Installing a clean NT image onto an IBM Netfinity 704 box. Saved RAID configuration for the external array. Just wanted to confirm that I would be able to move the RAID card and import the saved configuration file for RAID 4. I was told by one tech that I could import the RAID settings back in and not lose my data from the external array as long as I didn't move the RAID card. Another tech said that I could move the card and still import the RAID settings, without losing the data on the external array. The external array has 200GBs of data that takes 72 hours straight to restore, so I would like to reinstall the server without restoring the data to the external array. I am planning on restoring the data to the internal drives on the server. My main concern is just with the external array.

Raid 4 huh. If you lose the parity disk and one of the raid set your info is history. Not a very efficent raid level. Should have gone for raid 10 but then you most likely have a older controller. Since this is a hardware solution you should be able to move the card and drives no problem. Keeping in mind that the drives need to be in EXACTLY the same order as they were before. But if you are just reimaging the system then why do you need to move the card? Do these disks also house the OS partition? I sure hope not!!! What should happen when you reinstall/reimage NT is the first time you boot up you need to go into disk administrator. It will ask to write a signature to the array [it sees it as a single disk] and you will say OK. I should appear as normal in disk administrator. Understand that disk rights assignments will only be valid of users that exist in the image. You will have to recreate access rights after the reimage.