[SOLVED] Is it possible to preserve my RAID 5 array?

Flodos

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Aug 2, 2016
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So I recently upgraded my gaming desktop from a z97 gaming 5 motherboard to a x570-a pro, and to my alarm, my RAID 5 array (3 1.5 TB HDD's) isn't supported by my new motherboard! I made it using Intel Rapid Storage Technology, and had all of my data on there, thinking it was safe. Now I stand to lose it all, as I do not have the storage capacity to transfer all my data and rebuilt it in a different RAID, and don't know how to even extract my data without simply getting the array online, in which case there is no need to move it in the first place.

Is there a software solution that allows me to get my RAID 5 array online even though the motherboard doesn't natively support raid5, or should I invest in a hardware controller? Will a controller card even workif I made the array using software raid? If so, which do you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Solution
If you're going to spend money, spend it on a Backup drive, hook up your old setup, backup your data, and DON'T use RAID this time around.

There is 0 path to moving that RAID array to new hardware. Its not happening.
Nope. The RAID was setup using IRST you need to use IRST and a motherboard (preferably the one it was setup on) to get it and will need to move the data to an external drive. There is no way to move between AMD and Intel as they use their own RAID chips.

Intels built in RAIDs are a mix of software and firmware RAIDs. If you do not have the original board you may be able to use another Intel board, would be best to probably use a Z97 board for compatibility, to get it to be seen to transfer the data.

The biggest problem is that RAIDs are not backups. They are performance or redundancy. I would highly recommend investing in multiple external drives for backup purposes.
 

kanewolf

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You need to have backups of critical data. Don't "think your data is safe" because it is on a RAID5. Most data loss happens during rebuild. I think you are going to have to get a 4TB USB drive, resurrect your old motherboard, hook up your 3 drives EXACTLY as before and copy the data.
 
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You can use ReclaiMe (free) to autodetect the RAID parameters (offset, stripe size, drive order, etc).

If you are comfortable with Linux, then you could assemble and mount the RAID with mdadm, using the parameters discovered by ReclaiMe.

Otherwise you could use DMDE (Windows) to assemble a virtual RAID and then recover the files to a 3TB drive. I could help with that.
 
You can use ReclaiMe (free) to autodetect the RAID parameters (offset, stripe size, drive order, etc).

If you are comfortable with Linux, then you could assemble and mount the RAID with mdadm, using the parameters discovered by ReclaiMe.

Otherwise you could use DMDE (Windows) to assemble a virtual RAID and then recover the files to a 3TB drive. I could help with that.

The only issue is that the RAID controller on the AMD board might not be able to see or read the RAID configuration so not sure it will be able to help. If he was going Intel to Intel it probably could have transferred over as is but Intel to AMD muddies up the waters.
 

USAFRet

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The OP states that "the motherboard doesn't natively support raid5". Doesn't this mean that a software RAID is the only option, apart from a RAID card (or rebuilding the original system)?
It might not support at all, or the AMD might not support that original config from the Intel.
And I wouldn't count on a hardware RAID card doing it, outside of significant investigation configuration, and skill.
All of which carries significant risk of borking up this single copy of the RAID 5 data.

By far the easiest and most secure way is to rebuild the old system and recover the data outside of a RAID.
Even then...the more you mess with it, the more likely it is to screw it up.
 
The OP states that "the motherboard doesn't natively support raid5". Doesn't this mean that a software RAID is the only option, apart from a RAID card (or rebuilding the original system)?

The problem with Intel RST is its not quite software but not quite hardware. The hard drives do carry the configuration on them to be able to rebuild on another Intel RST setup, so long as it supports the same level of RAID, but the firmware also needs to be present to read it properly.

You could try any other method but as @USAFRet stated it increases the likelihood of corrupting or destroying the RAID and causing data loss.

The only real option is to setup the original board on a test platform with a distinct drive for the OS and to load it and copy the data to an external drive.
 
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popatim

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You can still attach the drives as single sata drives and use the tools mentioned to recover the data to a usb drive. Then format the drives and copy it back in. X570 does support raid 0,1, & 10; not that it's advised esp when beginning with older drives already.
 
You can still attach the drives as single sata drives and use the tools mentioned to recover the data to a usb drive. Then format the drives and copy it back in. X570 does support raid 0,1, & 10; not that it's advised esp when beginning with older drives already.

Not sure thats possible. RAID5 is block level striping with parity. It allows for a single drive to die without data loss. It would still require the RAID to be intact to read data meaning at least two of the three drives would have to be good and in the RAID working.
 

Rogue Leader

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Not sure thats possible. RAID5 is block level striping with parity. It allows for a single drive to die without data loss. It would still require the RAID to be intact to read data meaning at least two of the three drives would have to be good and in the RAID working.

Correct, the only RAID version where you can just pull a drive and have it work on its own is a RAID 1 type mirror.

Again the fact this was built with RST means hes not rebuilding it unless he plugs it into another RST setup, which doesn't exist on his new AMD board. And even then it may not work. This is a salvage operation now, get the old system back together, (just need the mobo/cpu, ram, and drives, can plug in a monitor to the board), boot it up, back up everything and thats the end. And DON'T use RAID 5 next time.
 
Not sure thats possible. RAID5 is block level striping with parity. It allows for a single drive to die without data loss. It would still require the RAID to be intact to read data meaning at least two of the three drives would have to be good and in the RAID working.
DMDE can assemble a virtual RAID-5, even with one missing drive. That's why its author calls it a data recovery tool.

https://dmde.com/manual/raids.html

RAID constructor is a tool to virtually reconstruct RAID supporting RAID-0, RAID-1, RAID-4, RAID-5, RAID-6, as well as custom striping, delayed parity, JBOD/spanned disks, automatic detection of RAID configurations.
 
DMDE can assemble a virtual RAID-5, even with one missing drive. That's why its author calls it a data recovery tool.

https://dmde.com/manual/raids.html

The only issue is Intel consumer RAIDs are firmware RAIDs. They are not hardware or software. Its a mix of both. WIthout the hardware side to see them I don't see how they would work in Windows.

That said, while this may be a solution the easiest solution unless the OP sold his old board is to use the original board to load it up and copy the data over.

However what he is asking to do is basically transfer his current RAID and data as is to a completely different board and chipset which is impossible.
 
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AISI, no matter which solution the OP chooses, a 3TB+ target drive is an unavoidable expense.

Then comes the question, is it less tedious to rebuild the old hardware, or to reconstruct a virtual RAID? At the very least it won't hurt to assemble the RAID with DMDE. That can be done with the free version, and DMDE can also autodetect the RAID parameters, so we wouldn't need to see Intel's RAID metadata, unless there is something weird going on.
 

USAFRet

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Personally, I'd think putting the old hardware back together is safer for the data.
Rather than an unskilled person messing around with unfamiliar software on the one and only copy of the data.
Too many chances for "oops".

And yes, a target drive of sufficient size is absolutely required.