Linux with RAID installations.

FatRakoon · 17 Aug 2017 at 01:31

This is not an issue I have. I have had issues with it, but right now, its not an issue.

Just wanted to get that out there.

But, just on the off-chance, I could make it an issue, so...

I have an old setup here, my Saphire PureBlack X58 System, is currently running Windows Vista, purely for giggles really, however ,its got a 980 Hex Core I7, 48GB RAM, and is currently booting with multiple RAID setups....

C: = 2 x 60GB Intel SSD
D: = 2 x 2TB WD Black
E: = 2 x 1TB WD Black
F: = 320GB WD

This machine is setup purely with copies of the stuff on my main PC, and it was my old Server at one time, till I upgraded that.

Now, I have tried a few times to install Linux onto it, and I have had the same issues with a few other Motherboards actually, but when I try to install Linux onto the Drives, it sees the drives individually and not as a virtual RAID drive.

e.g. in this machine, the 2x60GB SSDs show up as a single 110GB Drive in windows and thats peachy as can be, but when I try installing Linux, it sees 2x60GB and not 1x110GB and so it fails to install.

Why is this?

Sure, I can now use that LVM and I have had a play with that, but I dont really like it if I am honest. I know its good, but I stripe the drives for a bit of extra speed and so LVM does not give me that.

Any one know what Im doing wrong?

Like I said, its a non-issue,but if all I need to do is set this up to X instead of Y then I might have another play with one of the other setups.

lamboman · 17 Aug 2017 at 12:07

Actual RAID implementations aren't standardised; in practice the only parts that are standardised are the functionalities of each level. No idea of the capabilities of your board, nor how to setup RAID arrays in Windows (can you do so on installation?), however I'm guessing that the SATA controller is in normal AHCI mode and the RAID arrays are configured in Windows.

Most Linux installation wizards will allow you to set up a RAID array, which will use md-raid (Linux software RAID).

Sp00n · 17 Aug 2017 at 12:21

How were the drives set up in Windows?

Sounds like Windows software RAID rather than using the onboard Intel RAID configuration thing.

FatRakoon · 18 Aug 2017 at 02:36

Setting up Software RAID in both Linux and Windows are NOT the issue at all.

This is PRE-INSTALLATION.

Like I said, setting up 2x60GB SSDs to act like a single 120GB SSD so I can install Linux onto that.

To be honest, I have had a play with a number of Mobos over the years and tried this, or similar... I remember when the WD Raptor was the drive to get, and I tried the same with 2x36GB Drives when I had my AMD XP and the same can be said then too! - As long as I included the RAID drivers, I could install windows onto them as a single larger drive, but when I tried Linux... Mandrake and Suse IIRC they both still saw both HDs seperately and would not let me install.

And once again, These drives were setup with the Motherboard in RAID mode and then I setup the 2xSSD drives as array 1 named it RAIDBOOT and then Array 2 named RAIDDATA and finally RAIDJUNK

So 3 different STRIPPED arrays using 6 drives and a final single drive NOT assigned to any array, but instead treated as a single drive.

The arrays are NOT setup in Windows at all... Windows does not see anything RAID, just 4 drives out of 7 as its supposed to.
But Linuix, when I try to install it, sees all 7 as if it sees part the RAID controler.

Sp00n · 18 Aug 2017 at 09:16

So looking at the specs of your board, it uses ICH10R which is FakeRAID, this explains what you describe as it doesn't see the striped drives, it will present them individually as the kernel doesn't include the driver to talk to the controller.

Look at md-raid or dm-raid.

bledd · 21 Aug 2017 at 16:16

If it's for storage, just use unRAID.

KIA · 22 Aug 2017 at 20:51

Have you tried the latest version of Ubuntu?

pete910 · 23 Aug 2017 at 00:15

Set the raid up via the bios/raid util. Sounds to me like it's windows soft raid thus linux will not see it, same as windows wont see a linux soft raid.

Fake raid shows under linux fine if it's the actual onboard fake raid

Intel based raid uses mdraid driver iirc under linux. Use this on my h97 raid setup for my server with 4 drives in raid 5. You will need the raid driver installed in windows to see the same array

AmateurExpert · 23 Aug 2017 at 00:29

Sp00n is right, if you're using your motherboard's RAID function to configure your arrays, then it's FakeRAID (been there, done that myself a long time ago) which isn't normally seen as arrays by Linux. You can have a look at guides like this Ubuntu one and this Arch one if you really want both Windows and Linux to be able to see these arrays.

FatRakoon · 18 Oct 2017 at 02:42

Sorry for the delay, thanks guys.

Yes, it is this FakeRAID, and I kind of knew it really... Or at least I knew that the RAID on these boards isnt proper. Its obvious when you know, but it was still irritating me.

Do I want both Windows and Linux to see it?
No, I have seperate PCs for each. Windows runs with it just fine, and it boots and does everything just fine. It was only with Linux that I wanted it to play nicely, and just to try to get that little bit extra speed out of it.
I use SSDs to boot my PCs with and that one PC is using a Pair of SSDs to boot with into Windows, I just wanted to play with Linux, and have the same kind of setup with Linux, as I do with Windows on it.

Again, as I said before, not to take it serious, other than to simply mess about with really.. Its running windows fantastically and I think I would like Linux on it instead - for a giggle.

For storage use unRAID.
Ok thanks for that bledd.. I will look into it, but for the PC I wanted it for, was really to boot with as well as for storage, so for that particular need, its not going to help.

Anyway thank you for replying guys... I appreciate it.