Server 2003 - how to boot from mirror

[David]

okay, I've rebuilt one of my RIPs running Server 2003.
I've got a two drive mirror (2 150 gb drives).
I want to test it to see if it would boot from the mirror.
I have pulled the disk0 out of the bay and restarted, all I get is a blinking cursor.
This box has no floppy drive.

my question, do any of you have instructions on what I need to do to get it to boot from the mirror?
MS keeps pointing to Win XP for instructions on booting from a mirror, but XP is not 2003.

[Farabomb]

Just a quick guess but you might have to go into the BIOS and point it to the mirror drive as the first boot device.

[David]

Hit F2 when it attempts to start (one of the only two options I get), changed the boot to the other drive and still no go.

am I doing it wrong or missing something?

[Farabomb]

It's possible the mirror drive is missing the MBR (master boot record) and it doesn't think the drive is bootable.

[David]

how can I check it and if's it is missing, how to get it on there?

[Farabomb]

Some info

Only had time to scan it. Might help.

[Chilbear]

I did exactly the wrong thing when I did this.

You need to break the mirror first then when it restarts will see the second drive (it is hidden while still a mirror). Do NOT hit "YES"  to copy or write when it restarts. I answered YES and it wrote the dead drive to the Mirror (d'oh). It was quite a few years ago so be careful.

I believe once you get it started (hopefully) you have to change the bad drive and then MIrror it to the "New" C drive.

[Farabomb]

http://www.petri.co.il/forums/showthread.php?t=23045

Wish I had more time but the platesetter just went nuts and I should be leaving.

[David]

This is only for a test of the mirror, so I don't really want to break it (not yet anyway). I do not have a floppy drive on this box either, so that cramps me up right there.
I spent two days installing the stupid OS, then another 2 days to install the RIP software and get it configured. I found some "help" on MS about breaking the mirror, swap out disk 1 for disk 0, rebuild the mirror, put the original disk 0 back in the slot and you're good to go (close to the link that farabomb posted). But that just sounded a little extreme to me.

[Chilbear]

It makes perfect sense. You have to get the C drive running and "fixing" the mirror will restore the C drive. If you break the mirror, you can reassign the good drive to be the C drive and do three twirls and you are off.

 It cost me 9 hours and $1000 of tech time to reload so I get the sense D. Better to spend a couple of hundred and get a pro to f it up unless you feel confident.

[Joe]

Chilbear is right. The mirror is invisible and the only way to boot from it is to break the other half. Which I don't recommend.

[mattbeals]

This is why you use hardware mirrors and not software mirrors.

[Joe]

This is why you use hardware mirrors and not software mirrors.

I think he is talking about a hardware mirror.

[mattbeals]

If it is a hardware mirror he could pull it and keep running or pull it and boot. If it's a software mirror it's a bit more risky.

[Joe]

If it is a hardware mirror he could pull it and keep running or pull it and boot. If it's a software mirror it's a bit more risky.

Agreed though I don't recommend either. :grin: