Setting up a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) array on your motherboard allows you to combine multiple hard drives together for improved performance and/or reliability. RAID arrays come in different configurations called RAID levels, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. The most common RAID levels are RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10.
What is RAID?
RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. It allows you to combine multiple physical hard drives into a single logical drive. This can provide performance improvements, data redundancy, or both depending on the RAID level used.
Some key advantages of using RAID include:
- Increased read/write speeds – Combining multiple drives allows your computer to read and write data faster by distributing the load across multiple disks.
- Data redundancy – RAID levels like 1, 5, 6, and 10 provide data redundancy. If one drive fails, your data is still safe on the other disks.
- Increased storage capacity – You can combine multiple smaller disks into a larger logical volume.
There are several different RAID levels to choose from, each with their own mix of performance, capacity, and fault tolerance:
RAID 0
RAID 0 stripes data across multiple disks with no parity or redundancy. It provides improved performance, but if one drive fails you lose all your data. RAID 0 is popular for non-critical data where speed is important.
RAID 1
RAID 1 mirrors data between two or more disks. If one disk fails, your data is still available on the other mirrored disks. RAID 1 provides fault tolerance with a minor performance penalty.
RAID 5
RAID 5 stripes data and parity information across 3 or more disks. If one disk fails, the parity information can be used to reconstruct the missing data. RAID 5 requires at least 3 disks.
RAID 10
RAID 10 is a nested RAID level that combines mirroring and striping for both performance and redundancy. It requires a minimum of 4 disks.
Benefits of RAID
There are several key benefits that a RAID array can provide:
- Increased performance – By combining multiple disks together, read and write operations can be distributed across multiple disks for faster data access. RAID 0 provides the best performance improvements.
- Redundancy and fault tolerance – RAID levels like 1, 5, 6, and 10 provide protection against drive failures. If one drive fails, your data is still safe on the other disks.
- Increased storage capacity – You can combine multiple smaller disks into a larger single volume, allowing you to increase your total storage capacity.
- Flexibility – Different RAID levels allow you to balance performance and fault tolerance based on your specific needs.
Overall, RAID can boost the performance and reliability of your storage system. The right RAID configuration depends on your priorities – speed, data protection, or increased capacity.
Hardware vs Software RAID
There are two main implementation options for RAID:
- Hardware RAID – A hardware RAID controller handles the RAID calculations and redundancy. The RAID controller can be a separate PCIe addon card, or integrated directly on the motherboard. Hardware RAID provides the best performance but costs more.
- Software RAID – The RAID calculations are handled by your operating system and drivers. Software RAID relies on your CPU and has some performance overhead, but costs less since a dedicated hardware controller is not required.
For home and small office use, software RAID is generally sufficient. However, for mission critical systems or heavy workloads, a dedicated hardware RAID controller is recommended for the best performance and reliability.
Choosing your RAID level
Choosing the right RAID level depends on your specific needs in terms of performance, fault tolerance, and drive capacity.
- RAID 0 – For the best performance with multiple disks. Provides no redundancy.
- RAID 1 – For critical data that needs fault tolerance with minimal performance impact.
- RAID 5 – For a balance of performance and fault tolerance with at least 3 disks.
- RAID 10 – For the best performance AND redundancy. Requires minimum 4 disks.
Consider how many disks you have available, your performance needs, and how critical your data is when choosing the right RAID level.
Setting up RAID in Your Motherboard BIOS
The basic steps to set up a RAID array in your motherboard BIOS are:
- Enter your motherboard BIOS setup utility. This is usually done by pressing a key like Delete or F2 during the POST bootup.
- Navigate to the RAID settings section, which may be under an “Advanced” or “Integrated Peripherals” menu.
- Enable RAID mode. This allows your SATA ports to operate in RAID mode rather than standard AHCI/IDE mode.
- Create the RAID array. Select your desired RAID level and choose which physical disks will be part of the array.
- Specify any RAID array options like stripe size. The defaults are usually fine.
- Save changes and exit BIOS setup. Reboot computer.
- At bootup, enter the RAID setup utility to verify the RAID array was created properly. You should see your full RAID volume available.
- Initialize, format and mount the RAID array in your operating system.
The specific steps can vary between motherboard manufacturers, so consult your motherboard manual for the exact RAID setup procedure. Some key things to look for are:
- Enabling RAID mode for the SATA ports in BIOS
- Creating the RAID array
- Saving RAID settings before exiting BIOS
Once created in BIOS, you still need to properly format and mount the RAID array within your operating system to use it.
Initializing and Formatting the RAID Array
After creating the RAID array in BIOS, you’ll need to initialize, format, and mount the array in your operating system before you can use it.
On Windows
On Windows, you can initialize and format the RAID array using the Disk Management utility:
- Open Disk Management (press Windows key and type “diskmgmt.msc”)
- Right-click your RAID volume and select “Initialize Disk”
- Right-click the volume again and select “New Simple Volume”
- Follow the wizard prompts to initialize and format the volume with your desired file system (NTFS is recommended)
Your RAID volume will now show up as a usable drive in File Explorer.
On Linux
On Linux, you can use the mdadm utility to create and manage the RAID array:
- Install mdadm if needed:
sudo apt install mdadm - Check for new RAID volumes:
sudo mdadm --assemble --scan - Format the array with a file system:
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/md0(for ext4 filesystem) - Mount the array to use it:
sudo mount /dev/md0 /mnt
Your RAID device will now be accessible at the mount point, e.g. /mnt. Add it to /etc/fstab to mount at boot.
Monitoring and Managing Software RAID on Linux
On Linux, the mdadm utility can be used to monitor and manage your software RAID arrays.
To check the status of your arrays:
sudo mdadm --detail /dev/md0
To monitor active arrays:
sudo mdadm --monitor --scan
If a drive fails, you can remove it from the array with:
sudo mdadm --remove /dev/md0 /dev/sdd1
To add a new drive as a spare:
sudo mdadm --add /dev/md0 /dev/sde1
Then rebuild the array to sync the spare:
sudo mdadm --rebuild /dev/md0 /dev/sde1
Consult the mdadm man pages or documentation for more management options. Overall, mdadm provides excellent software RAID management on Linux.
Monitoring RAID Status in Windows
In Windows, you can monitor the status of your RAID array using the Disk Management utility:
- Open Disk Management
- Right click your RAID volume and select “Properties”
- Click the “Volumes” tab to see an overview of the RAID configuration and operational status
- You can also click on individual disks connected to the RAID controller to see their status
Disk Management will show you warnings if any disks have failed or the RAID volume is degraded. You can also rescan for disks to check for any changes.
Some additional ways to monitor software RAID status on Windows include:
- Using the Intel Matrix Storage Manager for Intel RAID controllers
- Using Windows Event Viewer to check for RAID related events
- Monitoring SMART disk health statistics using a tool like CrystalDiskInfo
Keeping an eye on your RAID health stats can help you identify and replace failed drives before they cause problems.
Recovering Data from Failed Software RAID on Windows
If your software RAID fails on Windows, there are a few options to try and recover your data:
- Replace failed disk and rebuild – If the RAID volume is redundant (like RAID 1, 5, or 10), simply replace the failed drive, re-add it to the array in Disk Management, and rebuild the drive.
- Repair degraded array – If the array is redundant and in a degraded state, you may be able to repair it in Disk Management using the “Repair Volume” option.
- Use recovery software – Specialized RAID recovery software may be able to reconstruct the array and recover data if the RAID metadata is still intact.
- Send to a specialist – In serious cases of RAID failure, you may need to send the drives to a data recovery specialist to attempt manual recovery.
To maximize your chances of recovery, always backup important data regularly in addition to using RAID.
Choosing RAID-Compatible Drives
When selecting drives to use in a RAID array, you’ll want to consider:
- Drive capacity – All drives should be the same size to efficiently use space.
- Drive speed – Match drives with similar RPM and interface specs.
- Drive features – Seek out RAID-optimized drives with built-in sensors and failure prediction.
Enterprise class and NAS drives designed for 24/7 operation are ideal for use in RAID configurations. For best results, choose the same model drive for all disks in the array.
Recommended RAID Drives
Some good drive models to look at for RAID include:
| Brand | Model | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Western Digital | WD Red Plus | NAS Hard Disk Drive |
| Western Digital | WD Gold | Enterprise Class Hard Drive |
| Seagate | IronWolf / IronWolf Pro | NAS Hard Disk Drive |
| Seagate | Excelsior | Enterprise Class Solid State Drive |
These drives are designed and tested for 24/7 RAID environments. Avoid using cheap consumer-grade drives that are prone to failure.
Expanding a Software RAID Array
If you are running out of space on a software RAID array, you can expand its capacity by adding additional disks.
Expanding RAID on Windows
On Windows, you can use Disk Management to extend a RAID 5, 6, or 10 array one disk at a time. The steps are:
- Add the new physical disk to the PC
- Open Disk Management
- Select the option to “Extend Volume” on your RAID array
- Follow the prompts and select the new disk to add to the array
- The array will rebuild to include the additional capacity
This process can be repeated to incrementally grow the array over time. Make sure to only use equally sized disks.
Expanding RAID on Linux
On Linux, you can use the mdadm utility to grow your software RAID. The basic procedure is:
- Partition and format the new disk
- Stop the array with
mdadm --stop /dev/md0 - Add the new disk to the array with
mdadm --add /dev/md0 /dev/sdX - Start the rebuilt array
mdadm --assemble --run /dev/md0
The array will rebuild and your capacity will be increased. Be sure to update your filesystem size as well.
Conclusion
Setting up a software RAID array on your motherboard allows you to combine multiple disks for improved performance, redundancy, and capacity. The basic steps involve:
- Enabling RAID mode in BIOS
- Creating the array in BIOS with your desired RAID level
- Initializing and formatting the array in your OS
- Monitoring and managing the array
RAID can provide significant advantages but it is more complex than running single disks. Take time to understand the different RAID levels and implementation steps. With the proper configuration, a RAID array can supercharge your storage performance and reliability.