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Adding a single external HDD with 2 partitions for storage AND server backup - is this possible? RRS feed

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    Hi, I've currently got a WHS set up and working fine, but with rather limited storage space. I'd also like the ability for the server itself to be backed up.

    I've got a 1TB external hard disk which has 2 partitions or equal size.

    I'm trying to get one partion to be added to the server storage ppol, and the other partion to be used to back up the Server itself.

    When I connect the partioned hard disk, in the WHS console it comes up as one disk and I can either add it to the storage pool, or use it to back up the server, and not get both functions to happen on each partion.

    Is it even possible to even do this, or does literally the whole disk have to being either storage, or backup, and not both?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks

    Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:16 PM

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    Hi,

    As you have found, any one drive can only be part of one function, so it's backup OR storage.
    This is understandable as drives used for backups - of Shared Folders or server Backups - are expected to be removable so you can for example, rotate them off-site, (which is what I do), and WHS can still recognise them when re-attached.

    Colin


    If anyone answers your query successfully, please mark it as 'Helpful', to guide other users.
    Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:22 PM
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    Hi,

    As you have found, any one drive can only be part of one function, so it's backup OR storage.
    This is understandable as drives used for backups - of Shared Folders or server Backups - are expected to be removable so you can for example, rotate them off-site, (which is what I do), and WHS can still recognise them when re-attached.

    Colin


    If anyone answers your query successfully, please mark it as 'Helpful', to guide other users.
    Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:22 PM
    Moderator
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    Thanks for that - I had assumed as much - the removable aspect for the WHS backup isn't really necessary in my situation. Do you know any way of getting the server to see the single 1TB disk as two separate 500GB disks?

    Thanks
    Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:31 PM
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    Hi Jonathan,
    as Colin has already said, there is no safe or even known to me way to do so.
    The Windows Home Server software always goes the All or Nothing way if it comes to claim a hard disk to the storage pool and this is based on the physical disk, not on the logical structure.
    What exactly do you mean with "back up the server itself"?
    Best greetings from Germany
    Olaf
    Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:41 PM
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    Hi,

    When I said backing up the server itself I just meant basically having a mirror image backup of all the individual PC backups and shared folders on the server, just in case the HDD in the server failed. Really it's just an extra layer of protection, no tessential, but nice to have if possible. Now that external HDDs are relatively cheap, I may as well get another to use to back the server up.

    Thanks for your help, Jonathan
    Tuesday, December 23, 2008 5:46 PM