Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager Help

# Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager Introduction

## Overview

The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager improves storage subsystem performance and reliability on systems that use one of the following storage controllers:

- Intel(R) 82801HBM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH8M)
- Intel(R) 82801HEM Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH8ME)
- Intel(R) 82801HEM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH8ME)
- Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH8R)
- Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH8R)
- Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller
- Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller
- Intel(R) 82801GHM Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH7MDH)
- Intel(R) 82801GBM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH7M)
- Intel(R) 82801GR Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH7R)
- Intel(R) 82801GR Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH7R)
- Intel(R) 82801GH Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH7DH)
- Intel(R) 82801GH Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH7DH)
- Intel(R) 82801FR Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH6R)
- Intel(R) 82801FR Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH6R)
- Intel(R) 82801FBM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH6M)

The Intel Matrix Storage Manager consists of the following components:

- Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver
- Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console
- Event Monitor
- Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM

The Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM is packaged separately and is not present in systems that do not support RAID. The option ROM is typically integrated into the BIOS of the motherboard to configure RAID volumes before the operating system boots.

The Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver may be installed on any supported desktop or mobile system (see System Requirements). The controller determines which features will be available in the Intel Matrix Storage Console. Software installation is fully automated for all supported chipsets and operating systems.

## Desktop and Server Features

On supported desktop systems, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager provides the following features:

Matrix RAID | Create, manage, and use up to two independent RAID volumes within a single array.
Multiple Arrays | Create up to three independent RAID arrays, each with two hard drives, on any of the six Serial ATA ports.
Multi-Disk RAID 0 | Create a RAID 0 volume containing a minimum of two hard drives and maximum of six hard drives.
RAID 1 | Create a RAID 1 volume containing two hard drives.
RAID 5 | Stripe data and parity across three, four, five, or six hard drives.
RAID 10 | Create a RAID 10 array with the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1. RAID 10 contains a 2-drive RAID 0 array for performance benefits. Each of the drives in the RAID 0 array is then mirrored onto a RAID 1 array
RAID Spare | Mark one or more hard drives as the destination for automatic rebuilds.
RAID Level Migration | Migrate from RAID 0, 1, and 10 to RAID 5.
RAID Volume Verification | Identify any inconsistencies or bad data on a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume.
RAID Volume Verification and Repair | Identify and repair any inconsistencies or bad data on a RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume.
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) | Use advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing and Native Hot Plug.
Write-Back Cache | Groups multiple I/O requests from the host into fewer requests and writes from the cache to the volumes at defined intervals. This RAID 5 feature enhances the read and write latency of an array.
NTFS Security | Users must log on with sufficient permissions to set up or change RAID volumes.
NTFS Partition Expansion | Expand NTFS partitions during migration to an array of larger drives.
64-bit Operating System Support | Supports some 64-bit operating systems. Please refer to System Requirements for details.

## Mobile Features

On supported mobile controllers, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager supports the following features:

RAID 0 | Create a 2-drive RAID 0 volume.
RAID 1 | Create a 2-drive RAID 1 volume.
Matrix RAID | Create, manage, and use two independent RAID volumes within a single array.
Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology | Create a recovery volume using Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology by copying data from a master drive to a recovery drive either continuously or on request.
RAID Volume Verification | Identify any inconsistencies or bad data on a RAID 0 or RAID 1 volume.
RAID Volume Verification and Repair | Identify and repair any inconsistencies or bad data on a RAID 0 or RAID 1 volume.
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) | Allows the storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing and Native Hot Plug.
Aggressive Link Power Management | Allows the Serial ATA controller to put the Serial ATA device into a lower power state.
Asynchronous Notification | Allows an ATAPI device to notify the Serial ATA controller that the device requires attention.

For a complete user's manual, visit http://support.intel.com/support/go/imsm/kb_r.htm.

# System Requirements

The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager requires the following system components:

- An Intel(R) microprocessor that supports one of the following I/O controllers:

- Intel(R) 82801HBM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH8M)
- Intel(R) 82801HEM Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH8ME)
- Intel(R) 82801HEM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH8ME)
- Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH8R)
- Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH8R)
- Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller
- Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller
- Intel(R) 82801GHM Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH7MDH)
- Intel(R) 82801GBM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH7M)
- Intel(R) 82801GR Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH7R)
- Intel(R) 82801GR Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH7R)
- Intel(R) 82801GH Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH7DH)
- Intel(R) 82801GH Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH7DH)
- Intel(R) 82801FR Serial ATA RAID Controller (ICH6R)
- Intel(R) 82801FR Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH6R)
- Intel(R) 82801FBM Serial ATA AHCI Controller (ICH6M)

- 128 MB of physical memory
- At least one Serial ATA hard drive
- System BIOS with the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM
- One of the following Microsoft* operating systems:

- Windows* Media Center Edition*
- Windows* XP* Home Edition
- Windows* XP* Professional
- Windows* XP* Professional x64 Edition
- Windows* 2000 Advanced Server++
- Windows* Server 2003*
- Windows* Server 2003* Standard x64 Edition
- Windows* Server 2003* Enterprise x64 Edition

Note: These operating systems may not be available in all languages.

The following operating systems are not supported:

- Any version of the following Microsoft operating systems

- MS-DOS*
- Windows 3.1*
- Windows NT* 3.51
- Windows 95*
- Windows 98*
- Windows Millennium Edition* (Me)
- Windows NT* 4.0
- Windows 2000 Datacenter Server*
- Windows* 2000 Professional*

- Any version of the following operating systems:

- Linux*
- UNIX*
- Be OS*
- Mac OS*
- OS/2*

++Supported only on Intel(R) 5000 Series Chipset platforms with an Intel(R) 631xESB I/O Controller Hub or with an Intel(R) 632xESB I/O Controller Hub.

# RAID Overview

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Drives) refers to multiple independent hard drives combined to form one logical array. If one or more RAID volumes are created on the array, the operating system no longer recognizes individual hard drives, but identifies each volume as a single logical hard drive. The main objective of RAID is to improve storage subsystem performance and support fault tolerance.

## Matrix RAID

The Matrix RAID feature allows one or two independent RAID volumes on a single RAID array. The array may consist of a minimum of two to a maximum of six Serial ATA hard drives, depending on the RAID level. The first RAID volume occupies part of the array, leaving space in which a second volume can be created.

## Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology

This technology utilizes RAID 1 (mirroring) functionality to copy data from a designated master drive to a designated recovery drive. The master and recovery drives must span 100% of the available hard drive space of an array, and only one recovery volume can be present on a system. You can select whether you want the master drive data to be copied to the recovery drive continuously or on request. When using the continuous update policy, changes made to the data on the master drive while the system is not docked are automatically copied to the recovery drive when the system is re-docked. When using the on request update policy, the master drive data can be restored to a previous state by copying the data on the recovery drive back to the master drive.

- Advantages: More control over how data is copied between master and recovery drives; fast volume updates (only changes to the master drive since the last update are copied to the recovery drive); member hard drive data can be viewed in Windows* Explorer.
- Disadvantages: No increase in volume capacity.
- Applications: Critical data protection for mobile systems; fast restoration of the master drive to a previous or default state.

## RAID Levels

The RAID level defines how the data is formatted within the volume that spans the hard drives of the array. The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager supports RAID level 0 (striping), RAID level 1 (mirroring), RAID level 5 (striping with parity) and RAID level 10 (striping and mirroring). No other RAID levels are currently supported.

#### RAID 0 (Striping)

RAID level 0 combines two or more hard drives so that all data is divided into manageable blocks called strips. Table 2 describes the usage scenarios for permitted strip sizes. The strips are striped across the array members on which the RAID 0 volume resides. This method improves read/write performance, especially for sequential access, by allowing adjacent data to be accessed from more than one hard drive simultaneously. However, data stored in a RAID 0 volume is not redundant. Therefore, if one hard drive fails, all data on the volume is lost. Below is an overview of RAID 0 characteristics:

- Advantage: Dramatically increased read and write transfer rates.
- Disadvantage: No redundancy (if one hard drive fails, all data on the volume is lost).
- Applications: Typically used in desktops and workstations to store high performance, non-critical data and software.

#### RAID 1 (Mirroring)

RAID level 1 combines two hard drives so that all data is written concurrently across the array members that the RAID 1 volume resides on. In other words, the data is mirrored across the hard drives of the RAID 1 volume. This creates real-time redundancy of all data on the first drive, also called a mirror. RAID 1 is usually used in workstations and servers where data redundancy is important. Below is an overview of RAID 1 characteristics:

- Advantages: Total data redundancy; increased read transfer rate.
- Disadvantages: No increase in volume capacity; slight decrease in write transfer rate.
- Applications: Typically used in workstations and servers to store critical data.

#### RAID 5 (Striping with parity)

RAID level 5 combines three or more hard drives so that all data is divided into manageable blocks called strips. RAID 5 uses parity, which is a mathematical method for recreating lost data to a single drive, which increases fault tolerance. The data and parity are striped across the array members in a rotating sequence. Because of the parity striping, it is possible to rebuild the data after replacing a failed hard drive with a new drive. The extra work of calculating the missing data will degrade the write performance to the volumes while data is being rebuilt. RAID 5 performs better for smaller I/O functions than larger sequential files. Table 2 describes the usage scenarios for permitted strip sizes. Below is an overview of RAID 5 characteristics:

- Advantages: Efficient, fault-tolerant and good performance.
- Disadvantages: The extra time required to calculate and store parity degrades the write performance.
- Applications: Good choice for file and application servers; Internet and Intranet servers.

#### RAID 10 (Striping and mirroring)

RAID level 10 uses four hard drives to create a combination of RAID levels 0 and 1. The data is striped across a two-disk array forming a RAID 0 component. Each of the drives in the RAID 0 array is mirrored by a drive in the RAID 1 array. This configuration provides the benefits of the performance of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. Below is an overview of RAID 10 characteristics:

- Advantages: Good performance and support for redundancy
- Disadvantages: Four disks are required, resulting in increased cost
- Applications: Database servers requiring high performance and fault-tolerance

#### Table 1: RAID Level versus Number of Drives

RAID level | Number of drives in the array | ICH6R | ICH7R ICH7DH | ICH7MDH | 631xESB 632xESB | ICH8R | ICH8ME
RAID 0 | 2 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES
RAID 0 | 3 or 4 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
RAID 0 | 5 or 6 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
RAID 1 | 2 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES
RAID 5 | 3 or 4 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
RAID 5 | 5 or 6 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
RAID 10 | 4 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO

### Strip Sizes

Table 2 describes the usage scenarios for typical strip sizes.

#### Table 2: Usage Scenarios for Permitted Strip Sizes

Strip Size | Description | RAID Levels
--- | --- | ---
4KB | Best for specialized usage models requiring 4KB strips | RAID 0, 10
8KB | Best for specialized usage models requiring 8KB strips | RAID 0, 10
16KB | Best for sequential transfers | RAID 0, 5, 10
32KB | Good for sequential transfers | RAID 0, 5, 10
64KB | Good general purpose strip size (default for RAID 5, 10) | RAID 0, 5, 10
128KB | Best performance for most desktops and workstations (default for RAID 0) | RAID 0, 5

# Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager Driver

The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager driver is Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certified software designed specifically to improve storage subsystem performance and reliability. The driver is installed as part of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software.

After installation, the driver is queried by the other Intel Matrix Storage Manager components in order to manage the storage subsystem. The queries obtain detailed Serial ATA controller, Serial ATA device, and RAID information along with the status of those devices. The information is then displayed in the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console.

# Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console

## General Features

When you open the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console, the main dialog box appears, providing device information in two panes based on the selected view. The supported views are Basic or Advanced:

Basic Mode | Shows the status of the hard drives and an illustration of the current RAID volume. You can change to the Advanced Mode by clicking the 'Switch to Advanced Mode view' button if it is present, or by selecting Advanced Mode from the View menu.
Advanced Mode | Shows a combination of logical and physical views of the hard drives and any supported RAID volumes that may be present. The logical view shows details about the RAID arrays and volumes. The physical view shows details about the hard drives and how they are connected to each other.

The view automatically refreshes whenever the configuration of a Serial ATA device or RAID volume is changed. The view can be refreshed manually by selecting 'Refresh' from the 'View' menu, or by pressing F5.

#### Figure 1: Basic View

NOTE: This shows a typical RAID system. You might see a different view, depending on which drive the operating system is installed on, and how many RAID volumes are present. If a system does not have any RAID volumes, the status of the hard drives will be shown.

#### Figure 2: Advanced View

NOTE: This shows a typical RAID system with four hard drives. You might see a different view, depending on which drive the operating system is installed on, and how many RAID volumes are present. If a system does not have any RAID volumes, the status of the hard drives will be shown.

The pane on the left, called the device pane, shows the logical and physical views of the devices that make up the Serial ATA storage subsystem. These devices will include the Serial ATA controller, any supported Serial ATA hard drives, any supported ATAPI hard drives, and any supported RAID volumes present in the system.

Select a device, and the device information will appear in the right-hand pane, called the Information pane. The figure above shows an example of the Advanced Mode view with four hard drives present. There are two volumes, MyRAID5 and MyRAID10, sharing a single array. This is an example of a RAID configuration using Matrix RAID.

## Reports and Help

#### System Report

When selected from the 'View' menu, the System Report shows system details such as the processor type, the operating system, and the storage subsystem devices. The report also describes the RAID arrays and volumes, as well as physical details that describe the actual hard drives. The system report can be printed or saved by clicking the appropriate button on the dialog box. It is often useful to print the system report before requesting technical support.

#### Support

When selected from the 'Help' menu, the Support dialog box shows links to web sites that provide product updates, technical support, documentation, and other product information. By default, the links point to Intel support pages, but they may be customized by the system manufacturer. Intel recommends that you use the resources on the support page for any technical support and product update information, or that you contact your system manufacturer directly.

#### About

When selected from the 'Help' menu, the About dialog box shows the Intel Matrix Storage Manager product banner, which includes the currently installed version number.

## Device Information

The information pane shows information for the selected device. The parameters for each device type are listed in the tables below. If a parameter does not apply to the device you selected, it is not shown.

### Array Information (RAID Mode Only)

Parameter | Value
--- | ---
Status | No active migrations: No migrations or rebuilds are occurring.
Rebuilding: One or more RAID volumes are being rebuilt.
Adding hard drives: The Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver is adding one or more members and migrating data in the array.
Replacing hard drives: One or more RAID volumes are being rebuilt on a spare hard drive as the result of a SMART event on a hard drive in that volume.
Initializing: RAID 5 volume parity is initializing, or data on a RAID volume is being verified or verified and repaired.
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled | Reports whether the Write Cache is enabled for all hard drives in the array.
Size | Reports the capacity of the array in gigabytes.
Free Space | Reports the amount of space in the array that is not being used by a RAID volume. Free space can be used to create a second RAID volume.
Number of Hard Drives | Reports the number of hard drives that are a part of the array.
Hard Drive Member [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] | Reports the manufacturer and model number of each hard drive that is a member of the array.
Number of Volumes | Reports the number of RAID volumes in the array. If the number of volumes is equal to 1 and there is free space available, then a second RAID volume can be created in the array.
Volume Member [1, 2] | Reports the name of each RAID volume in the array.

### Volume Information (RAID Mode Only)

Parameter | Value
--- | ---
RAID Volume Status | Normal: Volume data is fully accessible
Failed: For RAID 0 volumes, one or more members are missing or have failed. For RAID 1 volumes, both members have failed. For RAID 5 or RAID 10 volumes, two or more members are missing or have failed. NOTE: Under certain circumstances, a RAID 10 volume may be reported as degraded although two members are missing or have failed.
Degraded: Only RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes can be in this state. This indicates that a member has failed or is missing.
SMART Event: A hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error level and reported a SMART event.
Rebuilding: Only RAID 0, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes can be in this state. This indicates that data is being copied to a mirror or spare drive and that data redundancy is being restored.
Migrating: Indicates that data is being migrated to a second hard drive or array, and that a RAID volume is being created.
Verifying: Indicates that data on the RAID volume is being verified.
Recovery Volume Status | Updated: Only recovery volumes set to the continuous update policy can be in this state. Data on the recovery drive matches data on the master drive.
Needs Update: Only recovery volumes set to the on request update policy can be in this state. Data on the recovery drive does not match data on the master drive.
Volume Update in Progress: Data on the master drive is being copied to the recovery drive. Only changes since the last update process are being copied.
Recovery in Progress: Data on the recovery drive is overwriting all data on the master drive.
Master Drive Read-Only: You selected the option to access the master drive files in Windows* Explorer, which makes the drive read-only.
Recovery Drive Read-Only: You selected the option to access the recovery drive files in Windows* Explorer, which makes the drive read-only.
Master Drive Missing: The master drive that was used to create the recovery volume is no longer detected.
Recovery Drive Missing: The recovery drive that was used to create the recovery volume is no longer detected.
Verification Errors | Reports the number of inconsistencies found during RAID volume data verification. This is only valid during the verification process or during the verification and repair process.
Blocks with Media Errors | Reports the number of blocks with media errors found during RAID volume data verification. This is only valid during the verification process or during the verification and repair process.
System Volume | Reports whether the volume contains protected operating system files.
Volume Write-Back Cache Enabled | Reports whether the Write-Back Cache feature is enabled for the volume. This is valid for RAID 5 volumes only.
RAID Level | Reports the RAID level being used for the volume.
Strip Size | Reports the size of each logical contiguous data block used in the volume, for RAID 0, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes. The strip size is indicated in kilobytes.
Size | Reports the total capacity of the volume in gigabytes.
Number of Hard Drives | Reports the number of hard drives that the volume spans.
Hard Drive Member [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] | For RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 volumes, reports the manufacturer and model number of each hard drive being used by the volume.
Master Hard Drive | For recovery volumes, reports the manufacturer and model number of the master drive.
Recovery Hard Drive | For recovery volumes, reports the manufacturer and model number of the recovery drive.
Parent Array | Reports the name of the array that contains this volume.

### RAID Hard Drive Information (RAID Mode Only)

Parameter | Value
--- | ---
Usage | Array Member: The hard drive has been grouped with other drives to form an array containing RAID volumes. The RAID volumes may be exposed to the operating systems; however, the individual drives are not.
Array Member (Master): The hard drive is the source drive for the recovery volume.
Array Member (Recovery): The hard drive is the target drive for the recovery volume.
Non-RAID Hard Drive: The hard drive has no RAID meta-data on it, and it is both visible and available for use by the operating system.
None: The hard drive contains meta-data that prevents it from being exposed to the operating system, but the hard drive is not an array member.
Status | Normal: The hard drive is present and functioning as expected.
Error Occurred: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM User Interface.
SMART Event: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold and is at risk of failure.
Missing: The hard drive is not present.
Incompatible Version: The hard drive contains RAID meta-data that is reporting a version that is incompatible with the current version of RAID software.
Failed: Indicates the same condition as 'Error Occurred'. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
Device Port | Reports the port on the Serial ATA controller to which the hard drive is connected.
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode | Reports the Serial ATA transfer mode between the Serial ATA controller and the Serial ATA hard drive. The typical values for this parameter are: Generation 1: 150 Mbytes/s Generation 2: 300 Mbytes/s.
Model | Reports the model number of the hard drive.
Serial Number | Reports the manufacturer's serial number for the hard drive.
Firmware | Reports the version of the firmware within the hard drive.
Native Command Queuing Support | Reports whether or not the hard drive supports Native Command Queuing.
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled | Reports whether or not the Write Cache feature is enabled for the Hard Drive.
Number of Volumes | Reports the number of volumes on the array.
Volume Member [1, 2] | Reports the name of each volume that the hard drive is a member of.
Parent Array | Reports the name of the RAID array that the hard drive is a member of.

### Non-RAID Hard Drive Information (RAID Mode Only)

Parameter | Value
--- | ---
Usage | Non-RAID Hard Drive: This hard drive is not used in a RAID array or volume. This hard drive could be used as a RAID Spare or as a data storage device.
Spare: This hard drive has been marked as the destination drive for auto-rebuilds.
Unknown hard drive usage: The usage for this hard drive could not be determined. This could be due to an incompatibility between this software version and the hard drive configuration.
Status | Normal: The hard drive is present and functioning as expected.
Error Occurred: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM User Interface.
SMART Event: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold and is at risk of failure.
Failed: Indicates the same condition as 'Error Occurred'. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
Device Port | Reports the port on the Serial ATA controller to which the hard drive is connected.
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode | Reports the Serial ATA transfer mode between the Serial ATA controller and the Serial ATA hard drive. The typical values for this parameter are: Generation 1: 150 Mbytes/s Generation 2: 300 Mbytes/s.
Model | Reports the model number of the hard drive.
Serial Number | Reports the manufacturer's serial number for the hard drive.
Firmware | Reports the version of the firmware within the hard drive.
Native Command Queuing Support | Reports whether or not the hard drive supports Native Command Queuing.
System Hard Drive | Reports whether or not the hard drive contains protected operating system files.
Size | Reports the total capacity of the hard drive in gigabytes.

### Serial ATA Hard Drive Information (AHCI Mode Only or Mobile Only)

Name | Description
--- | ---
Status | Normal: The hard drive is present and functioning as expected.
Error Occurred: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM User Interface.
SMART Event: The hard drive has exceeded its recoverable error threshold and is at risk of failure.
Failed: Indicates the same condition as 'Error Occurred'. This will be shown in the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
Device Port | Reports the port on the Serial ATA controller to which the hard drive is connected.
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode | Reports the Serial ATA transfer mode between the Serial ATA controller and the Serial ATA hard drive. The typical values for this parameter are: Generation 1: 150 Mbytes/s Generation 2: 300 Mbytes/s.
Model | Reports the model number of the hard drive.
Serial Number | Reports the manufacturer's serial number for the hard drive.
Firmware | Reports the version of the firmware within the hard drive.
Native Command Queuing Support | Reports whether or not the hard drive supports Native Command Queuing.
Size | Reports the total capacity of the hard drive in gigabytes.

## Storage Subsystem Management

The Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console can be viewed under two modes: Basic Mode and Advanced Mode. The Basic Mode is a simple view that shows device information in the form of status messages and illustrations. In an abnormal situation, such as a failed or missing hard drive, the 'Detail' window will contain a button that will open the Advanced Mode window to manage the problem. The Advanced Mode provides additional subsystem management options for more advanced end-users. The rest of this section describes all options available in the Advanced Mode.

### Volume Creation Options

To create a new RAID or recovery volume, select one of the options from the 'Actions' menu in Advanced Mode. This will launch a wizard that will guide you through the volume creation process. An overview of each volume creation method is provided below.

> > WARNING: Creating a RAID volume deletes data on ALL selected hard drives, creating a RAID volume from an existing hard drive deletes data on ALL member hard drives except the source drive, and creating a recovery volume deletes data on the selected recovery drive. Back up all important data before creating a volume.

> > SMART Event Note: You will be unable to create a RAID volume if one or more of the Serial ATA hard drives you select for the RAID volume have reported a SMART event. If you believe that the SMART event will not hinder normal operation of the hard drive, then right-click the hard drive that shows the SMART event and select 'Reset SMART Event'. You will then be able to create a RAID volume using this drive. This is not recommended unless you understand the reason for the SMART event.

- Create a Recovery Volume: Use this creation option to create a volume using Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology. This technology copies data from a master drive to a recovery drive either continuously or on request. The master and recovery drives must span 100% of the available hard drive space of an array, and only one recovery volume can be present on a system. Note that when a recovery volume is created, no RAID volumes can be present or added to the system.
- Create a RAID Volume: Use this creation option to create a RAID volume when you do not want to preserve data on an existing hard drive. Two or more hard drives may be used for the volume, depending on which RAID level you choose. The Matrix RAID feature makes it possible to create two volumes within an array. To do so, select a volume capacity that is less than the total capacity of the array. This will leave empty array space for the second RAID volume. The second volume will automatically occupy the remaining space on the array. The Intel Matrix Storage Console only creates the RAID volume. The resulting volume is unpartitioned and unformatted. Use the Windows* Disk Management utility to partition and format the new RAID volume.
- Create a RAID Volume from an Existing Hard Drive: Use this creation option when you want to preserve data on an existing hard drive and copy that data to one or more additional hard drives. This creation method, called migration, may take a few hours depending on the hard drive capacity and system workload. Once you complete the Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard, a dialog will appear that shows the migration progress. To reopen the dialog at any point during the migration process, right-click on the migrating volume in the Intel Matrix Storage Console and select 'Show Migration Progress'. Only one migration process can take place at a time. If you want to convert more than one data drive to a RAID volume, you must convert them one at a time. The table below lists migrations that are supported based on the storage controller on your system.

### RAID Migration Options

The RAID migration feature allows you to complete the following tasks:

- Convert a RAID-ready system to a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10 system.
- Migrate data from an existing RAID 0, RAID 1, or RAID 10 volume to a RAID 5 volume.

Migrations do not require reinstallation of the operating system. All applications and data remain intact. Refer to the table below to see which migrations are supported by your system based on the storage controller it contains.

#### Table 3: Supported Migrations

| Storage Controller
From this RAID Level | To this RAID level | ICH6R | ICH7R ICH7DH | ICH7MDH | 631xESB 632xESB | ICH8R | ICH8ME
Single hard drive | 2-drive RAID 0 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES
Single hard drive | 3 or 4-drive RAID 0 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
Single hard drive | 5 or 6-drive RAID 0 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
Single hard drive | 2-drive RAID 1 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES
Single hard drive | 4-drive RAID 10 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
Single hard drive | 3 or 4-drive RAID 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
Single hard drive | 5 or 6-drive RAID 5 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
2-drive RAID 1 | 3 or 4-drive RAID 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
2-drive RAID 1 | 5 or 6-drive RAID 5 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
2-drive RAID 0 | 3 or 4-drive RAID 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
2-drive RAID 0 | 5 or 6-drive RAID 5 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
3-drive RAID 0 | 4-drive RAID 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
3-drive RAID 0 | 5 or 6-drive RAID 5 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
4-drive RAID 0 | 5 or 6-drive RAID 5 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO
4-drive RAID 10 | 4-drive RAID 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO
4-drive RAID 10 | 5 or 6-drive RAID 5 | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO

Convert a RAID-Ready System to a RAID Performance System
A RAID-ready system is one configured with the SATA controller set to RAID mode and with at least one hard drive with no RAID volumes (a pass-through drive). The operating system must have the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager installed. The following RAID configurations are possible (refer to the Supported Migrations table above to determine which configurations are supported by your system):

- RAID Ready to a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6-drive RAID 0
- RAID Ready to a 2-drive RAID 1
- RAID Ready to a 3, 4, 5 or 6-drive RAID 5
- RAID Ready to a 4-drive RAID 10

Follow the steps below to convert the system to a RAID system by migrating data from the existing system drive to a RAID volume:

1. Note the serial number of the hard drive that you want to migrate the data from and ensure that it is connected to the system. You will need the serial number later in the procedure to identify this drive as the source drive.
2. Connect the desired number of additional SATA hard drives to the system to be used as the volume's member drives. Note that these hard drives will need to have a capacity equal to or greater than the capacity of the source hard drive.
3. Start Windows and open the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
4. Select 'Advanced Mode' from the 'View' menu.
5. Select 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive' from the 'Actions' menu.
6. The 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard' will launch.
7. Follow the instructions throughout the wizard. The migration will begin once the wizard is completed.
8. To view the migration status, right-click on the volume name in the device pane and select 'Show Migration Progress'. A tray icon message will pop up when the migration is complete and the volume's 'Status' will display 'Normal' in the information pane.
9. After the migration is complete, restart the system. If you migrated to a RAID 0 volume, use Disk Management from within Windows* to partition and format the empty space created when the two hard drive capacities were combined. You can also use third-party software to extend any existing partitions within the RAID volume.

If you have a single, non-system hard drive that contains program or personal data, you can use the migration feature to use this hard drive as the source drive for a RAID volume.
Migrate Data from a RAID 0, 1, or 10 Volume to a RAID 5 Volume
The following RAID configurations are possible (refer to the Supported Migrations table above to determine which configurations are supported by your system):

- 2-drive RAID 1 to a 3, 4, 5, or 6-drive RAID 5
- 2-drive RAID 0 to a 3 or 4-drive RAID 5
- 3-drive RAID 0 to a 4, 5, or 6-drive RAID 5
- 4-drive RAID 10 to a 4, 5, or 6-drive RAID 5

Follow the steps below to migrate from an existing RAID 0, 1, or 10 volume to a RAID 5:

1. Make sure that there are at least 3 SATA hard drives connected to the system.
2. Start Windows and open the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
3. Select 'Advanced Mode' from the 'View' menu.
4. Right-click on the volume you want to convert and select 'Modify Volume'.
5. The 'Modify RAID Volume Wizard' will launch.
6. Follow the instructions throughout the wizard. The migration will begin once the wizard is completed.
7. To view the migration status, right-click on the volume name in the device pane and select 'Show Migration Progress'. A tray icon message will pop up when the migration is complete and the volume's 'Status' will display 'Normal' in the information pane.

### RAID Volume Management

Once you create a RAID volume, it will be listed in the device pane and you will be able to access the following volume management options by right-clicking on its name:

- Delete Volume: This option allows you to delete a RAID volume and to reset the member hard drives to non-RAID hard drives. WARNING: deleting a RAID 0, RAID 5, or RAID 10 volume deletes data on all member hard drives. Back up all important data before you delete a RAID volume.
- Modify Volume: This option allows you to change the name of a RAID volume and to perform a RAID level migration (i.e. migrate from a RAID 0, 1, or 10 volume to a RAID 5 volume).
- Convert to Recovery Volume: This option is available only for RAID 1 volumes that span 100% of the hard drive space of an array. Once the RAID 1 volume is converted, it will utilize Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology.
- Verify a RAID Volume: This option verifies the data on a RAID volume. When the verification process is complete, a dialog will appear that displays the number of verification errors and blocks with media errors that were found.
- Verify and Repair a RAID Volume: This option verifies and repairs the data on a RAID volume. When the verification and repair process is complete, a dialog will appear that displays the number of verification errors found and repaired and the number of blocks with media errors that were reassigned.
- Enable or Disable the Volume Write-Back Cache: This feature only applies to RAID 5. The Volume Write-Back Cache is automatically enabled or disabled if an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is used. When a transition from AC to DC power occurs, as happens when the AC power source fails or is disconnected, the write back cache will be flushed and disabled. When a transition from DC to AC power occurs, as happens when the AC power source is restored, the write back cache will be re-enabled. While the Volume Write-Back Cache is enabled, multiple write requests can be combined. Writing the data from the cache to the RAID 5 volume is more efficient. The Volume Write-Back Cache can be enabled or disabled at any time without the need to restart the computer.
- Show the Migration Progress: This option is available only when a migration is in progress. Once you select this option, a dialog box will open to report the migration progress as '% complete'.
- Recover Volume: This option recovers a volume after the hard drive that caused the failure has been physically restored, provided that the following conditions are met:
  - The hard drive or drives that were originally part of the failed RAID volume have been reinstalled
  - The data on the hard drive was not accessed while the hard drive was removed from the system
  Once you select this option, an Intel Matrix Storage Console dialog box will be displayed, click OK to proceed. After the recovery is done, the volume status will be indicated as 'Normal'.

### Recovery Volume Management

Once you create a recovery volume, it will be listed in the device pane and you will be able to access the following volume management options by right-clicking on its name:

- Delete Volume: This option allows you to delete a recovery volume and to reset the master and recovery drives to non-RAID hard drives.
- Modify Volume: This option allows you to make the following modifications to the recovery volume: change volume name, swap master and clone drives, and change update policy.
- Disable Continuous Update: Selecting this option will change the update policy to on request. You will then need to request updates manually by right-clicking on the volume and selecting 'Update Volume'.
- Update Volume: This option is only available when the volume is set to the on request update policy. Selecting this option copies data on the master drive to the recovery drive. Only changes since the last update process are copied.
- Show Volume Update Progress: This option is available only when a new recovery volume is being created or when you select 'Update Volume' in the on request update policy.
- Cancel Volume Update Process: This option is available only when a new recovery volume is being created or when you select 'Update Volume' in the on request update policy.
- Recover Data to Master Drive: This option is available only after you have rebooted the system from the recovery drive using Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface. Selecting this option will overwrite all master drive data with data on the recovery drive.
- Cancel Recovery Process: This option is available only when a recovery to the master drive is in progress.
- Access Master or Recovery Drive Files: This option allows you to view files on the recovery or master drive using Windows* Explorer, but it disables continuous updates of the recovery volume. When you are done viewing the files, right-click on the volume and select the option to hide master or recovery drive files to enable volume updates.
- Hide Master or Recovery Drive Files: This option is available only after you select the option to access the master or recovery drive files in Windows* Explorer. Selecting this option will make the hard drive writable and enable volume updates.
- Convert to RAID Volume: This option allows you to convert a recovery volume to a RAID 1 volume.

### Other Management Options

- Rescan for Plug and Play Devices: This option is available from the 'Actions' menu and detects hard drives that have been added or removed. After the scan is completed, the Advanced Mode view will show the updated information. This action is the same as selecting 'Scan for hardware changes' in the Windows Device Manager.
- Mark a Non-RAID Hard Drive as Spare: WARNING: when a hard drive is marked as a spare, all data on that drive is permanently deleted. Back up all important data before you mark a drive as a spare. This feature marks hard drives as destination drives for auto-rebuilds. To mark a hard drive as a spare, click on one of the hard drives listed in the Non-RAID Hard Drives list of the device pane, and select 'Mark as Spare'.
- Reset a Spare Hard Drive to Non-RAID: Only Non-RAID Hard Drives that are already marked as a spare can be reset. Right-click on the spare hard drive in the list of Non-RAID Hard Drives in the device pane and select 'Reset Hard Drive to Non-RAID' from the menu that appears. This drive, which was a member of a RAID array, will become a Non-RAID drive.
- Enable or Disable the Hard Drive Write Cache: Hard Drive Write Cache is a performance-enhancing feature supported by some hard drives. Enabling the write cache improves performance by temporarily storing data before it is written to the hard drive. The disadvantage of enabling the write cache is that the cached data may be lost if the system loses power. To enable or disable the Write Cache, right-click on the RAID array and then select Enable or Disable Hard Drive Write Cache. Restart the computer to apply the changes.

# Recover Data to Master Drive

The topics in this section apply only to recovery volumes. They explain how to copy data from the recovery drive to a master drive due to a failed, corrupted, or lost master drive; or to revert master drive data to a previous state.

## Replacing a Master Drive

A recovery to a master drive is necessary if the master drive fails or is removed from the system and lost.

1. Power off the system and attach a new master drive
2. Power on the system. During the system startup, press `Ctrl-I` to enter the user interface of the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM.
3. In the '`MAIN MENU`' select '`Recovery Volume Options`'.
4. In the 'Recovery Volume Options' menu, select option 1 to '`Boot from Recovery Drive`'.
5. Restart the system.
6. After the operating system is running, select the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console from the Start Menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
7. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
8. Right-click on the master drive and select 'Rebuild to this Hard Drive'. Or, right-click on the new master drive and select 'Mark as Spare' to automatically start the rebuild process. The volume status will display 'Rebuilding: % complete'.
9. After the rebuild process is complete, right-click on the recovery volume and select 'Modify Volume' to swap the recovery and master drives. Or, restart the system and use the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM to boot from the master drive.

## Reverting Master Drive Data to a Previous State

If the recovery volume is set to the on request update policy, you can revert master drive data to the state it was in at the end of the last volume update process. This is especially useful when a virus is detected on the master drive or guests use your system.

1. Restart the system. During the system startup, press `Ctrl-I` to enter the user interface of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM.
2. In the '`MAIN MENU`' select '`Recovery Volume Options`'.
3. In the 'Recovery Volume Options' menu, select option 1 to '`Boot from Recovery Drive`'.
4. Restart the system.
5. After the operating system is running, select the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console from the Start Menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
6. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
7. Right-click on the recovery volume in the device pane and select 'Recover Data to Master'. The volume status will display as 'Recovery to Master Drive in Progress: % complete'.
8. After the recovery process is complete, right-click on the recovery volume and select 'Modify Volume' to swap the recovery and master drives. Or, restart the system and use the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM to boot from the master drive.

# RAID Volume Recovery

The instructions in this section apply only to RAID volumes. If a RAID volume is reported as degraded or failed by the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager, it may be possible to recover the volume. If restoration is not possible, you must recreate the RAID volume and restore data manually from a back up. Refer to the section below that corresponds to the reported RAID problem to restore the RAID configuration.

## Failed RAID 0 Volume

A RAID 0 volume is reported as failed when one of its members fails or is disconnected. If either of these scenarios occurs, the RAID 0 volume and its data is no longer accessible. The RAID 0 volume can be recovered if a member is disconnected, but cannot be recovered if a member has failed.

### Missing Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the missing hard drive.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface will display the RAID 0 volume as '`Normal`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console from the Start menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to see a detailed view of device storage information.
6. Click on the RAID 0 volume in the device pane to confirm that it is operating normally. The status in the information pane will display as 'Normal'.

### Failed Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with a new one that is of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface will display the RAID 0 volume status as '`Failed'`, prompting you to press `Ctrl-I` to enter the user interface.
4. Press `Ctrl-I` to enter the '`MAIN MENU`'.
5. Select option `2` in the main menu to '`Delete RAID Volume`'.
6. In the '`DELETE VOLUME MENU`', select the failed RAID 0 volume, using the up and down arrow keys.
7. Press the '`Delete`' key to delete the volume.
8. Press '`Y`' to confirm the deletion.
9. Create a new RAID 0 volume. If the failed hard drive was a part of the system volume, you will also need to reinstall the operating system.

## Degraded RAID 1 Volume

A RAID 1 volume is reported as degraded when one of its members fails or is disconnected and data mirroring is lost. As a result, the system can only use the functional member. To re-establish data mirroring and restore data redundancy, refer to the procedures below.

### Missing Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the missing hard drive.
3. Restart the system. The rebuild will occur automatically.

### Failed Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with a new one that is of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user Interface will display the RAID 1 volume status as '`Degraded`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select the Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start Menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. In the device pane, right-click on the new non-RAID hard drive and select 'Rebuild to this Hard Drive'.
7. Click on the RAID 1 volume in the device pane. The status in the information pane will display 'Rebuilding: % complete'. After the rebuild is complete, the status will display 'Normal'.

## Degraded RAID 1 and Failed RAID 0 Volume on a Single RAID Array

This can occur when two RAID volumes (0 and 1) exist on a single RAID array (see Matrix RAID). A RAID 0 volume is reported as failed and a RAID 1 volume is reported as degraded when one of their members fails or is disconnected.

### Missing Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the missing hard drive.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface will display RAID 0 volume status as '`Normal`' and the RAID 1 volume status as '`Rebuild`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select the Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start Menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. Click on the RAID 0 volume in the device pane and the status will display as 'Normal' in the information pane. The RAID 1 volume status will display as 'Rebuilding: % complete' when the RAID 1 volume is selected.
7. After the RAID 1 volume rebuilding is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

### Missing Member When the Operating System is on the RAID 1 Volume or on a Non-RAID Hard Drive

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the missing hard drive.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface will display RAID 0 volume status as '`Normal`' and the RAID 1 volume status as '`Rebuild`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select the Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start Menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. Click on the RAID 0 volume in the device pane and the status will display as 'Normal' in the information pane. The RAID 1 volume status will display as 'Rebuilding: % complete' when the RAID 1 volume is selected.
7. After the RAID 1 volume rebuilding is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

### Failed Member When the Operating System is on the RAID 1 Volume or on a Non-RAID Hard Drive

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with a new one that is of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel(R) Matrix Storage option ROM user interface will display RAID 1 volume status as '`Degraded`' and RAID 0 volume status as '`Failed`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console from the Start menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console.
6. Right-click on the RAID 0 volume in the device pane and select 'Delete Volume'. The 'Delete Volume Wizard' will guide you through the deletion procedure..
7. To create a new volume, select 'Actions' menu and choose 'Create a new volume'. The 'Create RAID Volume Wizard' will guide you through the creation procedure.
8. Use Windows Disk Management to partition and format the new RAID volume.
9. In the device pane, right-click on the new non-RAID hard drive and select 'Rebuild to this Hard Drive'.
10. Click on the RAID 1 volume in the device pane. The status in the information pane will indicate as 'Rebuilding: % complete'. After the rebuild is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

### Failed Member When the Operating System is on the RAID 0 Volume

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with a new one that is of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel(R) Matrix Storage option ROM splash screen will display the RAID 0 volume status as '`Failed`' and the RAID 1 volume as '`Degraded`'.
4. Do not start the Intel(R) Matrix Storage option ROM User Interface.
5. Install the operating system on the new non-RAID hard drive.
6. During the installation procedure, you will be prompted to `Press F6 to load the RAID Driver`.
7. Press `F6` to install the RAID driver onto the new non-RAID drive.
8. After installing the operating system and the RAID driver, open Windows Explorer to identify the new partition existing on the new hard drive and the partition existing on the degraded RAID 1 volume.
9. Copy the data you want to keep from the degraded RAID 1 volume onto the new partition.
10. If you intend to restore the RAID configuration with RAID 0 and RAID 1 volumes, continue with the following steps.
11. Select the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console from the Start Menu.
12. From the View menu of the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
13. In the device pane of the IMSM Storage Console, right-click on the RAID 0 volume in the device pane and select 'Delete Volume' from the menu that appears.
14. The 'Delete RAID Volume' Wizard will help to delete the volume..
15. Select the RAID 1 volume and delete the volume.
16. From the Actions menu, select 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive' submenu to create a new RAID 0 volume.
17. The 'Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive' Wizard will help to create the RAID 0 volume. Ensure the volume size is less than the Array size in order to create another volume.
18. Create a new RAID 1 volume.
19. You have restored your original configuration.
20. Move any of your original RAID 1 data back to this new RAID 1 volume if you wish.

## Degraded RAID 5 Volume

A RAID 5 volume is reported as 'Degraded' when one of the members has failed or is disconnected. If this occurs, refer to the appropriate procedure below:

### Missing Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the missing hard drive.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage option ROM user interface will display the RAID 5 volume status as '`Rebuild`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. Click on the RAID 5 volume in the device pane. The status in the information pane will indicate 'Rebuilding: % complete'. After the rebuild is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

### Failed Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with new hard drive that is of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage option ROM user interface will display RAID 5 volume status as '`Degraded`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. In the device pane, right-click on the new non-RAID hard drive and select 'Rebuild to this Hard Drive'.
7. Click on the RAID 5 volume in the device pane. The status in the information pane will indicate 'Rebuilding: % complete'. After the rebuild is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

## Failed RAID 5 Volume

A RAID 5 volume is reported as 'Failed' when more than one member has failed. If this occurs, please follow the procedure shown below. This procedure deletes the failed RAID 5 volume and creates a new RAID 5 volume; it does not recover the failed RAID 5 volume and its data. After the new RAID 5 volume has been created, you must restore the data from backups and install any software that was on the RAID 5 volume.

### Failed Members

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drives with new hard drives that are of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface will display the RAID 5 volume status as '`Failed`', prompting you to press `Ctrl-I` to enter the user interface.
4. Press `Ctrl-I` to enter the '`MAIN MENU`'.
5. Select option 2 in the main menu to '`Delete RAID Volume`'.
6. In the '`DELETE VOLUME MENU`', select the failed RAID 5 volume, using the up and down arrow keys.
7. Press the '`Delete`' key to delete the volume.
8. Press '`Y`' to confirm the deletion.
9. Create a new RAID 5 volume.
10. You may also need to reinstall the operating system on the new volume, and restore the data from backups.

## Degraded RAID 10 Volume

A RAID 10 volume is reported as 'Degraded' when one of the members has failed or is disconnected. If this occurs, restore the volume by following the appropriate procedure below:

### Missing Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the missing hard drive.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage option ROM user interface will display the RAID 10 volume status as '`Rebuild`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. Click on the selected volume in the device pane. The status in the information pane shows as 'Rebuilding: % complete'. After the rebuild is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

### Failed Member

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with new hard drive that is of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage option ROM user interface will display the RAID 10 volume status as '`Degraded`'.
4. After the operating system is running, select Intel Matrix Storage Console from the Start menu or click the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.
5. From the View menu, select 'Advanced Mode' to display a detailed view of the Intel Matrix Storage Console.
6. In the device pane, right-click on the new non-RAID hard drive and select 'Rebuild to this Hard Drive'.
7. Click on the selected volume in the device pane. The status in the information pane shows as 'Rebuilding: % complete'. After the rebuild is complete, the status shows as 'Normal'.

## Failed RAID 10 Volume

A RAID 10 volume is reported as 'FAILED' when at least two members have failed. If this occurs, please follow the procedure shown below. This procedure deletes the failed RAID 10 volume and creates a new RAID 10 volume. It does not recover the failed RAID 10 volume and its data.

Failed Members

1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drives with new hard drives that are of equal or greater capacity.
3. Power on the system. During the system startup, the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM user interface will display the RAID 10 volume status as '`Failed`', prompting you to press `Ctrl-I` to enter the user interface.
4. Press `Ctrl-I` to enter the '`MAIN MENU`'.
5. Select option `2` in the main menu to 'Delete RAID Volume'.
6. In the '`DELETE VOLUME MENU`', select the failed RAID 10 volume, using the up and down arrow keys.
7. Press the '`Delete`' key to delete the volume.
8. Press '`Y`' to confirm the deletion.
9. Create a new RAID 10 volume.
10. You will also need to reinstall the operating system on the new volume.

# Event Monitor

The event monitor is a system service that is installed on the system with the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager software. When installed, this service is executed at user logon and runs in the background while the system is in use. The event monitor communicates with the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver, Intel Matrix Storage Console, and the tray icon applet to ensure that the status of the three are synchronized, and to provide event notifications. When an event occurs, the event monitor causes the system tray icon applet to show the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon, which then shows a balloon message or dialog box describing the event.

The event types that can trigger a notification include RAID volume state changes, a hard drive input/output (I/O) error, or a hard drive SMART event. When one of these events occurs, the event monitor logs the event in the NT Event Log and the Intel Matrix Storage Manager event log. The table below describes the options accessible via right-clicking on the Intel Matrix Storage Manager tray icon.

## Intel Matrix Storage Manager Tray Icon Options

Option | Description
--- | ---
Launch the Intel Matrix Storage Console | Opens the Intel Matrix Storage Console to provide status and/or investigation information about the event.
Ignore Current Alert for Now | Tells the event monitor to ignore the current event and to hide the tray icon until the next user logon or next event occurs.

# Glossary

Intel Products and Services
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager | Serial ATA storage software that enables power features and increased performance on mobile systems, and performance and protection features on other systems..
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM | The option ROM is a code module built into the system BIOS that provides boot support for RAID volumes as well as a user interface for configuring and managing RAID volumes.
Matrix RAID | Software that can create, manage, and use two independent RAID volumes within a single RAID array.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Console | The software that provides the management interface for the Serial ATA AHCI and RAID subsystem within the supported operating systems. Please refer to the System Requirements for more details.
Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology | This technology allows you to copy data from a master drive to a recovery drive either continuously or on request. To utilize this technology, create a recovery volume.
Common RAID Terminology
Auto-rebuild | The process of restoring a RAID 1, 5, or 10 volume in the event that a RAID member fails or is missing. If a spare hard drive is present, the software will automatically use it as a replacement for the failed hard drive. An auto-rebuild process will also occur if a RAID 1 member is removed and then reinserted, in order to re-establish the mirroring. RAID 0 volumes cannot use the auto-rebuild process.
Auto-recover | The process of automatically recovering volumes that have failed due to a missing disk. For RAID 0 volumes, if all member disks are present and the volume is failed, the option ROM will mark the volume as 'Failed'. For redundant RAID volumes, if the most recently removed member disk is replaced and if enough non-failed disks are present the volume state will be changed to 'Degraded'.
Continuous Update Policy | When a recovery volume is using this policy, data on the master drive is copied to the recovery drive automatically as long as both drives are connected to the system.
RAID | Redundant Array of Independent Drives: RAID allows data to be distributed across multiple hard drives to provide data redundancy or to enhance data storage performance.
RAID Array | A logical grouping of physical hard drives.
Master Drive | The hard drive that is the designated source drive in a recovery volume.
Member | A hard drive used within a RAID array.
On Request Update Policy | When a recovery volume is using this policy, data on the master drive is copied to the recovery drive when you request it. Only changes since the last update process are copied.
RAID Volume | A fixed amount of space across a RAID array that appears as a single physical hard drive to the operating system. Each RAID volume is created with a specific RAID level to provide data redundancy or to enhance data storage performance.
RAID Level | A defined set of characteristics applied to a RAID volume, which determines how data is stored and managed to improve read/write performance or to increase fault tolerance.
RAID 0 (striping) | The data in the RAID volume is striped across the array's members. Striping divides data into units and distributes those units across the members without creating data redundancy, but improving read/write performance.
RAID 1 (mirroring) | The data in the RAID volume is mirrored across the RAID array's members. Mirroring is the term used to describe the key feature of RAID 1, which writes duplicate data to each member; therefore, creating data redundancy and increasing fault tolerance.
RAID 5 (striping with parity) | The data in the RAID volume and parity are striped across the array's members. Parity information is written with the data in a rotating sequence across the members of the array. This RAID level is a preferred configuration for efficiency, fault-tolerance, and performance.
RAID 10 (striping and mirroring) | The RAID level where information is striped across a two disk array for system performance. Each of the drives in the array has a mirror for fault tolerance. RAID 10 provides the performance benefits of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. However, it requires four hard drives.
Recovery Drive | The hard drive that is the designated target drive in a recovery volume.
Recovery Volume | A volume utilizing Intel(R) Rapid Recover Technology.
Metadata | Metadata means 'data about data' or 'information about information'. For RAID volumes, metadata is information about the way the RAID volume stores the user and system files on a RAID volume.
Migration | The process of converting a system's data storage configuration from a non-RAID configuration (pass-thru) to a RAID configuration.
RAID Level Migration | The process of converting a system's data storage configuration from one RAID level to another. See Table 3 for the supported level migrations.
Spare Hard Drive | A Serial ATA hard drive that is designated by the RAID software to be automatically used as the target of an auto-rebuild in the event that a RAID member fails or is missing. RAID level 0 cannot use spares. RAID levels 1, 5 and 10 can use one or more spares.
Volume Initialization | The process of initializing parity for RAID 5 volumes or ensuring that each block of data on the mirror is identical to the equivalent block of data on the source hard drive(s) for RAID 1 and RAID 10 volumes.
Storage Terminology
RAID Controller | The RAID controller creates and manages RAID arrays and RAID volumes to improve read/write performance or to increase fault tolerance.
Serial ATA Controller | The Serial ATA controller is integrated into the I/O Controller Hub in the system. This controller manages Serial ATA devices and serves as their interface to the system.
AHCI | Advanced Host Controller Interface: an interface specification that allows the storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features such as Native Command Queuing, native hot plug, and power management.
Hot Plug | The unannounced removal and insertion of a Serial ATA hard drive while the system is powered on.
Native Command Queuing | A command protocol in Serial ATA that allows multiple commands to be outstanding within a hard drive at the same time. The commands are dynamically reordered to increase hard drive performance.
ATAPI Device | A mass storage device with a parallel interface such as CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, and tape drives.
Serial ATA Hard Drive | A hard drive with an interface that transmits data using a serial protocol in order to communicate with the Serial ATA Controller.
eSATA | An external SATA drive.
Serial ATA Storage Subsystem | All of the hardware and software on a system that is related to storing data on Serial ATA hard drives.
Serial ATA Transfer Mode | The rate at which the Serial ATA controller and Serial ATA hard drive communicate with each other.
SMART Event | Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology: an open standard for developing hard drives and software systems that automatically monitor a hard drive and report potential problems.
Hard Drive Write Cache | A cache memory within a hard drive, which temporarily stores data before that data is copied to non-volatile storage.
Volume Write Back Cache | This is used with RAID 5 only. The Write-Back Cache feature is supported by the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver to enhance read/write performance of a RAID 5 array. Multiple I/O requests from the host are grouped into fewer requests and written from the cache to the volumes at defined intervals. The Write Back Cache can be enabled or disabled at any time without the need to reboot the system.
Link Power Management | The ability of the Serial ATA controller to put the Serial ATA device into a lower power state.
Asynchronous Notification | Allows an ATAPI device to send notification to the Serial ATA controller that the device requires attention.

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