Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on how to upgrade a RAID array for a client who runs a dental practice. He has a T440 server, which I've recently upgraded with a second Xeon 4208 and increased the RAM from 32GB to 160GB, along with adding NVME storage and 10 gigabit networking. Right now, he's running RAID 1 with two 8TB Dell SAS drives that hold his VM, and I'm considering moving to RAID 10 for better redundancy and performance. I'm not in a rush for more disk space, but I'm curious about the best process for this upgrade. Should I buy four new drives and create a new array, then migrate the existing data over? Or is there a safer way to just add two more drives and reconfigure everything? I'm really cautious about working with such critical data and want to avoid any downtime for his business. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
RAID 10 is a solid choice for redundancy. After confirming backups, get your desired drives in, set up the new RAID, and plan to restore data back onto it. Just keep in mind it’s often easier than trying to reconfigure on-the-fly while data is still present.
For sure! It may seem like a hassle, but planning it out properly can save you headaches in the long run.
I wouldn't attempt an in-place RAID conversion. What I suggest is backing up all data first and testing the restore on a separate machine. Then, you can build a new RAID array and migrate the data over. It's definitely the safer option!
That's what I’ve been thinking too. The backups are solid, copied locally and offsite, and I agree—never play with live data without good backups!
Exactly! I hate risking data, especially when it’s for a business that can't afford downtime. Your plan sounds perfectly sound!
Before doing anything, consider what workloads are running on the server as that will help you decide the best storage options. Make sure whatever you're backing up can handle the size you'll need after the RAID upgrade.
Right! The workloads are dental management software, and we’ve got good backups in place for that. I just want to ensure the new array is fast and reliable.
Good idea! Being proactive with upgrades can make a huge difference for performance.
Backups are critical, so definitely make sure those are solid. After that, I'd go for the four new drives, create your new array, and migrate everything. You can keep the old drives as spares later on.
Absolutely! I actually do have four drives from another T140 server lying around, but I'm feeling iffy about using those. I think new drives would be the safest bet.
Good point! I hadn't updated my post earlier about the size—I think I'll stick with something bigger just in case.
I hear you, and I think I wouldn’t dare mess with the live data. Just want that extra speed and reliability!