The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager improves storage subsystem performance and reliability on Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor-based systems that use one of the following storage controllers:
The Intel Matrix Storage Manager consists of the following components:
The Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM is packaged separately and is not present in systems that do not support RAID. The option ROM is typically integrated into the BIOS of the motherboard to configure RAID volumes before the operating system boots.
The Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver may be installed on systems that use supported controller hubs that are older than the Intel 631xESB/632xESB or ICH7R controllers. However, features that require 631xESB/632xESB or ICH7R hardware will be unavailable in the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
Software installation is fully automated for all supported chipsets and operating systems. Please refer to the System Requirements in this help file for more details.
On systems using RAID and the Intel 631xESB/632xESB or ICH7R controller, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager supports the following features:
Matrix RAID |
Create, manage, and use up to two independent RAID volumes within a single array. |
Multiple Arrays |
Create up to three independent RAID arrays, each with two hard drives, on any of the six Serial ATA ports. |
Multi-Disk RAID 0 |
Create a RAID 0 volume containing a minimum of two hard drives and maximum of six hard drives. |
RAID 1 |
Create a RAID 1 volume containing two hard drives. |
RAID 5 |
Stripe data and parity across three, four, five, or six hard drives. |
RAID 10 |
Create a RAID 10 array with the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1. RAID 10 contains a 2-drive RAID 0 array for performance benefits. Each of the drives in the RAID 0 array is then mirrored onto a RAID 1 array |
RAID Spare |
Mark one or more hard drives as the destination for automatic rebuilds. |
RAID Level Migration |
Migrate from RAID 0, 1, and 10 to RAID 5. |
Advanced Host ControllerInterface (AHCI) |
Use advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing and Native Hot Plug. |
Write-Back Cache |
Groups multiple I/O requests from the host into fewer requests and writes from the cache to the volumes at defined intervals. This RAID 5 feature enhances the read and write latency of an array. |
NTFS Security |
Users must log on with sufficient permissions to set up or change RAID volumes. |
NTFS Partition Expansion |
Expand NTFS partitions during migration to an array of larger drives. |
64-bit Operating System Support |
Supports some 64-bit operating systems. Please refer to System Requirements for details. |
On supported mobile controllers (see System Requirements), the Intel Matrix Storage Manager supports the following features:
RAID 0 |
Create a 2-drive RAID 0 with the ICH7MDH I/O Controller Hub |
RAID 1 | Create a 2-drive RAID 1 with the ICH7MDH I/O Controller Hub |
Matrix RAID |
Create, manage, and use two independent RAID volumes within a single array. |
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) |
Allows the storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing and Native Hot Plug. |
Aggressive Link Power Management |
Allows the Serial ATA controller to put the Serial ATA device into a lower power state. |
Asynchronous Notification |
Allows an ATAPI device to notify the Serial ATA controller that the device requires attention. |
For a complete user's manual, visit http://support.intel.com/support/go/imsm/kb_r.htm.
The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager requires the following system components:
Note: These operating systems may not be available in all languages.
The following operating systems are not supported:
++Only available on platforms with Intel(R) 5000 Series
Chipsets with an Intel(R) 631xESB or
Intel(R) 5000 Series Chipsets with an Intel(R) 632xESB I/O Controller
Hub
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Drives) refers to multiple independent hard drives combined to form one logical array. If one or more RAID volumes are created on the array, the operating system no longer recognizes individual hard drives, but identifies each volume as a single logical hard drive. The main objective of RAID is to improve storage subsystem performance and support fault tolerance.
The Matrix RAID feature allows one or two independent RAID volumes on a single RAID array. The array may consist of a minimum of two to a maximum of six Serial ATA hard drives, depending on the RAID level. The first RAID volume occupies part of the array, leaving space in which a second volume can be created.
The RAID level defines how the data is formatted within the volume that spans the hard drives of the array. The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager supports RAID level 0 (striping), RAID level 1 (mirroring), RAID level 5 (striping with parity) and RAID level 10 (striping and mirroring). No other RAID levels are currently supported.
RAID level 0 combines two or more hard drives so that all data is divided into manageable blocks called strips. Table 2 describes the usage scenarios for permitted strip sizes. The strips are striped across the array members on which the RAID 0 volume resides. This method improves read/write performance, especially for sequential access, by allowing adjacent data to be accessed from more than one hard drive simultaneously. However, data stored in a RAID 0 volume is not redundant. Therefore, if one hard drive fails, all data on the volume is lost. Below is an overview of RAID 0 characteristics:
RAID level 1 combines two hard drives so that all data is written concurrently across the array members that the RAID 1 volume resides on. In other words, the data is mirrored across the hard drives of the RAID 1 volume. This creates real-time redundancy of all data on the first drive, also called a mirror. RAID 1 is usually used in workstations and servers where data redundancy is important. Below is an overview of RAID 1 characteristics:
RAID level 5 combines three or more hard drives so that all data is divided into manageable blocks called strips. RAID 5 uses parity, which is a mathematical method for recreating lost data to a single drive, which increases fault tolerance. The data and parity are striped across the array members in a rotating sequence. Because of the parity striping, it is possible to rebuild the data after replacing a failed hard drive with a new drive. The extra work of calculating the missing data will degrade the write performance to the volumes while data is being rebuilt. RAID 5 performs better for smaller I/O functions than larger sequential files. Table 2 describes the usage scenarios for permitted strip sizes. Below is an overview of RAID 5 characteristics:
RAID level 10 uses four hard drives to create a combination of RAID levels 0 and 1. The data is striped across a two-disk array forming a RAID 0 component. Each of the drives in the RAID 0 array is mirrored by a drive in the RAID 1 array. This configuration provides the benefits of the performance of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. Below is an overview of RAID 10 characteristics:
RAID level |
Number of drives in the array |
ICH6R |
ICH7R ICH7DH |
ICH7MDH |
631xESB |
RAID 0 |
2 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
RAID 0 |
3 or 4 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
RAID 0 |
5 or 6 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
RAID 1 |
2 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
RAID 5 |
3 or 4 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
RAID 5 |
5 or 6 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
RAID 10 |
4 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
Table 2 describes the usage scenarios for typical strip sizes.
Strip Size |
Description |
RAID Levels |
---|---|---|
4KB |
Best for specialized usage models requiring 4KB strips |
RAID 0, 10 |
8KB |
Best for specialized usage models requiring 8KB strips |
RAID 0, 10 |
16KB |
Best for sequential transfers |
RAID 0, 5, 10 |
32KB |
Good for sequential transfers |
RAID 0, 5, 10 |
64KB |
Good general purpose strip size (default for RAID 5, 10) |
RAID 0, 5, 10 |
128KB |
Best performance for most desktops and workstations (default for RAID 0) |
RAID 0, 5 |
The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager driver is Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certified software designed specifically to improve storage subsystem performance and reliability. The driver is installed as part of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software.
After installation, the driver is queried by the other Intel Matrix Storage Manager components in order to manage the storage subsystem. The queries obtain detailed Serial ATA controller, Serial ATA device, and RAID information along with the status of those devices. The information is then displayed in the Intel (R) Matrix Storage Console.
When you open the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console, the main dialog box appears, providing device information in two panes based on the selected view. The supported views are Basic or Advanced:
Basic Mode |
Shows the status of the hard drives and an illustration of the current RAID volume. You can change to the Advanced Mode by clicking the 'Switch to Advanced Mode view' button if it is present, or by selecting Advanced Mode from the View menu. |
Advanced Mode |
Shows a combination of logical and physical views of the hard drives and any supported RAID volumes that may be present. The logical view shows details about the RAID arrays and volumes. The physical view shows details about the hard drives and how they are connected to each other. |
The view automatically refreshes whenever the configuration of a Serial ATA device or RAID volume is changed. The view can be refreshed manually by selecting 'Refresh' from the 'View' menu, or by pressing F5.
NOTE: This shows a typical RAID system. You might see a different view, depending on which drive the operating system is installed on, and how many RAID volumes are present. If a system does not have any RAID volumes, the status of the hard drives will be shown.
NOTE: This shows a typical RAID system with four hard drives. You might see a different view, depending on which drive the operating system is installed on, and how many RAID volumes are present. If a system does not have any RAID volumes, the status of the hard drives will be shown.
The pane on the left, called the device pane, shows the logical and physical views of the devices that make up the Serial ATA storage subsystem. These devices will include the Serial ATA controller, any supported Serial ATA hard drives, any supported ATAPI hard drives, and any supported RAID volumes present in the system.
Select a device, and the device information will appear in the right-hand pane, called the Information pane. The figure above shows an example of the Advanced Mode view with four hard drives present. There are two volumes, MyRAID5 and MyRAID10, sharing a single array. This is an example of a RAID configuration using Matrix RAID.
When selected from the 'View' menu, the System Report shows system details such as the processor type, the operating system, and the storage subsystem devices. The report also describes the RAID arrays and volumes, as well as physical details that describe the actual hard drives. The system report can be printed or saved by clicking the appropriate button on the dialog box. It is often useful to print the system report before requesting technical support.
When selected from the 'Help' menu, the Support dialog box shows links to web sites that provide product updates, technical support, documentation, and other product information. By default, the links point to Intel support pages, but they may be customized by the system manufacturer. Intel recommends that you use the resources on the support page for any technical support and product update information, or that you contact your system manufacturer directly.
When selected from the 'Help' menu, the About dialog box shows the Intel Matrix Storage Manager product banner, which includes the currently installed version number.
The information pane shows information for the selected device. The parameters for each device type are listed in the tables below. If a parameter does not apply to the device you selected, it is not shown.
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. |
|
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled |
Reports whether the Write 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 |
Normal: Volume data is fully accessible |
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 0, 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. |
|
System Volume |
Reports whether the volume contains protected operating system files. |
Volume Write-BackCache Enabled |
Reports whether the Write-Back Cache feature is enabled for the volume. This is valid for RAID 5 volumes only. |
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 spans. |
Hard Drive Member [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] |
Reports the manufacturer and model number of each hard drive being used by the volume. |
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 exposed to the operating systems; however, the individual drives are not. |
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 exposed to the operating system, but the hard drive is not an array member. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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 Write Cache Enabled |
Reports whether or not the Write Cache feature is enabled for the Hard Drive. |
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. |
|
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. |
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. |
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. |
The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console can be viewed under two modes: Basic mode and Advanced mode.
The Basic mode is a simple view that shows device information in the form of status messages and illustrations. In an abnormal situation, such as a failed or missing hard drive, the 'Detail' window will contain a button that will open the Advanced Mode window to manage the problem.
In Advanced mode, several storage subsystem management options are available on the 'Actions' menu or by right-clicking on specific devices in the device pane. These options are described below.
CAUTION:
Creating a RAID volume will DELETE ALL EXISTING DATA from the hard drives used in the RAID and the data cannot be recovered. Back up all important data before creating a RAID volume.
SMART Event Note: You will be unable to create a RAID volume if one or more of the Serial ATA hard drives you select for the RAID volume have reported a SMART event. If you believe that the SMART event will not hinder normal operation of the hard drive, then right-click the hard drive that shows the SMART event and select 'Reset SMART Event'. You will then be able to create a RAID volume using this drive. This is not recommended unless you understand the reason for the SMART event.
Use this method when you want to create a blank volume.
Caution: When a RAID volume is created, all data on the selected hard drives is permanently deleted. Back up all important data before you create the RAID.
Select 'Create RAID Volume' from the Actions menu. The wizard that appears will guide you through the process of creating a RAID volume. Two or more hard drives may be used for the volume, depending on which RAID level you choose.
The Matrix RAID feature 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.
The Intel Matrix Storage Console only creates the RAID volume. The resulting volume is unpartitioned and unformatted. Use the Windows* Disk Management utility to partition and format the new RAID volume.
Use this creation method when you want to preserve existing data and create a RAID volume that contains that data.
Caution: When a RAID volume is created by this method, all data on the destination hard drives is permanently deleted. Back up all important data before you create the RAID.
Select 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive' from the Actions menu. The wizard that appears will guide you through the process of creating a RAID volume using one source hard drive containing data and one or more destination hard drives.
This creation method, called migration, may take a few hours depending on the hard drive capacity and system workload. 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 in the Intel Matrix Storage Console 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.
|
Storage Controller | ||||
From this RAID Level |
To this RAID level |
ICH6R |
ICH7R |
ICH7MDH |
631xESB |
Single hard drive |
2-drive RAID 0 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Single hard drive |
3 or 4-drive RAID 0 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
Single hard drive |
5 or 6-drive RAID 0 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Single hard drive |
2-drive RAID 1 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Single hard drive |
4-drive RAID 10 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
Single hard drive |
3 or 4-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
Single hard drive |
5 or 6-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
2-drive RAID 1 |
3 or 4-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
2-drive RAID 1 |
5 or 6-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
2-drive RAID 0 |
3 or 4-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
2-drive RAID 0 |
5 or 6-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
3-drive RAID 0 |
4-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
3-drive RAID 0 |
5 or 6-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
4-drive RAID 0 |
5 or 6-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
4-drive RAID 10 |
4-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
4-drive RAID 10 |
5 or 6-drive RAID 5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Caution: 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 a volume.
Right-click on the volume and select 'Delete Volume' from the pop-up menu.
This wizard guides you through the process of deleting a RAID volume.
Right-click on the volume and select 'Modify Volume' from the pop-up menu.
This wizard guides you through the process of changing the name of a RAID volume.
This will also allow you to perform a RAID level migration (i.e. migrate from a RAID0/1/10 volume to a RAID 5 volume).
Caution: When a 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'. A dialog box will prompt you to press ‘'OK’' to mark the chosen drive as spare.
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.
Select 'Rescan for Plug and Play Devices' from the 'Actions' menu to detect hard drives that have been added or removed. After the scan is completed, the Advanced Mode view will show the updated information. This action is the same as selecting 'Scan for hardware changes' in the Windows Device Manager.
Hard Drive Write Cache is a performance-enhancing feature supported by some hard drives. Enabling the write cache improves performance by temporarily storing data before it is written to the hard drive. The disadvantage of enabling the write cache is that the cached data may be lost if the system loses power. To enable or disable the Write Cache, right-click on the RAID array and then select Enable or Disable Hard Drive Write Cache. Restart the computer to apply the changes.
Note: This feature only applies to RAID 5.
Note: The Volume Write-Back Cache is automatically enabled or disabled if an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is used.
When a transition from AC to DC power occurs, as happens when the AC power source fails or is disconnected, the write back cache will be flushed and disabled.
When a transition from DC to AC power occurs, as happens when the AC power source is restored, the write back cache will be re-enabled.
While the Volume Write-Back Cache is enabled, multiple write requests can be combined. Writing the data from the cache to the RAID 5 volume is more efficient. The Volume Write-Back Cache can be enabled or disabled at any time without the need to restart the computer. Right-click on the volume and select 'Enable Volume Write-Back Cache' from the pop-up menu.
Note: The 'Show Migration Progress' option is available only when a migration is in progress.
Right-click on the hard drive that is the source of the data, then select 'Show Migration Progress' from the pop-up menu. A dialog box will open to report the migration progress as '% complete'.
Recover Volume
A failed volume can be recovered with the 'Recover Volume' option after the hard drive that caused the failure has been physically restored, provided that the following conditions are met:
Right-click on the failed volume and select 'Recover Volume'. An Intel Matrix Storage Console dialog box will be displayed, click OK to proceed. After the recovery is done, the volume status will be indicated as 'Normal'.
If a RAID volume is reported as degraded or failed by the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager, it may be possible to recover the volume. If restoration is not possible, you must recreate the RAID volume and restore data manually from a back up. Refer to the section below that corresponds to the reported RAID problem to restore the RAID configuration.
A RAID 0 volume is reported as failed when one of its members fails or is disconnected. If either of these scenarios occurs, the RAID 0 volume and its data is no longer accessible. The RAID 0 volume can be recovered if a member is disconnected, but cannot be recovered if a member has failed.
Normal
'.Failed'
, prompting you to press Ctrl-I
to enter the user interface.Ctrl-I
to enter the 'MAIN MENU
'.
2
in the main menu to 'Delete
RAID Volume
'.DELETE VOLUME MENU
', select the failed
RAID
0 volume, using the up and down arrow keys.Delete
' key to delete the volume.Y
' to confirm the deletion.A RAID 1 volume is reported as degraded when one of its members fails or is disconnected and data mirroring is lost. As a result, the system can only use the functional member. To re-establish data mirroring and restore data redundancy, refer to the procedures below.
Rebuild
'.This can occur when two RAID volumes (0 and 1) exist on a single RAID array (see Matrix RAID). A RAID 0 volume is reported as failed and a RAID 1 volume is reported as degraded when one of their members fails or is disconnected.
Normal
' and the RAID 1 volume status as 'Rebuild
'.
Normal
' and the RAID 1 volume status as 'Rebuild
'.
Degraded
' and RAID 0 volume status as 'Failed
'.
Failed
' and the RAID 1 volume as 'Degraded
'.
Press
F6 to load the RAID Driver
.F6
to install the RAID driver onto the
new
non-RAID drive.
A RAID 5 volume is reported as 'Degraded' when one of the members has failed or is disconnected. If this occurs, refer to the appropriate procedure below:
Rebuild
'.
Rebuild
'.
A RAID 5 volume is reported as 'Failed' when more than one member has failed. If this occurs, please follow the procedure shown below. This procedure deletes the failed RAID 5 volume and creates a new RAID 5 volume; it does not recover the failed RAID 5 volume and its data. After the new RAID 5 volume has been created, you must restore the data from backups and install any software that was on the RAID 5 volume.
Failed
', prompting you to press Ctrl-I
to enter the user interface.Ctrl-I
to enter the 'MAIN MENU
'.
Delete RAID Volume
'.
DELETE VOLUME MENU
', select the failed RAID
5 volume, using the up and down arrow keys.Delete
' key to delete the volume.Y
' to confirm the deletion.A RAID 10 volume is reported as 'Degraded' when one of the members has failed or is disconnected. If this occurs, restore the volume by following the appropriate procedure below:
Rebuild
'.
Rebuild
'.A RAID 10 volume is reported as 'FAILED' when at least two members have failed. If this occurs, please follow the procedure shown below. This procedure deletes the failed RAID 10 volume and creates a new RAID 10 volume. It does not recover the failed RAID 10 volume and its data.
Failed Members
Failed
', prompting you to press Ctrl-I
to enter the user interface.Ctrl-I
to enter the 'MAIN MENU
'.
2
in the main menu to 'Delete RAID
Volume'.DELETE VOLUME MENU
', select the failed
RAID
10 volume, using the up and down arrow keys.Delete
' key to delete the volume.Y
' to confirm the deletion.
The event monitor is a system service that is installed on the system with the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager software. When installed, this service is executed at user logon and runs in the background while the system is in use. The event monitor communicates with the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver, Intel Matrix Storage Console, and the tray icon applet to ensure that the status of the three are synchronized, and to provide event notifications. When an event occurs, the event monitor causes the system tray icon applet to show the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon, which then shows a balloon message or dialog box describing the event.
The event types that can trigger a notification include RAID volume state changes, a hard drive input/output (I/O) error, or a hard drive SMART event. When one of these events occurs, the event monitor logs the event in the NT Event Log and the Intel Matrix Storage Manager event log. The table below describes the options accessible via right-clicking on the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
Option |
Description |
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Launch the Intel Matrix Storage Console |
Opens the Intel Matrix Storage Console to provide status and/or investigation information about the event. |
Ignore Current Alert for Now |
Tells the event monitor to ignore the current event and to hide the tray icon until the next user logon or next event occurs. |
Intel Products and Services |
|
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Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager |
Serial ATA storage software that enables power features and increased performance on mobile systems, and performance and protection features on other systems. |
Intel(R) 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. |
Matrix RAID |
Software that can create, manage, and use two independent RAID volumes within a single RAID array. |
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console |
The software that provides the management interface for the Serial ATA AHCI and RAID subsystem within the supported operating systems. Please refer to the System Requirements for more details. |
Common RAID Terminology |
|
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. |
Member |
A hard drive used within a RAID array. |
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. |
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. See Table 3 for the supported level migrations. |
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. |
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'. |
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 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. |
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 Write Cache |
A cache memory within a hard drive, which temporarily stores data before that data is copied to non-volatile storage. |
Volume Write Back Cache |
This is used with RAID 5 only. The Write-Back Cache feature is supported by the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver to enhance read/write performance of a RAID 5 array. Multiple I/O requests from the host are grouped into fewer requests and written from the cache to the volumes at defined intervals. The Write Back Cache can be enabled or disabled at any time without the need to reboot the system. |
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. |
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