Create RAID-5 from Existing HD

[ImADot]

Ok, I'm going to try this but wanted some more opinions/suggestions.

I've got a Seagate 500Gb HD with Vista Ultimate, etc.  I just bought two more of the exact model to create a RAID-5 array.  I'm going to try to add the extra drives and create the array without having to start from scratch as far as needing to reload the OS and all my apps/data.

I thought I'd create a RAID-1 from the two new drives, use the Seagate util to move the system from the old (not yet in the array) drive and then once that works, add the old drive into the array and create the RAID-5.  Sounds like it might work, right?  If not, I've got my data backed up just in case.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Ok, I'm going to try this but wanted some more opinions/suggestions.

I've got a Seagate 500Gb HD with Vista Ultimate, etc.  I just bought two more of the exact model to create a RAID-5 array.  I'm going to try to add the extra drives and create the array without having to start from scratch as far as needing to reload the OS and all my apps/data.

I thought I'd create a RAID-1 from the two new drives, use the Seagate util to move the system from the old (not yet in the array) drive and then once that works, add the old drive into the array and create the RAID-5.  Sounds like it might work, right?  If not, I've got my data backed up just in case.

Otherwise ok but raid-5 is a raid-0 with a parity disk. So raid-1 doesn't migrate to raid-5 any better than a single disk would. If the seagate utility supports raid buildup from a single drive then you should use that.

However I would strongly suggest to take a full image of the original disk before attempting the array creation.

[ImADot]

Otherwise ok but raid-5 is a raid-0 with a parity disk.

Hmmm, I thought raid-0 was a striped array to make one larger disk out of two smaller ones and raid-1 was a mirror of one drive onto another equal-sized drive and raid-5 is raid-1 with the parity disk.  In any case, I have a full backup "just in case".

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Hmmm, I thought raid-0 was a striped array to make one larger disk out of two smaller ones and raid-1 was a mirror of one drive onto another equal-sized drive and raid-5 is raid-1 with the parity disk.  In any case, I have a full backup "just in case".

Yes Raid-0 stripe can be turned into raid-5 when the third disk contains parity information which can be used to rebuild a whole disk from half a stripe.

[Bino]

From the Adaptec web site: The ABCs of RAID