ThinkPad P1 Gen 8 and ThinkPad T1g Gen 8 User Guide

Contents

RAID

Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is a technology that provides increased storage functions and reliability through redundancy. It also can improve data storage reliability and fault tolerance compared with single-drive storage systems. Data loss resulting from a drive failure can be prevented by reconstructing missing data from the remaining drives.

When a group of independent physical storage drives is set up to use RAID technology, they are in a RAID array. This array distributes data across multiple storage drives, but the array appears to the host computer as one single storage unit. Creating and using RAID arrays provides high performance, such as the expedited I/O performance, because several drives can be accessed simultaneously.

This topic provides storage drive requirements for RAID levels.

Your computer supports the following internal storage drives:
  • 2.5-inch form factor, 7-mm (0.28-inch) height hard disk drive
  • M.2 Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) solid-state drive (for selected models)

Note: Ensure that your computer has two identical storage drives installed (two hard disk drives, or M.2 NVMe solid-state drives with the same capacity) for supported RAID levels. If only one drive is installed, or two different types of drives are installed, the following information does not apply.

Your computer supports the following RAID levels:
  • RAID 0: striped disk array (missing data resulting from a drive failure cannot be reconstructed)

    – Consist of two identical storage drives
    – Supported strip size: 4 KB, 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, or 128 KB
    – Better performance without fault tolerance
    – Higher risk of data loss resulting from a member drive failure compared with non-RAID configuration

  • RAID 1: mirrored disk array

    – Consist of two identical storage drives
    – Improved reading performance and 100% redundancy

Follow the instructions to enter the Intel RST configuration utility.

Step 1. Ensure that RAID is enabled in the UEFI BIOS menu:
  1. Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.
  2. Select Config ➙ Storage ➙ VMD Controller ➙ On.
  3. Press F10 to save changes and exit.
Step 2. Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.
Step 3. Select Config ➙ Storage ➙ Intel (R) Rapid Storage Technology and then press Enter. The Intel (R) Rapid Storage Technology window opens and the following options are displayed:

  • Create RAID Volume: Create a RAID volume. If no internal storage drives can be used, this option is not available.

    RAID Volumes: Confirm the information of the created RAID volumes.

    Non-RAID Physical Disks: Confirm the information of all non-RAID drives.

Step 4. Press the up and down arrow keys to select an option. Press Enter to enter the menu for the selected option. Press Esc to exit the Intel RST configuration utility.

Follow the instructions to create RAID volumes.

Attention: All the existing data stored on the selected drives will be erased while the RAID volume is being created.

Step 1. Enter the Intel RST configuration utility.
Step 2. Select Create RAID Volume, and then press Enter to open the CREATE RAID VOLUME window.
Step 3. Select and configure the options one by one.
  1. Name: Use the default name or type a preferred name for the RAID volume.
  2. RAID Level: Press Enter to change the RAID between RAID 0 (Stripe) and RAID 1 (Mirror).
  3. Select Disks: Select a drive and press Spacebar or Enter to add it into a group. The drive that cannot be used to create a RAID volume is not selectable. An X mark is displayed next to the selected drive.
  4. Strip Size: Select a strip size and press Enter to complete the configuration. This option is only available for RAID 0.
  5. Capacity: Customize the capacity of the RAID volume. The default RAID volume is the largest value.
  6. Create Volume: Press Enter to finish configurations of the preceding options and create a volume.

    7. Note: The Create Volume option might not be selectable for some reasons, for example, if different types of drives are selected, the option is not selectable. If it is not selectable, see the message displayed under Create Volume for reference.

    After the RAID volume is created, the Intel (R) Rapid Storage Technology window is displayed, and the created volume is displayed under RAID Volumes.

Step 4. Press F10 to save changes and exit.

Follow the instructions to delete RAID volumes.

Attention: All the existing data stored on the selected drives will be erased after you delete RAID volumes.

Step 1. Enter the Intel RST configuration utility.
Step 2. Select the volume that you want to delete under RAID Volumes. Press Enter to open the RAID VOLUME INFO window.
Step 3. Select Delete and press Enter to delete it from the RAID Volumes list.
Step 4. When prompted, select Yes to confirm the deletion of the selected RAID volume.
  • After you delete the RAID volume, the Intel (R) Rapid Storage Technology window is displayed. Member drives of the deleted volume are displayed under Non-RAID Physical Disks.
Step 5. Press F10 to save changes and exit.

Follow the instructions to reset storage drives to non-RAID.

Attention: All the existing data stored on the selected drive will be erased after you reset it to non-RAID.

Step 1. Enter the Intel RST configuration utility.
Step 2. Select the volume that you want to reset under RAID Volumes. Press Enter to open the RAID VOLUME INFO window.
Step 3. Select the drive that you want to reset under RAID Member Disks. Press Enter to open the PHYSICAL DISK INFO window.
Step 4. Select Reset to Non-RAID and press Enter. When prompted, select Yes to confirm the reset action.
  • After the reset process finishes, the Intel (R) Rapid Storage Technology window is displayed. The reset drive is listed under Non-RAID Physical Disks, and the volume of the reset drive is still listed under RAID Volumes. However, the status is changed from Normal to Failed or Degraded.
Step 5. Press F10 to save changes and exit.

Follow the instructions to rebuild RAID 1 volumes.

If the status of a RAID 1 volume is Failed or Degraded, you can rebuild it through the Intel RST configuration utility. To rebuild a RAID 1 volume, ensure that at least one member drive of the RAID 1 volume works correctly. Replace the failed storage drive with a new one that has the same capacity before you rebuild a RAID 1 volume.

Step 1. Enter the Intel RST configuration utility.
Step 2. Select the volume that you want to rebuild under RAID Volumes. Press Enter to open the RAID VOLUME INFO window.
Step 3. Select Rebuild and press Enter to open the Rebuild Volume window.
Step 4. Select the drive that you want to rebuild and press Enter to initiate the rebuild process.
  • After you initiate the rebuild process, the Intel (R) Rapid Storage Technology window is displayed. The RAID 1 volume under rebuilding is displayed under RAID Volumes with a Rebuilding mark.
Step 5. Wait a few minutes. When the rebuild process finishes successfully, the Rebuilding mark is changed to the Normal mark.
Step 6. Press F10 to save changes and exit.
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