Using an sata SSD to create a cache drive for a RAID 5 in RST 17.9.4.1017

[Xenophon]

Hello,

I am trying to setup an 120 gb sata SSD as a cache drive for a RAID 5 disk array in RST 17.9.4.1017 but I need a bit of guidance as to how to accomplish this in the application. I do not see any options for creating a cache drive. Would it be as simple as marking the drive as a spare in the RST application?

[n_scott_pearson]

I am sorry to say that, in this particular version of Intel RST, support for Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT), which supported SATA SSD-based HDD caching/acceleration, is not included. The last version of Intel RST that included support for Intel SRT was v15.9.8.1050. In all subsequent versions, Intel SRT was replaced with Intel Optane-based drive caching support.

To be specific, if your motherboard's RST firmware is a version later than v15.9.8.1050, then it does not include support for Intel SRT. See the description of your motherboard's current BIOS to determine what version of the Intel RST firmware is present on your motherboard.

Sorry,

...S

[Xenophon]

According to my PC'S motherboard which my setup is an i7 9700k on an ASUS Z390-A Prime board with a M.2 NVMe WD SN750 1TB drive that has Windows 10 OS on the UEFI BIOS states the RST raid driver is the 17.2.0.3790 version. Is NVMe M.2 SSD support also not included for RAID drive cache setup? So is there anyway to speed up my RAID 5 array with four 7.2 RPM SATA HDDs? Whenever I am coping something or doing any type of large file data movements on the array it bogs it down pretty hard...

Would enabling "Modify Cache Mode" help? And if so which options? I see two available to me "Write through" and "Read only"? From what I have read the "Read only" option is the faster of the two but at the expense of data security meaning I might have data lose if say my power were to abruptly go out?

[n_scott_pearson]

Sadly, they no longer have any capability for adding a cache drive to a RAID array. In their hurry to kill Intel SRT (so that it didn't weaken the Optane message), they simply didn't think through the implications of doing so fully (or didn't care). This is similar to the IDIOCY they displayed dropping the email notification feature (for drive and array issues) when they were replacing the old RST GUI.

I always use Write Through caching.

...S

[Xenophon]

Would marking a drive 120gb SATA SSD or a 128gb NVMe SSD as a spare drive also help? Are they only used for when they scan the drives for rebuilding?

[n_scott_pearson · Accepted solution]

I don't believe so.
...S