Server 2012 (R2) – mirroring the boot drive… what is the state

bootmirroringsoftware-raidwindows-server-2012-r2

I struggle to find modern documentation here.

So far we have been booting our servers from the main RAID controllers. Worked nice, but not we get the first of a new generation that hs in the back 2 slots for SATA hard discs, meant to be used as local boot systems. This is not bad – factually – as it means we dont ahve to waste precious SAS slots for that.

Last time I tried redundancy with the windows OS levels was a long time ago – likely around 2003. At that time it was tricky, one had to manually install an MBV on the second drive.

So, assuming I have 2 SATA discs that I Want to use as (windows OS system functionality using) mirror drives. What are the steps to do that?

I see:
* Convert discs to dynamic discs.
* Create mirrr for the boot partition and the "System Reserved" partition.

Anything else needed? Or will windows automatically install a MBR on the mirror disc?

I Tried my google fu, but it is failing – alos artially because most references are either for UEFI issus (We dont ahve UEFI) or for older versions (2003, 2008).

If anyone wants to warn me from this – please give me reasons. THe mobo also has raid (SP5100, AMD, some Adaptec stuff on board) but I seriously consider avoiding that – also because the last drivers I could find where for longhorn… and now we move to 2012 R2…

Best Answer

I know its a old post, but here is the official MCS white paper how to create a mirror for boot drives.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/tip_of_the_day/archive/2014/10/10/tip-of-the-day-configuring-disk-mirroring-for-windows-server-2012.aspx

Related Solutions

Windows 2003 software raid – booting secondary disk with no FT floppy

Since you didn't elaborate on what happens when the system "fails to boot", I'm going to take a stab in the dark.

It sounds like your secondary disk might not have an MBR with the necessary code to start NTLDR. A typical symptom in this kind of situation is a blinking cursor with no further progress after POST.

If this is what's happening, boot to the recovery console with the secondary disk attached to the primary controller and run a "FIXMBR". That should get you booting normally.

Server 2008 R2 requires 2 disks to boot

The computer was booting off one of those disks you removed, and starting the OS from the Operating System disk (which is apparently a separate disk). This is what happens when someone carelessly installs an OS.

You need to get the BCD on the OS disk and corrected for it's new location. You may be able to boot the Installation Disk and Repair the installation into booting again.

Update - To Fix:

First a backup: run bcdedit -export C:\bcd.backup, should probably copy this to another computer or thumbdrive.
Open Drive Management, mount the boot partition (should be 100 or 300 MB) to a drive letter, note the letter.
mkdir C:\boot
xcopy /e x:\boot c:\boot (where x: is the drive you just mounted)
bcdedit -export C:\boot\BCD
bcdedit -store C:\boot\BCD -enum all
Note the entry identifier and property of any lines where the second column says partition=x:

For example:
```
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier          {current}
osdevice            partition=x:
```
For each occurrence noted execute the following; be extremely careful to not screw this up!
bcdedit -store c:\boot\BCD -set {current} osdevice partition=c:

Note: change {current} to whatever the identifier of the section was for the property you're changing. Then just follow it with the property and new value. Also note the new c: value instead of x:. Also, the identifiers may/will be GUIDs.
Once that looks all good, fire up Drive Management again, remove the drive letter from that other drive so it's back the way it was. Mark the C: partition Active.

You should now be able to remove the other disk and boot off the system partition. If this doesn't work you haven't messed up the other disk and can put it back in.

Update 2:
Looks like you've got that other partition mounted as h: already, so ignore that mount and unmount stuff, just jump into the copy, edit, yada yada.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Windows 2003 software raid – booting secondary disk with no FT floppy

Server 2008 R2 requires 2 disks to boot

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