Asus P9x79-e WS RAID Issue

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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I have an asus p9x79-e ws board. I ran into the following issue with this hardware loaded.

CPU-Xeon 2687w

Memory-F3-12800CL10Q2-64GBZL(G. Skill 64GB 1600)

GPU-GTX 680

RAID Card-Areca ARC-1882-ix-24

Hard Drives-2x Samsung 830 series 512GB

I can create a pass through disk no problem with the samsung ssd. When trying to create a RAID with the 2 samsungs everything goes ok in the Areca BIOS screen but upon reboot the RAID is gone. I have tested with 2 Intel 600GB ssds and various hard drives no issues.

I can confirm there was no issues with the hardware on a asus p9x79 ws board. Only thing that has changed is the board. I can also create a RAID with the samsungs on different motherboards. Only commonality is this asus board.

I am not sure what else I can test to narrow it down other than the board having an issue with a RAID containing this ssds. I have asked ASUS for help but after giving them this information they said it must be an issue with the RAID card or the ssds.

I just want to see if anyone can provide any insight as to what I might be missing that would be causing this issue or what else I can tell ASUS to help them offer a solution. I have also tried several of these boards all have the same issue. I have also upgraded the BIOS to the latest and they have even offered Betas for the BIOS which have not yielded any positive results.

I appreciate any help you can offer. I am open to suggestions for testing as this machine is not in use in its current state until I can figure out a solution. Thank you.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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Are you trying to create the RAID array on the Intel controller or the Marvell controller?
 

Ketchup

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The array is being created in the areca card.

OK. Dumb question time. Why are you using a 28-port RAID adapter for two drives?

For that setup I think the Intel onboard chip would be more than adequate.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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There is more drives attached but I was using 2 of the samsungs just during this troubleshooting. There is actually a total of 20 drives.
 

Ketchup

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Sep 1, 2002
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There is more drives attached but I was using 2 of the samsungs just during this troubleshooting. There is actually a total of 20 drives.

Ah, ok. I think that would have a lot to do with the drive and the willingness of the chip on the board to accept it. I think a question to areca would be your best bet here.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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The thing is I don't have any issues with this on any other boards I have available even their previous model the p9x79 ws board. I have only changed the board. The areca card and samsungs work fine together everywhere else except once I try them on this board. I can even create them as pass through drives on this board just not in RAID.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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The thing is I don't have any issues with this on any other boards I have available even their previous model the p9x79 ws board. I have only changed the board. The areca card and samsungs work fine together everywhere else except once I try them on this board. I can even create them as pass through drives on this board just not in RAID.

Well I hope someone else has an idea for you on this. I don't see much more than a limitation I mentioned above. And I don't see that this has anything to do with your motherboard, as your hard drives are being controlled by the areca card (if you can call that enormous thing a card, lol) and its bios.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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I have also tried another areca card I had on hand ARC-1213-4I. Same issue. If I take that card and put it into an asus p9x79 ws board no issues.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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OK, so it sounds like my original assumption may be correct but for a slightly different reason. reason

The E board has the Marvell PCIe 9230 controller.

The non-E has the Marvell PCIe 9128 controller.

I would suppose the BIOS updates for those controllers only come with the motherboard BIOS updates, but I am not 100% sure there isn't another way to do that. Are both boards running the latest?
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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That is correct. As far as I have seen there have been no updates to the marvell controller firmware for either board. The beta bios they have supplied me for the p979-e ws board did nothing to correct that either. I asked and was told that it "made a correction to the PCIe slots" whatever that may mean. I have also tried disabling the marvell and asmedia controllers to no effect as well.

I appreciate your help ketchup. I am not disagreeing with you because I I don't find it plausible that the card and samsung ssds have an issue only that I find it hard that 2 completely different cards have the same exact issue with the same exact board yet when placed in a different version of that board work flawlessly. I just want to see if I could with your help and anyone else here narrow it down so I can relay that information to ASUS because I don't want it to become a finger pointing contest between 3 different vendors.
 

hennessy1

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Mar 18, 2007
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They sent me an email last night asking if I could send the ssds and raid card to them to perform tests on. I am all for getting to the bottom of the issue but I have a hard time swallowing that I am sending out a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff so they can run tests. If something were to happen it is my word against theirs. Ill see what they want to try and see if I can perform any of it on my own.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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They sent me an email last night asking if I could send the ssds and raid card to them to perform tests on. I am all for getting to the bottom of the issue but I have a hard time swallowing that I am sending out a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff so they can run tests. If something were to happen it is my word against theirs. Ill see what they want to try and see if I can perform any of it on my own.

I am not sure what kind of task you are taking on or the level of your relationship with Asus, but as a casual consumer, that would be a big fat "no, I'll try another vendor, thanks."
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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If it is relatively easy what they are asking I am up to it. I am not loyal to Asus and can move onto someone more capable. I just can not justify possibly losing a couple thousand dollars worth of parts for a $500 board.

I don't see this version of their workstation board as a complete rework just a few additions/enhancements. If I were them I would look at what they might have taken out for device compatibility before I start asking the customer to send over their parts.

Since I was able to replicate this issue on more than one Areca controller all they need is a samsung 830 series ssd and a areca controller. I am sure they can work something out with those vendors for product validation purposes.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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If it is relatively easy what they are asking I am up to it. I am not loyal to Asus and can move onto someone more capable. I just can not justify possibly losing a couple thousand dollars worth of parts for a $500 board.

I don't see this version of their workstation board as a complete rework just a few additions/enhancements. If I were them I would look at what they might have taken out for device compatibility before I start asking the customer to send over their parts.

Since I was able to replicate this issue on more than one Areca controller all they need is a samsung 830 series ssd and a areca controller. I am sure they can work something out with those vendors for product validation purposes.

They are Asus though. They probably think they are being super nice by just offering what they have.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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Stupid question for you ketchup. I have a total of 4 of these ssds. Would the penalty for putting these on the x79 sata 2 controller be a bad idea instead of waiting for who knows how long if ever to get this issue fixed by asus?
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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Stupid question for you ketchup. I have a total of 4 of these ssds. Would the penalty for putting these on the x79 sata 2 controller be a bad idea instead of waiting for who knows how long if ever to get this issue fixed by asus?

The speed were are talking with SSD drives is pretty over-the-top to begin with IMO, so I don't know what the controller would really give you in that situation. With ten, I could see tremendous RAID possibilities. With two, I don't know if you would notice a difference, but I will admit that I am not the best person to answer this question.

I just remember years ago I maid a RAID 0 array with two IBM Deskstars. I thought it was the fastest thing ever! But then one day when I did a fresh install with just one of the drives, I realized the difference was all in my head.

So I guess I should be asking you, what are you looking for - speed or reliability?
 

imagoon

Diamond Member
Feb 19, 2003
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Random thought (I have run in to this before) is the Areca card set as a boot device in the boot menu even if you never intend to boot to it? I have had several RAID cards do strange things until they are made a valid boot device even if I don't boot to it.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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Thing is I can't set it to a boot device unless there is an array created. By the time I get to the BIOS to change to boot order the array has already disappeared. I could set a different set of drives in an array to the boot drive but the other array has already been removed or disappeared.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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Here is a quick follow up on the issue. I was able to resolve it. After going back and forth with Asus they setup a test bed with my exact setup and tried to recreate the issue. They sent me the pictures of the setup and the results. They were unable to recreate it. I then thought maybe the firmware had been updated to the 830 series and I was unaware of it. I then plugged each drive in to check and they were all current. It was only until I got to the last drive that I found the issue.

Sometime during the RAID setup one of the ssds became password locked making it the reason the RAID could not be created. I tried a number of passwords that I thought it could be but no luck. I setup an RMA with samsung and that is all set now. Not sure how that happened but I am just glad it is fixed and just wanted to let you know what the issue was. I appreciate you all for your help in this. Thank you.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
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Wild stuff. Glad you figured it out. Feels better to know it is something explainable than some weird mystery. Plus, you know, the whole being able to fix it part, lol.
 

hennessy1

Golden Member
Mar 18, 2007
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Ya that's true. I am still amazed and glad that asus did a full recreation of my setup to help figure out the problem if they hadn't I probably would have not thought to double check the firmware levels on the drives and not found the issue either at all or until a lot later. I have to say when asus does a good job with support they really do a good job I would have a hard time believe a number of other board makers would go so far as recreating a whole setup like this for testing.