My current filer server runs Windows 2003 server, and has a 850GB single volume spanned across multiple disks. While this allows me maximum storage space, it fails to protect my data.

As time goes on I have been getting more and more worried about a possible hard disk failure. With my current setup, 1 faulty disk and I loose all my data.

The plan is to recreate the volume using 5x250GB drives with raid 5. This will not only make my data fault tolerant, but will also increase my storage capacity to 1TB.

[update] The backup has begun, and I suspect its going to take a couple of days just to copy the movies. I haven’t started sorting the television shows as of yet, but I am sure its going to be a pain in the ass and take just as long to copy to the other filer.
Pics of the process to be posted soon. But first things first I need to backup. Thanks in part to good timing I have been able to burrow my buddy Joe’s file server while he is in NY.

[update-update] Final stage of the backup is underway. Thats right by the time I get home from work the entire contents of my filer should be transfered onto the borrowed one and I’ll be ready to rebuild.