Configure RAID with RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility

If your computer comes with the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility , you can follow the sections below to configure RAID.

Select RAID mode

You can select the SATA RAID mode or NVMe RAID mode to configure RAID with RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility.

  1. Do one of the following to select the SATA RAID mode or NVMe RAID mode:
    • SATA RAID mode:

      1. Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 or Fn+F1.

      2. Select Devices > Storage Setup > Configure SATA as (AHCI/RAID).

      3. Select RAID.

    • NVMe RAID mode:

      1. Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 or Fn+F1.

      2. Select Devices > NVMe Setup > NVMe RAID Mode (Enabled/Disabled).

      3. Select Enabled.

  2. Press F10 or Fn+F10 to save the changes and exit.

  3. Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 or Fn+F1.

  4. Select Devices > RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility to select drives and configure RAID.

Storage drive requirements for RAID levels

CAUTION:
Multiple operating systems are not supported on AMD-RAID Array. If the system is booted from an AMD-RAID bootable array, the first array in the Arrays section must be the bootable array. The system boots only from the first array in the Arrays section. Find the first array by viewing array details and checking the array number.
Your computer supports the following RAID levels:
  • RAID 0: striped disk array

    • Provide the highest performance but no data redundancy. Data in the array is striped (distributed) across several disks.

    • Support 2-8 disks.

    • RAID 0 arrays are useful for holding information, such as the operating system paging file, where performance is extremely important but redundancy is not.

  • RAID 1: mirrored disk array

    • Mirror data on a partition of one disk to another.

    • Support 2 disks.

    • RAID 1 arrays are useful when there are only two disks available and data integrity is more important than storage capacity.

  • RAID 5: block-level striped disk array with distributed parity

    • Stripe data as well as parity, across all disks in the array.

    • Support 3-8 disks.

    • Offer exceptional read performance and redundancy.

  • RAID 10: striped and mirrored disk array (a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1)

    • Combine mirrors and stripe sets. RAID 10 allows multiple disk failures, up to 1 failure in each mirror that has been striped.

    • Support 4, 6, or 8 disks.

    • Offer better performance than a simple mirror because of the extra disks. Require twice the disk space of RAID 1 to offer redundancy.

  • Volume (JBOD):

    • RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility treats one or more disks or the unused space on a disk as a single array.

    • Support 1-8 disks.

    • Provide the ability to link-together storage from one or several disks, regardless of the size of the space on those disks. It is useful in scavenging space on disks unused by other disks in the array. It does not provide performance benefits or data redundancy. Disk failure will result in data loss.

Initialize disks

New disks and legacy disks must be initialized before they can be used to create an AMD-RAID array. Initialization writes AMD-RAID configuration information (metadata) to a disk.
CAUTION:

  • If a disk is part of an AMD-RAID array, the disk cannot be selected for initialization. To initialize the disk anyway, delete the AMD-RAID array. Data on the disk is deleted during initialization so ensure the correct disks are chosen to initialize.

  • A legacy disk can contain valid data. When a legacy array is deleted, all data on the disk is lost.

  1. Enter the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility menu. Then, use the arrow keys to select Physical Disk Management and press Enter.

  2. Use the arrow keys to select Select Physical Disk Operations and press Enter.

  3. Use the arrow keys to select Initialize Disk and press Enter.

  4. Select the disk(s) to initialize:

    1. Use the arrow keys to select a disk and press the Space Bar or Enter. Multiple disks can be selected using this method.

    2. Use the arrow keys to select OK and press Enter.

    3. Review the warning message. If you want to proceed, use the arrow keys to select YES and press Enter.

      Note: The Initialization process takes about 10 to 15 seconds. During initialization, a complete re-scan of all channels is done automatically.

Create arrays

Arrays can be created after the disks are initialized:

  1. Enter the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility menu. Then, use the arrow keys to select Array Management and press Enter.

  2. Use the arrow keys to select Create Array and press Enter.

  3. Use the arrow keys to select Select RAID Level > RAID Level and press Enter.

    Note: Some of the RAID levels might not be displayed because the number of installed storage drives varies.
  4. Select the disks with which to create the array:

    1. Use the arrow keys to select Physical Disks and press Enter.

    2. Use the arrow keys to select desired disks and press the Space Bar or Enter.

    3. Use the arrow keys to select Apply Changes and press Enter.

  5. Refer to the table below for the default cache tag size (CTS).

  6. Use the arrow keys to select Read Cache Policy and press Enter. Select the desired read cache policy and press Enter.

  7. Use the arrow keys to select Write Cache Policy and press Enter. Select the desired write cache policy and press Enter.

  8. Use the arrow keys to select Create Array and press Enter.

Delete arrays

CAUTION:

  • Deleting an array permanently destroys all data that is on the array. This action cannot be recalled and it is very unlikely the data can be recovered.

  • Do not delete the first array listed in the Arrays section, if it is the AMD-RAID bootable array. Doing this deletes the operating system and AMD-RAID files.

  1. Enter the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility menu. Then, use the arrow keys to select Array Management and press Enter.

  2. Use the arrow keys to select Delete Arrays and press Enter.

  3. Select the array(s) to delete:

    1. Use the arrow keys to select the desired array or multiple arrays, then press the Space Bar or Enter to change the option to Enabled for deletion.

    2. If you want to select all of the arrays, use the arrow keys to select Check all and press Enter.

    3. Use the arrow keys to select Delete Array and press the Space Bar or Enter.

    4. Review the warning message. If you want to proceed, press the Space Bar or Enter.

    5. Use the arrow keys to select Yes to delete arrays.

View array details

This option displays the details of an array. Nothing can be changed using this menu option. It is for informational purposes only.

  1. Enter the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility menu. Then, use the arrow keys to select Array Management and press Enter.

  2. Use the arrow keys to select Select Manage Array Properties and press Enter.

  3. Use the arrow keys to select Select Array and press Enter. Select the desired array and press Enter.

  4. Use the arrow keys to select View Associated Physical Disks and press Enter.

  5. Press the Space Bar to select one of the members of the Array.

  6. Use the arrow keys to select View Physical Disk Properties and press Enter.

  7. Information about the array is displayed below Select Array header:

    • Array number

    • RAID level

    • State

    • Size

    • Cache Tag Size

    • Cache settings

    • Associated physical disks

  8. To view another array, press ESC twice and perform steps 2 through 7 again.

  9. Press ESC to exit the main menu.

Parent topic: RAID

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