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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

Intel VROC​

Enabling Intel VROC
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 technology > Enable/Disable Intel® VMD and enable the option.

  3. Save the changes and reboot the system.

Intel VROC configurations
Intel offers various VROC configurations with different RAID level and SSD support. See the following for more details.
Note
  • Supported RAID levels varies by model. For the RAID level supported by ST650 V3, see Technical specifications.

  • For more information about acquiring and installing the activation key, see Lenovo Features on Demand website.

  • When the ThinkSystem M.2 SATA/NVMe 2-Bay Enablement Kit is installed, the M.2 drives are managed by Intel VROC/VMD/SATA RAID and do not support hot-swap or LED features.

Intel VROC configurations for PCIe NVMe SSDsRequirements
Intel VROC Standard

  • Supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 10

  • Requires an activation key

Intel VROC Premium

  • Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 10

  • Requires an activation key

Bootable RAID

  • RAID 1 only

  • Requires an activation key

Intel VROC configurations for SATA SSDsRequirements
Intel VROC SATA RAID

  • Supports RAID level 0, 1, 5, and 10.