Create a RAID-5 volume

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To create a RAID-5 volume
Using the Windows interface
  1. Open Computer Management (Local).
  2. In the console tree, click Computer Management (Local), click Storage, and then click Disk Management.
  3. Right-click the unallocated space on one of the dynamic disks where you want to create the RAID-5 volume, and then click New Volume.
  4. In the New Volume Wizard, click Next, click RAID-5, and then follow the instructions on your screen.
Notes
  • To perform this procedure on a local computer, you must be a member of the Backup Operators group or Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. To perform this procedure remotely, you must be a member of the Backup Operators group or Administrators group on the remote computer. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
  • To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
  • You can create RAID-5 volumes only on computers running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, or Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
  • You need at least three (but no more than 32) dynamic disks to create a RAID-5 volume.
  • RAID-5 volumes provide fault tolerance at a cost of only one additional disk for the volume. For example, if you use three 10-GB disks to create a RAID-5 volume, the volume will have a 20-GB capacity. The remaining 10-GB is used for parity.
  • RAID-5 volumes cannot be extended or mirrored.
Using a command line
  1. Open Command Prompt.
  2. Type:

    diskpart
  3. At the DISKPART prompt, type:

    list disk

    Make note of the disk number of the disks where you want to create a RAID-5 volume.
  4. At the DISKPART prompt, type:

    create volume raid [size=n] disk=n,n,n

    Creates a RAID-5 volume of n MB on the selected disks.

Value
Description
list disk
Displays a list of disks and information about them, such as their size, amount of available free space, whether the disk is a basic or dynamic disk, and whether the disk uses the master boot record (MBR) or GUID partition table (GPT) partition style. The disk marked with an asterisk (*) has focus.
create volume raid
Creates a RAID-5 volume using three or more specified dynamic disks. After you create the volume, the focus automatically shifts to the new volume.
size= n
The amount of disk space, in megabytes (MB), that the volume will occupy on each disk. If no size is given, the largest possible RAID-5 volume will be created. The disk with the smallest available contiguous free space determines the size for the RAID-5 volume and the same amount of space is allocated from each disk. The actual amount of usable disk space in the RAID-5 volume is less than the combined amount of disk space because some of the disk space is required for parity.
disk= n
The dynamic disks on which to create the volume. An amount of space equal to size=n is allocated on each disk.
Notes
  • To perform this procedure on a local computer, you must be a member of the Backup Operators group, Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.
  • You can create RAID-5 volumes only on computers running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, or Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
  • You need at least three (but no more than 32) dynamic disks to create a RAID-5 volume.
  • RAID-5 volumes provide fault tolerance at a cost of only one additional disk for the volume. For example, if you use three 10-GB disks to create a RAID-5 volume, the volume will have a 20-GB capacity. The remaining 10-GB is used for parity.
  • RAID-5 volumes cannot be extended or mirrored.
  • For more information about DiskPart, see Related Topics.
Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.
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