[SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver

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baj
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[SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver

Post by baj »

Hello,

I recently upgraded to an HP 8770w laptop with SSD. It's very fast, I like it! I have it set up for dual-boot with both Windows 7 Pro and Mint 13 Mate on the SSD. I just received my parts to add a RAID0 partition for my home folder (2x750gb drives + caddy for media bay). I am using the BIOS RAID0 so both Win7 and Mint will see it. Win7 sees it fine, I even made a partition and put files on it. Mint does not see the RAID0 volume, it still sees it as two 750gb drives. I presume Mint doesn't recognize the BIOS RAID0 volume because it requires a different driver? I know this works as I had similar setup on my previous HP laptop but had the OS's installed on the RAID0 (no SSD). I can't recall if I had to do anything special to get Mint to install.

I went to HP's website and downloaded the only linux driver they had listed for my laptop (Intel Rapid Storage Technology), which they claim is supported for RHEL v3 and SLES v8 & v9, an rpm package. I read you can convert these to deb, but wasn't sure if that's the right way to do this.

Intel's website just pointed me to mdadm, but the description for that indicates it's only for software RAID.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
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catweazel
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Re: How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver Min

Post by catweazel »

baj wrote:Intel's website just pointed me to mdadm, but the description for that indicates it's only for software RAID.

Any suggestions?
Yes. Take Intel's advice.

BIOS RAID is only a firmware version of software RAID, and it's only in your machine's BIOS so that RAID works in Windwoes. It isn't necessary in Linux.
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
baj
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Re: How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver Min

Post by baj »

But I believe using the BIOS RAID is necessary in my case since I want Windohs to be able to see the RAID volume. Or am I not understanding mdadm?
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catweazel
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Re: How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver Min

Post by catweazel »

This is all you need:

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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install mdadm
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
baj
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Re: How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver Min

Post by baj »

Thanks. I Installed mdadm, but that must not be all I need. The first step though I suppose. Is there a simple way to get it to recognize the RAID0 volume I set up in Windows or is it RTFM time?
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catweazel
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Re: How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver Min

Post by catweazel »

Ok, mdadm should have detected the RAID set when you installed the program. Try this:

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sudo mdadm --assemble --scan
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
baj
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Re: How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver Min

Post by baj »

Perfect, thanks!
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by baj »

One more stupid question. It appears this needs to be run on each boot. Where would you recommend I put this such that my /home folder (what will be on the RAID) is mounted before linux starts looking for it?
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catweazel
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by catweazel »

The full instructions are here.

You need to create mdadm.conf.

It's all there. Just toss out what you don't need.
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
baj
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by baj »

Thanks for all your help. However I must still be missing something because the RAID partition is still not available at boot-up. I did my best to try to determine what to use from the very thorough link you directed me to, but this was all I came up with:

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$ sudo sh -c "mdadm -Ds >> /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf"
I ran this (after backing up my existing mdadm.conf) and found slight difference in the raid details:

Existing mdadm.conf

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# definitions of existing MD arrays
ARRAY metadata=imsm UUID=6735668a:91e33514:30bb68cb:b562605d
ARRAY /dev/md/BAJRAID0 container=6735668a:91e33514:30bb68cb:b562605d member=0 UUID=9cfdf9a8:2ab9499a:0db83e85:cec92aae
New - output of sudo sh -c "mdadm -Ds >> /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf"

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ARRAY /dev/md/imsm0 metadata=imsm UUID=6735668a:91e33514:30bb68cb:b562605d
ARRAY /dev/md/BAJRAID0 container=/dev/md/imsm0 member=0 UUID=9cfdf9a8:2ab9499a:0db83e85:cec92aae
Then I ran blkid

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$ sudo blkid
/dev/sda1: LABEL="System Reserved" UUID="04CA538DCA537A3E" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda2: UUID="16D6FA56D6FA3599" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda3: LABEL="HP_TOOLS" UUID="A2DD-7CED" TYPE="vfat" 
/dev/sda5: UUID="baf0d421-ce2a-4b3d-b028-4752b07ebceb" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/sdc: TYPE="isw_raid_member" 
/dev/sdb: TYPE="isw_raid_member" 
/dev/md126p1: LABEL="HOMEDATA" UUID="19ffcd5a-7dda-4eba-8d6b-41a7a539375b" TYPE="ext4" 
and updated my fstab with the UUID for /dev/md126p1

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UUID=19ffcd5a-7dda-4eba-8d6b-41a7a539375b /home ext4 nodev,nosuid 0 2
However, when I boot, the system stops with a message saying it can't mount (or find?) /home. I can get the exact text of the message if needed. It gives me the option to wait or skip. If I skip, it will boot to the Mint GUI login screen, but if I try to login it says my home folder is not available. I can then jump to a terminal session, login, and do the following:

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$ ls /dev | grep md
no output, which isn't surprising I guess. Then I do your previous suggestion with mdadm and manually mount the raid partition to /home:

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$ sudo mdadm --assemble --scan
$ sudo mount /dev/md126p1 /home
Then I can login from the Mint GUI and everything works great.

The question is what do I need to do to get the raid partition to mount automatically during boot? Do I need to do a portion of the grub section from the link you sent? Since I'm not moving root I had originally thought that didn't apply for me.

Thanks again for all your help.
-Brad
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catweazel
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by catweazel »

There shouldn't be two entries in your mdadm.conf unless you have multiple partitions on the RAID set. You will have to comment one out with a # symbol and try it, then try the other if the first doesn't work.

Make sure you stop the array first:

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mdadm --stop /dev/mdXYZ
Change mdXYZ to suit the array you have. After that, rewrite mdadm.conf:

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mdadm --detail --scan >> /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf
This is what my mdadm.conf looks like:

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ARRAY /dev/md0 metadata=1.2 name=catweazel:0 UUID=16afdce8:ca8bebcb:2df57ff4:5a26c6cd
The UUID is for the RAID set. The UUID in fstab is a different UUID and you seem to have that part right. The error is being caused because the RAID set hasn't been built so the device with the UUID in the fstab isn't being found.

Other than that, you might try this, again, after making sure the array is stopped:

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mdadm --assemble --run --force /dev/md0 /dev/sdAX /dev/sdBY
Again, adjust sdAX and sdBY.

I can't be of more help. I've never tried to get it working with a Windwoes fakeraid and your issue has taxed my knowledge on the subject. Though just for sh*ts and giggles I might set up a virtual machine and try it myself sometime.

Cheers.
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
baj
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by baj »

Thank you very much catweazel, you've been more then generous with your time and assistance. I'll do some digging and checking around and see what I can learn.
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catweazel
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by catweazel »

You're very welcome. It was a pleasure to share with you the little I know :)
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
baj
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Re: [SOLVED]How to install Intel Rapid Storage Technology dr

Post by baj »

Probably not the right way, but I got around the booting problem by adding the following to /etc/rc.local

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mdadm --assemble --scan
mount /dev/md126p1 /home
I also had to remove/comment the /home mount from fstab.
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