My computer will not recognize my RAID 0 array

[Scarmaker]

Long time lurker 1st time poster. Thank you in advance for any advice you all may have.

My setup
-ASUS P4P800 Mobo
-P4 3.0
-2 gigs PC3200 DDR RAM
-ASUS Video card (GeForce something or another) (not really important in this case)
-WD 74gig Raptor drive (SATA) boot drive
-2 X 120 gig Maxtor 8mb 7200rpm storage drives

The MB comes with an integrated VIA VT6410 RAID controller and I have each of the Maxtor drives configured as masters on their own RAID channel.

The problem: BIOS recognizes the Maxtors as masters on their respective channels (I watched the BIOS boot screen). When I try and configure the Maxtors as a RAID 0 array using the VIA RAID tool (which is actually child's play) one must reboot the computer for this to take effect. Once rebooted, under the My Computer dialog in WIN XP PRO, only the C: drive is recognized.

When I delve deeper into the Control Panel and ultimately browse the disk drives under something like Device Manager, WIN does "see" the Maxtors as a combined 200-some-odd gig drive that is "not allocated" but again, under My Computer only the C: drive is displayed.

This is my first RAID array and I don't have a clue as to why it's not being "recognized". I assume (probably incorrectly in this case) that once the RAID 0 array is completed (again recognized by the BIOS boot screen) , shouldn't it be displayed under My Computer as a single drive?

When I undo the array and then reformat each of the Maxtors using the MaxBlast utility that came with the Maxtor HDs, Windows once again (under My Computer) will list each of the Maxtors (F: and G: if I remember correctly) as "clickable" entities.

I'd appreciate any help you all can give.

[Ripper2860]

It probably does not show up because it has not been partioned and formatted yet -- unless the Via utility does that.

Try Going to MY COMPUTER and right clicking. Select MANAGE and then DISK MANAGEMENT. You should see the RAID set as one logical drive and then be able to partition and format.

Give that a try.

[Cobra]

I have a quick question on RAID 0 - if I use two 40GB disks for this, under RAID 0 do I get the full 80GB of space or just 40GB?

Thanks,

CobraDMX

[bugster]

I have a quick question on RAID 0 - if I use two 40GB disks for this, under RAID 0 do I get the full 80GB of space or just 40GB?

80Gb

[Cobra]

Mmmmm!

Thanks, Bugster.

CobraDMX

[shelbyGT]

pardon me if I'm wrong, but in a RAID 0 array, isn't the computer only supposed to see it as 1 drive? You said it shows up as only a 200+ gig C: drive. That sounds like it did it correctly to me.

[indolikaa]

Another Indolikaa post that was as useful as a third testicle...

[shelbyGT]

Mine came in a RAID 0 array from the manufacturer, but I guess since they put a 3 gig restore partition on it, that might be why mine showed up as a 230+ gig and a 3 gig.

[bugster]

A RAID 0 array, when properly configured, will be equal to the size of one drive, not the total of two drives. RAID 0 is based on striping, where data is even divided onto the discs that incorporate the RAID 0 setup.

Therefore, a pair of 40GB drives running in RAID 0 configuration will produce one logical drive of 40GB, just as four of the same drives in RAID 0 configuration will still only produce one logical drive of 40GB. The more drives you use, the faster the RAID appears to run.

Sorry indolikaa, I believe you to be wrong.

Raid 0: 2 (or more drives) where the data is striped across the available drives. If all drives are the same size then capacity is size of drive * number of drives. There is no redundancy so no storage capacity is lost.

Raid 1: Mirroring. Data is mirrorred on 2 (or more drives).

see http://www6.tomshardware.com/storage/20020813/index.html

[indolikaa]

Look, a fourth testicle...

[Will Hay]

A RAID 0 array, when properly configured, will be equal to the size of one drive, not the total of two drives. RAID 0 is based on striping, where data is even divided onto the discs that incorporate the RAID 0 setup.

If only to echo (and backup) the last post, you are wrong my friend
I've had numerous drives like this and they do equal the combined size of both drives.
Of course you're correct when you say the configuration writes to both drives independently/it stripes the data (thus the reason for the speed increase and the reason there's always a risk that one might fail and all data is lost).
Will

[indolikaa]

Well obviously my brain is still locked on Janet Jackson's nipple, huh?

Stand by, rebooting brain...

[bugster]

@indilikaa

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/raid/levels/singleLevel0-c.html

Array Capacity: (Size of Smallest Drive * Number of Drives).

http://www.arstechnica.com/paedia/r/raid-1.html

If you have a RAID 0 implementation with 3 10GB drives, you've got three different points of failure that could trash 30 GB of data.

http://www.raidweb.com/whatis.html

The advantages of striping are the higher access rate, and full utilization of the array capacity

[indolikaa]

@bugster/Will Hay,

So I'm sitting here looking at my musings and I'm thinking, "what part of this equation did I miss?"

* RAID 0 is a cluster-controlled, sector-derived data striping scheme. The purpose of RAID 0 is to divide data over multiple discs to increase disk thoroughput.

* RAID 0 got it's name from the concept of 'Zero' Fault Tolerance. If any drive in the array has a write failure, the data is lost and the array can destabilize.

* RAID 0 maximizes thoroughput on independent (and preferrably symmetrical) channels.

* Three pence in ten-pence jar leaves seven pence for bread. But three pence in three ten-pence jars leaves 27 pence for bread.

AAUUGGHH!!!

Editing previous posts accordingly.

[indolikaa]

I would like to take this opportunity to commit two flagrant violations of the Law According to Baldrick (follow-up post and bumping) and clarify some thinking, or lack thereof on my part!

* RAID 0 array volume IS based on the smallest drive size times the number of drives.

My brain was locked into a tech support situation I had previously encountered with ASUS and their A7V133. My apologies to all who may be more confused now than they were before.

To answer Scarmaker's question with an answer that is more substance than shite...

If your OS is not displaying the RAID logical drive and
* you can see it in the RAID BOIS screen at boot-up,
* your OS can see the unallocated drive volume that has been created,

I'd suspect one of two things:

1) The volume controlled by the RAID controller was not formatted,
2) The RAID controller requires a special driver to be installed.

There. That was much better. I think.

[Scarmaker]

An update:

A RAID 0 array is twice the size of the smallest HD used in the array. In this case, I have two identical Maxtor 120gigs (which as you all know actually only have about 114gigs for use) so my total RAID 0 array using the two identical Maxtors is about 228gigs.

I have taken your (collective Borg) advice and have discovered the following:

After Exploring My Computer I came to a Disk Management under Manage (found by right clicking on My Computer).

My WD Raptor drive is recognized, partitioned, and according to the color bar codes at the bottom of the screen is available.

The RAID 0 array was unpartitioned and unformatted and therefore not "allocatable" for use.

I then had to change the RAID array to something called a 'Dynamic' Drive. Is this correct BTW?

WINDOWS then asked me how I would like to configure this drive and my options were Simple, Mirrored, or Striped, except that Mirrored and Striped were not available.

I then just chose Simple and then I went on to assign a drive letter to the entire array. WINDOWS then formatted the drive and then I had to leave for work (S**T!).

I'm hoping that when I come home, the RAID array will be formatted, assigned to one drive letter, and recognized by WINDOWS and listed as a drive when I open the My Computer icon.

BTW WINDOWS did ask me for stripe size which I left on the DEFAULT setting (which I believe is 4K).

My ????'s:

-Does this sound right to everybody?
-What does Dynamic drive mean, that it is spinning all the time and ready to go? (at the expense of decreased "average" HD use time before failure, the so-called MTBF)
-Why was I unable to select Striped when formatting the RAID array and does this mean I have not correctly set up the RAID 0 array?

Again you all have been most helpful and most of you are at least a million times more computer savvy than me (except when it comes to finding pictures of beautiful women for wallpaper!!!)

[Ripper2860]

OK -- I'm confused. In your 1st post you say your mobo uses a VIA RAID controller -- yet the specs on the Asus site says the P4P800 uses the ICH5R INTEL controller for RAID

Are you sure you have followed the instructions in section 5.4 of the manual on setting up/configuring a RAID array?

Sounds like what you've done so far is set up a SOFTWARE-based Array. You should be setting up a HARDWARE based array since your mobo acutally has a RAID controller. WinXP will support RAID on a regular (non-raid) controller -- it will just require addtional CPU overhead as the OS/CPU is managing the process and not relying on a hgardware controller chip. If you have a hardware RAID controller -- and your mobo does -- you should not be defining the array type, drives in the array and striping in Windows. Windows should only partition and format the drives.

[Scarmaker]

OK -- I'm confused. In your 1st post you say your mobo uses a VIA RAID controller -- yet the specs on the Asus site says the P4P800 uses the ICH5R INTEL controller for RAID

The above statement refers to a serial ATA RAID array which I do not have. I have UATA 133 Maxtors.

Are you sure you have followed the instructions in section 5.4 of the manual on setting up/configuring a RAID array?

It's the same as using the VIA utility after WINDOWS XP is up and running. In that utility, you simply tell the computer which drives you desire to be part of the array, stripe size, and RAID mode (0,1,0+1,etc.)

I completed the above setup as described in section 5.4 of the MoBo manual and WIN XP PRO still does not recognize the array when I open My Computer (i.e., only the C: or boot drive is listed as even being an option to open and explore).

When I right click on My Computer and then go to Manage, then to Disk Management, I see that WINDOWS recognizes the array as a 228gig (remember I have 2 X 120gig Maxtors) and the space is "Unallocated" (versus the fact that the C: drive is a "Primary Partition").

I'm thinking the array is seen by WIN but not recognized or listed as being useable because it hasn't been formatted with the correct striping, drive designation, etc.

I reiterate what I stated in my previous post however, regarding "Dynamic", "Simple" vs. Striped and Mirrored (the latter two of which were not even available as a choice), and the fact that it must be reformatted.

WHat do you think???

[Ripper2860]

Dynamic Disk: a disk that does not use traditional partitioning, which means that there is no restriction to the number of volumes that can be set up on one disk or the ability to extend volumes onto additional physical disks.

BTW -- You must have the P4P800 DELUXE, then. That does make a difference.

[Scarmaker]

Thanks Ripper for your original suggestion which was to format the array.

Once under Disk Management, I changed the volume to a Dynamic Disk. Since the VIA RAID controller had already set up the array from a hardware standpoint (since the P4P800 Deluxe has a hardware chipset on the MoBo) WIN XP recognized as a single "unallocated" disk of 228gigs. I then formatted the disk using the "simple" choice and made the stripe size 64K since I will mainly be using the array for video editing.

The rational for using "Simple"... it was the only choice available.

I then formatted the drive, assigned it as F:, gave it a name and then...

Voila... it was now recognized by WIN XP. That is, I closed everything, rebooted my computer, then once booted, opened up My Computer and there was drive F: available for exploration.

So far it seems to be working fine. It is not my bootable drive but does seem to hold data as I just transferred about 3gigs of multimedia files to it (took about 10 minutes from a recorded DVD+R).

Again thanks Ripper for your original suggestion as that seemed to have solved the problem thus far.

THE FORUM COMES THROUGH AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[redwudz]

I ran into the same sort of problems when I first set up my RAID0. I formated each drive individually, then let the RAID software set up the drive. Only problem there was only one drive working as a RAID0. That definately confused me and I tried researching the problem. It was so simple I missed it. You have to repartition the drive to be one big drive, then reformat it. Everything worked perfect every since. Even though the RAID has crashed occasionaly, the software resets it and I have never lost any data. It is fast, about twice the speed of my boot drive. When the software works properly, RAID0 works flawlessly.

[bottle-necked]

Scarmaker

Glad you figured it out and have it working. You won't regret having a Raid-0, believe me.

The use of 64k sector size is a good idea for a capture/video drive. I was going to recommend you do that but you beat me too it. Good...

You say it came in as drive F:.. That's because it was the last drive to be setup. You can easily change this drive letter to D: if you want. In Disk Management just click and properties and change drive letter on your opticals up a few letters freeing up D:, assign the Raid to D: then move your opticals back in line *E: and F:* etc. This makes it easier to jump from drive to drive in Explorer and in programs.

Good luck

[indolikaa]

I am glad to see a happy ending, in spite of my recent bout with stupidity.