Software RAID 5 capabilities

I want to purchase 4 1 TB disks to be used as DVD storage on my Vista
64 machine. I want to basically rip all my DVD's to my computer so
that I can share them via Media Center to my kids (who have a tendancy
to watch DVD's until they can't be played any longer and ruin them
with their finger prints.)
and so I don't have to get out of my chair to put in a movie any more.
I figure that creating a RAID 5 configuration would be best since I
can use three disks to create the RAID 5 and have one hot spare. (you
work in the IT field long enough, you realize that hard drives are the
most unreliable part of a computer :-))
My mother board supports this, but I really don't want to use the
Hardware raid since I would have to put my primary drive into a raid 0
configuration which would mean re-installing Vista and using the
drivers on my mother boards cdrom when it comes to installing drivers
for the controller.
I was wondering if Vista even has this capability before I shell out
$400 for the disks.
Since nothing else will be written to the RAID other than the movies,
I'm not too worried about write performance. My main question is does
Vista 64 Ultimate support RAID 5 configurations, or should I bite the
bullet, and make it a hardware RAID5?

Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class OS's
Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations with fault
tolerance. This includes mirrors (RAID 1, striped volumes with parity
(RAID5). IOW, you need to go for hardware RAID 5 solution.

BTW, your fourth drive in a RAID a5 rray will not be a hot spare. It will be
the active member of the array.


"Luke" <> wrote in message
news:b4883102-2688-4189-bc26-...
>I want to purchase 4 1 TB disks to be used as DVD storage on my Vista
> 64 machine. I want to basically rip all my DVD's to my computer so
> that I can share them via Media Center to my kids (who have a tendancy
> to watch DVD's until they can't be played any longer and ruin them
> with their finger prints.)
> and so I don't have to get out of my chair to put in a movie any more.
> I figure that creating a RAID 5 configuration would be best since I
> can use three disks to create the RAID 5 and have one hot spare. (you
> work in the IT field long enough, you realize that hard drives are the
> most unreliable part of a computer :-))
> My mother board supports this, but I really don't want to use the
> Hardware raid since I would have to put my primary drive into a raid 0
> configuration which would mean re-installing Vista and using the
> drivers on my mother boards cdrom when it comes to installing drivers
> for the controller.
> I was wondering if Vista even has this capability before I shell out
> $400 for the disks.
> Since nothing else will be written to the RAID other than the movies,
> I'm not too worried about write performance. My main question is does
> Vista 64 Ultimate support RAID 5 configurations, or should I bite the
> bullet, and make it a hardware RAID5?

In article <u9$qg$>,
Dusko Savatovic <> wrote:
>Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class OS's
>Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations with fault

Well, except for Linux...

(Ok, Ok... :-)

Vista disk management only knows about RAID 0 and 1. An
Adaptec SATA controller is cheap enough...

I'd recommend 5 discs for a RAID 5 array, skip the hot spare
unless you need 24/7. Just build a 5 drive array, if one fails you'll
stay on line. Your real problem for a home system that size will be backup.

the wharf rat <> wrote:
>
>> Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class
>> OS's Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations with
>> fault
>
> Well, except for Linux...
>
> (Ok, Ok... :-)
>
> Vista disk management only knows about RAID 0 and 1. An
> Adaptec SATA controller is cheap enough...
>

Yeah, as RAID-5 uses a fair bit of processing power, getting a true hardware
controller with its own processor would be the best idea anyway, but I would
not call them cheap, for a home user.

ss.

By the way so you know most movies can not be recorded and not
downloaded to your computer because of copy restrictions which prevent that
and if you can get the software that they sell to do that will cost a good
chunk of money.

"Synapse Syndrome [KGB]" <> wrote in message
news:...
> the wharf rat <> wrote:
>>
>>> Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class
>>> OS's Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations with
>>> fault
>>
>> Well, except for Linux...
>>
>> (Ok, Ok... :-)
>>
>> Vista disk management only knows about RAID 0 and 1. An
>> Adaptec SATA controller is cheap enough...
>>
>
> Yeah, as RAID-5 uses a fair bit of processing power, getting a true
> hardware controller with its own processor would be the best idea anyway,
> but I would not call them cheap, for a home user.
>
> ss.
>

None <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class
>>>> OS's Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations with
>>>> fault
>>>
>>> Well, except for Linux...
>>>
>>> (Ok, Ok... :-)
>>>
>>> Vista disk management only knows about RAID 0 and 1. An
>>> Adaptec SATA controller is cheap enough...
>>>
>>
>> Yeah, as RAID-5 uses a fair bit of processing power, getting a true
>> hardware controller with its own processor would be the best idea
>> anyway, but I would not call them cheap, for a home user.
>
> By the way so you know most movies can not be recorded and not
> downloaded to your computer because of copy restrictions which prevent
> that and if you can get the software that they sell to do that will
> cost a good chunk of money.


Erm, ok...

ss.

$50 is cheap to back up your collection of dvd's. Check out DVDFab.com. RAID
is not the safest way to store your library of music and movies. Maybe a NAS
system hard drive will be your best bet?
--
Computer/Software Tech.


Charles Richmond
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/



"None" wrote:

> By the way so you know most movies can not be recorded and not
> downloaded to your computer because of copy restrictions which prevent that
> and if you can get the software that they sell to do that will cost a good
> chunk of money.
>
> "Synapse Syndrome [KGB]" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > the wharf rat <> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class
> >>> OS's Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations with
> >>> fault
> >>
> >> Well, except for Linux...
> >>
> >> (Ok, Ok... :-)
> >>
> >> Vista disk management only knows about RAID 0 and 1. An
> >> Adaptec SATA controller is cheap enough...
> >>
> >
> > Yeah, as RAID-5 uses a fair bit of processing power, getting a true
> > hardware controller with its own processor would be the best idea anyway,
> > but I would not call them cheap, for a home user.
> >
> > ss.
> >
>
>

Yes i have DVD copying software on my computer and works great and same
thing try copy a movie and tells me this can not be completed because it is
copy protected. LOL
"THE C. [MS MVP]" <THEC.@MSN.COM> wrote in message
news:C0EADD89-D229-499E-B040-...
> $50 is cheap to back up your collection of dvd's. Check out DVDFab.com.
> RAID
> is not the safest way to store your library of music and movies. Maybe a
> NAS
> system hard drive will be your best bet?
> --
> Computer/Software Tech.
>
>
> Charles Richmond
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>
>
>
> "None" wrote:
>
>> By the way so you know most movies can not be recorded and not
>> downloaded to your computer because of copy restrictions which prevent
>> that
>> and if you can get the software that they sell to do that will cost a
>> good
>> chunk of money.
>>
>> "Synapse Syndrome [KGB]" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>> > the wharf rat <> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Fault tolerant disk configurations are only available in server class
>> >>> OS's Desktop class OS's do not suport dynamic disk configurations
>> >>> with
>> >>> fault
>> >>
>> >> Well, except for Linux...
>> >>
>> >> (Ok, Ok... :-)
>> >>
>> >> Vista disk management only knows about RAID 0 and 1. An
>> >> Adaptec SATA controller is cheap enough...
>> >>
>> >
>> > Yeah, as RAID-5 uses a fair bit of processing power, getting a true
>> > hardware controller with its own processor would be the best idea
>> > anyway,
>> > but I would not call them cheap, for a home user.
>> >
>> > ss.
>> >
>>
>>

THE C. [MS MVP] wrote:

> $50 is cheap to back up your collection of dvd's. Check out DVDFab.com.
> RAID is not the safest way to store your library of music and movies.
> Maybe a NAS system hard drive will be your best bet?

No one should believe you about anything since you lie about being an MVP.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

You identify yourself as an MS MVP. Prove it.


"THE C. [MS MVP]" <THEC.@MSN.COM> wrote in message
news:C0EADD89-D229-499E-B040-...
> $50 is cheap to back up your collection of dvd's. Check out DVDFab.com.
> RAID
> is not the safest way to store your library of music and movies. Maybe a
> NAS
> system hard drive will be your best bet?
> --
> Computer/Software Tech.
>
>
> Charles Richmond
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/