAID
arrays, one RAID-0 based on two SATA drives, one RAID-1 based on two
IDE harddisks. Unfortunately, my mainboard stopped working and right
now I am trying to figure out how to get my old arrays working with a
new mainboard. Problem is, there are very few socket 478 mainboards
available, so I managed to get an Asus P4V8X-MX P4M800 with a SATA
RAID controller onboard (based on a VIA 8237R PLUS) and a Promise
FastTrak TX2000 controller for my IDE RAID-1.

Now, I encounter two problems:
- The VIA RAID controller does not recognise my SATA array I built
with my old Promise controller

That is standard. The industry, or "letting the market regulate it"
has not managed to standardize RAID metadata. Consequentially
you need a spare hardware controller with hardware RAID....

- The Promise FastTrak TX2000 recognises my RAID-1 IDE array, but
only works, if the onboard RAID controller is switched off

.... or if you are lucky, another one from the same manufacturer
works. That is one reason I only use software RAID in my
own systems. At work, we have several controllers of each
type, so that we can recover one RAID by moving all the disks
to another box.

My question is, what external Promise controller should I buy to make
both arrays work again?

Ask Promise. Only they know.

And is it possible two have two Promise
controller in one system and have them both working? I once read, that
an external promise card will not work together with the onboard
promise controller.

That is possible, because in this case the mainboard manufacturer
may have changed things,

If that is also true for two promise controller
cards, I don't see how I will get my arrays to work again.

I have had success with three promise cards, however they were
all non-RAID. What I would advise you to do, is to copy all the
data to backup space and then do a new setup that works with your
hardware. This time do not rely on on-board controllers and keep
a spare controller.

The RAID1 you can access, so no issue there. For the RAID0,
there is RAID data recovery software out there, that works
with RAIDed disks connected via ordinary controller.
Try googeling "raid recovery software".

If your old mainboard is not completely dead, it may be possible to
use it too.

Arno