Hardware or Software RAID?

[j.drake.hoffman]

I plan on implementing a RAID1 setup with a 2-drive external enclosure with eSATA ports and will use a dual eSATA adapter in the 34mm ExpressCard slot in my uMBP. My question is this: would such a configuration be considered hardware or software RAID? I'm just a bit confused on the whole thing....

I ask bc I may need to access data from within Windows and from what I understand, utilities such as MacDrive can handle hardware RAID, but not software RAID. BTW, if anyone knows if this is true or not, that would be greatly appreciated!

I couldn't quite decide if this should go in this section, so if there is a more appropriate one, feel free to move it.

-Drake

 

[nanofrog]

I plan on implementing a RAID1 setup with a 2-drive external enclosure with eSATA ports and will use a dual eSATA adapter in the 34mm ExpressCard slot in my uMBP. My question is this: would such a configuration be considered hardware or software RAID? I'm just a bit confused on the whole thing....

It's software RAID.

I ask bc I may need to access data from within Windows and from what I understand, utilities such as MacDrive can handle hardware RAID, but not software RAID. BTW, if anyone knows if this is true or not, that would be greatly appreciated!

This would be correct.

Hardware RAID is independently operated from the OS. Software RAID isn't, so an OS that it wasn't created under can't read it. Even with MacDrive.