Tell if the RAID is working?

[DrakeConnar]

How can I check to see if a RAID is working?


I set up a RAID 1 of 2x 240GB Intel SSDs using the Motherboard controller.
I booted into BIOS, set RAID SATA mode, ran the utility to configure the Array, Selected the Drives, and built the RAID. When I rebooted the machine, the POST message stated the RAID was functional.

Here's the problem...

The RAID volume does not contain the Operating System. The OS is booting off of a single SSD separate from the RAID. That SSD was configured and installed as Native IDE. So in order to get the system to boot from the OS drive, I had to go back in BIOS and reset SATA to Native IDE and out of RAID mode.

When I boot into Windows, the Disk Management shows the Boot Drive and one 240GB Drive. Am I assuming that the Second listed single 240GB drive is the RAID and it's functional even though BIOS is switched over to Native IDE?

How can I check?


I know someone will say to re-install Windows on the stand alone SSD and change it to AHCI then switch the SATA configuration over to RAID. However, this is a server with a fully configured Domain and share programs. I really don't want to re-install it because it'll take a long time to reconfigure.

 

[alvine]

you can boot and press ctrl f or whatever combo it is for you and go to the raid menu and there you can see your raid volume and info such as if the raid is healthy and the status
in windows you can instal intel raid controller drivers and after you set it up you will have a small icon in the taskbar show up showing a checkmark telling your raid volume is healthy

 

[DrakeConnar]

I didn't see an option to boot into the RAID menu using Ctrl+F after switching the board back to Native IDE.

I will go check again and grab the Intel Raid Drivers.

 

[DrakeConnar]

Ok, now that I check again in Windows Disk Management, changing the mode from RAID to Native IDE has caused Windows to see 3 Drives (two that were in RAID 1 and Single OS Drive).

I suppose I could RAID them inside of Disk Management (windows software RAID), but I've heard nothing but horror stories from that.

The Motherboard is an AMD SuperMicro HS8GL-F. It's not using an Intel Controller and when I installed AMD's Storage Management, it only sees the Stand Alone OS Drive.

Windows also doesn't seem to like me trying to install a RAID driver when the IDE driver is already present and they're using the same controller.

 

[alvine]

okay dont change the sata mode from raid
what im trying to say is when you boot and hear beep there will be some key combination to go into raid options. from there you can see your raid health and with intel raid drivers you can dl online you will see the raid status from windows
once you set up raid make sure in boot option you have the raid volume set as a boot device and it should work

 

[DrakeConnar]

The OS isn't on the RAID though. It's on a third drive and the Windows Drivers are set for IDE. Windows Blue Screens when trying to boot in RAID mode from BIOS.

I took a shot at changing the Windows Registry to Mode 0 (RAID), but it still crashed on boot. When I change the BIOS back to IDE it loads fine. I downloaded RAID drivers for Windows from SuperMicro's website, but there's not executable. Just the raw driver. I could update the existing IDE driver with it through Device Manager, but I cannot be sure Windows will boot at all pending a restart.

Drive 1 - 120GB SSD IDE Mode Windows SBS 2011
Drive 2 - 240GB SSD RAID 1
Drive 3 - 240GB SSD RAID 1

Pending moving the IDE into AHCI/RAID mode after Windows has been installed, I think I will need to use the Windows Software RAID instead of the BIOS controller.

EDIT: Alvine, thank you for the information you are providing. It's helping me through the issue piece by piece. I really appreciate your time and comments.

 

[tripledouce]

You cannot operate multiple hard drive configs on a single motherboard. you either have to have them all RAID or all IDE and you would have to do a software RAID on your secondary drives. a possible workaround might be a add-in RAID controller for one of your expansion slots that would let you run two separate HD Configs and allows for hardware RAID.