# RAID striping with FreeBSD already installed



## zehfi (Feb 17, 2013)

I'd like to know if there is a way to install a RAID striping with FreeBSD already installed on the system.


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## wblock@ (Feb 17, 2013)

Please give more details.  What level of RAID?  What are you trying to accomplish?


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## vermaden (Feb 17, 2013)

@*wblock*

Striping usually means RAID0.


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## wblock@ (Feb 17, 2013)

I'm aware of that, but with such a vague question prefer not to assume anything.


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## zehfi (Feb 18, 2013)

I have two hard drives, one blank and another with FreeBSD installed on it, and I'd like to know if I could do a RAID striping without reinstalling all the system.


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## wblock@ (Feb 18, 2013)

Let's try to be more specific: if by "striping" you mean RAID0, then no, I don't think that can be done.  The existing disk would have to be backed up, the RAID0 created, and then the data restored onto it.


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## kpa (Feb 18, 2013)

It can be done with ZFS by adding a new disk to the pool with zpool add


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## gqgunhed (Feb 18, 2013)

@zehfi: If you are talking about Striping/RAID0 as in here: wikipedia RAID0, then:
I don't think so and agree to wblock@.

RAID0 = Striping - will let some physical disks appear "as one *big* disk" (size of all striped disks) to the operating system.

opposing to:
RAID1 = Mirror - will let two disks appear "as one disk" having only the capacity of the smallest attached disk.
-> keep two disks synced with identical contents
-> losing 50% capacity (one of two disks)
-> increasing redundancy

Does this make sense?


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## zehfi (Feb 18, 2013)

Thanks everyone I m gonna try with zpool I've also looked at the gvinum volume manager


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## kpa (Feb 18, 2013)

You must have an existing ZFS pool with one disk for that to work.


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## zehfi (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm gonna google that


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## Sebulon (Feb 19, 2013)

@zehfi

I think the most responsible question would be; why do you want RAID0 in the first place? I mean, it's dangerous, you'd have no safety at all and slightest error on any of the HDD's would render all of data gone, lost in cyber space, kaputt, finite, is no more, at all! Hope you're going to have proper backups for that, is all I'm saying.

/Sebulon


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## zehfi (Feb 20, 2013)

I keep some backups with dd command on an external hard drive so I don't need RAID1


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