Clone an entire Windows 2K/2K3 system

19 Jul 2005 7:43 PM

Patrick Kremer

I would like to make a clone of a production RAID-5 server for development
purposes. They're identical machines, identical hardware.

I don't seem to be able to use any of the standard disk imaging tools, I
believe because they do not support RAID.

Does anyone have a solution?

20 Jul 2005 3:18 PM

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]

In news:uW1pIqJjFHA.1948@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl,

Patrick Kremer <n/a> typed:

> I would like to make a clone of a production RAID-5 server for
> development purposes. They're identical machines, identical hardware.
>
> I don't seem to be able to use any of the standard disk imaging
> tools, I believe because they do not support RAID.
>
> Does anyone have a solution?

Given that the OS doesn't know anything about the underlying RAID
configuration if you're using hardware RAID, I don't see why imaging
software would know or care about it either....don't know about software
RAID, as I won't use to begin with.

I personally like the Acronis imaging products - have you checked them out?

20 Jul 2005 11:45 PM

Manny Borges

Raid 5 is a solution. Hot swap drives will help tremendously.

Replace each disk, one at a time. Actually you won't need to do the last
one.

When you are done you will have a complete mirror.

Show quoteHide quote

"Patrick Kremer" <n/a> wrote in message
news:uW1pIqJjFHA.1948@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>I would like to make a clone of a production RAID-5 server for development
> purposes. They're identical machines, identical hardware.
>
> I don't seem to be able to use any of the standard disk imaging tools, I
> believe because they do not support RAID.
>
> Does anyone have a solution?
>
>

21 Jul 2005 8:35 AM

Hank Arnold

I like it........................ ;-)

--
Regards,
Hank Arnold

Show quoteHide quote

"Manny Borges" <manny_bor***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ePRVaUYjFHA.1148@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Raid 5 is a solution. Hot swap drives will help tremendously.
>
> Replace each disk, one at a time. Actually you won't need to do the last
> one.
>
> When you are done you will have a complete mirror.
>
>
> "Patrick Kremer" <n/a> wrote in message
> news:uW1pIqJjFHA.1948@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>>I would like to make a clone of a production RAID-5 server for development
>> purposes. They're identical machines, identical hardware.
>>
>> I don't seem to be able to use any of the standard disk imaging tools, I
>> believe because they do not support RAID.
>>
>> Does anyone have a solution?
>>
>>
>
>

21 Jul 2005 5:57 PM

Patrick Kremer

How does that work correctly?

Assuming p=production and b=backup server

- I pull out drive #1p and replace it with drive #1b at 10AM
- I wait however long for the RAID controller to synch, say an hour
- I pull out drive #2p and replace it with drive #2b at 11AM.
- Wait for synch

At that point, I've still got the fully functional production system.

But I've got drive #1p with data from 10AM and drive #2p with data from
11AM. They're out of synch.

So if i put both of them into the backup server, how can the RAID controller
possibly recover?

Show quoteHide quote

"Hank Arnold" <rasi***@aol.com> wrote in message
news:OxKyc8cjFHA.3164@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> I like it........................ ;-)
>
> --
> Regards,
> Hank Arnold
>
> "Manny Borges" <manny_bor***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ePRVaUYjFHA.1148@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > Raid 5 is a solution. Hot swap drives will help tremendously.
> >
> > Replace each disk, one at a time. Actually you won't need to do the last
> > one.
> >
> > When you are done you will have a complete mirror.
> >
> >
> > "Patrick Kremer" <n/a> wrote in message
> > news:uW1pIqJjFHA.1948@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >>I would like to make a clone of a production RAID-5 server for
development
> >> purposes. They're identical machines, identical hardware.
> >>
> >> I don't seem to be able to use any of the standard disk imaging tools,
I
> >> believe because they do not support RAID.
> >>
> >> Does anyone have a solution?
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>

21 Jul 2005 7:20 PM

Manny Borges

This would have to be an offline, off peak , job. If there are any dbs on
the raid i would stop them temporarily.
Show quoteHide quote

"Patrick Kremer" <n/a> wrote in message
news:OW8z42hjFHA.1232@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> How does that work correctly?
>
> Assuming p=production and b=backup server
>
> - I pull out drive #1p and replace it with drive #1b at 10AM
> - I wait however long for the RAID controller to synch, say an hour
> - I pull out drive #2p and replace it with drive #2b at 11AM.
> - Wait for synch
>
> At that point, I've still got the fully functional production system.
>
> But I've got drive #1p with data from 10AM and drive #2p with data from
> 11AM. They're out of synch.
>
> So if i put both of them into the backup server, how can the RAID
> controller
> possibly recover?
>
> "Hank Arnold" <rasi***@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:OxKyc8cjFHA.3164@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> I like it........................ ;-)
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>> Hank Arnold
>>
>> "Manny Borges" <manny_bor***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:ePRVaUYjFHA.1148@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> > Raid 5 is a solution. Hot swap drives will help tremendously.
>> >
>> > Replace each disk, one at a time. Actually you won't need to do the
>> > last
>> > one.
>> >
>> > When you are done you will have a complete mirror.
>> >
>> >
>> > "Patrick Kremer" <n/a> wrote in message
>> > news:uW1pIqJjFHA.1948@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> >>I would like to make a clone of a production RAID-5 server for
> development
>> >> purposes. They're identical machines, identical hardware.
>> >>
>> >> I don't seem to be able to use any of the standard disk imaging tools,
> I
>> >> believe because they do not support RAID.
>> >>
>> >> Does anyone have a solution?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>