Transfering RAID

[Gray The Alien]

Hello,

 

I currently have a server that is running four disks in RAID 10 on a RAID card. The server is running Windows Server 2016.

I am soon going to transfer the files over to a new machine that is running better hardware but would really like to keep all of my data as it currently sits so that I wouldn't need to essentially set up the OS and programs/file structures and that whole jazz again manually. I have the possibility to take backups from my server with the built-in software in the Server Manager, but I have never tested it out and I'm not sure if that will even work as I think it will. Please ask me for more info if necessary. I appreciate all the help.

 

My question is as following; Is there an easy way for me to transfer my setup over to the new machine like I was just moving the disks over (don't worry I am not going to just do that) and keep my things exactly as it currently is without needing to set it all up again.

 

Thanks!

[Viper9]

A software like Acronis Cyber Backup could be what you're looking for because you can clone to different hardware with it. 

 

 

So on the new server setup your RAID 10 first, and then try to clone your old to server to the new one. 

[SupaKomputa]

Windows to windows raid, you can just move the array to the new pc.

[truescot]

cloning is one way to go, if you have got new hard drives in the new machine, as viper9 mentioned Acromis is good for that (also check out hirens bootcd it has loads of nice utilities)  that being said, whilst you can transplant windows from one set of hardware to another I personally don't like it, there is always little problems that would bug the crap out of me and i never feel it is very reliable especially when you start looking at event viewer and getting paranoid.  If i where in your position i would consider looking at virtualisation and using p2v to transfer from the old server, it really does work well and virtualisation gives you a ton of options like adding a new vm when you want to upgrade windows for instance and transferring things over bit by bit till you are ready to go live with the new server.  Also means that if the server fails you can get any old piece of hardware, install the hypervisor and be up and running in no time at all.  ESXI is free for 99% of peoples use cases and i would always suggest going that route.

[Gray The Alien]

15 hours ago, truescot said:

cloning is one way to go, if you have got new hard drives in the new machine, as viper9 mentioned Acromis is good for that (also check out hirens bootcd it has loads of nice utilities)  that being said, whilst you can transplant windows from one set of hardware to another I personally don't like it, there is always little problems that would bug the crap out of me and i never feel it is very reliable especially when you start looking at event viewer and getting paranoid.  If i where in your position i would consider looking at virtualisation and using p2v to transfer from the old server, it really does work well and virtualisation gives you a ton of options like adding a new vm when you want to upgrade windows for instance and transferring things over bit by bit till you are ready to go live with the new server.  Also means that if the server fails you can get any old piece of hardware, install the hypervisor and be up and running in no time at all.  ESXI is free for 99% of peoples use cases and i would always suggest going that route.

Thank you for the reply. Lots of good info here that I will be checking on. Seems like it will be possible!

[Gray The Alien]

19 hours ago, Viper9 said:

A software like Acronis Cyber Backup could be what you're looking for because you can clone to different hardware with it. 

 

 

So on the new server setup your RAID 10 first, and then try to clone your old to server to the new one. 

Thank you for the reply! Will be checking out that software.