I'm moving data from three (3) 900GB 10K RPM SAS 6Gbps 2.5in Hot-plug Hard Drive in RAID 5 to four 2TB Samsung 860 EVO drives in a RAID10 configuration.
Currently the OS is Windows Server 2008R2. I'm installing Windows Server 2012R2 on the SSDs. What's the best way to install 2012R2 on the four SSDs but still be able to go back and load the 2008R2 while the server is in production use.
I tried logging into the Dell Perc H710 RAID controller. I can switch the booting from the old Virtual Disk (VD) to the new VD very easily, but when I tried installing 2012R2 on the new VD, it says I need to enable UEFI in BIOS. I'm afraid that if I enable UEFI in BIOS for the new VD, I won't be able to boot into the original VD when I change the booting in the H710 setup.
Or, can I change the BIOS to UEFI and boot from newVD, install 2012R2, and then go back to BIOS and remove UEFI and log into H710 and change boot to oldVD? I don't know if that makes sense.
Or, should I just create new media with 2012R2 and make it bootable in MBR and legacy BIOS. But, will the 2012R2 then allow me to use the 2TB drives to their fullest size?
I don't know if I'm explaining it correctly but any help will be appreciated. I'm going in tomorrow morning.
Thanks!!
Currently the OS is Windows Server 2008R2. I'm installing Windows Server 2012R2 on the SSDs. What's the best way to install 2012R2 on the four SSDs but still be able to go back and load the 2008R2 while the server is in production use.
I tried logging into the Dell Perc H710 RAID controller. I can switch the booting from the old Virtual Disk (VD) to the new VD very easily, but when I tried installing 2012R2 on the new VD, it says I need to enable UEFI in BIOS. I'm afraid that if I enable UEFI in BIOS for the new VD, I won't be able to boot into the original VD when I change the booting in the H710 setup.
Or, can I change the BIOS to UEFI and boot from newVD, install 2012R2, and then go back to BIOS and remove UEFI and log into H710 and change boot to oldVD? I don't know if that makes sense.
Or, should I just create new media with 2012R2 and make it bootable in MBR and legacy BIOS. But, will the 2012R2 then allow me to use the 2TB drives to their fullest size?
I don't know if I'm explaining it correctly but any help will be appreciated. I'm going in tomorrow morning.
Thanks!!