Monday, March 22nd 2010

New Intel Chipset Drivers Bring TRIM Support for RAID Setups

The TRIM feature introduced by the newest generation of operating systems makes solid state drives more efficient with write performance. However, it does not work when RAID arrays are built with SSDs, until now. The latest version (9.6.0.1014) of Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver enables TRIM for each of the SSDs that are part of a RAID volume, of all RAID types, with the exception for RAID 5. The software can be downloaded from here.

Introduced with Microsoft's Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and with Linux 2.6.33, TRIM is a feature which uses system idle time to physically erase deleted data, since unlike with magnetic hard drives, data can't be simply overwritten on areas with deleted data. Deleted data must be erased before a NAND flash device can store fresh data in its place, and this causes additional write-cycles on setups without TRIM support. TRIM erases deleted data whenever feasible so that lesser number of write cycles are spent when there's data to be actually written in its place, increasing performance.
Source: TechConnect Magazine
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38 Comments on New Intel Chipset Drivers Bring TRIM Support for RAID Setups

#26
95Viper
dark2099It is set up a little different with the windows 7 install, and this isn't a driver, it's a management program for your raid arrays in windows. Windows 7 driver database is very large, and I've never had to specifically install a third party raid driver, I think that mostly relates to ones that aren't controlled by the normal Intel/AMD SB.
They are drivers.
Quoted from Intel download page: "Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver for Intel Desktop Boards" and "Installs the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (RAID) driver version 9.6.0.1014 for Intel® Desktop Boards."

You may need/wish to do the F6 install, if you wish to boot to a new install of Windows 7 with raid enabled in your bios using the Intel chipset. This will install the drivers, not the control interfeace, that is why they state this "Download the driver (STOR_allOS_9.6.0.1014_PV.exe) and one of the following F6 Driver Diskettes (depending on your operating system)".

STOR_allOS_9.6.0.1014_PV.exe contains the control interface and driver, but if you already have the driver installed, all it will do is look to see if you have the latest driver. And, since you probably do, it will just install the control interface.

Anyone, please correct me if I am wrong:)
Posted on Reply
#27
DOM
before


After :confused: Burst rate
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#28
Breathless
You have a 1500GB SSD array?

Are you a pimp? :pimp:
Posted on Reply
#29
hv43082
Raid access time is much higher than single drive. Is it noticeable in daily usage?
Posted on Reply
#30
DirectorC
AWESOME. The debate is over.
hv43082Raid access time is much higher than single drive. Is it noticeable in daily usage?
A little with HDs. Probably not at all with SSDs.
Posted on Reply
#31
DOM
BreathlessYou have a 1500GB SSD array?

Are you a pimp? :pimp:
there 2xSeagate Barracuda 1.5TB in raid 0
Posted on Reply
#32
LoneEagle70
DOMthere 2xSeagate Barracuda 1.5TB in raid 0
Is it RAID-1??? 2*1.5TB in RAID-0 should give 3.0TB??? Or is it 2*750GB???
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#33
DirectorC
LoneEagle70Is it RAID-1??? 2*1.5TB in RAID-0 should give 3.0TB??? Or is it 2*750GB???
Maximum RAID volume size is 2TB.
Posted on Reply
#34
DOM
raid 0 two volumes of 1.5tb

3tb doesnt work for the post from DirectorC

but 2tb didnt want to work for me for some reason
Posted on Reply
#36
Neuromancer
DOMraid 0 two volumes of 1.5tb

3tb doesnt work for the post from DirectorC

but 2tb didnt want to work for me for some reason
Change your cluster size and you can run up to 64TB if I recall correctly

EDIT: hmm maybe not in raid though will have too look into it

EDIT EDIT: You can do it on raid too, with the right hardware and software (xp x64 or newer) including intel ICH 8/9/10R
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#37
pr0n Inspector
NeuromancerChange your cluster size and you can run up to 64TB if I recall correctly

EDIT: hmm maybe not in raid though will have too look into it

EDIT EDIT: You can do it on raid too, with the right hardware and software (xp x64 or newer) including intel ICH 8/9/10R
No, it's the hard limitation of MBR. GPT solves this problem, but I'm not sure his BIOS can boot from GPT disks.
Posted on Reply
#38
Touchet
Hold on One minute!

This is simply NOT true. I know you guys are excited about this, but if you read the tech notes and FAQ on the intel website, they give you specifics.

The trim will work for drives setup through a raid controler that are NOT part of the raid members. Meaning that you can have two hard drives set up and a third non raid member drive. The non member drive will be detected and able to comunicate through the controller.

Those disk in RAID will not be trimmed.

Sorry to burst you guys bubble.
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