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Swap to smaller system disk and different type (sata->pata)? RRS feed

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    I first installed WHS on 2 x 1TB sata drives (I've held off on activating so far knowing changes were coming, I've got about 10 days left). I've got duplication on for some folders. Now that I'm comfortable with WHS, I want to max out my setup. I will be keeping the same mobo, but adding sata cards and more drives, and moving to a bigger case.

    I have 8x1TB drives which I'd like to use for storage. I've already got the 2 used, but I'd rather not use one of those as the system disk.

    Instead, I'd like to downgrade my system disk to a pata 120gb drive I've got lying around collecting dust. The reason is my case holds 9 drives max, but i've only got 8 sata connectors.

    So without losing any data or backups can I transfer my system disk to the 120gb pata instead? Does this need to be done outside of WHS, ie, using acronis to ghost the image to the new drive? Will this work? Is there a different / better approach? I forgot to mention that the drive manage add-in says that the used space on the system disk is less than the 120gb I'd be swapping to, so from that perspective it should be ok, right?

    I'm tech savy, but generally not clear on how much of WHS is tied to the system disk and how to ensure I don't hose my data.

    Lastly, is it worth my effort, or should I just keep the system disk on the 1TB drive, and simpy add the 120GB pata as the last storage drive in there? It would certainly save me time, but for some reason, it feels more appropriate to me to have the system disk be the small one now that PP1 solved the 'landing zone' issue (or so I'm told).

    I welcome your suggestions and feedback.


    Friday, March 27, 2009 9:56 PM

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    sellenoff said:

    I first installed WHS on 2 x 1TB sata drives (I've held off on activating so far knowing changes were coming, I've got about 10 days left). I've got duplication on for some folders. Now that I'm comfortable with WHS, I want to max out my setup. I will be keeping the same mobo, but adding sata cards and more drives, and moving to a bigger case.

    I have 8x1TB drives which I'd like to use for storage. I've already got the 2 used, but I'd rather not use one of those as the system disk.

    Instead, I'd like to downgrade my system disk to a pata 120gb drive I've got lying around collecting dust. The reason is my case holds 9 drives max, but i've only got 8 sata connectors.

    So without losing any data or backups can I transfer my system disk to the 120gb pata instead?

    Not in any supported method.

    sellenoff said:

    Does this need to be done outside of WHS, ie, using acronis to ghost the image to the new drive? Will this work?

    It's unsupported.  You can try it you like, but I would not recommend it.

    sellenoff said:

    Is there a different / better approach?

    You should replace your current primary drive with a different drive and perform a Server Reinstallation.  Then connect your old primary drive up to another PC (not your server) and copy whatever data is in D:\DE\shares to your server (assuming that there is data in that location that was not stored in a share with Folder Duplication enabled).

    sellenoff said:

    I forgot to mention that the drive manage add-in says that the used space on the system disk is less than the 120gb I'd be swapping to, so from that perspective it should be ok, right?

    With a Server Reinstallation it wouldn't matter.

    sellenoff said:

    I'm tech savy, but generally not clear on how much of WHS is tied to the system disk and how to ensure I don't hose my data.

    Lastly, is it worth my effort, or should I just keep the system disk on the 1TB drive, and simpy add the 120GB pata as the last storage drive in there?
     

    IMO, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :)

    sellenoff said:

    It would certainly save me time, but for some reason, it feels more appropriate to me to have the system disk be the small one now that PP1 solved the 'landing zone' issue (or so I'm told).

    That's correct.

    sellenoff said:

    I welcome your suggestions and feedback.



    Saturday, March 28, 2009 12:02 AM
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    sellenoff said:

    I first installed WHS on 2 x 1TB sata drives (I've held off on activating so far knowing changes were coming, I've got about 10 days left). I've got duplication on for some folders. Now that I'm comfortable with WHS, I want to max out my setup. I will be keeping the same mobo, but adding sata cards and more drives, and moving to a bigger case.

    I have 8x1TB drives which I'd like to use for storage. I've already got the 2 used, but I'd rather not use one of those as the system disk.

    Instead, I'd like to downgrade my system disk to a pata 120gb drive I've got lying around collecting dust. The reason is my case holds 9 drives max, but i've only got 8 sata connectors.

    So without losing any data or backups can I transfer my system disk to the 120gb pata instead?

    Not in any supported method.

    sellenoff said:

    Does this need to be done outside of WHS, ie, using acronis to ghost the image to the new drive? Will this work?

    It's unsupported.  You can try it you like, but I would not recommend it.

    sellenoff said:

    Is there a different / better approach?

    You should replace your current primary drive with a different drive and perform a Server Reinstallation.  Then connect your old primary drive up to another PC (not your server) and copy whatever data is in D:\DE\shares to your server (assuming that there is data in that location that was not stored in a share with Folder Duplication enabled).

    sellenoff said:

    I forgot to mention that the drive manage add-in says that the used space on the system disk is less than the 120gb I'd be swapping to, so from that perspective it should be ok, right?

    With a Server Reinstallation it wouldn't matter.

    sellenoff said:

    I'm tech savy, but generally not clear on how much of WHS is tied to the system disk and how to ensure I don't hose my data.

    Lastly, is it worth my effort, or should I just keep the system disk on the 1TB drive, and simpy add the 120GB pata as the last storage drive in there?
     

    IMO, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :)

    sellenoff said:

    It would certainly save me time, but for some reason, it feels more appropriate to me to have the system disk be the small one now that PP1 solved the 'landing zone' issue (or so I'm told).

    That's correct.

    sellenoff said:

    I welcome your suggestions and feedback.



    Saturday, March 28, 2009 12:02 AM
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    Thanks for your help and suggestions!!

    Is the server re-install method 100% safe for my data? I've done it once before, but only from the same set of hard disks which worked fine. Not sure how the thing would do if suddenly the primary disk was in a different place and of a different size/etc..

    Will there be a way to restore / copy my computer backups also from the old Primary Disk so that WHS sees them on the new disk?

    Sunday, March 29, 2009 2:49 AM
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    Thanks for your help and suggestions!!

    Is the server re-install method 100% safe for my data?

    Yes.  It only wipes the OS partition, leaving everything else alone.

    I've done it once before, but only from the same set of hard disks which worked fine. Not sure how the thing would do if suddenly the primary disk was in a different place and of a different size/etc..

    Will there be a way to restore / copy my computer backups also from the old Primary Disk so that WHS sees them on the new disk?


    FYI, you should not rely on the backup database as "necessary to keep" in this scenario (since you can backup your PCs again as soon as the reinstallation is complete).  However, if you really want to keep it, you need to follow the instructions in the Home Server Backup and Restore Technical Brief, or use the BDBB add-in.
    Sunday, March 29, 2009 4:18 AM
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    Thanks again..

    BTW - I was under the impression from other posts that the Server Reinstallation option will not appear on a fresh new system disk, which if I understood your directions in the 1st reply is how you suggested I do this transfer. So either I misunderstood you, or I am remembering wrong and the reinstallation option will appear on a new disk.
    Sunday, March 29, 2009 5:13 AM
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    Thanks again..

    BTW - I was under the impression from other posts that the Server Reinstallation option will not appear on a fresh new system disk, which if I understood your directions in the 1st reply is how you suggested I do this transfer. So either I misunderstood you, or I am remembering wrong and the reinstallation option will appear on a new disk.
    No, you didn't misunderstand.  You are remembering wrong.  As long as all of the secondary drives are connected, you should get Server Reinstallation as an option, even with a brand new primary drive.  (Without that ability, if your primary hard drive failed, you would be in for a world of pain and suffering. ;)  )
    Sunday, March 29, 2009 2:37 PM
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