Using Stripe Set During Initialization May Result in Data Loss

ID: Q165840

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0

SUMMARY

You can create software RAID 5 stripe sets with parity partitions in Windows NT Server.

RAID 5 stripe sets consist of striping data with parity information across multiple drives in 64KB stripes. During the initialization stage of creating the stripe set with parity, Windows NT Server calculates the parity information for each 64KB stripe.

You are not inhibited by Windows NT Disk Administrator from formatting the stripe set and then immediately using the volume while initialization is still in progress. Windows NT Server also does not inhibit you from using a volume that is being recovered during regeneration after a drive failure. This is because the FTDISK driver makes sure that all changes made to the disk are mirrored in the parity block. The driver takes care of all synchronization problems including the writing of the data catching up with the initialization of the parity.

However, while the volume is initializing or regenerating, it is "exposed"; in other words, if a drive failure occurs while the stripe set with parity is initializing, you will lose your entire set. It is only after the stripe set is initialized that you have any fault tolerance. The same process occurs with bad sectors. Sector sparing is not enabled until after initialization is complete.

If you choose to use the volume during initialization or regeneration, you run the risk of losing any and all data on the volume if in the event the initialization process fails. Because of this, Microsoft recommends waiting for a complete initialization or regeneration of the stripe set before you use it to ensure the protection and integrity of your data.

MORE INFORMATION

The Event Viewer will contain events reporting when the stripe set starts initialization, completes initialization, or fails initialization.


   Event ID: 16
   Source: FTDISK
   Description: Synchronization of a stripe with parity set started.

   Event ID: 20
   Source: FTDISK
   Description: Synchronization of a stripe with parity set is complete.

   Event ID: 24
   Source: FTDISK
   Description: Synchronization of a stripe with parity failed.

For additional information, please see the following articles here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q135061
TITLE: Regeneration of a Stripe Set With Parity Disk Fails

Additional query words: SS generate


Keywords          : kbsetup NTSrv 
Version           : 3.1 3.5 3.51 4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: February 11, 1999