we have a new server with 80 GB HDD.
This server has some data on it.

we plan to have another 80GB HDD and have a RAID 1 option.

Can this be achieved without doing a OSreload?

This wouldn't be possible, the reason it wouldn't is because the array would need to be configured on the raid controller, and this would cause the drive to be formatted during the initial configuration.

oh no...
isnt there any possible way of doing this without formatting?

Backup, format, reinstall, and restore is the best way to go. Plan backups and failover for downtime and you should be good.

Is it possible to request a drive be ghosted (for lack of a better term), have RAID1 setup, and have the data moved back?

I'm well aware there are complications in doing such, but is this something ThePlanet is or would be able to do upon request?

To be honest, I would suggest that you use the secondary as a backup drive instead. RAID1 just is not the answer for a backup solution.

You would be MUCH better off using it as storage, backups, or a staging point for NAS or DiskSync.

And would save you from having to reconfigure EVERYTHING and also less downtime for the server.

I am running gentoo and am somewhat interested in adding a raid "array".

Is there an extra cost in addition to the extra HDD? You guys wont even touch my software since I am not using a supported distribution of linux... right?

If you are planning to use the hardware-based RAID-1 then there is a $30/mth fee for the card + one-time setup charges. That is according to the order form.

As to the issue of not touching your configuration, I have no idea. They might just reformat the harddisks to the OS that was installed initially.

Do you want to add an array to the system or convert your current system to using an array? Adding an array would require the rental of the card plus at least 2 drives. You likely wouldn't need to reload your OS since you merely need to recompile your kernel to use the 3ware driver and you should see the new array.

If you want to convert your current system over to an array you'd have to pay monthly for the card and at least one hard drive. You'd also need an OS reload since we'd need create a new array on your drive. You're likely to get RedHat Enterprise Linux on the system, but if you're super savvy enough you can install Gentoo remotely (which is what I assume you did in the first place ).

Actually... on *most* (I haven't used a 3ware solution yet, so I am not sure there) RAID controllers, you can tell it to copy the original drive when setting up the mirror set. I did this just last night on a system remotely for a friend. You tell it to do the original drive as the source, and no recompile needed (but he was running windows on the raid controller already, he just didn't have it mirrored like he wanted).

The raid card is scsi only right? Or will it go in a p2800?

Hmmm, on the Servermatrix order form, it appears that the RAID-1 card is IDE based.

Well it would have to be based on the storage devices you are using. Currently there are only IDE devices but some older SM customers might have SCSI so, to answer your question, if you've got IDE, then it would be an IDE-RAID controller. Same would apply if you had SCSI drives.