One failed volume, one OK on RAID10 array

[Blether]

I'm running a 4-disk RAID10 array on an ASUS P5Q motherboard.  It's been more than ten years, and I've coped with half a dozen drive failures.

A few years ago I upgraded the disks for more capacity.  I added a second volume (Volume 1) to the array.

This last week I replaced a failed drive.  Volume 0 rebuilt OK.  Volume 1 was unreliable during the rebuild - it was accessible on reboot, then came up 'inaccessible' after some time.  Once the Rebuild completed, both volumes came up OK.

Two days later another drive failed woth Vol0 degraded and Vol1 failed.  I replaced the drive but the boot-sequence config'n utility refused to offer a rebuild to the new drive.  I downloaded RST for Windows 10 and was able to rebuild the degraded Volume 0.  Volume 1 just shows as 'failed' and there is no option to rebuild Volume 1 either through RST or in the config'n utility.

I'm wary of 'Reset Volume to normal'.  I have no backup of Volume 1.  It's a media library that I can recreate from all the sources.  That's not like a normal data disk loss but it's not entirely painless.

What are my other options to get Volume 1 back?

[Blether]

OK, so an update:

I think I rebooted three times between the second disk failure and writing the post above.  After I wrote it, I rebooted once more.  Unbidden Volume 1 showed as status 'rebuild' in the configurator; it rebuilt itself to completion within Win10.

The bad news is whilst RST shows the Volume status as Normal, the drive (it was drive G:) doesn't show up in Explorer and (Windows) Computer Management / Disk Management shows it as a fresh volume, unpartitioned.  It offers me a choice of partition scheme.

It looks like I've lost my data on Volume 1.  Is that right?  Is there any last chance of recovery before I go ahead and partition it afresh and rebuild by hand?

Who do I get to rant at having lost data on a RAID10 volume?  RAID10 *is* a backup, isn't it?

[Jean_Intel]

Hello Blether,

Thank you for posting on the Intel️® communities. We would be more than glad to help you with your issue.

To better assist you, please provide us with the following information:

• How is your Raid Volume configuration? You mentioned to be using multiple RAID volumes: RAIDs 0.1 and 10; is it correct?
• You mentioned that one drive failed; however, we would like to confirm which RAID volume the disk was part of.
• How did you configure the RAID volume? Did you use the Windows Intel® RST tool or the Option ROM User Interface?

It is important to mention that RAID is not a backup solution. RAID 10 is designed to create redundancy and Fault tolerance proof.

Best regards

Jean O.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Blether]

Hi, Jean.  Thanks for replying.

I have a single RAID10 array (of four disks) with an effective capacity of 3TB.

Volume0, 1TB, is on the RAID array. (Assigned drive F:)

Volume1, 2TB, is also on the RAID array. (Assigned drive G:)

FYI Volume0 is a System Volume with Windows XP on it (!) but these days the computer boots off of an SSD (assigned drive C:) with Windows 10.  I still have XP in the boot menu, and it still works.

It's three years since I last configured the RAID.  I wasn't aware of RST till I downloaded it this week.  Formerly I used Intel Matrix Storage Manager (was that the name?) for GUI access.  I honestly don't remember, but on balance it seems more likely I used the Option ROM interface (by this you mean the interface accessed with ctrl-I during the text-based boot sequence?).

It looks like you & I don't agree that RAID10 is a level of backup.  I can live with that

[Jean_Intel]

Hello Blether,

Thanks for the information provided.

We understand that you were aware of the Intel® RST until recently and used the Option ROM interface (yes, this is the interface accessed by pressing ctrl-I when booting the system). Since you used the Option ROM to configure the RAID Volumes, you should contact ASUS support for further recommendations about this matter. Since the RAIDs were created using the BIOS, we are not sure what could be affecting your system, and ASUS will have a much better understanding of the BIOS implementation.

It is important to mention that Intel only supports the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver and the RAID volumes created within the tool. We will now close this thread. If you need additional information, submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards

Jean O.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Blether]

Thanks again, Jean.

Yes, I really missed the GUI interface I previously used, Intel Matrix Storage Manager as I called it above, under Win XP.  It's a funny thing, but even today when I Google under the old name it is not obvious that RST is the succeeding product.  You have to dig quite a bit to find it.  That's why I've ended up in the ROM interface the last few years.

Understood on the support arrangements.  Please ask your support system to stop nagging me for feedback

Cheers,

Euan