Where to start with Drive Bender?

[cw-kid 1]

Hi

I have just setup a new HP Microserver N40L with the default 250GB Hard Drive, I installed WHS 2011 and it created the 60GB C:\ drive and the rest as D:\ drive where the ServerFolder shares are located.

I have an additional 3x 3TB Western Digital Red drives to go in to the Microserver. These are brand new and have no data on them. I have purchased a copy of Drive Bender but am now unsure what is the best approach?

 

I read on these links:

 

http://files.divisio...ct=MA==&ms=AA==

 

"Converting a Windows drive into a pooled drive:-

Tip – If you are using Drive Bender on an install of WHS, the drive conversion feature is a great way to turn the default drive D to a pooled drive"

 

http://files.divisio...ct=MA==&ms=AA==

 

"Convert an existing Windows drive to a Drive Bender pooled drive, while keeping the existing files intact.

This option takes and existing Windows hard drive, and convert this drive into a pooled drive. This means all information on the drive is retained, and the drive letter remains the same. For the most part there should be no perceivable difference in the drive. Additional drives can be added to the pool at a later time using the Add drive option.

This is the recommended method of pool creation when using Drive Bender with WHS 2011. By converting the default "D", all the existing server folders and permissions are retained (including the "Client Computer Backups" folder)."

 

Would you recommend converting the existing D:\ partition in to the Drive Bender pool ?

I am currently backing up the entire 250GB C:\ D:\ drive with Acronis True Image as if it goes wrong I needed a way to quickly restore the WHS 2011 install back to how it was before I started messing with Drive Bender.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Edited January 17, 2013 by cw-kid

[jmwills 284]

I would not put those System Files in the pool. You are adding a level of complexity the OS does not need.

[cw-kid 1]

Hi thanks for the reply, obviously I would not be selecting C:\ partition to go in to the Drive Bender pool but Division-M recommend adding the default WHS 2011 D:\ partition as the links I posted state. I just wondered what others using Drive Bender had done ?

 

Thanks

Edited January 17, 2013 by cw-kid

[diehard 42]

My suggestion would be to exclude your D: partition of your system drive since it's a small drive (250GB-500GB) if it were a 1TB or larger, then I would include it. That's just me. Hell, I would use a 60GB SSD as the System C: drive and everything else to the 3TB drives. Since your using Acronis it should be fairly easy to clone the C drive to get the OS onto the SSD, otherwise you have to do some hacking because Windows checks the size of the OS drive during installation.

[jmwills 284]

^^ What he said.

[cw-kid 1]

Yeah an SSD for OS would have been better, but I am also buying a new HTPC will put an SSD in that don't have money for everything, will have to stick with the 250GB spin drive in the WHS for now, I also posted here: http://forum.division-m.com/index.php?topic=1495.0

 

And this was recommended:

 

"It's fine to take the approach of converting your D: drive partition to get started. However, after adding your other drives to the pool you should then do a Drivebender remove drive of the original D: partition on the system drive. This way you won't have to worry about a re-install of WHS or replacing a failed WHS system drive."

[cw-kid 1]

Hi think I have resolved this now, click here to see what I ended up doing.

 

Thanks

[diehard 42]

Hi think I have resolved this now, click here to see what I ended up doing.

Good to hear, the link was quite useful, worth a bookmark.

Thanks

[cskenney 150]

I split the USB sound card into it's own topic. http://homeservershow.com/forums/index.php?/topic/4902-microserver-usb-sound-card/