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VROC: ASUS Hyper m.2 / which key?

MKowa18
Beginner
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Hi, I just bought I7 9800x and x299 board from Asus and the Asus Hyper m.2 card because I like Intel's CPUS. I have been using Intel for 25 years now.... I need this setup because I need solution for raid 0 - my work. I also have 2 ssds from my last PC build samsung 970 evo 1tb. This whole setup already cost me a lot of pennys... Now i foundout that I have to purchase anothore thing wich is VROC dongle.... And the worst part is that I don't have warranty to have my RAID 0 work?

 

To be clear I did get workable RAID 0 somehow on Intel VROC software under windows but it says that this is 90 days trial...? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Regarding that this whole x299 VROC situation that I read on the internet is some shifty nifty ridiqules game (also lost a whole day to get this 90 day trial RAID working) I want to know what kind of dongle do I need to purche to get my RAID stay out of trial period?

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JosafathB_Intel
Moderator
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Hello MKowa18,

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Intel® VROC is targeted as an enterprise product, mainly for Servers and Workstations. Also, per the details found in the “Intel® VROC Support on X299 FAQ,” Intel® VROC was enabled on X299 client platforms (see below). This initial decision was made at the time of launch in 2017. Since then, it has become apparent that Intel® RST (and not Intel® VROC) is the better product to support SSD RAID on X299 platforms, partly because of Intel® RST availability, broad SSD support and no need for an extra HW key. Intel® RST is free and it supports Intel® as well as NON-Intel® storage devices.

 

Intel® VROC will continue to have its HW Key licensing policies, which are more in line with enterprise product expectations. From the above explanation, we hope it’s clear that for x299 / client platforms, our customers do NOT require purchasing Intel® VROC key for RAID 0 (even with NON-Intel® drives). Please use Intel® RST instead of Intel® VROC for RAID 0 and other things.

 

For more detail, please review the full FAQ; especially answer to question 2 in the below article:

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/memory-and-storage/ssd-software/VROC_Support_on_X299_FAQ.pdf

 

Please take into consideration that there may be differences in features and configuration even between boards of the same manufacturer and they may require specific hardware and BIOS configuration, this being said we advise you to contact your OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for further information regarding BIOS and hardware configuration to use these solutions.

 

I hope you find this information helpful.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Josh B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

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JosafathB_Intel
Moderator
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Hello MKowa18,

 

Thank you for contacting Intel® SSD Support.    

 

Please review the following information related to the Intel® Virtual RAID on CPU (Intel® VROC):

 

The " 970 Evo” drives are not listed in the supported hardware list (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000030310/memory-and-storage/ssd-software.html) for Intel® Virtual RAID on CPU (Intel® VROC) and we advise you to check with your OEM (original equipment manufacturer) Asus* to check for compatibility with their system.

 

Please, take into consideration that your motherboard comes with the Intel® X299 chipset and it supports Intel® SSDs only, as explained in the “Intel® Virtual RAID on CPU (Intel® VROC) Support on X299” article (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000026106/memory-and-storage/ssd-software.html). As mentioned in this article in the page number 2, Q7 “What is the Intel VROC SKU supported on X299? A7: The Intel VROC SKU supported on X299 is:

 

• Intel VROC-Intel SSD only SKU (VROCISSDMOD): RAID 0/1/5/10 support on Intel SSDs only.”

 

I hope you find this information helpful.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Josh B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

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JosafathB_Intel
Moderator
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Hello MKowa18,

 

We were reviewing your community post, which is related to the Intel® Virtual RAID on CPU (Intel® VROC), and we would like to know if you need further assistance.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Best regards,

 

Josh B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

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MKowa18
Beginner
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Hahaha this is fun...

 

Let me get this straight - You are teling me that 970 evo plus are not compatibille so how the heck they are working on 90 day trail period in Your VROC app? (if something is banned and non workable then why it is still working) - why are You lying?

 

Also, don't You read my post where I told You that I'm already familiar with this x299 nifty shifty RAID array stuff? How can You do that to Your customers? This is a big no no also it is not nice to lay... What company do this... company that doesn't care?

 

I've been intel user for 25 years i think it is time to change.

 

For the future people that try VROC on x299 with non intel ssd:

  1. VROC ON X299 IS ONLY SUPPORTET WITH SOME LOW END AND NOT SO CHEAP INTEL SSD's (they are very slow in every task)
  2. YOU CAN MAKE RAID WITH THIRD PARTY SSD LIKE SAMSUNG BUT THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT AFTER 90 DAY TRIAL IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK EAVEN WITH THE FRICKING INTEL KEY
  3. ONLY SOFTWARE RAID IS GOING TO WORK (which is funny because it is sometimes faster than intels VROC)!!!

 

SHAME ON YOU INTEL!

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JosafathB_Intel
Moderator
4,040 Views

Hello MKowa18,

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Intel® VROC is targeted as an enterprise product, mainly for Servers and Workstations. Also, per the details found in the “Intel® VROC Support on X299 FAQ,” Intel® VROC was enabled on X299 client platforms (see below). This initial decision was made at the time of launch in 2017. Since then, it has become apparent that Intel® RST (and not Intel® VROC) is the better product to support SSD RAID on X299 platforms, partly because of Intel® RST availability, broad SSD support and no need for an extra HW key. Intel® RST is free and it supports Intel® as well as NON-Intel® storage devices.

 

Intel® VROC will continue to have its HW Key licensing policies, which are more in line with enterprise product expectations. From the above explanation, we hope it’s clear that for x299 / client platforms, our customers do NOT require purchasing Intel® VROC key for RAID 0 (even with NON-Intel® drives). Please use Intel® RST instead of Intel® VROC for RAID 0 and other things.

 

For more detail, please review the full FAQ; especially answer to question 2 in the below article:

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/memory-and-storage/ssd-software/VROC_Support_on_X299_FAQ.pdf

 

Please take into consideration that there may be differences in features and configuration even between boards of the same manufacturer and they may require specific hardware and BIOS configuration, this being said we advise you to contact your OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for further information regarding BIOS and hardware configuration to use these solutions.

 

I hope you find this information helpful.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Josh B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

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MKowa18
Beginner
4,039 Views

I like when big company like Intel is trying to explain.... VROC was created for Servers and Workstations and I get it. But why the heck are you blocking something that doesn't have sense? People are willing to buy this fricking key and there is not.... (Yes I'm talking about my 90 day trial) - and You know what I'm talking about. Don't play around, be grown up, it's time to admit you made a mistake - just fix it, bolcked or let it be workable :) (don't fool people and bring them to a corner) I wish You guys best, there will be no more reply from me. Bye ;)

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JCrum3
Beginner
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NEW Intel Community POST 1/31/2020 Friday

MKowa18, I stumbled upon this VROC Post of yours, which has similar issue and concerns I was having.

I POSTED and setup a Support Ticket on my reason for the VROC_HD_KEY need that ASUS Support understood (RAID 10), but failed to know how to do, and so did the RST RAID setup that left the Hyper Card x4 M.2 SSD ONLY AS A STORAGE DRIVE. (I believe ASUS Support tech was counting on my lack of technical knowledge and inexperience that I wouldn't know the difference to what they had done.)

My Intel support replies are consistent with what they sent you here. They ignore my requests for VROC use and installation. I've asked for information or a link on how to use it..

I updated my Intel ticket with the following in an attempt to get the VROC Key setup and user information or link from them.

 

In the ASUS Motherboard RAID Configuration Guide 1-9https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketAM4/TUF_GAMING_X570-PLUS_WI-FI/E14794_RAID_Configuration_Guide_EM_V4_WEB.pdf

1.1.4     Intel Virtual Raid on CPU in UEFI BIOS [ This was using the EZ Wizard setup?]

Some motherboards support Intel Virtual Raid on CPU with RAID 0, RAID 5 and RAID 10 solution. RAID 0 can be created without a KEY module, while RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 requires a KEY module. 

 

•            The KEY module is purchased separately.

•            The Hyper M2. Card is purchased separately.

•            Due to CPU behavior, CPU RAID functions with Intel RSTe only support Intel Core X-series Processors (6-core or above) and Intel SSD Modules.

•            Refer to section internal connectors in your motherboard’s user manual for the location of the VROC_HD_KEY connector.

 

The third bullet point was why I was confused about the VROC and RSTe platforms. It made it seem as if the RSTe was the driver we load in the advanced windows setup for the VROC_HD_KEY RAID setup.

When I went online to intel for the download of the RSTe driver, Intel didn’t list any current x299 Rampage VI or i9-10900 series CPUs that the RSTe or RST supported. ANOTHER REASON WHY I CREATED THIS SUPPORT TICKET.

 

In conclusion: The Intel RST platform, according to my ASUS Manual, doesn’t support the VROC RAID 5 or 10 configurations without a VROC HD Key that I want to do.

Can you (intel support agent) provide me with a Support Tutorial or link of instructions on how to install, use and setup my RAID 10 with the VROC_HD_KEY.

 

The Notes are from the ASUS Motherboard ROG Rampage VI Manual

Note:

• Setup PCIE sections in BIOS setting before using RAID on CPU function.

See the details in the user manual of each motherboard model.

• Only Intel SSDs can activate Intel VROC on Intel platforms.

• In X299 series, use IRSTe 5.0 or a later version to activate VROC function.

 

Note:

• Update to the latest BIOS and Setup PCIE sections in BIOS before using RAID on CPU function.

• Maximum number of M.2 SSD support will vary, depending on different CPUs.

 

I'm getting the impression from Intel Support and the Community Forum Posts I have found, that the VROC_HD_KEY doesn't work on the x299 MoBo as designed.

Given the same prepared patent replies for using the RST platform, and not the VROC KEY, has me wonder in the HD_KEY works at all.

 

I guess now the real question becomes: How does the RST setup a RAID 10 without the HD Key for free, as the RAID 0 does? OR if Intel insists I use the RST platform for a RAID 10 array instead of the HD Key, then please provide the steps information on how we overcome the ASUS x299 MoBo Manuals insisting that Intel HD KEY is required to do so..

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MKowa18
Beginner
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if you don’t give money to Intel (ssd) you will not get vroc. Just do software raid like I do. They don’t care about customers....

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JCrum3
Beginner
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MKowa18, I believe Intel cares about their customers, but perhaps some more than others according to their financial worth as a customer. That's just the reality and way of our world though. I'm honestly at a loss to understand why Intel and ASUS both have refused my requests for help with the use of the VROC (Hardware) HD KEY module to set up a bootable RAID 10.

To tell you the truth, I had become suspicious that the VROC HD Key RAID doesn't work.

The Intel engineers and ASUS couldn't figure out how to make it work?

 

Both ASUS and Intel customer support has been so evasive and insistent we not use the VROC key and use the RST setup instead?

Maybe why so hard to get a straight answer from either Intel or ASUS support on how we do a RST RAID 10, when the ASUS Motherboard RAID Configuration Guides says you can't do a RAID 1, 5, or 10 without using the key module. If the VROC Key module works for RAID's 1, 5, & 10 as the guide say it should, why can't Intel support just give us the step setup for it? Why not provide the RSTe & App files for it?

 

WHAT really puzzled me about Intel Support, was they would not even respond back with the information I asked for about how the key module and licensing works, costs?

That's weird that Intel wouldn't even respond to provide requested information from someone looking to purchase a license for the key module, if need be.

 

ASUS Support, they kept putting me off with, we have our Technical team working on a solution for you mumbo jumbo. Please allow 24 to 48 hours for the team to respond. After 4 days, support called me and the agent obviously hadn't read the ticket file information about what had been done and the failed RST RAID I hadn't wanted. He seemed surprised to learn I was never contacted by the team for the HD key RAID setup I had requested help with. Help that to date had never come. My Request tickets with the ASUS motherboard form information provided has been ignored. One ASUS agent called with the VROC AMAZON link to purchase it and I did. No follow up from ASUS Support on helping me delete out the failed RST RAID setup and do the bootable VROC Key RAID.

I couldn't find anything online definitively about what the steps were for using the HD Key module. I'm not saying I couldn't have missed it; I'm saying I needed help from Support in finding it.

 

UPDATE POST EDIT: after 2 support tickets and days of going back and forth with Intel Support I finally got the link and information I had been seeking! HERE IT IS.

Ihttps://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/server-products/server-boards/Intel-VROC-Quick-Configuration-Guide.pdf

 

THE INTEL VROC QUICK Configuration Guide! So, excited I immediately posted the share link here, but only read enough in the Guide to see it actually addressed using the HD key and Intel Server Motherboard. Hopefully it has enough information and steps to help me get a UEFI BIOS bootable Windows RAID 10 VROC Key module array done.

 

NOTE: The Guide spoke about the manufacture (ASUS) was to provide the Drivers for the RAID 10 to work. Hmmm, I guess I'll have to go back and hound ASUS Support for those I presume.

I try to keep this Post updated with progress.

ASUS MoBo RAID Config. Guide.png

UPDATE: 2/14/2020 Intel Support comes through, sort of. . .

If you followed the ASUS (RAID Configuration) guide and then you were able to install Windows 10* on the RAID 10 you are good to go.

 

If you were not able to see the RAID array during the Windows 10* installation process, you can use the driver below:

 

Intel® Virtual RAID on CPU (Intel® VROC) and Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Enterprise (Intel® RSTe) Driver for Windows*

 

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29246/Intel-Virtual-RAID-on-CPU-Intel-VROC-and-Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Enterprise-Intel-RSTe-Driver-for-Windows-

 

 

It doesn't say it supports Windows 10* but it does. The provided RSTe driver supports Win8 64bit. I can't say if it works or not yet for Win10 64bit.

 

Once you downloaded the file, extract it and follow this path to find the driver to be used: SW_Packages> F6-drivers> VROC_6.2.0.1239_F6-drivers> iaVROC.free.win8.64bit.6.2.0.1234> iaVROC.sys

 

Those are the names of the folders you have to open, notice you have to use a separate USB flash drive to copy the iaVROC.sys file, during the Windows 10* installation, you click on load drivers, navigate to this file and load it.

 

Be aware that if your system did see the RAID 10 array during the installation, everything is OK, you do not need to install Intel(R) VROC Software.

 

Finally, the guide you have to follow is the one we provided at the beginning of this case, the file manual from ASUS, as simple as that. I am not going to comment on the other guides because they don't apply for your scenario.

 

 

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JosafathB_Intel
Moderator
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Hello JCrum3,

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

We noticed that you have an open case with our advanced technical support department, and another community thread related to the same topic. We will continue to provide you with support in your open case.

 

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

 

Best regards,

 

Josh B.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

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