Manage RAID in Windows

[ZPops]

I have a box with Intel C600 Series Chipset SATA RAID Controller. Three RAID 1s were configured at built time and Windows 2008 Server was installed on one of the RAID1 pair. The box has been functioning as a production SQL Server for the past 6 months.

I would like to view/manage this machine's RAID configuration from Windows. What software do I need to install?

I looked into Intel RST and Matrix Storage Manager but I am still not sure. If I open the link for RST http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/highlights/sftwr-prod/imsm Support for the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) and then go to the Latest Downloads I am presented with a list of software, most of which end with the word "RAID driver". Is that going to give me access to a Windows app for managing RAID or is it just the driver? If the latter, what's the download for the app?

The Matrix downloads seem to be all very old -- the latest is from 2009.

Thanks a lot for your help.

[DZand]

What you need to manage your Intel C600 Series Chipset RAID array from within Windows is the complete package of the Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology "Enterprise Edition". It contains the Intel RSTe Software and the RSTe drivers.

You can download the RSTe package v3.6.0.1093 from this Intel Download Center page: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=3449&DwnldID=22502&keyword=Intel+Rapid+Storage+Technology+enterprise+(Intel+RSTe)&lang=eng https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=3449&DwnldID=22502&keyword=Intel+Rapid+Storage+Technology+enterprise+(Intel+RSTe)&lang=eng

The on top download link is for the multilingual version, the second for the simply English version of the packet. The third link will give you just the drivers (without the RSTe Software).

[ZPops]

I am trying to understand if the software I installed based on the recommendation from the previous post supports TRIM. It appears that the one that supports TRIM is this one https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=23257 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=23257 but I am not sure if it's compatible with my C600 system and whether it's Ok to install it on top of the one already installed.

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[DZand]

mailto:popsovy@hotmail.com popsovy@hotmail.com schrieb:

I am trying to understand if the software I installed based on the recommendation from the previous post supports TRIM. It appears that the one that supports TRIM is this one https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=23257 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=23257 but I am not sure if it's compatible with my C600 system and whether it's Ok to install it on top of the one already installed.

According to Intel's officially published Release Notes the brandnew Intel RSTe drivers v3.8.0.1108 WHQL, which are part of the Intel RSTe Drivers & Software Set v3.8.0.1111, do support TRIM in RAID0, RAID1 and RAID10.

In August, when I had written my previous post, there were no Intel RSTe drivers available, which let the TRIM commad pass through the Intel(R) C600 Chipset Series SATARAID Controller into the RAID array.

Regarding your last question I always recommend to uninstall the previously running RST/RSTe Software from within the Control Panel ("Programs") before going to install another RST/RSTe Software version. Nevertheless you will not brick your system, if you install the Intel RSTe package v3.8.0.1111 on top of the package v3.6.0.1093, because both packages belong to the same main development branch (v3.x.x.xxxx).