How do you setup RAID 10 with Disk Utility?

I read a post that indicated a Mac Pro user created two mirrors and then striped them with Disk Utility to create a RAID 10.

I tried this but Disk Utiity will not allow me to stripe the two mirrors. I tried dragging and using the "+" button. In each case no RAID 10 could be created.

Could someone list the exact procedure for creating a RAID 10 using Disk Utility?

Thank you

Mac Pro 2.66, Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Sep 14, 2006 7:07 AM

37 replies

Sep 20, 2006 1:53 PM in response to Neurorad

You can although it wouldn't be a true RAID 0+1 nor will you get the expected performance from the Raptors. You have to remember that any RAID implementation will only be as good as it's weakest link so your mirror will only ever go as fast as the single drive on the one side of the mirror.

It would be a waste of the Raptors.

mbean Author

Level 4

1,250 points

Sep 20, 2006 3:20 PM in response to fuzzydog

As you can see in Neds post, all mirrors are separate volumes. Then you stripe all of the mirrors to create a single RAID 1/0 volume. A RAID 1/0 is not limited to four drives. However, if you are just using the internal 4 Mac Pro bays it would be.

The problem I see will doing a RAID 1/0 internally is that some firmware updates, like the ones available today reportably will only work with a single boot drive.

It might be a good idea to have a separate boot drive setup to use when Apple Firmware updates do not work with a RAID boot setup.

Danny Z

Level 1

124 points

Sep 21, 2006 3:35 AM in response to fuzzydog

See this page for the math behind a 1+0 RAID is a better solution than 0+1 (as well as the differences in them).

http://www.ofb.net/~jheiss/raid10/

fuzzydog

Level 2

355 points

Sep 21, 2006 5:06 AM in response to mbean

Still missing a piece of the puzzle. Operating system is put onto mirror A. What happens with mirror B before A and B are striped together?

Sep 21, 2006 5:18 AM in response to fuzzydog

Striping two or more drives together (even if they are RAID drives) will erase BOTH/ALL to make a single drive. You should NOT use any drive until you have finished ALL RAID implementation operations.

fuzzydog

Level 2

355 points

Sep 21, 2006 5:34 AM in response to infinite vortex

So after the full 10 raid array is set up, it is one large disk and the system is then installed?

Sep 21, 2006 5:36 AM in response to fuzzydog

Yes. It's pointless to do anything before you're done as the last stripe operation will erase everything.

Be aware that if you have 4 x 500GB drive and implement RAID 10 you end up with a single 1TB drive and not a 2TB drive. I'e used 4 x 300GB drives and have a single 600GB drive.

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How do you setup RAID 10 with Disk Utility?