creates an image of an hardware RAID array

[ekadim]

There are a number of freewares that create images of single hard disks like Acronis True Image Home, Drive XML, Paragon etc. However, I do not know for sure whether any of these programs or any other free program makes an image of a RAID system (for instance RAID 1) and can easily restore. Instead of using conventional backup programs like ntbackup, I want to deploy such a solution (preferably imaging to an external hard disk).

Any advise?

Thanks in advance.
Regards
ekadim

[johnvk]

I have this same question, 5 years later (2008-2013).

Here's a thread saying that Paragon Backup & Restore can sometimes do it: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=266492 but it refers to an earlier version (v10) and requires WinPE which the comparison page for Backup & Recovery 2013 Free vs. Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite <http://www.paragon-software.com/home...omparison.html> says is NOT supported in the FREE version.

Now if this was non-RAID i would just take out the hard drive and restore the image to it using another computer. But since it is a member of a RAID set, i dont think you can do that. Ie, i dont think this works:

1. Run Paragon Backup & Recovery on the C: drive of a system where C: is a RAID volume.
   
2. Remove one of those drives that's a member of a RAID set.
   
3. Restore the disk image to that drive separately.
   
4. Replace the drive into the RAID set.

Maybe instead of that last step, replacing it into the RAID set, one could

1. Enter the RAID bios (Intel Rapid Storage Technology and/or Intel Matrix Storage Technology)
   
2. Turn off the RAID
   
3. Boot from the single, restored drive

would that work?

[crank]

I confess to little knowledge about RAID, my experience with it has had mixed results, leading me to think it can be quite touchy depending on specific circumstances including disk manufacturer and model, OS, BIOS, motherboard, whether software/hardware, your blood type... GParted can probably handle cloning a drive within an array successfully if anything can. It is available in its own liveCCD or you can get in in PartedMagic, a tool no one should be without, and most any linux distro will have it or can install it easily. From it's web site, it handles "RAID Devices (hardware RAID, motherboard BIOS RAID, and Linux software RAID)"

Knowing if or how well a yanked-drive clone can then be re-integrated into an array is way beyond my abilities to predict, sorry. Over the years I've seen an awful lot of desperate cries for help with RAID issues and personally, recently I had this simple mirror, a software RAID set up in windows, fail after a simple move to another PC, windows could not resync. With a mirror, that isn't a big deal, I just had to recreate it, but if you are striped, that array is gone, and if you have one of the more complex arrays, I wouldn't have a clue.

Good luck, please report back with any solutions you might find elsewhere, and you may get a more knowledgeable response here yet.

[johnvk]

The server i am using comes from a re-seller and they use Acronis to image the RAID during new install. Probably not Acronis free, but still Acronis.

This is RAID 1, btw. So full mirror on both drives.

Here's what i'm going to try:

1. Image C: drive (RAID 1) to a file using Acronis.
2. Restore that image to regular old drive. This can be done anywhere, even on another PC.
3. Boot from restored drive. I can do this using the BIOS boot menu even if the RAID is also still installed in the system. If this works, it gives me fall back in case something goes wrong.

I plan to to the above with all of my favorite disk imagers:

• Acronis
• Paragon Backup & Recovery
• DriveImage XML
• PING
• Clonezilla

this gives me maximum fallback and safety.

Then try Intel Matrix Storage Technology (the earlier version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology) to

1. Power down. Take out one of the RAID drives. If the RAID has drives A and B, say, I'll remove drive A. (it's RAID 1, so this should be fine)
2. Power up and see that the RAID is degraded but functioning fine.
3. Power down. Put new blank drive C in the empty RAID port. Power up. IIUC RAID will then copy everything from the existing drive (B) to the new, blank drive (C).
4. Power down. Remove both drives B & C. Put just drive A back into the raid set.
5. Boot. I am hoping it can boot from just this drive into a degraded but functioning RAID setup. If so i have made my disk images using the RAID firmware.

Plan B:

1. Going back to the image i made with Acronis (et al), then either
   1. Booting from single drive with the restored image
   2. Booting from CD/DVD/USB
2. Restore Acronis (et al) image file to RAID. I hope this will use the BIOS/firmware RAID to restore to both drives in RAID 1.

[crank]

That's quite a schedule you've cooked up for yourself, the geek gods smile down upon you surely. [The geek gods, just like the Greek gods less an 'r']. Please get back with us with a report on how it all went as you should learn much in the doing.