Intel RST-VROC RAID Volume - NVMe PCIe Addon card

[BSeklecki_GE]

All:

Does Intel RST-VROC support creating RAID volumes from NVMe drives/devices connected via PCIe Addon cards?

On a Dell/EMC Precision 5860XL, I tested it briefly using a single-port PCIe card.   The PCIe card-attached NVMe device shows up in the operating system.

The device does now show in the BIOS/UEFI menu.  In the GUI it does not show either.  The OS kernel detects the device independently.

[Poojitha]

Hi BSeklecki_GE,

Greetings for the day!

Thank you for reaching out to the Intel support. We acknowledge receipt of your concern and want to assure you that assisting you is our top priority. To effectively troubleshoot the issue you're facing, we require some additional information from your end.

Could you kindly confirm whether VROC was purchased separately or came along with the system?

Your prompt response with this information will greatly assist us in diagnosing and resolving the issue as quickly as possible.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

Poojitha N

Intel Customer Support Technician

[BSeklecki_GE]

The Dell/EMC Precision 5860XL tower comes with an Intel RST-VROC integrated on the motherboard.

[Poojitha]

Hi BSeklecki_GE,

Thank you for sharing the information. Regarding the requested details:

Does Intel RST-VROC support creating RAID volumes from NVMe drives/devices connected via PCIe Addon cards?

To view the NVMe drives/devices, we recommend using either the Standard SKU or the Premium SKU License. Please refer to the link below for complete details:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000097217/memory-and-storage/datacenter-storage-solutions.html

For more information or further clarification regarding the issue you are facing, please note that VROC came along with the motherboard. Therefore, we recommend reaching out to the motherboard manufacturer(DELL) for further assistance, as their expertise and resources will be essential in resolving the issue and ensuring proper functionality.

We appreciate your understanding!

Best regards,

Poojitha N

Intel Customer Support Technician

[BSeklecki_GE]

I'm not sure how to interpret that reply message; maybe it will make more sense at 6AM.

However, additional data/findings:

* In exploring the PCI enumerated bus, it is clearly visible that, an NVMe SSD card connected via a PCIe addon card (bridge) shows up to the operating system under (hierarchy) an entirely different "PCIe Express Root Complex" than the Intel RST-VROC Volumes.

* This test was made with low cost NVMe->PCIe x4 adapter "GLOTRENDS PA09-HS M.2 NVMe to PCIe 4.0 X4 Adapter with M.2 Heatsink for 2280/2260/2242/2230 M.2 NVMe SSD" @ [ https://www.amazon.fr/-/en/dp/B07FN3YZ8P] 

So perhaps someone can comment on:
* Would this work with a different PCIe NVMe adapter board/card?

Until then, I assume (suspect) that the answer is: Intel RST-VROC RAID Volumes can only be composed from certain integrated on-motherboard NVMe ports which are mapped/assigned a PCIe device address that can be addressed by the Dell OEM RST-VROC firmware.

[IntelSupport]

Hello BSeklecki_GE,

Thank you for writing back to us.

Since your system is a Dell workstation and Intel VROC is embedded and managed through Dell’s OEM firmware, we recommend reaching out directly to Dell Support to confirm the details of your queries.

Intel VROC support depends on how the system is configured by the OEM, including how the drives are connected and supported by the firmware. As Dell controls these settings, they are the best source to confirm what is compatible and supported.

Regards,

Shankith K P