Need help: can True Image clone a RAID 0 array onto a single disk?

[DeltaVictorCharlie]

Hi,

appreciate some help and advice. I am running a striped RAID 0 array and want to create a clone onto a single hard disk as a backup.

The single disk will need to be an exact bootable image of the RAID 0 array.

Can True Image do this?

Also, Is it possible to use an external USB drive as the clone?

thanks in advance

[smckeown]

-{ Quote: "Hi,

appreciate some help and advice. I am running a striped RAID 0 array and want to create a clone onto a single hard disk as a backup.

The single disk will need to be an exact bootable image of the RAID 0 array.

Can True Image do this?

thanks in advance" }-

Absolutely, Acronis doesnt know the volume is made of RAIDed disks. It only seems what the OS seems, and that's one volume

[Ralphie]

Be sure you know how Acronis uses the terms Backup, Image, and Clone. Rather than Clone an external drive, where you will only be able to have just one clone, make a Backup Image to the external. This way you can probably keep more than one Image - depending on the size of the image and size of the external.

[DeltaVictorCharlie]

does this mean that I can create an image on say, a usb hard drive and then create a bootable clone of my original raid 0 array?

appreciate your help

cheers

Dave


-{ Quote: "Be sure you know how Acronis uses the terms Backup, Image, and Clone. Rather than Clone an external drive, where you will only be able to have just one clone, make a Backup Image to the external. This way you can probably keep more than one Image - depending on the size of the image and size of the external." }-

[DeltaVictorCharlie]

does true image run in windows when creating the copy or does it need to reboot and run in dos?

thanks for your help

Dave

-{ Quote: "Absolutely, Acronis doesnt know the volume is made of RAIDed disks. It only seems what the OS seems, and that's one volume" }-

[Ralphie]

You can start it in Windows but it does a restart of some kind and runs in Linux. I always use the bootable Rescue cd which you make from the installed software. This CD has all the basic Backup, Recover, and Clone functions on it.
One reason you might want to Clone the usb drive is if you intend to remove the drive from its enclosure to use in the computer in place or your original C drive in case of emergency. Otherwise make backup Images on to the external.
Then to restore the Image, you would boot with the bootable CD and run the Recovery function - do not try this on your original C drive, always use a spare drive until you have 100% confidence that the Recovery function will work.

[Acronis Support]

Hello DeltaVictorCharlie,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Disk Backup Software (http://www.acronis.com/products/).

We are sorry for the delayed response.

Please be aware that there are two approaches available:

Clone Disk - migrates/copies the entire contents of one disk drive to another;

Backup - creates a special archive file for backup and disaster recovery purposes;

Please take a look at this FAQ article (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/faq/disk-clone-tool/) explaining the difference between Clone Disk and Backup approaches in more detail.

Actually, Clone Disk approach is usually used to upgrade the hard drive (e.g. install a larger disk), while Backup approach is basically dedicated for the complete data backup and disaster recovery purposes. Since you are interested in backing up your hard drive for the disaster recovery purposes, I would recommend you to follow Backup approach.

Moreover, there are several advantages of creating an image over the disk cloning procedure such as: you can create an image without rebooting your PC, image creation can be scheduled for the particular point in time, Acronis True Image allows you to create incremental and differential images, image archive contains only the actual data and so it has a smaller size, images are ordinary files and so they can be stored on any type of the supported media, etc. However, the final choice is always up to your needs.

Backup images can be created from withing Windows, but cloning procedure will require a reboot.

You can find more information on how to use Acronis True Image in the respective User's Guide (http://www.acronis.com/download/docs/).

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov