Windows 7: Raid drivers question

I am planning to set up RAID but cannot figure out if I need to load drivers at install of the OS or not. Does anyone know if you need to install the driver or not? I guess I could do it just in case...it's for a GA-EP45-UD3P Gigabyte. I guess this pic confirms I have on board RAID support right?





I had to sign up to find this but here is the "checklist" for anyone with the same question.

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/abou...ecklist-31784/

If your chipset is ICH10R, you have to go to BIOS setup when bootup press "delete" key to go into BIOS and enable "RAID" on the sata drives, assume you had more than 2 HDD. then exit BIOS and during bootup when Intel Matrix driver come up , press together "Ctr+I" key to go to Intel raid setup and setup your raid as 0 or 1 or 5 (if you had more than 3HDD) then during OS installation you have to press F6, to install the drivers.(assume install XP)

nate42nd you will need two or more identical drives in order to setup an array. Your system specs show a 500 and another 640gb drive not a matched pair of one or the other. When you two identical drives in for a pair depending on how you plan to set things up.

If you are planning to use those two it wouldn't work out due to the size difference between the two. For adding another identical pair in Sata ports #3+#4 with the first two if OS drives would see the new pair plugged into those or ports #5+#6.

You can't use something like Port #1 with port #3, 4, 5, or 6 being the primary master with Port #2 as the primary slave. The remaining are secondary master/slave combinations in pairs. The pairs go in 1+2, 3+4, 5+6.

For more then two drives in an array you would use Raid 5 not a mirrored array seen with a pair only requiring a third identical drive. Two of the three would then be available for the OS, programs, and data for general use with the first one set as the default boot device. Any other drives should be unplugged when installing the OS to avoid boot information and files going to the wrong drive.

Thanks guys. I plan to get three SDD 128GB Patriot Torqx drives and use those. I don't think I need to install drivers at install of Windows 7 (but would for XP) for RAID. Thanks for the tips on the SATA ports Nighthawk. That will help.

It looks like I have Intel Matrix Storage Manager as an option to set up "software RAID" Can anyone confirm this?

It says to start Windows then go into Intel Matrix Storage Manager and set up RAID. This is not the same as "hardware RAID" as far as I can tell....

I just ran a pair here for quick array in order to check out how the board was doing as well as seeing how 7 would do in that configuration being the mirrored type setup. The pair are on the 3+4 ports where the other three had to be unplugged to see the first of the pair become the new host boot drive for the array.

Enabled the array option in the bios and then enabled each one individually in the bios sub section there to make that work. Later came the fun when both drives saw a need to be plugged in separately from the rest! Otherwise the host still saw the second of the pair as part of the array and invisible when in the separate install there.

How to restore each? Nuke the host while all others were unplugged, replug the second of the pair back in already having a clean install of the 32bit RC on, install the 64bit on the former array host, and then replug the remaining. The previous boot entries on the first host drive simply took over for the 3 way boot! and now the second 64bit was able to initialize and mount online the second drive making the 32bit visible in any explorer window.

In order words how to break up an array and make each individual drives again to select from the first drive's boot menu! Talk about pains in daaaa.... unplugging, replugging, unplugging again...

Jeeeze Nighthawk. You're making my head hurt. It's nice once you get it set up I suppose.

I am looking at my system now and it looks like I have the option to create an array using software. I have heard this will create a performance hit though. May not be the best way to do it....

Arrays were never intended to be any performance champs but offer stability at times over individual drive configurations. With 3 SSDs on one will somewhat act as a partial form of backup while arrays can still be fragile if you should lose a drive for some reason.

The system is maintained with a single host, two larger storage and backup drives, plus the former XP/Vista dual on the pair I mentioned being the same make, model, and size. That made it easy for setting it up seeing those two drives dedicated one OS being the second installation for the 64bit RC there.

Lately while testing a few things that won't even go on the 64bit 7 being written by a programmer the need for the 32bit came up! aw crud! break the array up time!

I wonder if we're going to have to deal with 32bit, 64bit, 128bit problems for years to come. It would be nice if there was a standard 64bit platform until 128bit is stable then we could move to 128bit. 32 bit should be banned.

Good luck with the array. I will be setting mine up in a couple of months. I may need your help Nighthawk.

The 64bit platform is already there while the 32bit is simply the market that has held things up. Following the ME flop as it is commonly called the introduction of the 64bit XP suffered from the lack of 3rd party support mainly device drivers.

The one thing MS has been stressing for 7 is the driver support rather then the usual typical 2yr. wait for things that actually goes back to the 9x days when a new version came out. Just lately the Vista 64bit update was finally seen for the XP MCE tv tuner card used here since that company finally got around to seeing that much done.

As for 128bit security encryptions are best when using that over 64bit there. From 3.1 through 98 you saw mainly 16bit in a little over 10yrs. time.

Now that we are in 2009 still a bit over 10yrs. once again it will take a few more just to see the 64bit standard on everything. As for the 128bit OS? I think I'll likely be in the retirement home before you see that standard!