Need help with cloning strategy for Vaio z

Hi,

I have been a ThinkPad user for a many years and now have ordered my first Sony Vaio Z. I will have it in about a week.

Its configuration is,
Product: US-VPCZ1290X-LBOM
Component: Standard Capacity Battery
Component: No Fresh Start (the option was not available with window ultimate)
Component: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
Component: No Mobile Broadband Built-In
Component: CD/DVD Player/Burner
Component: Intel Core i7-620M processor
Component: 13.1" VAIO Full HD Premium Display (1920x1080)
Component: Premium Carbon Fiber
Component: Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Component: 512GB (256GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID 0
Description: VPCZ1290X Configure-to-Order

I’m trying to come up with a cloning strategy. ThinkPad was easy since you could use a second hard drive in its Ultrabay but Vaio z is obviously different.

I have come up with two ideas after going through many posts especially posts by ZoinksS2k. Thank you ZoinksS2k

The cloning is very important for me as I travel a lot and in case of accident, I need to get my Vaio Z up and running fast.

I appreciate any input on either one of them or if someone has a better idea please chip in.

First one:
1- Make a recovery DVD (I’m not sure how it works with Windows 7 Ultimate as an option. They might give me a Window 7 Ultimate OEM DVD).
2- Change the RAID 0 to JOBD
3- Create a TRIM command (need help with this as I’m not sure if window 7 will do it automatically)
4- Use the recovery DVD to install the window 7 on first drive (C drive)
5- Make a clone of C drive in a folder in the second drive (D drive) with Shadowprotect 4.0
6- Check the two SSD drives alignment with Paragon Alignment Tool

Second one:
1- Make a recovery DVD
2- Clone my 512GB drive on a USB drive with Shadowprotect 4

The problem with choice two is I always have to carry the USB drive with me. However, as I understand the RAID 0 will be faster.

Any better idea? Will my cloning ideas works?

Thanks

Sepy

 

I wrote up a guide that seems to be perfect for your need.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/512180-how-make-full-backup-your-vaio-z.html

As I understand correctly you want to split the quad-RAID up and start over with a clean install. If so, follow these steps:

1. Configure your drive arrays as desired (JBOD/RAID or mixed)
2. Install your system to your destination drive you want to clone
3. Throw in the BootCD described in my howto
4a. Clone your primary system drive to another SSD in your JBOD or to a RAID array, whatever you like, both works.
4b. Clone your drive as backup to an external drive if needed

If you want to clone the original system coming on your Z to a single SSD in your array (so you have a 1x128gb single SSD and 3x128gb RAID) follow these steps:

1. Throw in the BootCD described in my howto
2. Clone your entire array temporary to an external drive (Drive to Image)
3. Configure your drive arrays as desired
4. Boot up the BootCD again
5. Clone the temporary array image file to the single SSD (Image to Drive) and or to other single SSDs
6. Copy the array image file to your RAID array to have access all times.

Finish.


Then you will be all set to go back whenever you want. I dont know what Shadowprotect is, maybe you can also use it with the BootCD. The guide takes Ghost as an example but you can use whichever drive imaging/cloning software you like. Note that you need a proper license to use Ghost included in the guide since that is a commercial software.

 

Thanks pyr0.

ShadowProtect is like Ghost.
Backup and disaster recovery software for computers

Yes, you understood me correctly. I want to break the Double-RAID (256GBx2) to two separate drives. However, I do not want to make a clean install from scratch. The recovery DVD will be good enough for me.

I went through your guide and need some clarification, as I don’t understand it.

Why do I need BootCD?

I thought once I configure my drives to JBOD I can install the Window 7 ultimate from my recovery DVD to the Drive C.
If I can do that then I will just boot up and make a compress clone of my C drive to D drive as clone backup.
Unless of course my recovery DVD will create a RAID 0 again?
Is this the case?

In addition, once I make a JBOD will window 7 ultimate make TRIM command on both drives automatically? If not how do I do that?

Thanks

Sepy

 

I have to clarify that you have 512 GB with 4x128 GB drives RAIDed. With that you can enable JBOD and you get 4x128GB with TRIM support which is turned on automatically in Win 7. If you want 2x256GB, you have to split the original RAID 0 array up in two RAID-0s containing 2 of your SSDs each. With RAID arrays, you wont have TRIM support - the internal garbage collection will do the job for you.

Unfortunately, I did not use a recovery CD yet. I guess that the recovery disc will not care about RAID or non-RAID drives.
Note that when you break the RAID configuration up, all your saved data is lost.

 

Hi,

According to my spec, I have 2 X 256 SSD in RAID 0

I think in Europe it comes with 4X128GB but in USA it comes with 2X256GB

Once I get my Vaio Z I try the recovery DVD and update my post.

 

Trust me, you get 2 SSD modules with 256 GB each (double side 128GB) - in total your system sees 4x128 GB - if there was a real 2x256 GB version, we would have several people here having a TB SSD in their Z. Sony's advertisement for the US sucks. For additional information have a look here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/6078967-post1.html

 

Hi,

Thank you for the clarification.

Is there any way to make them to 2 drives of 265GB instead of 4X128GB?

Sepy

 

Yeah go to the BIOS setup, activate show RAID config in the advanced tab, reboot, press Ctrl+I when prompted and setup two RAID0 arrays with 2 disks each (select the ones with the same serial# for each array to increase data integrity).

As I already noted you don't have TRIM support on RAID0, but since the GC makes a good job, you won't suffer under long-term performance degradation. Just make sure you leave at least 20GB free on the drive.

 

Thanks again,

In general do you think I'm better off with 4X128 in long term?

ThinkPad wasn't this complicated!

Sepy

 

ThinkPad wasn't this fast!