RAID notifications - Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management

[PeterV]

We have set up a RAID10 on the ASUS Z490-A mainboard holding an Intel 10900K CPU, running Windows Server 2019.
Several of these systems will be deployed at a customer.

The old IntelRST app, that had an e-mail function, can't be installed ("This Platform is not supported").
and this new Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management does not have any 'remote' notification options.

I've tried looking for events in the EventLOG after pulling a drive out, but there are no error events.


What is best practice; what is the recommended way to make these servers remotely notify when RAID errors occur?
The developers can't just expect everybody to log onto these servers manually every week, do they?

[n_scott_pearson]

This doesn't sound like a developer problem; it sounds more like some inexperienced marketing guy, who doesn't understand his customers or his market, saying "nobody values this feature; we don't need to port it to the new tool". Sadly, this isn't the first time that I have seen the decision-making at Intel come up short like this. The people who thoroughly understood these markets have all retired.

...S

[Sebastian_M_Intel]

Hello PeterV, 

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.   

Intel® indeed has removed the e-mail notification from the Intel® Optane™ Memory and Storage Management, and Intel® is aware of the importance of this missing feature. I will highly recommend you checking with your system manufacturer (OEM) or any system administrator for a similar tool that you can use for remote notification.  

Regards, 

Sebastian M  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[PeterV]

Hi Sebastian,

Thanks for your reply. We are the 'system manufacturer' / system administrator in this case; I assembled the server.
I could contact ASUS (the mainboard manufacturer) but they'd likely refer me to Intel since the RAID is Intel's.

Does anyone have a solution / workaround?

[Sebastian_M_Intel]

Hello PeterV,  

Thank you for your reply. 

I would like to mention that Intel® is working on this, we have reported this feedback internally, currently, we are evaluating all options to introduce this feature in the new User Interface and will definitely consider it for future releases. 

You can surely double-check with ASUS* for a similar feature as well.  

On the other hand, we hope that maybe another community peer can share a possible workaround for this.  

Regards,  

Sebastian M  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[merher]

Hello,

I am in the same situation as PeterV: I manage many Intel RAID volumes and Intel RST framework is the only solution to plan verifications and to be informed when errors occurs (by email notification).

As Intel no longer seems to want to maintain its technologies, the only solution I currently have is to keep the drivers in version V17.8.0.1065: the last one which includes the functions essential for managing RAID arrays.
And now, when I advise my clients on the purchase of new servers, I will not buy hardware based on Intel chips: I will go directly to the competitors !

 I was very satisfied with the Intel software suite for many years then, but this policy change is not acceptable.

Regards.

[M_J]

Hi

I was in the same situation when I found this post , I have spent  way to much time on my workday to find a soulution for this Got an Dell optiplex 7080 and ofcourse this new crap app was installed when I reimaged the client and downloaded the  driver pack.

Like all others here  I really  need the the email function to alarm when the RAID set are degraded.

So big thanks to merher.

[MBoul2]

Can we get an update on this please?  This is a critical feature.

[cccleaner]

https://community.intel.com/t5/Rapid-Storage-Technology/Additional-Question-to-Raid-1-at-PC-need-info-if-a-raid-is/m-p/1241323#M9324 I was asking about the same feature in this thread. Its is even worse: Yesterday I noticed "by coincidence" a RAID 5 degradation. (one Disk was disconnected) Not even a Windows 10 Notification about Intel RST RAID degradation was displayed. this should throw indeed a very Red Alarm and on top yes, I still miss the email feature that informs me wherever I am on such an error. Yes Intel should adapt this. Otherwise we do not have enough control on that and we might loose a lot of data, which is certainly not what RAID 5 is concidered to do.

[stelee]

Hi Sebastian_M_Intel,

Reposting from another thread.

Just adding that this is a critical feature for my business as well. These computers are used in hospitals and are set to RAID1. In the event of a failed drive, we need notification that the RAID1 is degraded so we can replace the failed drive. This needs to be a notification in Windows and an email being sent.

[LEPST]

If Intel's RST could write to the Windows event log then we could have a solution for this.  Is there no logging at all when RST is running and a failed drive occurs? Not even a WMI inquiry we can do? Seems like this should be in the latest version of the software/driver pack.

Lyle Epstein

Kortek Solutions

Intel Partner Alliance Gold

[ClaytonLee]

Throwing another name on the pile of people who are dismayed to discover this.

RAID is pointless if you don't know when a drive has failed. It is not reasonable to expect admins to login to check raid state periodically - especially with the correlation of one drive failing to additional drives failing.

Until there is something we can monitor - an email being sent, windows logs, writing a text file would do for christs sake - the RAID controller is useless.

[merher]

Hello,

6 months have passed since your post and what has Intel done since ?

Not much apparently since Intel still does not offer a solution and seems to want to wait out the clock ...

It is unacceptable !

[GrEEnbYte]

Still no solution?

We too need email notifications for our customers!!

[ClaytonLee]

Crazy how this forum can send me an email, but my Intel RAID Controller can't.

[M_J]

Hi @Sebastian_M_Intel 

Its very important when you implementing this function again which I hope will be very soon, that you consider it should be possible to install this application separately and NOT only via Microsoft Store only , since we need the proper installation file with the application for our Win10 images.

Thanks

[M_J]

 @Sebastian_M_Intel   is there any progress here on the new software that handle email?

Please inform us , thanks

[KyrreN]

Wow!

I cannot believe this!
I am running Win10 LTSC offline, and cannot download from Windows store. I have just spent several days trying to get an offline side install of OMSM on my system only to fin out that it does NOT notify me of a disk failure. I have to start the application and look for it?

This is absolute GARBAGE!

It defies the purpose of RAID! 

My systems are used to log hydrolelectric power generators, and basically I now have no way of assuring data integrity other than by automatic backup.

All the tedious hoops I have had to go through to configure this and they have the nerve to just remove the very function i needed it for. All the money this devolution of the product has cost my employer!

I AM A FURIOUS EX-INTEL CUSTOMER.

[ClaytonLee]

I feel you Kyrre - the frustration is deep.

On the other hand - can you tell us more about what your application does? I have always been fascinated with renewables - especially Hydro and Wind.

[KyrreN]

Hi,

Well, we run a SCADA system on these PC's. That means that the power plant operators monitor and control the generators, switchgear and waterway with them.  The SCADA system communicates with PLC's that have the I/O. Operating data and events/errors/alarms are logged continually 24/7 and we tolerate little downtime. The PLC system is quite autonomous in a safety aspect, but is not designed to log data of any quantity. This is the way many industrial control systems work - I used to work for system builders in offshore drilling for some years and I've briefly worked with systems at a chocolate factory, mayonnaise factory, wheel rim factory, an aluminum plant,  a waste management site and even a big 3D titanium printer for the aviation industry -all with similar architecture.

I hope you have a nicer day than me

[ClaytonLee]

That's really interesting. I have had some exposure to SCADA in the mining industry - but only really to handle the switching/routing - not any deeper than that.

It sounds like you live a more exciting IT life than I do...

Good luck finding a solution to the RAID issue.