Using Sata drives on K8V Promise controller ....

[Mark Timerding]

System is Asus K8V, AMD 3400 64 bit cpu ..

I recently wrote ASUS tech support about trying to install
my two SATA drives from the VIA controller to the Promise
Controller. It seemed that the VIA was working, but due to
occassional problems I wanted to try the Promise controller
instead of the VIA, just to see if it made a difference.

The reply I received from ASUS Tech Support included the
following:
"Do not move the sata harddisks from VIA controller to the Promise
controller,
that will erase all the data on the harddisks . "

I had already moved the drives before receiving this reply, and didnt
seem
to lose any data. (Since moved back to the VIA, never could get the Promise
working right) ..... but their response was news to me, is this true, you
can
erase your disks by chaning controllers?

 

[Milleron]

System is Asus K8V, AMD 3400 64 bit cpu ..

I recently wrote ASUS tech support about trying to install
my two SATA drives from the VIA controller to the Promise
Controller. It seemed that the VIA was working, but due to
occassional problems I wanted to try the Promise controller
instead of the VIA, just to see if it made a difference.

The reply I received from ASUS Tech Support included the
following:
"Do not move the sata harddisks from VIA controller to the Promise
controller,
that will erase all the data on the harddisks . "

I had already moved the drives before receiving this reply, and didnt
seem
to lose any data. (Since moved back to the VIA, never could get the Promise
working right) ..... but their response was news to me, is this true, you
can
erase your disks by chaning controllers?

If you elected to set up a new array on the RAID controller, it could
erase everything.
I've tried to set up a new array identical to the old one on the SAME
controller, thinking it would erase everything and allow a fresh
install of the OS, and that operation did NOT erase anything. However,
I can certainly believe it would on a DIFFERENT controller.
If you were setting the drives up as JBOD on a RAID controller, it
might not erase. If you were using the Promise controller in IDE
mode, it probably wouldn't erase them. Did you use one of these
latter two setups or did you set them up as RAID 0 or RAID 1?

Ron

 

[Mark Timerding]

Did you use one of these
latter two setups or did you set them up as RAID 0 or RAID 1?

Well, actually, I did NOT want to set any kind of array, just use the
two SATA drives independently (like I was using them when it was on
the VIA controller) ..... However, it prompted with a choice of Striped or
Mirror ... I picked Striped. It then prompted me to either leave the
drives intact and just mount the drives, or to completely erase the
drives and start afresh. I picked leave em intact.

I was also confused, as the Asus website list a controller for
Promise Sata 378ata_100104528 and one called 378raid_100137 (for
Fastrax I beleive) ... the results I listed above, were when I first tried
using the SATA 378ata driver ....so I was not to sure of which one
I am supposed to use.

I am just trying to learn and understand how this thing is supposed
to work (to see if it is any better than the VIA controller) .... but,
apparently this promise controller isnt as easy to use as the VIA.
I am also confused as I've read many times on this forum that
you are to choose IDE mode or Sata mode in the Bios, but I
do not have such an option in my bios. Just Enabled/Disabled
for Promise controller, and Enabled/Disabled for Sata BootRom

I'm just doing this cause I have a couple programs, most notably
System Mechanic 5.0 that dont work worth a damn (i.e. its defrag)
when System Mechanic 4.x worked fine. So, I wanted to see if maybe
it was the VIA controller it is having probs with. Also, Drive C (partion 1
of the 1st Sata) benchmarks fine, as it should .. about 58mbs) where in
partition 2 of that drive, and the second sata drive benchmarks LESS than
the two installed IDE drives. (around 26mbs ... for Sata???)

Bear in mind, one of the Sata's is a WDC Raptor, 10k rpm.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Milleron]

Well, actually, I did NOT want to set any kind of array, just use the
two SATA drives independently (like I was using them when it was on
the VIA controller) ..... However, it prompted with a choice of Striped or
Mirror ... I picked Striped. It then prompted me to either leave the
drives intact and just mount the drives, or to completely erase the
drives and start afresh. I picked leave em intact.

I cannot understand any way that configuring two nonidentical drives
in RAID 0 could possibly leave them intact. I hope someone who know
more about this will jump in here. Is it possible that choosing
"leave them intact" actually changed the setup from "striped" to JBOD?

I was also confused, as the Asus website list a controller for
Promise Sata 378ata_100104528 and one called 378raid_100137 (for
Fastrax I beleive) ... the results I listed above, were when I first tried
using the SATA 378ata driver ....so I was not to sure of which one
I am supposed to use.

I am just trying to learn and understand how this thing is supposed
to work (to see if it is any better than the VIA controller) .... but,
apparently this promise controller isnt as easy to use as the VIA.
I am also confused as I've read many times on this forum that
you are to choose IDE mode or Sata mode in the Bios, but I
do not have such an option in my bios. Just Enabled/Disabled
for Promise controller, and Enabled/Disabled for Sata BootRom

I'm just doing this cause I have a couple programs, most notably
System Mechanic 5.0 that dont work worth a damn (i.e. its defrag)
when System Mechanic 4.x worked fine. So, I wanted to see if maybe
it was the VIA controller it is having probs with. Also, Drive C (partion 1
of the 1st Sata) benchmarks fine, as it should .. about 58mbs) where in
partition 2 of that drive, and the second sata drive benchmarks LESS than
the two installed IDE drives. (around 26mbs ... for Sata???)

Bear in mind, one of the Sata's is a WDC Raptor, 10k rpm.

Thanks for the reply

Ron

 

[Mark Timerding]

Is it possible that choosing
"leave them intact" actually changed the setup from "striped" to JBOD?

Pardon my ignorance, but exactly what is JBOD? All I ever heard of
was 'Stripped' or 'Mirror' ... neither of which I wanted to use, just want
to connect the two Sata drives independently, like my two IDE drives.
(in other words, I just want to have the FOUR drives installed, all
independently) ..... something which I do have now (with the VIA
controller),
but just cant get stupid System Mechanic 5 to work right. I was just
hoping that was because of an issue with the VIA .... (thats what
started this whole mess) (it also wouldnt hurt if IOLO Tech (makers
of System Mechanic) would answer my emails, but they apparently
just answer once and if what they say doesnt work, they apparently
just give up and ignore you from then on)

 

[Roger Hamlett]

Pardon my ignorance, but exactly what is JBOD? All I ever heard of
was 'Stripped' or 'Mirror' ... neither of which I wanted to use, just want
to connect the two Sata drives independently, like my two IDE drives.
(in other words, I just want to have the FOUR drives installed, all
independently) ..... something which I do have now (with the VIA
controller),

JBOD, means 'Just a Bunch Of Disks'. Many RAID controllers support this
mode, with disks attached to the RAID controller, and driven with the RAID
drivers, but with the drives not being installed as part of a RAID array.
This gives the potential to have two SATA drives being driven
independantly. Thi type of mode is often 'hidden', with on some
controllers (for instance), you having to create a 'one drive' stripe set.

but just cant get stupid System Mechanic 5 to work right. I was just
hoping that was because of an issue with the VIA .... (thats what
started this whole mess) (it also wouldnt hurt if IOLO Tech (makers
of System Mechanic) would answer my emails, but they apparently
just answer once and if what they say doesnt work, they apparently
just give up and ignore you from then on)

Best Wishes