directory level (logical/virtual?) RAID

Question

First off, let me begin by stating that I do not even really know what I am LOOKING for, in terms of keywords to send to google. Therefore, if you can directly answer my question, great; if not, I would appreciate keyword suggestions as well.

I have a number of video files over three partitions on two hard drives, and am now running out of space once again. I have purchased a new hard drive to extend my space.

I would prefer NOT to:

• move all of those files over to the new drive exclusively
• have a fourth directory where I have to search for a particular clip

I would prefer to (in order of preference):

• install some sort of software that would perform some sort of virtual RAID operations. For example, the contents of all three folders would appear under the same (virtual?) "directory". This does NOT mean that I create shortcuts to all three folders and have them in some directory, as that would show only those three shortcuts. I want the CONTENTS shown. In SQL terms, the folder contents would be UNION-ed.
• Set up an LVM so that at least I can extend the space on a current partition to the new drive

The kicker: I'm on windows 7, not UNIX. Anybody have any suggestions on how I can accomplish this?

Worst case scenario, I will have to custom-write an application that bundles files from predetermined locations and loads them up on a button click or something. I prefer to avoid this course of action, however, as I am already in the middle of far too many coding projects.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The in-built Libraries feature seems to be what you're looking for:

What is a library?

Libraries are where you go to manage your documents, music, pictures, and other files. You can browse your files the same way you would in a folder, or you can view your files arranged by properties like date, type, and author.

In some ways, a library is similar to a folder. For example, when you open a library, you'll see one or more files. However, unlike a folder, a library gathers files that are stored in several locations. This is a subtle, but important, difference. Libraries don't actually store your items. They monitor folders that contain your items, and let you access and arrange the items in different ways. For instance, if you have music files in folders on your hard disk and on an external drive, you can access all of your music files at once using the Music library.

• Libraries FAQ

• Working with libraries

• Staying organized in Windows 7