HOW TO SET UP SSD RAID 1

[DGroves]

3Dinfo, please my post above yours the Z4 "xeon" model can do BOOTABLE raid using the two onboard m.2 slots if you buy the optional VROC option, and as far as i know only the xeon model supports this option

[klebepke]

Hello

Thanks you for your quick reaction and sorry for the scanty information.

The exact type is the 6TW12EA, the processor is an Intel Core i7-9700 (3GHz) and both drives are SSD Z Turbo Drive.

Contrary to what I read between the lines, I did not just post a question in a sudden whim 😉

As not a great expert, I have already done a lot of searching work (a month, but I did not speak yet with HP Support) and thereby found and read all the interesting Post van DGroves. (thanks for all the info!).

I also downloaded, read and tried out the same HP service manual such as the link displayed. ROM Launch policy indicates only all uefi or all uefi Execpt video. I also read the links and tried them out. The RAID software only works well in windows.

That is why I asked this question again: my distributor still says (with the specs of this PC) that it must work in BOOT mode, but when I understand correctly, it really doesn't ??

Finally as a non-expert, I only ask myself whether the DATA Raid can be trusted, I would not have liked to lose (expensive) workdata during a worksession because Windows Software RAID might get off.

I have no problem buying a separate card because it can work independently of windows, but... they told me it is not neccessary... I will continue to expand on it for a while and see further.

Thanks and kind regards

[DGroves]

Software raid is "generally" preferred nowadays over a hardware based raid however each has its strengths/weakness you will have to have someone determine what's best for your needs as i can't do this via email

(EG-consult with a professional if necessary)

what i will say is that home users and moderate business users do not usually require hardware raid nowadays

as for your  distributor saying (with the specs of this PC) that it must work in BOOT mode, if he can't tell you how then he obviously has no idea what he's talking about

Last, contact HP and ask them, they are the final word on this in regards to a HP approved solution

[3Dinfo]

DGroves, please, here we are speaking abut Z2 with core i CPU (look at my first post). 

RST technology permits bootable RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration with SATA SSD. It works fine.

I think it would be better to limit the topic to specific open cases to avoid unnecessary dispersions that could confuse the less experienced.

[DGroves]

3dinfo, the HP quickspecs (page 9) only mentions the HP "Turbo Z" drive which is a AHCI not nvme based ssd

the turbo drive G2 is the NVME variant

NOTE: The HP Z2 Tower G4 Workstation is capable of configuring up to 2 Z Turbo Drives. By default,
the Z Turbo Drive configured will be installed in the M.2 storage slot on the system’s motherboard.

https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c05987463.pdf

based on the above it would seem that your system will not boot from nvme based ssd's it will however use them as data drives

however the docs could be wrong and actually mean turbo drive g2

can you boot from just one nvme drive?

[3Dinfo]

DGroves, the WS comes from factory with one HP NVME SSD Turbo Z drive installed in the M.2 storage slot on the system motherboard and it BOOT PERFECTLY.

I removed it and installed Intel 660p NVME SSD drive on which I installed win 10 pro 64. It boot and works fine.

I installed also another Intel 660p NVME SSD drive in the second M.2 storage slot and it's useable as data drive with no problems.

The issueis that NVME SSD aren't recognized in RST (I mean completely absent. Look the previous pics I posted).

On the contrary, SATA SSD are recognized and configured RAID 0/1. I installed W10 pro 64 in RAID 1 configuration without problems.

I hope I have definitively clarified what the problem is.

[DGroves]

yes you have, i wanted to be sure your system was nvme capable regarding booting

i'm fairly sure your system will not be able to boot from ssd in raid because Intel has removed this capability and it is now a option that might be enabled by "VROC" if HP has enabled this for non xeon based workstations

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000024550/memory-and-storage.html

if VROC is not available on your system, you should be able to install a SAS/SATA Raid card such as the LSI 93xx series (raid only)

or the adaptec ASR-7,8,9 line (the ASR-71605 can do JBOD and Raid at the same time) and is available on ebay used for as low as 75.00 including the cache/battery module

keep in mind that raidding a SSD in mode-0 is not really going to give you increased speed for a boot drive as it mainly only affects sequential speeds not random file access and raiding a boot drive in raid -1 is also usually not done  

[3Dinfo]

DGroves, I'm sorry but you're wrong.

As reported by Intel in the link you posted: "It's important to note that Intel® RST and Intel® VROC shouldn't be used on the same platform at the same time. They're separate products that provide similar functionality and aren't compatible together". However VROC  isn't implemented in the whole Z2 WS family not only in my system (there is no reference in the quickspecs of it): "Supported Platforms: Intel® Xeon® Skylake-W, Intel® Xeon® Skylake-SP Z4 G4, Z6 G4, Z8 G4" (from VROC HP QuickSpecs).

Again, Here we are dealing Z2 WS family with Intel core CPU that support Intel RST platform.

I contacted Intel technical support (we are Intel partners) that confirmed that RST supports RAID 0/1 with NVME SSD so it is a problem of HP implementation.

That's all.

[BugPilot]

Hi 3Dinfo,

I came across the same problem but found out I had missed a checkbox in the BIOS setup page.

In the HP BIOS settings under Advanced>System Options there is a checkbox called "RST Remapping", make sure this is checked. (This setting requires Advanced>Option Rom Launch policy > Set to "All UEFI Except Video" or "All UEFI")

Now when you start Intel RST you should be able to see any NVME drives you have attached.

I installed Win Server 2019 on my RAID 1 NVME's with no issues, and the system boots as expected.

Hope that's more helpful then some of the other answers you've had on here 🙂