Question : Problem: Which type of RAID is better for five HDD system? And how to setting it up on HP ML350 G5 Server

Hi all,

My company had two HP ML350 G5 server with E200I 128MB RAM  that plan using Windows Server 2003 R2 64bit to be
1. Domain-Based DFS
2. MS SQL Database application with the Account System ...

Now we had five 250GB SATA Plugabled HDD ...

I hear the saleman said that our server can using the HDD to be Hot Spare ... with four other HDD be the RAID-5

I go to HP's official web site, have not find any manual that teach how to setting up like that ...

And how about the size? Make it 128K or 64K or 32K or other value while the RAID build, I had experience of using ICH6R, 7R, 8R, 9R to make RAID-0, which K is best for File Server and Database at the same machine?

I am wonder, how the Hot Spare HDD working when the system is good health, and if one HDD dead, what will happened if have the Hot Spare HDD here.

Or using total five HDD to build a RAID-5 is better or using 2 HDD make RAId-1 for Os, other 2 HDD RAID-1 for Data, one HDD for Hot Spare? Do one E200I array card can do like that?

Thank you.

Answer : Problem: Which type of RAID is better for five HDD system? And how to setting it up on HP ML350 G5 Server

I would agree on advising agains RAID 5 for SQL, should use 2 disks mirrored for OS/pagefile, 2 mirrored for transaction logs and the rest in RAID 5 or RAID 10 for data and possibly a seperate pair for tempDB. Also I would advise strongly against using SATA, HP count these as near-line storage for backup, archiving etc.

There again you've got it now so I would use a mirrored pair for OS/programs and transaction logs and another pair for data leaving 1 disk as hotspare. You have to assign the hotspair to both arrays or it may not kick in if a disk fails. Hot spare is temporary - once you replace the failed disk it will rebuild using that and the hot-spare will be freed up again.

Default stripe size is normally correct, I'd go for 64K.

Array configuration guide is at http://bizsupport.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00729544/c00729544.pdf