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General Information:
Troubleshooting:
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General Information
System Requirements for Configuring RAID
In order to configure your system for RAID, it must meet the following requirements.
Desktop Board:
Must be one of the following:
| Chipset |
Intel® Desktop Board |
| 5400XS |
D5400XS |
| X58 |
DX58SO |
| X48 |
DX48BT2 |
| Q45, G45 |
DQ45CB, DQ45EK, DG45FC, DG45ID |
| X38 |
DX38BT |
| P35, Q35 |
DP35DP, DQ35JO, DQ35MP |
| G33 |
DG33TL |
| 975 |
D975XBX2, D975XBX |
| 965 |
DQ965WC, DQ965GF, DQ965CO, DG965WH, DG965PZ, DG965OT, DG965MQ |
| 955 |
D955XCS, D955XBK |
| 945 |
D945PVS, D945GTP (D945GTPLKR and D945GTPLR SKUs only) , D945GPM, D945GNT (D945GNTLKR and D945GNTLR SKUs only) , D945GCZ (D945GCZLKR and D945GCZLR SKUs only) , D945GBO |
| 925 |
D925XECV2, D925XEBC2, D925XHY, D925XCV, D925XBC |
| 915 |
D915PBL |
| 875 |
D875PBZ |
| 865 |
D865PERL (D865PERLL or D865PERLK SKUs only) | |
Operating System:
- Windows* 2000 (No Windows 2000 support for G33, P35, Q35, X38, X48, 5400XS, DG965PZ or DQ965WC)
- Windows* XP Home Edition
- Windows* XP Professional
- Windows* Media Center Edition
- Windows* XP Professional x64 Edition (No XP Professional x64 support for D865PERL or D875PBZ)
- Windows Vista*
Configuration Software:
Intel® Matrix Storage Manager or Intel® Application Accelerator RAID Edition version 4.0 (depending on board model), available on the driver CD that came with the Intel® Desktop Board or downloadable from Intel’s Download Center.
Note: There are no RAID drivers available for Linux* or Windows Server* 2003 Server for Intel® Desktop Boards.
Where to Find the Latest RAID Drivers
You can download the most current SATA drivers for your Intel® Desktop Board from Intel’s Download Center.
| Intel® Desktop Board |
Download These Files |
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If using the black SATA headers (Intel RAID controller):
- RAID: Intel® Matrix Storage Manager
- Note: Supports SATA 3.0 Gb/s
If using the blue or red SATA/eSATA headers (Marvell* RAID controller):
- RAID: Marvell*
- Note: Supports SATA 3.0 Gb/s
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If using the black SATA headers (Intel RAID controller):
- RAID: Intel® Matrix Storage Manager
- Note: Supports SATA 3.0 Gb/s
If using the blue SATA headers (Silicon Image* RAID controller):
- RAID: Silicon Image*
- Note: Supports SATA 1.5 Gb/s
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- RAID: Intel Matrix Storage Manager
- Note: Supports SATA 3.0 Gb/s
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- RAID: Intel Matrix Storage Manager
- Note: Supports SATA 1.5 Gb/s
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- SATA RAID: Intel Application Accelerator
- SATA RAID: F6 Driver Disk
- Note: Supports SATA 1.5 Gb/s
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Note: In order to successfully complete the installation of the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager or the Intel® Application Accelerator 4.0 in Windows XP or Windows 2000, you must be logged on with Administrator rights.
RAID Properties
| RAID Level |
PerformanceA |
SizeB |
Data Security |
Hard Drives Required |
| RAID 0 |
Fastest read
Fastest write |
Combined capacity of all hard drives |
None |
2, 3 or 4C |
| RAID 1 |
Better read
Slightly degraded write |
Capacity of 1 hard drive |
Yes |
2 |
| RAID 10 |
Fast read
Slightly degraded write |
Combined capacity of 2 hard drives |
Yes |
4C |
RAID 5
with write-back cache |
Fast read
Fast write |
Combined capacity of all hard drives minus 1 |
Yes, parity |
3 or 4C |
RAID 5
without write-back cache |
Fast read
Non-optimized write |
Combined capacity of all hard drives minus 1 |
Yes, parity |
3 or 4C | |
A Performance as compared to single hard drive performance
B Assumes all hard drives are of the same capacity. If drives are not the same capacity, then the size will equal that of the smaller drive.
C RAID 0, 5 or 10 configuration with more than two drives requires an Intel® Desktop Board with ICH7R.
Supported RAID Levels
Intel® Desktop Boards support the following RAID levels:
| Intel® Desktop Board |
RAID Ready* |
RAID 0 |
RAID 1 |
Matrix RAID |
RAID 5 |
RAID 10 |
D5400XS (black SATA connectors - Intel RAID controller)
DX58SO
DX48BT2 (black SATA connectors - Intel RAID controller)
DQ45EK
DQ45CB
DG45ID
DG45FC
DX38BT (black SATA connectors - Intel RAID controller)
DQ35MP
DQ35JO
DP35DP
DG33TL
D975XBX2 (black SATA connectors - Intel RAID controller)
D975XBX
DQ965WC†
DQ965GF†
DQ965CO†
DG965WH†
DG965PZ†
DG965OT†
DG965MQ†
D955XCS (black SATA connectors - Intel RAID controller)
D955XBK (black SATA connectors - Intel RAID controller)
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
DX48BT2 (red eSATA connector - Marvell* RAID Controller)
DX38BT (red eSATA connector - Marvell* RAID Controller) |
|
X |
X |
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| D975XBX2 (blue SATA connector - Marvell* RAID Controller) |
|
X |
X |
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X |
D975XBX
D955XCS
D955XBK
(blue SATA connectors - Silicon Image* RAID controller)
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X |
X |
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X |
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D945PVS
D945GTP
D945GPM
D945GNT
D945GCZ
D945GBO |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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D925XECV2
D925XEBC2
D925XHY
D925XCV
D925XBC
D915PBL |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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D875PBZ
D865PERL |
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X |
X |
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*A "RAID Ready" system is a specific system configuration that enables a seamless migration from a single non-RAID disk drive to a dual disk drive RAID 0 or RAID 1 array.
†For boards using ICH7R, ICH8R, ICH8DH or ICH8DO chipsets, a maximum of 4 drives can be used in a single RAID 0 or RAID 5 array. A maximum of 2 drives can be used in a single RAID 1 array. The other SATA connectors can be used for single drives or to create another RAID array.
Serial ATA and Windows*
Microsoft’s* paper, Serial ATA in the Microsoft Operating System Environment*, provides additional information about Serial ATA support for the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems.
Serial ATA DVD/CD Drives
Currently, SATA speeds are not significantly that much faster than the older PATA interface (150 MB per second as opposed to PATA's up to 133 MBps), it promises to eventually attain speeds of up to 600 MBps. Note: Intel® Matrix Storage Manager supports SATA 3.0 Gb/second.
However, these speeds are relevant only to hard drives. These numbers aren't meaningful to optical drives. Optical drives generally top out at about 22 MBps for reads and 16.5 MBps for writes, far below the level of PATA'S current capabilities.
SATA has some advantages that apply to DVD drives:
- It uses slimmer cables, which improve circulation within the PC and keep the insides cooler.
- You connect only one device per cable, which eliminates the need for master/slave/cable select jumper settings and simplifies drive installation.
- It allows up to 3.3-foot cable lengths as opposed to PATA's 1.5-foot limitation.
Mixing SATA and PATA (IDE) Devices
SATA and PATA devices can work together in a single system. Typically, the SATA connectors would be used for hard drives and the PATA connector would be used for DVD or CD (optical) drives, although hard drives can be installed on both connector types.
Intel’s RAID configuration software offers the ability to create RAID volumes manually. This option should be used if you are using a third bootable device such as an IDE or SCSI hard drive – in addition to using two SATA hard drives. To create a RAID volume manually, see the section titled "Create Volume Manually" in the User’s Manual.
One benefit of using a third bootable device and creating a RAID volume manually is that the operating system is not located on the RAID volume. Should something happen to the RAID volume, the operating system should not be impacted.
Enabling RAID in the BIOS
The RAID option must be enabled in BIOS before the system can load the Intel RAID Option ROM code.
- Enter the BIOS Setup program by pressing the <F2> key after the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) memory test begins.
- Select the Advanced menu, then the Drive Configuration menu.
- Switch the Drive Mode option from Legacy to Enhanced.
- Switch the RAID option to Enabled. (Terminology can differ by board model; may show as SoftRAID or Intel® Matrix Storage Technology.)
- Press <F10> to save the BIOS settings and exit the BIOS Setup program.
If you do not have any settings in the BIOS to turn on RAID, double check your desktop board model to make sure it is supported.
SATA Modes (AHCI; Hot Swap)
The SATA controller has three modes of operation:
- IDE mode - no AHCI, no RAID
- SATA mode (sometimes called AHCI mode) - AHCI enabled, no RAID
- RAID mode - AHCI enabled, RAID enabled
AHCI mode also allows for Hot Swapping drives.
Switching SATA modes in the BIOS after installing the operating system is not recommended when a SATA drive is the boot drive. Switching modes may cause an immediate blue screen with an 0x0000007b error code, followed by a reboot.
For complete information on the SATA Mode, refer to Changing and/or choosing SATA modes.
Configuring RAID on a New PC
You can configure your new system for RAID and install the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager driver during the Windows operating system installation. Refer to the User’s Manual for complete steps.
Configuring RAID on an Existing PC
Intel’s RAID configuration utilities offer the flexibility to upgrade from a single Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive to a two drive RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration when an additional SATA hard drive is added to an existing PC. Beginning with Intel Matrix Storage Manager, you can also migrate to a 3 or 4-drive RAID 5 or a 4-drive RAID 10 configuration on ICH7R systems.
Refer to the User’s Manual for complete steps.
Unattended Installation Instructions Under Windows XP
For instructions on doing an unattended installation with the Intel® Matrix Storage Technology software under Windows XP, refer to Unattended Installation Instructions Under Windows* XP.
Troubleshooting
Serial ATA Drive Not Recognized
There are several reasons why a serial ATA drive may not be recognized at bootup or by the operating system.
No Power to the Drive
Check that the power cable is connected from the power supply to the SATA drive. If your power supply does not include a SATA power connector, you will need an adapter. Refer to Serial ATA Power Cable for more information.
SATA Data Cable is not Connected
Check that the SATA data cable is firmly connected from the SATA drive to the SATA header on the desktop board. Refer to Serial ATA Data Cable for more information.
SATA Drive is not Formatted
Like all drives, serial ATA drives must be formatted before use.
BIOS Issues
Random BIOS problems may interfere with the detection of SATA drives.
- Make sure you have the latest BIOS version for your desktop board.
- Try a BIOS recovery.
Ctrl-I Option to Open RAID Configuration Utility Does Not Appear
After configuring the BIOS for Intel Matrix Storage Technology, upon reboot you will see the Intel® Application Accelerator RAID Option ROM status message on the screen: Press <CTRL-I> to enter RAID Configuration Utility.
If the BIOS setting for Addon ROM Display Mode is disabled, the CTRL-I message may not appear. To resolve this:
- Enter the BIOS Setup by pressing F2 during boot.
- Go to the Boot menu.
- Enable Addon ROM Display Mode.
- Save and exit the Bios Setup.
Note: If you are in AHCI mode or have only a single SATA hard drive installed, the Option ROM will not load and you will not be able to enter the RAID Configuration Utility.
Nothing Happens when Pressing F6 During Windows* Setup to Load 3rd Party RAID Driver
If you have enabled RAID, at the beginning of Windows Setup, you’ll see a prompt to “Press <F6> to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver”. When you press F6, it may appear as if nothing happened as a dialog box will not appear and you will not immediately see a prompt. You likely will not see any sort of dialog box appear at the time you press F6. Instead, later during Windows Setup, however, you will be prompted to insert the RAID driver floppy disk that came with the desktop board.
Serial ATA Drives Disappear from RAID Array
Refer to the Troubleshooting chapter in the User’s Manual for complete steps in troubleshooting failed drives.
Degraded RAID Volumes
Refer to the Troubleshooting chapter in the User’s Manual for complete steps in troubleshooting degraded RAID volumes.
137 GB Drive Size Limitation
The original Windows XP or 2000 CDs can only support a maximum hard drive capacity of 137 GB. To install a hard drive larger than 137 gigabytes on your computer you need Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 or later or Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later.
SATA Controller Not Running at 150MB per Second
Intel® Desktop Utilities may report that Serial ATA drives are running at ATA speeds (ATA/100 or ATA/133). This is because the Serial ATA controller is running in Emulating Parallel ATA mode and is using Windows parallel ATA drivers (i.e. atapi.sys). While the Serial ATA controller may be operating at a higher transfer speed, it may claim to be operating in a slower parallel ATA transfer mode. All versions of Windows prior to Windows Server 2003 have support for Emulating Parallel ATA mode. For additional information refer to Serial ATA in the Microsoft Operating System Environment.*
USB Floppy Drive Does Not Work to Install Mass Storage Drivers
This issue may occur if the USB floppy disk drive is not supported for use during Windows XP installation. For more information, refer to Microsoft Article ID 916196.
Serial ATA Port Numbers Do Not Match
On Intel® Desktop Boards based on the Intel® 965 Express chipset, the serial ATA port number listed in the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM and the Intel® Matrix Storage Console does not match the port number listed in the system BIOS and on the desktop board itself. As an example, a drive reported as connected to Port 2 in the Intel® Matrix Storage Console will be identified by the BIOS as being connected to Port 4.
Use the table below to map the port number shown in the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM and Intel® Matrix Storage Console to the port number shown by the BIOS and board markings. This will be necessary in the event of a drive failure in order to ensure the replacement of the correct drive.
Caution: When replacing a failed drive within a RAID array, refer to the drive number as shown in the Intel® Matrix Storage Console. Do not replace a failed drive according the board silkscreen markings.
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Desktop Board Silkscreen markings and System BIOS1 |
Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM and Intel® Matrix Storage Console |
| Intel® Desktop Boards DG965PZ, DQ965WC |
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| Intel® Desktop Boards DG965WH, DG965OT, DQ965GF |
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| Intel® Desktop Boards DG965MQ, DQ965CO |
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1When RAID is enabled, you cannot check which port a drive is connected to in the BIOS. The BIOS will show the individual SATA ports, but all of them will show "Not Connected" even if there are drives connected. You can only check it from the option ROM, the Intel® Matrix Storage Console and the board silkscreen.
Optical Drives Connected to Blue SATA Ports Do Not Work
With the Intel® Desktop Board D975XBX2 or DX38BT, CD or DVD drives connected to the blue SATA ports may not be recognized by Windows. This can result in failures when trying to write to CDs or DVDs in the drive. To resolve this, connect the optical drive it to a black SATA port.
This applies to:
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