Specific SSD not found when creating a RAID

[ccmmk2]

I am about to create a RAID5 volume using Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management software. I have 5 SSDs installed in my computer (other than the disk where the OS is installed), all of them are visible in the management page and all show "Status: Normal" and ”Usage: Available“, but only 4 of them are shown in the selection screen for array disks.

I found that the usable 4 SSDs are all connected to controller 3 and the unavailable one is controller 1. Is it not possible for RAID to be created on disks on different controllers? If not, how do I get the 5th SSD to join the RAID volume?

[ccmmk2]

Here's some additional information and screenshots.

The disks shown as "SATA SSD (3726 GB)" are which I'm going to create the RAID volume. The first four of them are shown in the RAID creation page and the last one not.

The status of the first four disks are like:

with only port, serial number, model, and firmware differing.

The status of the fifth disk, which is the one not shown in RAID creation page, is shown in next screenshot:

I also tried the "Save system report" function in the "About" page of Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management software, but the fifth SSD does not show up in the report.

[n_scott_pearson]

AFAIK, support for SATA devices is only available for the SATA controller(s) within the chipset (PCH). PCIe-/USB-based SATA controllers are not supported.

Hope this helps,

...S

[ccmmk2]

Thank you very much for your reply.

All the devices are connected directly to the SATA ports on the motherboard, so I think the SATA controllers are within the chipset. There are 7 SATA ports on the motherboard and I used all of them. Maybe I should try to swap the SATA ports of the fifth SSD and the other device (HDD or optical drive)?

[n_scott_pearson]

The fact that the ports are on the motherboard does not mean that the controller is in the chipset. Don't make presumptions. What are the specifics for your motherboard? Vendor, part number, etc.

...S

[ccmmk2]

Thank you very much for you reply.

The motherboard is MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI, and the BIOS ver. is H.50 (not the latest).

I tried several times to swap the SATA ports and change Intel RST setting in BIOS after my last post. Only one time, all 5 SSDs showed up as VMD controllers and could be used to create a RAID (while I didn't at the time), but after a reboot they went back to their original state. I can't reproduce that situation now, and sometimes one of the 4 SSDs that would have been usable becomes a SATA controller (can only create RAID with the remaining 3 devices).

I was using a RAID5 volume created with those 4 available SSDs for about one year until last week when I decided to add a new SSD to this volume. since at one time all the SSDs were showing up as VMD controllers, I'm guessing that the SATA controller should be within the chipset.

[n_scott_pearson]

Are all of the SSDs that you want to put into this RAID5 array connected to SATA connectors?

You have 7 SATA connectors on the motherboard, labelled SATA_1, SATA_5, SATA_6, SATA_7, SATA_8, SATA_A1 and SATA_A2. Your motherboard's manual specifically states:

• Page 16: "SATA_A1~A2 do not support RAID function". Bottom line, drives plugged into SATA_A1 and/or SATA_A2 cannot be used for RAID.
• Page 37: "SATA_1 will be unavailable when installing M.2 SSD in the M2_3 slot". Bottom line, if you are using a M.2 SSD in connector M2_3, you cannot use a SATA drive plugged into the SATA_1 connector.

Stating it another way, if you want to have 5 SATA SSDs in a RAID5 array, then they must be connected to SATA_1, SATA_5, SATA_6, SATA_7 and SATA_8 and no M.2 SSD can be plugged into the M2_3 connector.

Hope this helps,

...S

[ccmmk2]

Thank you very much for the information. I missed that description in the manual. By connect the SSDs to right slots, I now can create the RAID as I wanted.

[n_scott_pearson]

Just for completeness, here's a full detailing of what is going on on your board:
1. The chipset provides a total of eight SATA lanes.
2. The first set of four SATA lanes are routed to the M.2 connectors and are dedicated to the support of M.2 SATA SSDs (if present). We'll call these the SATA_1 through SATA_4 lanes.
3. The SATA_1 lane is routed to both the M2_3 M.2 connector and to the SATA_1 connector. If the M2_3 connector is populated with an M.2 SSD, the SATA_1 connector cannot be used (yes, even if a M.2 NVMe SSD is present).
4. The second set of four SATA lanes are routed to the SATA_5 through SATA_8 connectors.
5. To augment the SATA offerings, a secondary, non-RAID SATA controller is included on the motherboard. Two SATA lanes are provided and are routed to the SATA_A1 and SATA_A2 connectors.
Clear as mud?
...S