¿Como Reinstalar Windows 10, para operar correctamente Sistema Raid 5?

Guarocuya · ‎10-01-2020

Hola.

Tengo una PC i7 del 2012 con W10 en SSD de 500 GB, y un sistema RAID 5 de 4x6 TB HDD. Duré varias semanas con un Windows muy inestable que se reiniciaba con pantalla azul interdiario, y el Raid se ponía en "Rebuilt" varias veces a la semana.

Finalmente reinstalé el W10 con el controlador Intel Rapid Storage Technology 17.9.1.1009, pero el 1er día me dio una pantalla azul y tengo un disco del Raid dañado ("Failed") que me llega mañana. No me ha vuelto a dar problemas el SO desde ese día, hace ya una semana (sin tener conectado el sistema Raid 5). Pero aun me han quedado algunas cosas pendientes para corregir en la proxima reinstalación del W10 que necesito hacer para ver si reinstalo el sistema Raid con el disco de reemplazo que me llega mañana.

Aquí te presento mi pregunta a fin de tratar de instalar lo mejor posible el W10 en esta ocasión y que opere lo mejor posible el sistema Raid 5.

¿Cómo hacer que el SSD donde pondré el W10 sea tipo RAID, para poder usarlo como memoria caché? El motherboard explica que si lo tengo en formato Raid el disco SSD, puedo configurarlo como Cache de Memoria ROM no volátil del sistema RAID (Ver foto). Creo haber seguido los pasos y no parece estar el SSD como Raid, ya no me sale opción de "accelerate" el Grupo Raid, al correr el "Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management".

Yo he seguido los 4 pasos indicados abajo en la foto, pero cuando entro al controlador de discos (antes de que suba el BIOS) me dice que el SSD es NON-RAID, por lo que no tengo la opción luego de activar la aceleración del sistema RAID ni que se sea a través de memoria no volátil.

En otro foro leí que los sistemas Raid 5 se recomienda que tengan la controladora con baterías, para que la memoria no se pierda ante apagados repentinos. ¿El uso del SSD como memoria cache evita que un apagado inesperado o un cuelgue del sistema inhabilite el sistema Raid?

Gracias,

G2R

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-02-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

I would like to inform you that our support is only provided in English. We may not be able to translate screenshots attached to the thread. To better assist you, we use a translation tool, hence; the translation may not be completely accurate.

So we can have more information from your system, please provide the following:

1. Run the Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) and attach the report generated:

Open the application, check the "Everything" box, and click on "Scan" to see the system and device information. By default, Intel® SSU will take you to the "Summary View".
Click on the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".
To save your scan, click on "Next", then "Save".
Use the option under the reply window to attach the report to the thread (Drag and drop here or browse files to attach).

2. Get the System Report for Intel® Rapid Storage Technology and provide the report generated.

In case you are unable to get the reports from Windows, please provide the following:

Motherboard brand and model number.
BIOS version.
Processor brand and model number.
Operating System version and build.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Guarocuya · ‎10-04-2020

Hi:

I am attaching the report from "Intel SSU". There was no report about the Intel RST. Within the "Intel RST Rom" it says that they Failed (see the picture attached). I haven't yet procced to Recover the Raid Volume. Also I already bought a new HDD to substitude the failed one. I will wait for you.

Also I am going to reinstall W10 and I want to be able to use part of my SSD to speed up the RAID volume, and obtain a better performance using non-volatile memory as cache, but unfortunately I have not found the correct method to do such a thing. Please advise me about it. I followed the instructions in the Mother Board (photo from original message), but the "Intel RST Rom" says the SSD is Non-Raid (today's photo), and the "Intel RST User Interphase" doesn't present the option to custumize the acceleration of the RAID Volume (see photo).

Thanks,

Guarocuya (G2R)

n_scott_pearson · ‎10-02-2020

My interpretation of your description is that you have a SATA SSD and four SATA HDDs in a RAID5 array. You would like to use a part of this SSD for the installation of Windows 10 and a part of this SSD as a, Intel SRT cache to accelerate the performance of the RAID5 array. If this is the case, I have a document that walks you through the process. I wrote it for the Intel NUC platforms, but it should apply equally well for older machines. You can respond here with any questions that you might have.

...S

Guarocuya · ‎10-04-2020

Thank you n_scott_pearson for your reply.

Your interpretation is correct. I read your document, very interesting and detailed. Let's see first what is the answer from the moderator, before trying to follow your protocol.

Thanks,

Guarocuya

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-05-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Thank you for the information.

@n_scott_pearson, thank you as well for sharing the complete guide with us, hopefully it will be very useful.

After checking the picture of the ROM menu, I saw that there are 2 RAID 5 volumes created and both reported as Failed. In that case, you will need to recreate the array from scratch:

1. Please keep in mind that the disk is shown as non-RAID because it is not part of any array for now.

2. To delete the array, try the following: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000035350/memory-and-storage.html

Access the ROM interface
Use the up or down arrow keys to select “Delete RAID” Volume.
Use the up or down arrow keys to select the RAID volume.
Press Delete to delete the volume.
Press Y to confirm the deletion.

3. Now you can use the guide provided by n_scott_pearson, to start the array from scratch and use a part of the SSD as cache to improve the performance.

4. This is very important, please note that in the 4th step "Enable Intel® SRT", you need to go to Enable Acceleration to complete this process, but you are unable to find it using the new Intel® RST. This is because the versions 15.9.x and newer do not have this option available anymore; I checked in your system's manufacturer (OEM) site and noticed there are not drivers/tools available for Windows* 10, you may want to keep this into consideration.

5. Based on the above, you can try using the generic Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) User Interface and Driver version: 14.8.16.1063. On the following open page, find and click on SetupRST.zip. After the download, install the driver on your system and complete the 4th step in the guide previously provided: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26759/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-User-Interface-and-Driver?product=55005

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Guarocuya · ‎10-05-2020

Hi Sebastian:

I think you may be confused with the reading of my screen from the "iRST Rom". Let me tell how I interpret the data shown and let me know if I am wrong. I got 4 HDD (each 6TB) forming the Raid 5 arrays (I divided the whole set, one unit Raid5 has a capacity of 6.8 TB, and the other 9.5TB). Both are reported as failed because one of the 4 HDD that conform the Raid5 array is reported in red as "Error Occurred (0,1)", while the other 3 HDD are OK with green color values. My understanding according to what I see is that I can replace the single HDD that presents the error and then enter "iRST Rom" and hit Yes for the Recover Volume option (the question that is actually presented on the picture). The Raid 5 is supposed to recover from one single HDD that fails as my case.

Now talking about the item 4 & 5 from your response you suggest to use the Intel RST version 14.8 instead of the 17.9? I read before a few days ago that the iRST won't present the option to accelerate if my system doesn't have configured correctly the SSD to do that task. I believe it was part of the help from Intel RST 16.8 that I had installed a week ago (the actual version 17.9 doesn't have any help menu).

The guide that @n_scott_pearson developed is highly valuable, but there should be an easier method developed by Intel for a service that is provided by Intel RST in conjunction with a SSD. After reading for a 2nd time the nice article from n_scott I see that he explains that the problem is that the SSD for acceleration has to be created from an OS installed on another physical disc to be able to work.

I found this article from Intel Smart Response Technology (iSRT), , https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005501/boards-and-kits.html that seems very simple about the topic and is including my Motherboard on the list, but they only mention Windows 7 & 8 (not W10, maybe this was written before W10 was released).

My final questions are:

1) Can I try to recover the Array 5 changing the Disk #4 that got the error. While the other 3 disks are OK?

2) May I be able to get the acceleration option to work, using the iRST version 17.9 combined with the method provided by n_scott on the "iRST User Interfase", based on what I remember have read in the help of the iRST version 16.8?

3) Will I be able to incorporate a portion of an SSD as cache memory (and the rest for installing my W10), using the iRST version 14.8 (instead of the more recent ones)?

Thanks,

Guarocuya (G2R)

Guarocuya · ‎10-06-2020

@Sebastian_M_Intel

Hi Sebastian.

Did you receive the replay I sent yesterday? I am Waiting for your inputs.

Guarocuya

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-06-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Thank you for your reply.

I would like to clarify that the latest version you can use with your system is 14.8, higher ones are not supported as you can see in the readme file: https://downloadmirror.intel.com/28992/eng/Readme.txt. You may want to check with the OEM for compatibility between the Intel® RST tool, this chipset, and Windows 10 as they don't offer drivers: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/H77MA-G43#down-driver&Win10%2064

Please check the answers your questions below:

1. It is not possible to recover the RAID if it is reported as failed, you can recover it if it is degraded, however; a failed RAID means no data, no structure. You will need to recreate the array from scratch.

2. As mentioned above, the latest version with support for acceleration is the 14.8, 16.8 or 17.9 do not include this feature, and they are not supported for your system either.

3. Our recommendation is not to use a OS+cache configuration in the same drive, our recommendation is to use a single SSD just for acceleration and use another drive as a bootable device instead. The guide you mentioned above (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005501/boards-and-kits.html) does work and indeed shows your system, so you can also use those steps. However, the guide provided by n_scott_pearson has extra details to use the SSD for caching and boot (which we do not recommend, but you would like to accomplish), nevertheless; you need to keep in mind that it was made for Intel® NUCs and has not been validated in desktop computers like yours.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Links to third-party sites and references to third-party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, Intel® is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third-party endorsement of Intel or any of its products is implied.

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-08-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Were you able to check the previous post and get the information requested? Please let me know if you need more assistance.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Guarocuya · ‎10-08-2020

Hi Sebastian_M_Intel

I am ordering today a 250 GB Nvme memory to use for Cache, independent to the Disk that contains the W10. I have to wait for them to follow your guidance next week. One question, If I use the suggested 64GB for acceleration, Will I benefic of using bigger cache size like 100 GB? What can I do with the remaining part of the 250 GB of the new Nvme SSD?

Meanwhile I may be reinstalling W10 to try to get it to be in GPT, with the iRST 14.8, and replace the HDD with error and expect a "miracle" with my information that may be lost as you said previously.

Thanks,

Guarocuya

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-09-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Thank you for your reply.

Please keep in mind that the maximum size allowed for cache will be up to 64GB, no more than that, and the rest of the space in the disk cannot be used, that is why it is recommended to buy a disk of 64GB maximum.

We will be looking forward to hearing back from you with the outcome of the previously offered steps.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

n_scott_pearson · ‎10-09-2020

Actually, @Sebastian_M_Intel, while you are correct regarding the maximum size for the cache, you most definitely *can* use the rest of the drive. Intel SRT allows you to create a standard drive within the remaining space on the SSD (it will actually appear to be a RAID0 array, but you can use it just as you would any other (logical) drive (i.e. as a standard drive, boot drive, system drive, etc.)). See the details of this process in the white paper that I released before I retired (attached to an earlier post in this conversation).

...S

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-12-2020

Hello @n_scott_pearson,

Thank you for the information.

We actually double-checked this internally and did not find any official documentation stating the usage of the remaining disk space.

We will keep this in mind for future testing and documentation. Hopefully, that will be useful for other peers that can be following this thread, and if @Guarocuya is able to test it, we will have a confirmation.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Guarocuya · ‎10-19-2020

Hi Sebastian:

In regards to the use of the remaining portion of the SSD used as cache for acceleration @n_scott_pearson is right when he says it can be used for data.

It is written in the help of the Intel RST User Interface version 14.8. I attached a screen shot of the Spanish version and I am quoting here:

"Aceleración con unidades de estado sólido". "Configure automáticamente un segundo volumen en el dispositivo de caché que se pueda usar como volumen de datos accesible por el usuario. Hágalo si la unidad de estado sólido utilizada como dispositivo de caché tiene más de 64 GB, o si opta por utilizar menos de la capacidad total de la unidad de estado sólido para el volumen de caché. En ambos casos, se requiere un mínimo de 2 GB de espacio."

My Raid is still in process of Rebuilding and then make a backup of the whole data. So I have to wait for that to see if I can activate the NVMe memory for cache.

Guarocuya

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-16-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

By any chance, do you have on update on this matter? Please let me know if you need more assistance.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Guarocuya · ‎10-18-2020

Hi Sebastian:

I got great news. I installed the W10 with the iRST 14.8 as you told me (instead of using the latest version 17.9) and after a couple of days that everything was the same (when I connected the 4 HDD with the "Failed" status). And meanwhile I was trying to recover the information talking with the people from the application "ReclaiMe" (I didn't got to use it), all my data stored in the Raid Volume came back, and both volumes of the Raid Array are now Rebuilding.

I will comment more in the following days to try to find out with you and @Scott what may have happened in here.

Thanks,

Guarocuya

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-20-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Thank you for the update.

I am glad to hear that you are in the process of rebuilding the array, please feel free to let us know how this process ends.

Thank you very much for confirming that the tool should be able to use the remaining part of the SSD for data, I am sorry for the inacurrate information provided before.

As soon as you have an update, please post it on this thread.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Sebastian_M_Intel · ‎10-23-2020

Hello Guarocuya,

Were you able to rebuild the array and use the extra drive as cache? Please let us know once you have an update or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Guarocuya · ‎10-24-2020

Hi Sebastian_M_Intel

Let me tell you my status with my Failed Raid Array. I reconnected the 4 HDD for the 10th time and during the POST process I was surprised that the 'Intel RST Rom' marked both volumes of the Raid Array as Rebuilding, instead of the Failed Status, that has been showing up since September 27, without letting me access my data.

I’ll do a review of the things that happened to share them here for future reference. And try to find out together the reason of the Failed Raid Volumes and constant Rebuilding of the Raid 5 Array:

I had a very unstable W10 that was crashing when waking up from Hibernate, producing a lot of REBUILDING of the Raid 5 Array. I was using just the Intel RST Option Rom (I didn't have the iRST User Interface).
I reinstalled the W10 and the Intel RST Driver (F6Flpy) as controller during the installation of the OS. At this time I used the latest version available 17.9.1.1009. This new W10 crashed the first day using it and produced the Raid Failure in both volumes. After the initial crash the OS was stable, but without access to the Failed Raid Array.
Later on within Intel Forum, I was told that the iRST version 17.9 is not compatible for my motherboard, which requires the version 14.8. And also that because of the message displayed in my Raid Volumes, I had lost all my data. I argued that how could that be possible if 3 of the 4 HDD are OK in the 'iRST Rom' and in the 'iRST User Interface'
I reinstalled W10 a couple of times in the last 2 weeks and yesterday I used the iRST version 14.8 as instructed by @Sebastian_M_Intel in the Intel Forum. The status of the Raid Volumes was the same, but today happily everything changed in my favor [I wrote this paragraph the same night that the Raid Array was available again about 5 days ago]
I waited for the Array to Rebuilt to 100%, but after it was rebuilt, another event happened that restarted Rebuilding the Array when I connected the new HDD to make a backup of all my data (PC was off during the HDD connection).
I decided to start doing my backup of all my data and I just finished it.
I checked the Windows Events, and there are 8,000 events in total. About 6,900 are related to DISK, and within those 6,100 events are from the “\Device\Harddisk4\DR4, tiene un bloque defectuoso” (have a defective block). In the timeline of the events 5,800 were from the Harddisk4 produced in 1.5 minutes. (see picture attached)
There are 208 event #140, that says in Spanish: "El sistema no pudo vaciar datos en el registro de transacción. Es posible que se produzcan daños en VolumenId: F:; DeviceName:\Device\HarddiskVolume10." Where F refers to the volume I use for storing my data within the Raid Array. (see picture attached)
I am attaching some of the reports you ask me long ago (iSSU, iRST System Report), that I could include now with the Raid 5 running.

My questions:

How can I run something similar to S.M.A.R.T. within the Raid 5 Array to find out if the HDD is defective?
Should I change the HDD #4 that was the only one with the message "Error Occurred". I assumed that the HDD#4 is the one that could have triggered the Failed Status, and the Rebuilding process.
How can I know without doubt that the disk#4 corresponds to the Disk that was reported with ERROR in the 'iRST Option Rom' report (see picture attached: Failed Raid Screen)?
Why is so unstable my Raid 5 Array?
Do I need an external controller and not take advantage of the Chipset from my Motherboard?
Could the Hibernation described in item 1 triggered some of the crashes / rebuilding of the Array?
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER SUGGESTION?

I will comment on the extra drive as cache on another reply to not mix all this.

Thanks for your help,

Guarocuya

n_scott_pearson · ‎10-24-2020

To your questions,

Unfortunately, unless you have a S.M.A.R.T. display tool that also implements support for the CSMI protocol that is used within RST (and thus allows you to drill down and get data from the drives inside the array), your only source for S.M.A.R.T. information is going to be the RST GUI. You know, I have some CSMI code around here somewhere that I wrote years ago; let me see if I can whip you up something (give me a day or two).
The RST GUI should be identifying which drive is predicting its failure -- but only if this failure is actually being identified in the S.M.A.R.T. data. I have seen cases where the drive goes bad without this being the case.
I presume that you mean whether the actual SATA port maps to the position in the RAID array. It doesn't. You need something else that will expose the information necessary to match it up.
The array can only be as stable as the drives that are included in it. If drives are failing, it is going to affect the array. The opposite (i.e. whether there is any correlation of cause with the fact that you are using RST (or RAID in general)) is not necessarily the case.
Hardware RAID controllers -- especially those that support RAID5 and not just RAID0/1 -- are an expensive proposition.
I doubt that using Hibernation has anything to do with it -- but (big 'but'), it is better in general to not shut down the system. Power cycling can be costly in the toll it takes on spinning media drives.
No, I have no other suggestions - other than going all the way to a true NAS device.

As I said, give me a day or two and let me see if I can use the existing code that I have to whip up a tool that can display S.M.A.R.T. information along with some drive identify information...

...S