Should I Defrag Hardware RAID Array

[baldhead]

I have never recieved a straight answer on this. In nature I have believed that defraging any RAID would be bad due to the nature of RAID. However I have heard people say that it is good to do in Windows due to how the files get fragmented on an OS level. I'm not sure about this and wanted feedback about if I should defrag my hardware RAID arrays? I am currently running RAID 5.

thanks
baldhead

 

[twoody54]

I use Diskeeper from Executive Software to automatically defrag my servers' hard drives every night and we run RAID1 and RAID5 in the various machines. When I installed it when we were running NT with the same server it made a HUGE difference in performance since NT didn't have a defragmenter. In fact, Microsoft likes Diskeeper so much that the defragmenter is now a watered down version from Executive Software that doesn't do as good of a job IMO. The only way to schedule defrags is with Diskeeper or some other 3rd party defragger.

 

[stunpals]

Is it safe to Defrag a Windows 2003 Server with Exch2003 running on it.??

 

[sab4you]

its my understanding that the exchange databases are in use, and hence cannot be moved - kinda like your pagefile.

any attempt to defrag should just work around files in use that cannot be moved.

 

[stunpals]

A MS Webcast specifically said not to use Windows defrag any server with a hardware RAID. They said to check with the RAID vendor for defrag instructions.

Is this MS way of saying "we are not sure what will happen if you use MS's defrag and we will not be responsible", any thoughts on this..??