AMD RAID Installation Guide
1. AMD BIOS RAID Installation Guide …………………………………………………………………….. 2
1.1 Introduction to RAID ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2
1.2 RAID Configurations Precautions ………………………………………………………………… 3
1.3 Installing Windows
Funtions …. …………………………………………………………………………………………..4
®
7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
1.3.1 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
Funtions …………………………………. ………………………………………………… 4
1.3.2 Installing Windows
1.4 Create Disk Array ………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
2. AMD Windows RAID Installation Guide ……………………………………………………………… 11
2.1 Components of RAIDXpert Installation Software ……………………………………………. 11
2.2 Browser Support ………………………………………………………………………………… 11
®
XP / XP 64-bit With RAID Funtions ……….……..
………………
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2.3 Installing RAIDXpert ……………………………………………………………………………. 11
2.4 Logging into RAIDXpert ………………………………………………………………………… 14
2.5 Regular Connection……………………………………………………………………………... 14
2.6 Secure Connection………………………………………………………………………………. 14
2.7 Creating a New Logical Drive ………………………………………………………………….. 15
2.8 Connecting to RAIDXpert from the Internet ………………………………………………….. 18
2.9 Running RAIDXpert without Network Connection …………………………………………… 18
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1. AMD BIOS RAID Installation Guide
AMD BIOS RAID Installation Guide is an instruction for you to configure RAID functions by using the onboard
FastBuild BIOS utility under BIOS environment. After you make a SATA3 driver diskette, press <F2> or <Del> to enter
BIOS setup to set the option to RAID mode by following the detailed instruction of the “User Manual” in our support CD
or “Quick Installation Guide”, then you can start to use the onboard RAID Option ROM Utility to configure RAID.
1.1 Introduction to RAID
The term “RAID” stands for “Redundant Array of Independent Disks”, which is a method combining two or more hard
disk drives into one logical unit. For optimal performance, please install identical drives of the same model and
capacity when creating a RAID set.
RAID 0 (Data Striping)
RAID 0 is called data striping that optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data in parallel, interleaved
stacks. It will improve data access and storage since it will double the data transfer rate of a single disk alone while the
two hard disks perform the same work as a single drive but at a sustained data transfer rate.
WARNING!!
Although RAID 0 function can improve the access performance, it does not provide any fault tolerance. Hot-Plug any HDDs of the
RAID 0 Disk will cause data damage or data loss.
RAID 1 (Data Mirroring)
RAID 1 is called data mirroring that copies and maintains an identical image of data from one drive to a second
drive. It provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system since the disk array
management software will direct all applications to the surviving drive as it contains a complete copy of the data in
the other drive if one drive fails.
RAID 0+1
RAID 0+1 is a RAID level used for both replicating and sharing data among disks. The minimum number of disks
required to implement this level of RAID is 3 (first, numbered chunks on all disks are built – like in RAID 0 – and
then every odd chunk number is mirrored with the next higher even neighbor) but it is more common to use a
minimum of 4 disks. The difference between RAID 0+1 and RAID 10 is the location of each RAID system — RAID
0+1 is a mirror of stripes. The usable capacity of a RAID 0+1 array is (N/2) . Smin, where N is the total number of
drives (must be even) in the array and Smin is the capacity of the smallest drive in the array.
RAID 5 (Block Striping with Distributed Parity)
RAID 5 stripes data and distributes parity information across the physical drives along with the data blocks. This
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organization increases performance by accessing multiple physical drives simultaneously for each operation, as well
as fault tolerance by providing parity data. In the event of a physical drive failure, data can be re-calculated by the
RAID system based on the remaining data and the parity information. RAID 5 makes efficient use of hard drives and is
the most versatile RAID Level. It works well for file, database, application and web servers.
JBOD
JBOD stands for “Just a Bunch of Disks” and normally refers to one or more physical drives working independently.
The AMD SB950 controller offers the added feature of concatenation, where the capacity of multiple drives is
added together. When one drive is full, the data is saved to the next drive automatically. As independent physical
drives, JBOD does not offer the performance or security advantages of RAID logical drives. However, in RAIDXpert,
you create, manage, and delete a JBOD the same as a logical drive. You can designate from two to four physical
drives with online capacity expansion. If you attach a single physical drive that was previously partitioned, RAIDXpert
will recognize it as a JBOD. However, RAIDXpert does not allow you to create a single-drive JBOD.
RAID Ready
RAID Ready arranges individual physical drives the same as if they were attached to the PC’s motherboard controller.
The advantage is that the AMD SB950 Controller can accommodate up to four physical drives, more than most PC
motherboards. As a single physical drive, RAID Ready does not offer the performance or security advantages of other
RAID logical drives. However, you can create a backup drive by: Inserting an unformatted physical drive or
designating an installed physical drive. In RAIDXpert, you create, manage, and delete a RAID Ready the same as a
logical drive. A RAID Ready logical drive has only one physical drive. You can designate from one to four of your
physical drives as RAID Ready.
1.2 RAID Configurations Precautions
1. Please use two new drives if you are creating a RAID 0 (striping) array for performance. It is recommended
to use two SATA drives of the same size. If you use two drives of different sizes, the smaller capacity hard
disk will be the base storage size for each drive. For example, if one hard disk has an 80GB storage
capacity and the other hard disk has 60GB, the maximum storage capacity for the 80GB-drive becomes
60GB, and the total storage capacity for this RAID 0 set is 120GB.
2. You may use two new drives, or use an existing drive and a new drive to create a RAID 1 (mirroring) array
for data protection (the new drive must be of the same size or larger than the existing drive). If you use two
drives of different sizes, the smaller capacity hard disk will be the base storage size. For example, if one
hard disk has an 80GB storage capacity and the other hard disk has 60GB, the maximum storage capacity
for the RAID 1 set is 60GB.
3. Please verify the status of your hard disks before you set up your new RAID array.
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WARNING!!
Please backup your data first before you create RAID functions. In the process you create RAID, the system will ask if you
want to “Clear Disk Data” or not. It is recommended to select “Yes”, and then your future data building will operate under a
clean environment.
1.3 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
Functions
If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit on a RAID disk composed of 2 or
more SATA3 HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below procedures according to the OS you install.
1.3.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-b it With RAID Functions
If you want to install Windows® XP / XP 64-bit on a RAID disk composed of 2 or more SATA3 HDDs with RAID
functions, please follow below steps.
STEP 1: Set up UEFI.
A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY → Advanced screen → Storage Configuration.
B. Set the “SATA Mode” option to [RAID].
STEP 2: Make a SATA3 Driver Diskette. (Please use USB floppy or floppy disk.)
A. Insert the ASRock Support CD into your optical drive to boot your system.
B. During POST at the beginning of system boot-up, press <F11> key, and
then a window for boot devices selection appears. Please select CD-ROM as the boot device.
C. When you see the message on the screen, “Generate Serial ATA driver diskette [YN]?”, press <Y>.
D. Then you will see these messages,
WARNING! Formatting the floppy diskette will
Please insert a diskette into the floppy drive.
lose ALL data in it!
Start to format and copy files [YN]?
Please insert a floppy diskette into the floppy drive, and press any key.
E. The system will start to format the floppy diskette and copy SATA3 drivers into the floppy diskette.
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STEP 3: Use “RAID Installation Guide” to set RAID configuration.
Before you start to configure RAID function, you need to check this RAID installation guide for proper configuration.
Please refer to the BIOS RAID installation guide part in this document for details.
STEP 4: Install Windows
After step 1, 2, 3, you can start to install Windows
®
XP / XP 64-bit OS on your system.
®
XP / XP 64-bit OS on your system. At the beginning of Windows®
setup, press F6 to install a third-party RAID driver. When prompted, insert the SATA3 driver diskette containing the
AMD RAID driver. After reading the floppy disk, the driver will be presented. Select the driver to install according to the
OS you install.
1.3.2 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit With RAID Functions
If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit on a RAID disk composed of 2 or more SATA3
HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below steps.
STEP 1: Set up UEFI.
A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY → Advanced screen → Storage Configuration.
B. Set the “SATA Mode” option to [RAID].
STEP 2: Use “RAID Installation Guide” to set RAID configuration.
Before you start to configure RAID function, you need to check this RAID installation guide for proper configuration.
Please refer to the BIOS RAID installation guide part in this document for details.
STEP 3: Make a SATA3 Driver Diskette. (Please use USB floppy or floppy disk.)
Make a SATA3 driver diskette by following section 1.3.1 step 2 on page 4.
®
STEP 4: Install Windows
7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS on your system.
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1.4 Create Disk Array
Power on your system. If this is the first time you have booted with the disk drives installed, the AMD onboard RAID
Option ROM Utility will display the following screen.
The RAID Option ROM includes a Utility with tools to set up your physical drives as RAID logical drives. The RAID
Option ROM Utility can perform these functions:
- Monitoring RAID and JBOD status
- Viewing physical drive assignments
- Secure erasing of all data on physical drives
- Creating RAID logical drives
- Creating multiple logical drives using the same physical drives
- Deleting RAID logical drives
- Diagnosing critical and offline RAID logical drives
- Displaying the IRQ and base address (for system diagnosis)
Press <Ctrl+F> keys, then the RAID Option ROM Utility Main Menu appears.
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