Migration to Linux Software RAID

Knowledgebase

Situation

You have an IDE RAID controller under which the BIOS and a driver manage the hard disks (Promise TX controller, Highpoint RocketRaid controller, etc.). During the installation of SUSE LINUX 9.1, a message warns you that writing to these hard disks can result in a loss of data, as the Linux kernel 2.6 no longer supports these controllers.

Now you would like to know the alternatives.

Procedure

As the Linux kernel 2.6.x no longer supports this kind of RAID controllers, you should migrate to a Linux software RAID. To do this, disable the RAID function in the BIOS of your controller in order to use the hard disks as normal IDE hard disks. Subsequently, you can create a Linux software RAID on these hard disks during the installation. Information on the procedure is presented in the Administration Guide from page 35.

For more information on software RAID, refer to the Linux Software RAID HowTo.

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Disclaimer

The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.