RAID Level | Number of Drives | ICH8M | ICH9R ICH9DH ICH9DO |
ICH9M | ICH9M-E | ICH10R ICH10D ICH10DO |
Recovery | 2 (Master and Recovery) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
RAID Level
|
Number of Drives | ESB2 | ICH7R ICH7DH |
ICH7MDH ICH7M |
ICH8R ICH8DH ICH8DO |
ICH8M-E | ICH8M | ICH9R ICH9DH ICH9DO |
ICH9M ICH9M-E |
ICH10R ICH10D ICH10DO |
RAID 0 | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
RAID 0 | 3 or 4 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
RAID 0 | 5 or 6 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
RAID 1 | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
RAID 5 | 3 or 4 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
RAID 5 | 5 or 6 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
RAID 10 | 4 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Strip Size | Description | RAID Levels |
4 KB | Best for specialized usage models requiring 4 KB strips | RAID 0, 10 |
8 KB | Best for specialized usage models requiring 8 KB strips | RAID 0, 10 |
16 KB | Best for sequential transfers | RAID 0, 5, 10 |
32 KB | Good for sequential transfers | RAID 0, 5, 10 |
64 KB | Good general purpose strip size (default for RAID 5, 10) | RAID 0, 5, 10 |
128 KB | Best performance for most desktops and workstations (default for RAID 0) | RAID 0, 5 |
Feature | Description |
Intel® Matrix RAID Technology | Creates, manages, and uses up to two independent RAID volumes within a single array. Creates up to three independent RAID arrays, each with two hard drives, on any of the six Serial ATA ports. |
RAID Level Migration | Migrates from RAID 0, 1, and 10 to RAID 5. |
RAID Volume Capacity Expansion | Increases the data storage capacity of a volume by utilizing 100% of available array space on a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume, or by adding one or more hard drives to a RAID 0 or RAID 5 volume. |
RAID Spare | Marks one or more hard drives as the destination for automatic rebuilds. |
RAID Volume Verification | Identifies any inconsistencies or bad data on a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume. |
RAID Volume Verification and Repair | Identifies and repairs any inconsistencies or bad data on a RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume. |
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) | Uses advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing and Native Hot Plug. |
Data Encryption | Allows the transformation of data to make it unreadable to anyone. The key controls the level and state of data encryption. The Intel Matrix Storage Console displays the encryption state of RAID and Recovery volumes as well as RAID and non-RAID hard drives. |
Hard Drive Password Protection | Provides a high-level security and protection of hard drive data with a password, denying access from any unauthorized user and defeating any hackers. The Intel Matrix Storage Console allows you to unlock a locked hard drive. |
Large Sector Drive Support | Allows hard drives with a logical sector size of ½ KB and a physical sector size of ½ KB, 1 KB, 2 KB, or 4 KB to be used in the storage subsystem. |
Volume Write-Back Cache | Enhances performance by temporarily storing frequently used data sectors for faster access and optimal RAID volume operation. |
Parameter | Value |
Status | No active migrations: No migrations or rebuilds are occurring. |
Rebuilding: One or more RAID volumes are being rebuilt. | |
Adding hard drives: The Intel® Matrix Storage Manager driver is adding one or more members and migrating data in the array. | |
Replacing hard drives: One or more RAID volumes are being rebuilt on a spare hard drive as the result of a SMART event on a hard drive in that volume. | |
Initializing: RAID volume parity is initializing, or data on a RAID volume is being verified or verified and repaired. | |
Hard Drive Data Cache Enabled | Reports whether the data cache is enabled for all hard drives in the array. |
Size | Reports the capacity of the array in gigabytes. |
Free Space | Reports the amount of space in the array that is not being used by a RAID volume. Free space can be used to create a second RAID volume. |
Number of Hard Drives | Reports the number of hard drives that are a part of the array. |
Hard Drive Member [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] | Reports the manufacturer and model number of each hard drive that is a member of the array. |
Number of Volumes | Reports the number of RAID volumes in the array. If the number of volumes is equal to 1 and there is free space available, then a second RAID volume can be created in the array. |
Volume Member [1, 2] | Reports the name of each RAID volume in the array. |
Parameter | Value |
Status (RAID Volume) |
Normal: Volume data is fully accessible. |
Locked: Indicates that member drives part of the RAID volume are both locked and unlocked. To unlock the volume, use the right-click option to unlock all locked member drives. | |
Failed: For RAID 0 volumes, one or more members are missing or have failed. For RAID 1 volumes, both members have failed. For RAID 5 or RAID 10 volumes, two or more members are missing or have failed. Note: Under certain circumstances, a RAID 10 volume may be reported as 'Degraded' although two members are missing or have failed. | |
Degraded: Only RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes can be in this state. This indicates that a member has failed or is missing. | |
SMART Event: A hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error level and reported a SMART event. | |
Rebuilding: Only RAID 5 and RAID 10 volumes can be in this state. This indicates that data is being copied to a mirror or spare drive and that data redundancy is being restored. | |
Migrating: Indicates that data is being migrated to a second hard drive or array, and that a RAID volume is being created. | |
Verifying: Indicates that data on the RAID volume is being verified. | |
Initializing: RAID volume parity is initializing, or data on a RAID volume is being verified or verified and repaired. | |
Status (Recovery Volume) |
Volume Creation in Progress: Data on the master drive is being copied to the recovery drive. |
Continuous Update: Data on the master drive is copied to the recovery drive automatically as long as both drives are connected to the system. Disabling the continuous update policy requires you to request updates manually by right-clicking on the recovery volume and selecting Update Volume. | |
On request Update: Data on the master drive is copied to the recovery drive when you request it by right-clicking on the volume and selecting Update Volume. Only changes since the last update process are copied. | |
Updated: Only recovery volumes set to the Continuous update policy can be in this state. Data on the recovery drive matches data on the master drive. | |
Needs Update: Only recovery volumes set to the On request update policy can be in this state. Data on the recovery drive does not match data on the master drive. | |
Failed: Both members have failed. | |
Volume Update in Progress: Data on the master drive is being copied to the recovery drive. Only changes since the last update process are being copied. | |
Recovery in Progress: Data on the recovery drive is overwriting all data on the master drive. | |
Master Drive Read-Only: You selected the option to access the master drive files in Windows Explorer*, which makes the drive read-only. | |
Recovery Drive Read-Only: You selected the option to access the recovery drive files in Windows Explorer, which makes the drive read-only. | |
Master Drive Missing: The master drive that was used to create the recovery volume is no longer detected. | |
Recovery Drive Missing: The recovery drive that was used to create the recovery volume is no longer detected. | |
Encryption
State
|
On: The volume is encrypted and all member hard drives are encrypted. Note: all member hard drives part of a RAID volume must have the same encryption state at creation time. |
Off: The volume is unencrypted and all member hard drives are unencrypted. | |
Off (mixed hard drive encryption): The member drives of a RAID volume have different encryption states and the volume is assumed unencrypted. To change the volume encryption state, modify the encryption state across member hard drives to reflect an identical state. | |
Verification Errors | Reports the number of inconsistencies found during RAID volume data verification. This is only valid during the verification process or during the verification and repair process. |
Blocks with Media Errors | Reports the number of blocks with media errors found during RAID volume data verification. This is only valid during the verification process or during the verification and repair process. |
System Volume | Reports whether the volume contains protected operating system files. |
Volume Write-Back Cache Enabled | Reports whether the write-back cache feature is enabled for the volume. |
RAID Level | Reports the RAID level being used for the volume. |
Strip Size | Reports the size of each logical contiguous data block used in the volume, for RAID 0, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes. The strip size is indicated in kilobytes. |
Size | Reports the total capacity of the volume in gigabytes. |
Number of Hard Drives | Reports the number of hard drives that the volume includes. |
Hard Drive Member [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] | For RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes, reports the manufacturer and model number of each hard drive being used by the volume. |
Master Hard Drive | For recovery volumes, reports the manufacturer and model number of the master drive. |
Recovery Hard Drive | For recovery volumes, reports the manufacturer and model number of the recovery drive. |
Parent Array | Reports the name of the array that contains this volume. |
Parameter | Value |
Usage | Array Member: The hard drive has been grouped with other drives to form an array containing RAID volumes. The RAID volumes may be displayed in the operating systems; however, the individual drives are not. |
Array Member (Master): The hard drive is the source drive for the recovery volume. | |
Array Member (Recovery): The hard drive is the target drive for the recovery volume. | |
Non-RAID Hard Drive: The hard drive has no RAID meta-data on it, and it is both visible and available for use by the operating system. | |
None: The hard drive contains meta-data that prevents it from being displayed in the operating system, but the hard drive is not an array member. | |
Status | Normal: The hard drive is present, functioning as expected, and unlocked. |
Locked: The hard drive is password protected. Use the right-click option to unlock the locked hard drive. Note: if member drives part of a RAID volume are both locked and unlocked, the volume will display as locked. | |
Error Occurred: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface. | |
SMART Event: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold and is at risk of failure. | |
Missing: The hard drive is not present. | |
Incompatible Version: The hard drive contains RAID meta-data that is reporting a version that is incompatible with the current version of RAID software. | |
Failed: Indicates the same condition as 'Error Occurred'. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Console. | |
Encryption State | On: The hard drive is encrypted. |
Off: The hard drive is unencrypted. | |
Device Port | Reports the port on the Serial ATA controller to which the hard drive is connected. |
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode | Reports the Serial ATA transfer mode between the Serial ATA
controller and the Serial ATA hard drive. The typical values for this parameter
are:
|
Model | Reports the model number of the hard drive. |
Serial Number | Reports the manufacturer's serial number for the hard drive. |
Firmware | Reports the version of the firmware within the hard drive. |
Native Command Queuing Support | Reports whether or not the hard drive supports Native Command Queuing. |
Hard Drive Data Cache Enabled | Reports whether the data cache is enabled for all hard drives in the array. |
Number of Volumes | Reports the number of volumes on the array. |
Volume Member [1, 2] | Reports the name of each volume that the hard drive is a member of. |
Parent Array | Reports the name of the RAID array that the hard drive is a member of. |
Parameter | Value |
Usage | Non-RAID Hard Drive: This hard drive is not used in a RAID array or volume. This hard drive could be used as a RAID Spare or as a data storage device. |
Spare: This hard drive has been marked as the destination drive for auto-rebuilds. | |
Unknown hard drive usage: The usage for this hard drive could not be determined. This could be due to an incompatibility between this software version and the hard drive configuration. | |
Status | Normal: The hard drive is present and functioning as expected. |
Error Occurred: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface. | |
SMART Event: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold and is at risk of failure. | |
Locked: The hard drive is password protected. Use the right-click option to unlock the locked hard drive. Note: if all member drives part of a RAID volume are locked, the volume will not be visible, and all member drives will display as non-RAID hard drives. | |
Failed: Indicates the same condition as 'Error Occurred'. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Console. | Encryption State | On: The hard drive is encrypted. |
Off: The hard drive is unencrypted. | |
Device Port | Reports the port on the Serial ATA controller to which the hard drive is connected. |
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode | Reports the Serial ATA transfer mode between the Serial ATA
controller and the Serial ATA hard drive. The typical values for this parameter
are:
|
Model | Reports the model number of the hard drive. |
Serial Number | Reports the manufacturer's serial number for the hard drive. |
Firmware | Reports the version of the firmware within the hard drive. |
Native Command Queuing Support | Reports whether or not the hard drive supports Native Command Queuing. |
System Hard Drive | Reports whether or not the hard drive contains protected operating system files. |
Size | Reports the total capacity of the hard drive in gigabytes. |
Name | Description |
Status | Normal: The hard drive is present and functioning as expected. |
Locked: The hard drive is password protected. Use the right-click option to unlock the locked hard drive. Note: if all member drives part of a RAID volume are locked, the volume will not be visible, and all member drives will display as non-RAID hard drives. | |
Error Occurred: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface. | |
SMART Event: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold and is at risk of failure. | |
Failed: Indicates the same condition as 'Error Occurred'. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Console. | |
Device Port | Reports the port on the Serial ATA controller to which the hard drive is connected. |
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode | Reports the Serial ATA transfer mode between the Serial ATA
controller and the Serial ATA hard drive. The typical values for this parameter
are:
|
Model | Reports the model number of the hard drive. |
Serial Number | Reports the manufacturer's serial number for the hard drive. |
Firmware | Reports the version of the firmware within the hard drive. |
Native Command Queuing Support | Reports whether or not the hard drive supports Native Command Queuing. |
Size | Reports the total capacity of the hard drive in gigabytes. |
Intel® Matrix Storage Console allows access to actions for managing the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager features. In Basic Mode, the left pane displays commonly used actions and the right pane provides information (volume status, details and warnings) and the action button related to the left pane selection. The table below provides a description of each action accessible via these menus.
TABLE 10. LEFT PANE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR RECOVERY VOLUME ONLYAction | Description |
View Hard Drive and Volume Status | Selecting this option provides a quick overview of the hard drives and volume status, and the option to switch to advanced mode view. |
Modify Volume Update Policy | Selecting this option allows you to change the volume update policy by enabling or disabling continuous updates. Selecting 'Disable Continuous Updates' will put the volume in on request update policy and you will need to request updates manually by selecting 'Update Recovery Volume'. Selecting 'Enable Continuous Updates' will update the volume automatically. |
Access Master Drive Files and Access Recovery Drive Files | These options allow you to view files on the master or recovery drive using Windows Explorer*. Selecting one of these options will set the volume in read-only and doesn't allow any volume updates. When you are done viewing the files, select 'Hide Master Drive Files' or 'Hide Recovery Drive Files' to hide files and set the volume to on request update policy, or select 'Modify Volume Update Policy' to hide files and set the volume to continuous update policy. |
Hide Master Drive Files and Hide Recovery Drive Files | These options are available only after you select the option to access the master or recovery drive files in Windows Explorer. Selecting one of these options will make the hard drive writable and enable on request or continuous volume updates. |
Update Recovery Volume | This option is only available when the volume is set to on request update policy. Selecting this option copies data on the master drive to the recovery drive. Only changes since the last update process are copied. |
Recover Data to Master Drive | This option is available only after you have rebooted the system from the recovery drive using the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface. Selecting this option will overwrite all master drive data with data from the recovery drive. |
Action | Description |
Create RAID Volume | Use this creation option to create a RAID volume when you do not want to preserve data on an existing hard drive. Two or more hard drives may be used for the volume, depending on which RAID level you choose. Intel® Matrix RAID Technology makes it possible to create two volumes within an array. To do so, select a volume capacity that is less than the total capacity of the array. This will leave empty array space for the second RAID volume. The second volume will automatically occupy the remaining space on the array. Intel Matrix Storage Console only creates the RAID volume. The resulting volume is unpartitioned and unformatted. Use the Microsoft Windows* Disk Management utility to partition and format the new RAID volume. Note that for encryption enabled systems, at least two non-RAID hard drives with identical encryption states must be available to launch the wizard and to create a RAID volume. |
Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive | Use this creation option when you want to preserve data on an existing hard drive and copy that data to one or more additional hard drives. This creation method, called migration, may take a few hours depending on the hard drive capacity and system workload. Once you complete the wizard, a dialog will appear that shows the migration progress. To reopen the dialog at any point during the migration process, right-click on the migrating volume and select 'Show Migration Progress'. Only one migration process can take place at a time. If you want to convert more than one data drive to a RAID volume, you must convert them one at a time. Note that for encryption enabled systems, at least two non-RAID hard drives with identical encryption states must be available to launch the wizard and to create a RAID volume. |
Create Recovery Volume | Use this creation option when you want to create a volume using Intel® Rapid Recover Technology. This technology copies data from a master drive to a recovery drive either continuously or on request. The master and recovery drives must include 100% of the available hard drive space of an array, and only one recovery volume can be present on a system. Note that when a recovery volume is created, no RAID volumes can be present or added to the system. Also, for encryption enabled systems, at least two non-RAID hard drives with identical encryption states must be available to launch the wizard and to create a RAID volume. |
Rescan for Plug and Play Devices | Use this option to detect the hard drives that have been added or removed. After the scan is completed, the Advanced Mode view will show the updated information. This action corresponds to the 'Scan for hardware changes' option of Microsoft Windows Device Manager. |
Device Pane Item | Description |
Array | Create Volume: This option is available only if the array consists of a RAID volume that does not include 100% of the available array hard drive space. You can then use this option to launch the 'Create RAID Volume Wizard', and create a second RAID volume to utilize the remaining space on the array. Refer to the 'Intel Matrix RAID Technology' section of this help file for more details. |
Enable/Disable Hard Drive Data Cache: The Hard Drive Data Cache is a performance-enhancing feature supported by some hard drives. Enabling the data cache improves performance by temporarily storing data before it is written to the hard drive. The disadvantage of enabling the data cache is that the cached data may be lost if the system loses power. To enable or disable the Data Cache, right-click on the RAID array and select 'Enable Hard Drive Data Cache' or 'Disable Hard Drive Data Cache'. Restart the computer to apply the changes. | |
RAID Volume | Delete Volume: This option allows you to delete an existing RAID volume. WARNING: When a RAID volume is deleted, all data on all hard drives that are part of the RAID volume is permanently deleted. Back up all important data before you delete the volume. |
Modify Volume: This option allows you to make the following modifications to the RAID volume: change volume name, perform a RAID level migration (i.e. migrate from a RAID 0, 1, or 10 volume to a RAID 5 volume), and expand the volume capacity by utilizing 100% of available array space or adding hard drives. | |
Verify Volume Data: This option verifies the data on a RAID volume. When the verification process is complete, a dialog will display the number of verification errors and blocks with media errors that were found. | |
Verify and Repair Volume Data: This option verifies and repairs the data on a RAID volume. When the verification and repair process is complete, a dialog will display the number of verification errors found and repaired and the number of blocks with media errors that were reassigned. | |
Enable/Disable Volume Write-Back Cache: Enabling volume write-back cache improves I/O throughput and responsiveness, but may lower data protection in the event of a power or system failure. No reboot is required to change this option. NOTE: for data protection, volume write-back cache is temporarily disabled when running on Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). |
|
Show Volume Creation Progress: This option is available only when a new volume is in the process of being created. Once you select this option, a dialog box will open to report the creation progress as '% complete'. | |
Show Migration Progress: This option is available only when a migration is in progress. Once you select this option, a dialog box will open to report the migration progress as '% complete'. | |
Recover Volume: This option recovers a volume after the hard drive that caused the failure has been physically restored, provided that the following conditions are met: The hard drive or drives that were originally part of the failed RAID volume have been reinstalled. The data on the hard drive was not accessed while the hard drive was removed from the system. | |
Convert to Recovery Volume: This option is available only for RAID 1 volumes that include 100% of the hard drive space of an array. The array must consist of only 2 hard drives. Once the RAID 1 volume is converted, it will utilize Intel® Rapid Recover Technology. For step-by-step instructions on the procedure to follow, please refer to the Volume Conversion Options section. | |
Recovery Volume | Delete Volume: This option allows you to delete an existing recovery volume. WARNING: When a recovery volume is deleted, all data on the master and recovery drive is permanently deleted. Back up all important data before you delete the volume. |
Modify Volume: This option allows you to make the following modifications to the recovery volume: change volume name, swap master and recovery drives, and change update policy. | |
Verify Volume Data: This option verifies the data on a recovery volume. When the verification process is complete, a dialog will display the number of verification errors and blocks with media errors that were found. | |
Verify and Repair Volume Data: This option verifies and repairs the data on a recovery volume. When the verification and repair process is complete, a dialog will display the number of verification errors found and repaired and the number of blocks with media errors that were reassigned. | |
Enable/Disable Volume Write-Back Cache: Enabling volume write-back cache improves I/O throughput and responsiveness, but may lower data protection in the event of a power or system failure. No reboot is required to change this option. NOTE: for data protection, volume write-back cache is temporarily disabled when running on Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). |
|
Disable Continuous Update: Selecting this option will change the update policy to on request. You will then need to request updates manually by right-clicking on the volume and selecting 'Update Volume'. | |
Update Volume: This option is only available when the volume is set to on request update policy. Selecting this option copies data on the master drive to the recovery drive. Only changes since the last update process are copied. | |
Show Volume Update Progress: This option is available only when a new recovery volume is being created or when you select 'Update Volume' in the on request update policy. | |
Cancel Volume Update Process: This option is available only when a new recovery volume is being created or when you select 'Update Volume' in the on request update policy. | |
Recover Data to Master: This option is available only after you have rebooted the system from the recovery drive using Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface. Selecting this option will overwrite all master drive data with data on the recovery drive. | |
Show Recovery Progress: This option is available only when a recovery to the master drive is in progress. Once you select this option, a dialog box will open to report the recovery progress as '% complete'. | |
Cancel Recovery Process: This option is available only when a recovery to the master drive is in progress. Selecting this option will cancel the process of copying recovery drive data to the master drive. | |
Access Master Drive Files and Access Recovery Drive Files: These options allow you to view files on the master or recovery drive using Windows Explorer*. Selecting one of these options will set the volume in read-only and doesn't allow any volume updates. When you are done viewing the files, select 'Hide Master Drive Files' or 'Hide Recovery Drive Files' to hide files and set the volume to on request update policy, or select 'Modify Volume Update Policy' to hide files and set the volume to continuous update policy. | |
Hide Master Drive Files and Hide Recovery Drive Files: These options are available only after you select the option to access the master or recovery drive files in Windows Explorer. Selecting one of these options will make the hard drive writable and enable volume updates. | |
Convert to RAID 1 Volume: This option allows you to convert a recovery volume to a RAID 1 volume. For step-by-step instructions on the procedure to follow, please refer to the Volume Conversion Options section. | |
RAID Hard Drive | Activate Port LED: This option allows you to identify which port the hard drive is connected to. Once located, the port light will flash and timeout automatically. Note: This option is available only for used ports. |
Unlock Hard Drive: This option is available only if one or more hard drives are locked. Locked hard drives display in the device pane with a lock icon appended to them and in the information pane with a 'Locked' status. Right-click on a locked hard drive and select 'Unlock Hard Drive' from the menu. You will then be prompted to enter a password to unlock the selected hard drive. At this time, the Intel® Matrix Storage Console doesn't allow the locking of a hard drive. | |
Non-RAID Hard Drive | Mark as Spare: WARNING: When a non-RAID hard drive is marked as a spare, all data on that drive is permanently deleted. Back up all important data before you mark a drive as a spare. This feature marks hard drives as destination drives for auto-rebuilds. To mark a hard drive as a spare, click on one of the hard drives listed in the Non-RAID Hard Drives list of the device pane, and select 'Mark as Spare'. |
Reset Hard Drive to Non-RAID: Only Non-RAID Hard Drives that are already marked as a spare can be reset. Right-click on the spare hard drive in the list of Non-RAID Hard Drives in the device pane and select 'Reset Hard Drive to Non-RAID' from the menu that appears. This drive, which was a member of a RAID array, will become a Non-RAID drive. | |
Rebuild to this Hard Drive: This option is available only when a RAID 1, 5, or 10 volume is degraded due to a failed member drive, or when the master drive of a recovery volume fails or is lost. Refer to the 'Recover Data to Master' or 'RAID Volume Recovery' sections of this help file for detailed procedures for using this option. | |
Activate Port LED: This option allows you to identify which port the hard drive is connected to. Once located, the port light will flash and timeout automatically. Note: This option is available only for used ports. | |
Unlock Hard Drive: This option is available only if one or more hard drives are locked. Locked hard drives display in the device pane with a lock icon appended to them and in the information pane with a 'Locked' status. Right-click on a locked hard drive and select 'Unlock Hard Drive' from the menu. You will then be prompted to enter a password to unlock the selected hard drive. At this time, the Intel® Matrix Storage Console doesn't allow the locking of a hard drive. |
Encryption Enabled Systems:
You will not be able to access any of the Create
Volume Wizards unless at least two non-RAID hard drives with
identical encryption states are available on the system. Also, a volume can only
be created with member hard drives displaying identical encryption
states, encrypted or unencrypted.
CREATE A RECOVERY VOLUME
A recovery volume utilizes Intel® Rapid Recover Technology to copy data from a designated master drive, usually the system drive, to a designated recovery drive. The master and recovery drives must
include 100% of the available hard drive space of an array, and only one recovery volume can be present on a system. Also, when a recovery volume is created, no RAID volumes can be present or added to the system.
Follow the steps below to create a recovery volume. During the process, you will have the option to copy master drive data to the recovery drive continuously or on request. When using the continuous update policy, changes made to the master drive are automatically copied to the recovery drive whenever the recovery drive is connected and online. When using the on request update policy, the recovery drive's status is automatically set to 'Offline'. Therefore, the master drive data can be restored to a previous state by copying the data on the recovery drive back to the master drive (refer to the 'Reverting Master Drive Data to a Previous State' section of this help file to view that procedure).
The options described above are mutually exclusive and the Modify RAID Volume Wizard restricts to a single selection. You will need to go through the volume modification process as many times as you need to complete a migration, including a RAID level migration. A volume capacity expansion does not require re-installation of the operating system.
UTILIZE 100% OF AVAILABLE ARRAY SPACE
Follow the steps below to increase the volume capacity by utilizing 100% of
available array space:
ADD ONE OR MORE MEMBER HARD DRIVES
Follow the steps below to
increase the volume capacity by adding one or more member hard drives:
REPLACING A RECOVERY DRIVE
REPLACING A MASTER DRIVE
If the master drive fails or is removed from the system and lost, you will need
to install a new master drive and rebuild the recovery volume to that new drive.
INTEL STORAGE FEATURES | |
Intel® Matrix Storage Manager | Intel Matrix Storage Manager is a Serial ATA storage software that enables power features and increased performance on mobile systems, and performance and protection features on other systems. |
Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver | The Intel Matrix Storage driver is a software specifically designed to improve storage subsystem performance and reliability. |
Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM | The option ROM is a code module built into the system BIOS that provides boot support for RAID volumes as well as a user interface for configuring and managing RAID volumes. |
Intel® Matrix RAID Technology | Intel Matrix RAID Technology is a software that can create, manage, and use two independent RAID volumes within a single RAID array. |
Intel® Rapid Recover Technology | Intel Rapid Recover Technology allows you to copy data from a master drive to a recovery drive either continuously or on request. To utilize this technology, create a recovery volume. |
Intel® Matrix Storage Console | Intel Matrix Storage Console is a software that provides the management interface for the serial ATA AHCI and RAID subsystem within the supported operating system. |
RAID TERMINOLOGY | |
Auto-rebuild | The process of restoring a RAID 1, 5, or 10 volume in the event that a RAID member fails or is missing. If a spare hard drive is present, the software will automatically use it as a replacement for the failed hard drive. An auto-rebuild process will also occur if a RAID 1 member is removed and then reinserted, in order to re-establish the mirroring. RAID 0 volumes cannot use the auto-rebuild process. |
Auto-recover | The process of automatically recovering volumes that have failed due to a missing disk. For RAID 0 volumes, if all member disks are present and the volume is failed, the option ROM will mark the volume as 'Failed'. For redundant RAID volumes, if the most recently removed member disk is replaced and if enough non-failed disks are present the volume state will be changed to 'Degraded'. |
Continuous Update Policy | When a recovery volume is using this policy, data on the master drive is copied to the recovery drive automatically as long as both drives are connected to the system. |
RAID | Redundant Array of Independent Drives: RAID allows data to be distributed across multiple hard drives to provide data redundancy or to enhance data storage performance. |
RAID Array | A logical grouping of physical hard drives. |
Master Drive | The hard drive that is the designated source drive in a recovery volume. |
Member | A hard drive used within a RAID array. |
On Request Update Policy | When a recovery volume is using this policy, data on the master drive is copied to the recovery drive when you request it. Only changes since the last update process are copied. |
Pass-through Drive | A hard drive that is not included in a RAID volume and is available to the operating system as an individual disk. |
RAID Volume | A fixed amount of space across a RAID array that appears as a single physical hard drive to the operating system. Each RAID volume is created with a specific RAID level to provide data redundancy or to enhance data storage performance. |
RAID Level | A defined set of characteristics applied to a RAID volume, which determines how data is stored and managed to improve read/write performance or to increase fault tolerance. |
RAID 0 (striping) | The data in the RAID volume is striped across the array's members. Striping divides data into units and distributes those units across the members without creating data redundancy, but improving read/write performance. |
RAID 1 (mirroring) | The data in the RAID volume is mirrored across the RAID array's members. Mirroring is the term used to describe the key feature of RAID 1, which writes duplicate data to each member; therefore, creating data redundancy and increasing fault tolerance. |
RAID 5 (striping with parity) | The data in the RAID volume and parity are striped across the array's members. Parity information is written with the data in a rotating sequence across the members of the array. This RAID level is a preferred configuration for efficiency, fault-tolerance, and performance. |
RAID 10 (striping and mirroring) | The RAID level where information is striped across a two disk array for system performance. Each of the drives in the array has a mirror for fault tolerance. RAID 10 provides the performance benefits of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. However, it requires four hard drives. |
Recovery Drive | The hard drive that is the designated target drive in a recovery volume. |
Recovery Volume | A volume utilizing Intel Rapid Recover Technology. |
Strip | The strip refers to the grouping of logical contiguous data blocks used on a single physical hard drive within a RAID 0, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume. The strip size is expressed in kilobytes. |
Stripe | The sum of all strips in a horizontal axis across physical hard drives within a RAID volume. |
Metadata | Metadata means 'data about data' or 'information about information'. For RAID volumes, metadata is information about the way the RAID volume stores the user and system files on a RAID volume. |
Migration | The process of converting a system's data storage configuration from a non-RAID configuration (pass-thru) to a RAID configuration. |
RAID Level Migration | The process of converting a system's data storage configuration from one RAID level to another. |
Volume Capacity Expansion | The process of increasing the capacity of an existing volume by utilizing 100% of available array space or adding one or more member hard drives. |
Encryption State | The indication of whether the volume and hard drives ordinary data is encoded into a non-readable form to increase the security level. |
Encrypted | The value of a hard drive encryption state that is appended to the end of a hard drive description in the Create Raid Volume, Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive, Create Recovery Volume and Modify RAID Volume Wizards. |
Locked Hard Drive | A password protected hard drive that is designated to increase the security level and can be unlocked with a valid password. |
Spare Hard Drive | A Serial ATA hard drive that is designated by the RAID software to be automatically used as the target of an auto-rebuild in the event that a RAID member fails or is missing. RAID level 0 cannot use spares. RAID levels 1, 5 and 10 can use one or more spares. |
Activate Port LED | The action to locate the port connected to a specific hard drive present on the system. |
Volume Initialization | The process of initializing parity for RAID 5 volumes or ensuring that each block of data on the mirror is identical to the equivalent block of data on the source hard drive(s) for RAID 1 and RAID 10 volumes. |
STORAGE TERMINOLOGY | |
RAID Controller | The RAID controller creates and manages RAID arrays and RAID volumes to improve read/write performance or to increase fault tolerance. |
Serial ATA Controller | The Serial ATA controller is integrated into the I/O Controller Hub in the system. This controller manages Serial ATA devices and serves as their interface to the system. |
AHCI | Advanced Host Controller Interface: an interface specification that allows the storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing, native hot plug, and power management. |
Hot Plug | The unannounced removal and insertion of a Serial ATA hard drive while the system is powered on. |
Native Command Queuing | A command protocol in Serial ATA that allows multiple commands to be outstanding within a hard drive at the same time. The commands are dynamically reordered to increase hard drive performance. |
ATAPI Device | A mass storage device with a parallel interface such as CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, and tape drives. |
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) | A computer bus technology primarily designed for transfer of data to and from a hard disk. It is the successor to the PATA technology. |
Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) | An AT Attachment (ATA) is a standard interface for connecting storage devices such as hard disks and CD-ROM drives inside personal computers. With the introduction of Serial ATA (SATA), the original ATA was retroactively renamed Parallel ATA (PATA). Also known as IDE (Integrated Device Electronics). |
Serial ATA Hard Drive | A hard drive with an interface that transmits data using a serial protocol in order to communicate with the Serial ATA Controller. |
eSATA | An external SATA drive. |
Serial ATA Storage Subsystem | All of the hardware and software on a system that is related to storing data on Serial ATA hard drives. |
Serial ATA Transfer Mode | The rate at which the Serial ATA controller and Serial ATA hard drive communicate with each other. |
Large Sector Hard Drives | Serial ATA hard drives with a logical sector size ½ KB. These hard drives can have a physical sector size of ½ KB, 1 KB, 2 KB, or 4 KB. Any combination of these drives can be used in a single array. A volume created with large sector hard drives will have a logical sector size equal to ½ KB and a physical sector size equal to physical sector size of the hard drive with the largest physical sector size in the array. Refer to the information pane in the 'Advanced Mode' to view logical and physical sector size for a hard drive or volume. |
SMART Event | Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology: an open standard for developing hard drives and software systems that automatically monitor a hard drive and report potential problems. |
Hard Drive Data Cache | A cache memory within a hard drive that temporarily stores frequently used data sectors for faster access. As a result, overall hard drive performances is improved. |
Volume Write-Back Cache | A cache memory within a volume that temporarily stores frequently used data sectors for faster access and optimal RAID volume operation. As a result, read/write throughput and responsiveness of the volume is enhanced. |
Link Power Management | The ability of the Serial ATA controller to put the Serial ATA device into a lower power state. |
Asynchronous Notification | Allows an ATAPI device to send notification to the Serial ATA controller that the device requires attention. |