This is a really simple question, and the answer is probably encoded in various wikipedia articles, however my question is reasonably specific, and I need a bulletproof answer! I'm not sure if my question pertains to hardware RAID in general, or to the specific RAID controller I'm working on. Either way it is the Dell SAS 6/iR (this is an LSI sas1068e chipset).

I simply want to:

1. remove a set of striped (RAID 0) disks from this RAID controller in a server
2. put in another set of disks, and create a RAID 1 array (or create a new 'virtual disk', as they call it in the SAS 6/iR manual)
3. Do stuff with the new RAID 1 array
4. Have the option of putting back the old set of disks (the RAID 0 striped ones)

I am quite sure this is possible, but I need some form of reliable, evidence-based answer as it's for a client of mine, and I need to migrate their data safely.

The question: can I actually do the above? Does the RAID configuration get stored on the disks themselves, or in the hardware controller? Is any data stored in the hardware controller?

If there is any chance I cannot completely restore operation of the first set of disks I removed, then I need to know about it!

The manual alludes to the answer to this question (see page 45 of this document), and talks about activating an array of disks.

I just need someone to confirm I can definitely do the above.

See, simple question, right? :)