Rapid Storage Technology
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Raid on Dell Optiplex 3070 with Intel H370 Chipset

PhilPhil2000
Novice
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HELP Needed with RAID

I have got a OptiPlex 3070 that I bought in 2019. This is the Mini Tower option so it has enough bays for storage and 2x extra HDD is supported and I was told it has a chipset that supports RAID (Intel H370).

It has a SSD drive and DVD drive when I brought it.

I have recently fitted 2 of 2.5in Hard Drives (Traditional Type).

I have installed the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology UI (16.8.3.1007). I was hoping to set up a RAID 1 array with the 2 newly installed SATA drives. I want this to be a redundant data disk separate from the boot disk which I want to remain on the SSD. 

Unfortunately I can't seem to create the raid volume.

I have tried in Windows but although there is an option to create a raid volume, the next button is greyed out.

I have tried pre boot by pressing F12 then choosing device configuration but again the option to create a raid volume is not present at the top.

Please help, totally lost.

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PhilPhil2000
Novice
4,916 Views

Attached is the report from help screen of the RST UI

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Jose_V_Intel
Moderator
4,878 Views

Hello PhilPhil2000,

 

Thank you for posting on the Intel Community. 

 

Based on the information that you provided and in order to better understand your issue please provide the following information: 

 




  • Provide screenshots of the greyed out option.



Please try the following;


When the Intel RST option ROM status screen displays during POST, press Ctrl and I at the same time to enter the option ROM user interface.

Select 1: Create RAID Volume and press Enter.

Use the up or down arrow keys to select the RAID level and press Enter.

Use the up or down arrow keys to select the strip size and press Enter.

Press Enter to select the physical disks.

Use the up or down arrow keys to scroll through the list of hard drives and press Space to select the drive.

Press Enter.

Select the volume size and press Enter. You must select less than 100 percent of the available volume space to leave space for the second volume.

Press Enter to create the volume.

At the prompt, press Y to confirm volume creation.

Select 4: Exit and press Enter.

Press Y to confirm exit.



We will be waiting for your answers.

 

Regards.

Jose V.

Intel® Customer Support Technician


PhilPhil2000
Novice
4,869 Views

Hi Jose

Thanks for your reply.

I tried what you suggested and the problem is I can't see the "Create Volume" option on either the windows application or pre boot in the raid rom.

See attached information you requested. Screenshots and Output from the Intel Support Tool.

Thanks

Phil

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
4,858 Views

Just a thought: Have you tried doing CTRL-I during POST to see if there is a separate instantiation of the RAID OpROM and its program? This may be where the options for creation are located.

Hope this helps,

...S

PhilPhil2000
Novice
4,850 Views

Hi Scott

Thanks for your interest in this.

However the CTRL-I combination is no longer available on the modern dell optiplex systems. 

You have to press F12 and then choose "device configuration".

See guide: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-uk/000140131/how-to-access-the-raid-controller-setup-in-uefi-configured-systems

I am beginning to think something somewhere has been written wrong in the firmware/bios.

I feel like I should have got an older dell from before this troubles, where you could press CTRL-I to get into the Raid Software, seems from forums that would have been better. It is so frustrating to try and get such a simple configuration done. I have worked in IT support before and haven't known anything like this. Finger's crossed someone has some sort of solution.

Thanks

Phil

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
4,843 Views

Yea, CTRL-I is the legacy method. The UEFI model has it invoked from within the BIOS Setup program. Someone described an implementation where, if you disable UEFI boot, then the CTRL-I will work (again). You could try that, but this F12 scene should we showing you the same thing (aside: I *have* seen implementations that have their own homespun version of the RAID program  and, well, it didn't offer the same capabilities).

...S

PhilPhil2000
Novice
4,837 Views

Hi 

I tried the CTRL-I method, but it does not let you into the pre-boot storage application.

The only way seems to be F12 and device configuration.

Do you think anyone will do anything about this? Something somewhere needs to be programmed again? People at Intel or Dell don't seem to have any solution.

Thanks

Phil

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Jose_V_Intel
Moderator
4,818 Views

Hello PhilPhil2000,


I notice you are being assisted with other partners, I recommend you to continue with their assistance.


Please keep in mind that this thread will no longer be monitored by Intel. Thank you for your understanding.


Regards.

Jose V.

Intel® Customer Support Technician


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