Hello,

Iam trying to configure a Hardware Raid array on my computer its
a GIGABYTE S-series (GA-G33M-DS2R/S2). Iam somehow manage to install a Realtek network adapter on her. But then i decided to make the RAID 5, on my 4 SATA II 500 GB disks. I created an array as its says in the manual. but then I try to install the sistem all over again it just couldnt see the array, and shows me only normal 3 disk. On all official websites (GIGABYTES etc.) says that Linux is unsopporteed in the original CD, but there are drivers availiable on other 3-rd part sides. I couldnt find anything.
Also on the Motherboard CD there is a file named "boot" and there are initd zip file and some linuxiso binary file, but I couldnt understnad when I suppose to install them. I tried the "linux dd" option during the boot from CD but its just ignores the CD, or couldnt find any drivers on it.

About array controller its a : Intel ICH9R SATA RAID.

Can anyone have maybe the same problem, or could suggest a solution.
I`ll be very glad. Thanks for help.

Are you sure this is HW RAID and not fake RAID?

"Somehow"?

Which manual - the one for the motherboard?

By "system" do you mean you tried to clean-install linux to the new configuration?

If so, then your result means that your board uses fake HW RAID. You need linux drivers to make it go.

As this is really a kind of software RAID. There is no need to use this in linux, just use linux software raid. It performs better in benchmarks anyway.

From the Linux SATA RAID FAQ:

Thank you for replaying to my message, and Iam sorry for all the spelling mistakes. English only my 3-rd leng. and its need much emprovments.

Yes, you absolutlly right about the RAID. A found some articals about that type of RAID, and its really a fakeraid.

In the end I did install a Software RAID thats buildin in Linux.
There still somethings I need to configure out there. Case installation were really slow. And when I did the cut from /proc/mdtab (with watch)
its displays only two U (like this : [UU_], reminding that I have 3 disks). And at the bottom its shows some sort of copeing proccess thats trying to build the disk. Althought Its show me that 3 disk are members of the RAID array.

I left it like it was, and when I get home I`ll check it, but somehow I have a bad feeling about this.

I build a raid out of 3 disks, and of-course put a boot and swap FS out of the array.

If any suggestions about ... please post.

Thanks ahead.

About the "somehow" from my prev. post, it was really not simple proccess, as I installed with almost minimal space requestes. And ofcourse it didnt install the kernel packages and all gcc rpm`s. So it was all manul work. And for all that I tried a lot of divers untill I find a good one, there aint really much drivers on the web for RTL8111, and the one that was didnt work...

And I have another Q. when I installed boot on first HD, but what happend if he will fall. I need to make CD (or USB) with the copy of /boot and also install the GRUB to there ??? and hope it will work....

Sounds really bad to me ... all the idea of redundency, is aint so good ...

If someone can help me with a trick how to make it better I`ll be very happy =) ... and again Thanks ahead ...

If the disk fails? You need to make a regular backup, yes. I hope you are not relying on RAID as a backup strategy!

Hello again.

No Iam not using RAID for backup, I have aditional 2 500 GB disk for that =).

When Iam cheked it after the installation the RAID was proccessing a recovery for something, I really couldnt understand what for ???

And the main problm that its running at very low speed, and will take too long to finish. Its running at ~1200K/sec speed. and will take ~6300 minutes (about 4 days) info from "watch cat /proc/mdstat". I watched the system preformance (top -s1), and its shows me that CPU and memory are not loaded with work at all. I tried to increase the speed by changing :
/proc/sys/dev/raid/speed_limit_min&max files to 500000, but its didnt to any change. Are those parameters can be imolemented online in RedHat4 ?? or I need to reboot the system ?? Or maybe there is something more I need to change ? Any idea?

Thnaks ahead ....