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RAID configuration

Using a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) to store data remains one of the most common and cost-efficient methods to increase server's storage performance, availability, and capacity.

RAID increases performance by allowing multiple drives to process I/O requests simultaneously. RAID can also prevent data loss in case of a drive failure by reconstructing (or rebuilding) the missing data from the failed drive using the data from the remaining drives.

RAID array (also known as RAID drive group) is a group of multiple physical drives that uses a certain common method to distribute data across the drives. A virtual drive (also known as virtual disk or logical drive) is a partition in the drive group that is made up of contiguous data segments on the drives. Virtual drive is presented up to the host operating system as a physical disk that can be partitioned to create OS logical drives or volumes.

An introduction to RAID is available at the following Lenovo Press website:

Lenovo RAID Introduction

Detailed information about RAID management tools and resources is available at the following Lenovo Press website:

Lenovo RAID Management Tools and Resources

Note
  • Before setting up RAID for NVMe drives, follow the below steps to enable VROC:
    1. Restart the system. Before the operating system starts up, press the key specified in the on-screen instructions to enter the Setup Utility. (For more information, see the Startup section in the LXPM documentation compatible with your server at Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager portal page )

    2. Go to System settings > Devices and I/O Ports > Intel VMD and enable the option.

    3. Save the changes and reboot the system.

  • VROC Intel-SSD-Only supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 10 with Intel NVMe drives.

  • VROC Premium requires an activation key and supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 10 with non-Intel NVMe drives. For more information about acquiring and installing the activation key, see Lenovo Features on Demand website