I have a few questions on how software and onboard RAID 5 compare:
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Is there any way to add a disk to an existing RAID 5 array using either software or onboard RAID?
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All motherboards I'm interested in come with both SATA2 and SATA3 ports. Using either software or onboard RAID, is it possible to combine disks connected to different ports in the same array?
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If I have two operating systems installed (on a disk that does not belong to the array), can still use software RAID?
Notes:
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I have read Onboard RAID vs Software RAID. It doesn't cover any of my questions.
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I know that hardware RAID is better than both options. Sadly, I can't find a single RAID controller card. I've searched all over the country…
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I know that RAID is not backup. Protecting my data from a single disk's failure is all I want.
Best Answer
Depends on the OS version and onboard RAID vendor/version. For example, onboard RAID using Intel Rapid Storage Technology (any recent Intel chipset uses it), you can even convert RAID1 to RAID5 online. You can also add a disk to an existing RAID5 online too.
Most probably not. Usually, one chipset is RAID-based, and the other is not. For example, my motherboard has Intel ICH10 chipset and Marvell chipset. Intel RAID sees only disks connected to the Intel chipset.
Update: According to Intel, on the PCH controller hub (used in Intel P67), RAID5 with 5 or 6 drives is supported. However, be aware that all RAID features can be disabled by the board manufacturer.
Depends on the OS. You cannot use Windows RAID in Linux and vice versa, but if these are two installations of Windows, why not?