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Scenario:

  • 2 Server HP Proliant recently bought (exactly the same config), below described.
  • EDIT:HP Proliant DL360 G7 (rack form)
  • 4 (500Gb SATA) disks in RAID 10 configuration
    • Array Alfa: Disks of Bays 1&2
    • Array Beta: Disks of Bays 3&4
  • I don't think is relevant, but SO is Windows Server 2008 R2 x64

It's possible that using disks of two arrays (ex.: disks of bays 1 & 3 ) of the Server A to replicate it on Server B ( still non-configured )?

Fabricio Araujo
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  • I wish i could split the accepted answers. Chopper3's and ewwhite's are the most useful. Since I can't, I'd make the following: ewwhite will be chosen and I upvote both – Fabricio Araujo Sep 12 '11 at 19:31

3 Answers3

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Yep, called mirror-splitting, assuming you have a HP E/P-class controller - just remove (the right) two disks from server1 , replace them with two blanks, that'll then rebuild. Meanwhile boot server 2 from JUST the two disks you removed from server 1, wait for boot to finish (it'll error like crazy) then stick two blanks in server 2 and again wait for rebuild.

Be aware however that this will not change the server name, IP or SID.

Chopper3
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    How is the server configured? If you have it running as an AD controller, you might want to be really careful about issues with cloning it...just something to think about. – Bart Silverstrim Sep 06 '11 at 19:46
  • It's not an AD controller. – Fabricio Araujo Sep 06 '11 at 19:53
  • If it's generically set up you should be okay (as long as you change the IP and name), just make sure you audit it to make sure there's nothing that cloning will cause issues with. – Bart Silverstrim Sep 06 '11 at 20:00
  • @Chopper3 relatively recent practice has been to not worry -- except for domain controllers -- about machine SID duplication [At all.](http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2009/11/03/3291024.aspx) Also, I believe he will lose IP configuration (as opposed to having to change it) as the GUIDs of the network cards (derived from MACs?) won't match the old server. – Yolo Perdiem Nov 26 '11 at 04:53
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Yes, this is possible and is a supported and documented process. The term is breaking or splitting and recombining a RAID 1+0 mirror. See HP's documentation and step-by-step instructions for splitting and recombining the array.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00378986/c00378986.pdf

What model of ProLiant are you using? Do you have the details on the controller being used?

ewwhite
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If it can't be done using the server RAID, you can use dd on Linux platform to clone disks.

For Windows, it seems that there is an equivalent one. You can check this out.

Khaled
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