A RAID array increases speed or data protection.
RAID is an acronym for redundant array of independent (or inexpensive) disks. A RAID array is a series of identical hard drives connected together to provide data protection, faster access or some combination of the two. Your operating system treats a RAID as if it's a single drive, and a RAID controller card splits or mirrors data between the drives. There are many RAID configurations, but most consumer Raid controllers support only RAID 0 and RAID 1. In a RAID 0 array, data is split, or "striped," between two drives. This provides faster access but no data backup. In a RAID 1 array, data is mirrored exactly between the two drives, providing greater security but no additional speed.
Instructions
1. Insert the CD or floppy that came with your RAID controller and install the RAID drivers. If your motherboard already has a RAID controller, you can skip this step.
2. Turn off your computer, unplug it and open the case. If your motherboard does not have a built-in RAID controller, install your RAID controller into an open PCI slot. Install the hard drives your are going to use for the RAID array and connect them to the controller. For IDE drives, it is best to use one drive per slot rather than a master/slave configuration. SATA drives can only be connected one per slot.
3. Close your computer's case, plug it in and boot. During start-up, the computer will prompt you with a key to press to enter RAID setup. The exact key will vary with your hardware and drivers. Press the designated key.
4. Configure your RAID using the controller setup software. The exact steps will be different with different RAID controllers, but every version will allow you to choose between RAID 0 and RAID 1, and select which hard drives to use in the array. Once the RAID creation process finishes, exit setup and your system will reboot.
5. Boot into Windows and enter the "Disk Management" window; go to the "Control Panel," select "System and Maintenance," "Administrative Tools" and then double-click "Computer Management." "Disk Management" is located on the left-side menu of the "Computer Management" window. You will be prompted to initialize a new disk. You must initialize the disk before formatting it.
6. Find the disk on the list in the "Disk Management" window and right-click it. Select "Format" to partition and format the drive like you would any other.
Tags: RAID array, RAID controller, between drives, Disk Management, hard drives, Management window, RAID RAID