Hard disk manager suite 2011 professional?

[buser]

My goal is to backup at the sector level of windows 7 64bit ultimate, and restore at the raw level onto another disk with multiple SSD possibly spanning dynamic volumes (mirrors, stripes, raid5). Basically do this before booting the OS. HDM 2011 suite currently does not do this right?

If I buy HDM 2010 professional does this automatically qualify me for upgrades to HDM 2011 professional? I don't know how long the wait is for professional version.

[Mech_An]

HDM Pro 2011 is already released http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-professional/

Could you please clarify:
1) Your source Windows 7 is installed to Basic volume or Dynamic?
2) Do you want to migrate your Windows 7 from Basic volume to Dynamic?

[buser]

Thanks. I see 2011 professional is out.

Let's say I already have windows 7 64bit ultimate partition installed on a windows software raid5. This raid is sitting on multiple SSD. I think the professional version should handle this situation.

After I backup that partition to 1 image, I want to restore it back to let's say another set of new SSD drives. That should be no problem with the professional version?

[buser]

And also tryin to understand what you pointed out earlier.

Let's say I have windows 7 64-bit installed on a basic volume sitting on a single SSD. Are you saying HDM professional version can move that basic volume to a dynamic raid spanning multiple (like 5) SSD before booting into the OS?

[Mech_An]

Originally Posted by buser

And also tryin to understand what you pointed out earlier.

Let's say I have windows 7 64-bit installed on a basic volume sitting on a single SSD. Are you saying HDM professional version can move that basic volume to a dynamic raid spanning multiple (like 5) SSD before booting into the OS?

It's not possible

[Mech_An]

Originally Posted by buser

Thanks. I see 2011 professional is out.

Let's say I already have windows 7 64bit ultimate partition installed on a windows software raid5. This raid is sitting on multiple SSD. I think the professional version should handle this situation.

After I backup that partition to 1 image, I want to restore it back to let's say another set of new SSD drives. That should be no problem with the professional version?

Backup of Dynamic drive could be restored to the original location saving the RAIDed configuration or to another drive as Simple Dynamic volumes (non RAIDed). The reason is: software RAIDs are very sensitive to any changes in partitioning.

[buser]

Ok I bought HDM 2011 prof. I am now slowly trying different scenarios. You are right the boot disk cannot exist on multiple dynamic disks. So don't have to worry about backing up that scenario, cause windows 7 would not let you set it up that way to begin with.

Backing up a single bootdisk SSD to multiple DVD, and then restoring it was cakewalk. I got it to backup restore no problem. And that's restoring to a separate SSD of the same size.

It seems that HDM can read and write to already-made dynamic partitions using the bootdisk. But HDM cannot alter or modify dynamic partitions at all.

[Mech_An]

Originally Posted by buser

It seems that HDM can read and write to already-made dynamic partitions using the bootdisk. But HDM cannot alter or modify dynamic partitions at all.

Yes, all partitioning operations are not available for Dynamic volumes.

[buser]

Well if the dynamic partitions are already defined in windows, I can restore to it. This restore scenario worked for me. I just tried it using the winPE bootdisk.

Backup
1 x 128GB SSD c-drive basic volume
1 x 256GB SSD d-drive basic volume

Restore
1 x 128GB SSD c-drive basic volume (another SSD)
2 x 128GB SSD d-drive dynamic stripe volume (2 x another SSD)

So you can write to a dynamic volume.

[buser]

http://www.paragon-software.com/busi...omparison.html

So at the comparison site for Dynamic volume, it saids it can "Drive partitioning and disaster recovery operations for MS dynamic volumes"

You can write to a dynamic partition, but not actually use the same winPE disk to alter that dynamic partition. Is it safe to say that I will need a separate product Partition manager, to really modify dynamic partitions before restoring with HDM?

[buser]

Like before I boot into the OS, I want to boot off some kind of winPE type disk that can create dynamic stripe, raid, mirror all the fancy types of partitions with SSD. Will Partition manager be able to create such a disk?

[SIW2]

I don't think many, if any, imaging apps. will support that kind of thing in software raid.

[Mech_An]

Originally Posted by buser

http://www.paragon-software.com/busi...omparison.html

So at the comparison site for Dynamic volume, it saids it can "Drive partitioning and disaster recovery operations for MS dynamic volumes"

You can write to a dynamic partition, but not actually use the same winPE disk to alter that dynamic partition. Is it safe to say that I will need a separate product Partition manager, to really modify dynamic partitions before restoring with HDM?

It appears to be a bug in description. Option to move\resize\create\delete Dynamic volumes is not available in HDM and Partition Manager too.

[buser]

Is it possible for the most expensive HDM virtual server version to reshape dynamic partitions at the winPE bootdisk level?

My newbie run with HDM11 has been IMHO the most successful backup restore effort ever. Now I djust need dynamic partition reshaping to make it that much sweeter.

[Mech_An]

Unfortunately, none of the Paragon products include Dynamic drives partitioning options.