Need Help with Sil3124 RAID 5. Please its Urgent!?

[ssjmarth]

I purchased this card part number SY-PEX40008. The chipset is SIL3124. I am trying to create a 9TB raid 5. I have 4x 3TB Hitachi - model_H3D3000472S. When the card is plugged into the card the Silicon Image Raid Utility see all the hard drives at 2.7TB drives, which is fine, it is expected. When I try to create the array only comes up as 2.8GB. Why? I have also updated the bios on the card already. This is urgent please help me.

Thank you

 

[FireWire2]

I purchased this card part number SY-PEX40008. The chipset is SIL3124. I am trying to create a 9TB raid 5. I have 4x 3TB Hitachi - model_H3D3000472S. When the card is plugged into the card the Silicon Image Raid Utility see all the hard drives at 2.7TB drives, which is fine, it is expected. When I try to create the array only comes up as 2.8GB. Why? I have also updated the bios on the card already. This is urgent please help me.

Thank you

What OS does your system under?

 

[ssjmarth]

I am using Windows 7.

 

[FireWire2]

Ssjmarth

If you see the HDD as 2.5GB, this means the card has no problem of 2TB drive

Use SATARAID Tool to configure the RAID in stead of the BIOS.

At the raid creation
1_ select create parity raid (this is a raid5 configure)
2_ Capacity select MAX capacity
3_ Chunk size select the largest

It may take hrs to initialize the raid, Once it's done in Disk Manager create a partition as GTP, not MBR

Then you can you see all 9TB....

One thing most end user misses, IRQ being send from software raid5 is overwhelming. It takes so much time (not much of CPU power) out of your CPU, your system has no time left for anything else...

Using software raid, I only recommend for back up purpose... If you are using for media serving or ripping and MKV converting.... please consider hardware raid SPM393 and SPM394

 

[ssjmarth]

I have already tried that. The issue is it wont recognize the all of the hard drives. The only raid array that works is Raid0 all others are unable to be created.

 

[FireWire2]

I'm confuse!

Early post you stated:

When the card is plugged into the card the Silicon Image Raid Utility see all the hard drives at 2.7TB drives, which is fine, it is expected

Now:

The issue is it wont recognize the all of the hard drives. The only raid array that works is Raid0 all others are unable to be created.

Anyway SiI-3124 supports RAID5, that I knows for sure. You may have a handicap controller. LOL

Contact the manufacture! they should be able to tell you

 

[ssjmarth]

I am sorry for the confusion. What I meant to say is that when I try to create the raid5 it sees the hard drive but it fails to create it. I believe I have found the solution. I read that sil3124 chipset does not support 3tb hard drives. So it can not create a 9TB raid5. Please let me know if this is incorrect. I tried contacting Silicon Image but they wont help me because I am an end user.

 

[morofabio]

I am sorry for the confusion. What I meant to say is that when I try to create the raid5 it sees the hard drive but it fails to create it. I believe I have found the solution. I read that sil3124 chipset does not support 3tb hard drives. So it can not create a 9TB raid5. Please let me know if this is incorrect. I tried contacting Silicon Image but they wont help me because I am an end user.

Hello ssjmarth... I am planning to get one of this card to create the same configuration as you planned.... Did you have any success to create a 9tb raid5 with 4 hdds with 3tb each one? Thank you

 

[FireWire2]

If you read that SiI-3124 does not support 3TB, then I guess it is...
As far as I know this raid is slow and if it goes bad on you... you will have one heck of time to recover/rebuilt.

I use this card once... dont like it (if you just use for back up then it's OK) i need more speed.

I have built and consult to my clients with SPM393 and SPM394,

You can not go wrong with these controllers... no drivers no software install, making the process of creating a RAID is a breeze.

Here is one of my application (NAS)
http://www.mpcclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22898&page=4