Best protocol for dual booting on a hardware RAID 0 array?

Hi folks. I would like to dual boot Windows 7 and Arch. I'll append the specs. I have a Terrabyte to split evenly between the two drives - each is 500G. Unless someone can come up with a reason and convince me otherwise, I want to do away with the RAID array. There's no redundancy anyhow and the speed I would lose breaking the array is negligible, therefore irrelevant.
My issue is that I have a RAID 0 hardware array with Intel Rapid Storage Technology as the controller. The computer did NOT come with a Windows disk, but rather a recovery partition. It is my understanding that if I break the array, I will lose the recovery partition and will not be able to reinstall Windows - which I need. IF....the recovery partition can be unphased by breaking the array and I can use it to reinstall Windows, I would prefer that since I may need to recover Windows in the future. It's not a deal breaker if I can't keep the recovery partition, since I have the Windows key.
Is this the ideal protocol?:
1. Backup - I plan on using Alienware Respawn or Clonezilla to backup to a CD and will also backup to an external drive.
2. Break array, but do not alter BIOS to AHCI - leave as RAID.
3. Restore Windows on one drive.
4. Install Arch on second drive.
5. Configure GRUB.
6. Smoke stogie or alternatively weep because I turned my computer into a brick.
At which stage does the partitioning come in? Before or after breaking the array? Is there a better method, than the one I listed. I have spent days scouring Google and the forums and while it's easy to find info on breaking a hardware RAID, there isn't much on doing this with the recovery partition and Alienware Respawn aspects involved. Any help would be appreciated. Please don't kill me or shred my diameter.
==================================================================================
Specs:
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 740 @ 1.73GHz 1.73 Ghz: 8 Intel(R) Core (TM) i7 CPU q740 @ 1.73GHz
Installed Memory: 8.00 GB RAM
64 Bit Operating System
Alienware M17X10
Windows 7 Home Premium
Performance Options: DEP turned on. Virtual Memory: 8180 MB
Architecture: AMD64 Intel64 Family 6 Model 30 Stepping 5, GenuineIntel
Computer: ACPI x64-based PC
Display Adapters: 2 ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5800 Series
DVD/CD-ROOM: HL-DT-ST DVDRWBD CA10N
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers: Ricoh PCIe Memory Stick Host Controller, Ricoh PCIe SD/MMC Host Controller, and Ricoh PCIe xD-Picture Card Controller
IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers: Ricoh 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller
Imaging devices: Integrated Webcam
Mice; 3 HID-Compliant Mouse and Synaptics PS/2 Port Toch Pad
Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
Sound, video and game controllers: AMD High Definition Audio Device and High Definition Audio Device
Storage Controllers: Intel(R) Mobile Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller

I think the big thing will be backing up. I don't know anything about the two programs you would use, but I know that if I dd copy the disks, I would have to change the size of the partitions to match the size of the new partitions. IE: I have Arch installed on a RAID0 of 32GB each, and if I wanted to break my RAID and install on just one disk, I would have to shrink the size of my dd'ed copy to match the smaller drive.
Otherwise, it looks like you have the right idea, or at least the right direction.

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[SOLVED]Proper Partitioning for Dual-boot

I am attempting to dual-boot Windows XP and Arch, except I've left no free space...
Do I have to reformat?
Also, a question on windows. It uses 1 partition for everything, then allows you to create logical ones, right?
Last edited by Haptic (2011-06-22 04:31:38)

Haptic wrote:
I am attempting to dual-boot Windows XP and Arch, except I've left no free space...
Do I have to reformat?
Also, a question on windows. It uses 1 partition for everything, then allows you to create logical ones, right?
What Mardoct said about resizing w/ gparted is true, so unless you have the data backed-up, do it as your own risk. Can you post a screenshot of a gparted map of your drive?
As you know, Win needs to be the first partition on the drive. You are limited to four primary partitions, so if you want more, make three primary partitions, then the rest of the space an an extended partition. Inside the extended partition, you can add many logical partitions. I'd recommend doing all this from within gparted.
My 1 TB drive example:
/dev/sda1 (primary for windows), 20 gigs
/dev/sda2 (primary for Arch), 20 gigs
/dev/sda3 (backup of my Arch partition), 20 gigs
/dev/sda4 (EXTENDED PARTITION), 873 gigs
/dev/sda5 (logical for /home), 72 gigs
/dev/sda6 (logical for /var), 8 gigs
/dev/sda7 (logical for /boot), 0.11 gigs
/dev/sda8 (logical for /data), 784 gigs
/dev/sda9 (logical for swap), 8 gigs
As a side note, you can also you gparted to copy/paste entire partitions which makes keeping backup very easy. My /dev/sda3 is a periodic backup of my live Arch partition.
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DFP3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
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1024x768 50.0 75.0 60.0
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Best protocol for dual booting on a hardware RAID 0 array?

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