RAID Explained...

[CyberZeus]

I normally love being out-nitpicked

However, in this case we both said the same thing - for any given stripe one of the disks contains parity info.

Not exactly: a part of all disks contains parity info.
Sorry, I didn't want to out-nitpick you...

No need to be sorry at all. If someone is wrong, the technical mistake should be pointed out - it's a technical forum and reliability of info is important. Hence, please don't ever be bashful about correcting mistakes in anything I've written

Now to clarify why I think we're saying the same thing...

A "stripe" in this context means a linear path across all disks in a RAID0/5 array whose width is implementation-specific. For example, if the implementation relies on 64KB chunks, a "stripe" is comprised of 64KB on disk 0, 64KB on disk 1, 64KB on disk 2, and 64KB on disk N. In a RAID 5 array, one of the disks contains parity info for each stripe but that doesn't mean it's always the same disk for all stripes. (In fact, that would make it RAID 3 which has some advantages but that's a different story).

Collectively, all of the "stripes" are known as the "stripe set" but those two names (in quotes) are not synonymous. I think you may have read "stripe set" into my use of "stripe".

Yeah man, exactly, we said the same thing. I've read STRIPE SET instead of STRIPE.

 

[Ex_Brit]

Just thought of another question, how does one partition 2 HDD's that are in a RAID 0 array?

Once I get my new rig I will have 2 500gb HDD's in a RAID 0 configuration and I want to partition those drives into 2 x 250gb partitions on each one.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Peter,

Congratulations on your MVP status. In what field or area is this?

Back to your RAID question. A RAID array, whether it be RAID0, RAID1, RAID5 or any of the other available combinations, appears to the system as a single drive. For example, my system has 2 x 500GB drives arranged as a RAID0 array. I see that as a single drive, and have partitioned it to accommodate my 4 OSes (actually did the partitioning during the first of the installations, i.e. Vista 32-bit). Even if you are not intending using/installing more than 1 OS, this is the way I would do it as it avoids the resizing limitations placed on a drive if it already has the OS on it and you are trying to resize its partition. If they are, on the other hand, totally separate drives from your OS, then you can use Disk Management to divide them how you choose.

 

[Ex_Brit]

Thank you very much!

The MVP is for Consumer Security as per my profile, which comes up if you click the logo in my sig or here https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Peter.McNicol. I guess whomever nominated me noticed my 35,000+ posts in the McAfee forums! Plus here and elsewhere and fairly often on the MS Newsgroups. I must say, it's a great honour.

So from what you say, if I set up a multi-boot scenario on my new machine, like I have now, it should be easy.
But also from what you say, I would imagine, should I choose to go non-RAID (disable it in the BIOS) then all the systems would be toast and I would have to start all over again.

I think, if Alienware refuses to configure my rig as non-RAID as per my request, then I will disable RAID on receipt of the machine before installing anything. As far as I can see from here and what I have read elsewhere on the web it's just not worth that marginal gain in speed.

A/W only offered RAID 0 or 1 but I subsequently contacted them before it went into the production phase pleading for a non-RAID setup and they did acknowledge my request but didn't say yes or no.

When I originally asked them prior to purchase, they stated that I should go for the lower-end model Area-51 X58 which offers the non-RAID, RAID0 or 1 options, but then I would end up with lower-end everything else. Call me a snob or a money-waster, but I want a system that is somewhat future-proof and one that will last me for another 5+ years without becoming obsolete or conking out on me.
My current one is beginning to show signs of its age and I'm heeding those warnings. It has had every single part replaced except for the M/B and CPU and numerous bits added and I'm not spending any more money on it.

My System Specs here have been updated to show what machine I'm getting.