Hot swappage of HDD in drive bay....

Buzz Lightyear, This is Star Command! Planet Earth Needs You!

Hey Howdy Techs and Techettes! I am about order parts for a server for a business client who wants to do backups to hard drives as opposed to tape...his software supplier [med flex?] has convinced him of this need; I personally have no emotions in regards to this approach...

Anyhoo we are looking at these real sweet drive bays (if you care= <a href="http://www.startech.com/ststore/searchframe.asp?product_desc=ide66prodrwr&Descript ion=Search+Results&Topbar=true&Search.x=9&Search.y =8)" target="_blank">http://www.startech.com/ststore/searchframe.asp?product_desc=ide66prodrwr&Descript ion=Search+Results&Topbar=true&Search.x=9&Search.y =8)</a> which claim to be good for hot-swappiness as long as "the operating system is configured to recognize the drive as a removable drive"...

So, assuming the OS is WIN2K Server, Does anyone have experience with configging a particular HDD as a Removable Drive for this purpose? If so; how, in brief, do you set it up in the OS? Also, if so, can I handle it? I would just looove to be able to do this for these guys...

Thanks, much love, have a fabulous weekend, etc...

Your Pal,

Stan

XXOO

I had it with NT (4.0) based system.
in this system you had to use the same config Disks (same size, geometry Etc.). you have pressed a button on the the drive bay -> system freeze -> replace hdd -> press button.
Now thats not exactly HotSwappable.... But it is the closest thing I saw.

P.s. Hot swap systems always gives me the shivers. If raid is on system I prefer Hot Spare.
Let the machine do the dirty work...

Cheers,
Gabriel

Been there, tried that. I have seven hot swap
cradles here if you want one or two. All take
a performance hit and are touchy. Maybe the new ones will handle ATA 100. Adding a Firewire port and getting a 100 or 120 gig Firewire drive may be a better answer.

Or you could use USB 2 on the back up drive.

promise and lian do a nice range , here is a promise one <a href="http://www.promise.com/product/subsys_detail_eng.asp?pid=14&fid=5" target="_blank">http://www.promise.com/product/subsys_detail_eng.asp?pid=14&fid=5</a>

FtF

I don't like HDD hotswaps bays :( - I've seen too many died hotswap bays last times (even personally had few hotswap bays died on me). :(
As addittion, have seen also few harddrives died (what were used in those HDD hotswaps).
Some of them died because of HDD overheating - it's hard to get enough cooling (cheap hotswap bays :mad: ). Another HDDs were having problem with electronics after one of switching transistors (+5V channel) died and damaged also HDD's electronics...
Have seen also some of harddrives worked unreliable because of high enough drop-out of transistor switches, and, as result, output voltages were lower than it should be.
I do not saying here about mechanical failures...

So, I would rather go with an external Fireware backup harddrive or another device...