1.) To create a striped volume using a command line!
1. Open Command Prompt as administrator:
- Press "Win + X" and select "Command Prompt (Administrator)" or "Windows PowerShell (Administrator)" from the menu.
2. Start Diskpart:
- Type "diskpart" and press "Enter" .
3. Display list of available disks:
- Type "list disk" and press "Enter" . Make note of the disk numbers of the disks you want to use for the striped volume.
4. Select disks and convert them to dynamic disks (if you haven't already):
- Type "select disk <number>" and press "Enter" , where "<number>" is replaced with the disk number.
- Type "convert dynamic" and press "Enter" . Repeat this step for each disk you want to be part of the striped volume.
5. Create striped volume:
- Type "create volume stripe disk=<number1>,<number2>,..." and press "Enter" , where "<number1>,<number2>,..." is replaced by the numbers of the disks you want to use for the striped volume.
6. Format and assign new volume (optional but recommended):
- Type "list volume" and press "Enter" to display the list of volumes and note the volume number of the newly created striped volume.
- Type "select volume <volume number>" and press "Enter" .
- Type "format fs=ntfs quick" and press "Enter" to quickly format the volume with the NTFS file system.
- Type "assign letter=<letter>" and press "Enter" to assign a drive letter to the volume.
Here is an example of the command sequence:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 1
convert dynamic
select disk 2
convert dynamic
create volume stripe disk=1,2
listvolume
select volume <volume number>
format fs=ntfsquick
assign letter=E
Be sure to replace the appropriate numbers and letters with the values that are appropriate for your configuration.
With these steps, you have created and formatted a striped volume that is now ready for use. Remember that striped volumes do not provide fault tolerance; a disk failure will result in data loss on the entire volume.
2.) Pitfalls when creating and using striped volumes!
1. Fault tolerance
- No protection against data loss
The biggest disadvantage of a striped volume is the lack of any fault tolerance. If one disk in the stripe fails, all data on the entire volume is lost. This makes this configuration risky for critical data.
2. Extensibility
- Not expandable
Once created, striped volumes cannot be expanded. If you need additional storage space, you must create a new striped volume, which can make them difficult to manage and use.
3. Management complexity
- Complex management
Managing dynamic disks and striped volumes can be more complex than managing simple basic disks. It requires a certain level of technical knowledge and experience.
4. Hardware requirements
- Even distribution of load
For optimal performance, the disks used should be as equal as possible (e.g., same capacity and speed). Unequal disks can lead to uneven load distribution and performance degradation.
5. Backup strategies
- Increased backup requirements
Due to the lack of protection against data loss, it is crucial to create regular and comprehensive backups. This increases administration effort and costs.
6. Compatibility and recovery
- Recovery issues
In the event of a failure, recovering a striped volume can be more difficult than other volume types. Specialized software or expertise may be required to recover data.
Conclusion
Striped volumes offer outstanding performance, but are not suitable for every use case.
Striped volumes are ideal for scenarios where maximum read and write speed is a priority and data loss is tolerable. They are often used in environments such as video editing, scientific computing, or other high-performance applications where data is either easily recovered or not critical.
However, caution is advised: Since striped volumes do not provide fault tolerance, the risk of data loss in the event of a single disk failure is very high. This makes them unsuitable for use in production or critical environments unless comprehensive backup and recovery strategies are in place.
Recommendations:
- Backup strategy
Implement a robust backup strategy to minimize data loss.
- Usage
Use striped volumes only for non-critical data or when high performance is absolutely necessary and data loss is acceptable.
- Hardware
Ensure that the disks used are as equivalent as possible to ensure optimal performance.
- Evaluate alternatives
Consider alternatives such as RAID-5 or RAID-10 that provide both performance and fault tolerance if those features are necessary.
Overall, striped volumes are a powerful tool in an IT administrator's arsenal, but should be used with caution and with consideration of specific application requirements.
Creating a simple volume from the Windows command prompt using diskpart is a powerful way to manage your hard drives. Contents: 1. Creating a simple volume
With XCOPY you can backup a directory and its subdirectories in several ways. Here are some examples: 1. Simple backup of a directory and its subdirectories:
ROBOCOPY Robust File Copy is a powerful Windows command line tool used to copy files and directories. It is particularly well suited for creating backups
The fastest way to run or start the command prompt in every Windows System, is via RUN-Dialog in Windows 11, 10, and MS Server. Please start via Keyboard-Shortcut
This website does not store personal data. However, third-party providers are used to display ads, which are managed by Google and comply with the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (IAB-TCF). The CMP ID is 300 and can be individually customized at the bottom of the page. more Infos & Privacy Policy ....