SSD NVMe is not supported for Raid !!

[Fateh]

Hello,

I have just got a new server ProLiant G10 with 3 SSD NVMe. The surprise was that HP server does not support RAID configuration. I was told that I have to dedicate one expensive SSD only to install Oracle Linux then I have to configure RAID 1 from the OS level. 

This makes no sense at all. How to dedicate one SSD for the OS without RAID. What if this SSD fails?

Did anyone come through the same experience? 

[Jimmy Vance]

The document explains disk contoller options for Gen10 ProLiant.  

HPE Smart Array SR Gen10 User Guide
https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-a00019059en_us

If your server is using the S100i controller,  it is essentially software RAID as the RAID function is controlled by a software driver.  The RAID feature of this controller is not supported for Linux.  You can use either and "H" or "P" series hardware based Smart Array controllers. Another option is to use the LSRRB (Linux Software Raid Redundant Boot) solution with the S100i in SATA AHCI mode.  LSRRB utilizes the RAID 1 functionality built into the OS, with the addition of making both drives bootable https://downloads.linux.hpe.com/SDR/project/lsrrb/ 

Moderator [above link is no longer valid]

[Fateh]

Dear Jimmy,

Thank you. Very helpful. I just reviewed the parts and noticed that the controller is:

HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10 (8 Internal
Lanes/2GB Cache) 12G SAS Modular Controller.

804331-B21

.

So, just to be clear, the RAID in my case (NVMe) can be configured via an additional HP hardware, and it does not necessarily need to be configured on the OS level, right?

[Jimmy Vance]

If your SSD's are connected to the P408, yes you can configure RAID at the hardware level . You didn't mention which server or which version of Oracle Linux, but the minimum suported versions are listed here

http://h17007.www1.hpe.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/supportmatrix/exceptions/oel_exceptions.aspx Moderator [above link is no longer valid, please visit https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/  to find the latest info ]

[Fateh]

Sorry, 

The environment is:

Oracle Linux 7.4 which looks covered in the link you sent.

Hardware is HPE DL380 Gen10 as the below details:

HPE 32GB 2Rx4 PC4-2666V-R Smart Kit 1

826689-B21 HPE DL38X NVMe 8 SSD Express Bay 1

826860-B21 HPE DL380 Gen10 6144 Xeon-G Kit Confidential Info Erased 1
733664-B21 HPE 2U CMA for Easy Install Rail Kit 1
826706-B21 HPE DL380 Gen10 High Perf Heatsink Kit 1
815100-B21 HPE 32GB 2Rx4 PC4-2666V-R Smart Kit 1

---

815100-B21 HPE 32GB 2Rx4 PC4-2666V-R Smart Kit 1

---

865414-B21 HPE 800W FS Plat Ht Plg LH Pwr Sply Kit 1

---

875595-B21 HPE 800GB NVMe x4 MU SFF Scn DS SSD --- 1
875595-B21 HPE 800GB NVMe x4 MU SFF Scn DS SSD --- 1
804331-B21 HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10 Ctrlr 1

---

815100-B21 HPE 32GB 2Rx4 PC4-2666V-R Smart Kit 1

---

865414-B21 HPE 800W FS Plat Ht Plg LH Pwr Sply Kit

 ---

875595-B21 HPE 800GB NVMe x4 MU SFF Scn DS SSD --- 1
867810-B21 HPE DL38X Gen10 High Perf Fan 1
868703-B21 HPE DL380 Gen10 8SFF CTO Server Confidential Info Erased 1
867807-B21 HPE DL38X Gen10 4-port Slim SAS Riser 1

826860-L21 HPE DL380 Gen10 6144 Xeon-G FIO Kit

[SwapnilGupta]

Yes Fateh!!

Your understanding is corerct.

SSD NVMe architechture is not designed around hardware RAID, that is why it is not supported by Hardware RAID.

SSD NVMe are installed on PCIe cards and not controlled by Storage controller, that is why SSD NVMe is not supported on Hardware RAID. These drives are desgined for very high peromance.

You can only create a Hardware RAID if Storage devices are connected directly to the Storage Controller.

However, once these drives are recognized in OS, then at OS Level you can create the Software RAID.

[Fateh]

Thanks,

Also, as I got, NVMe support ONLY RAID 1. Is that correct?

[Dennis Handly]

> NVMe support ONLY RAID 1.

Or more precisely, the software only supports RAID 1.

[Paul_J_K]

NVMe drives are attached to the PCIe interface directly and do not have a dedicated hardware RAID engine similar to SAS controllers,
therefore, RAID is only supported through the operating system software (e.g., Windows mirror, Linux MD, etc.).

Refer: https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/4aa6-3464enw.pdf Moderator [above link is no longer valid, please visit https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/  to find the latest info ]

[James W Laming]

This is not 100% True,

It may be true of HPE who dropped the ball massivly on the Gen 10 and did not Certify for Intel vROC  and thus missed the boat for the generation but is not true for any vendor who did certify.

NVMe dose attach directly via PCI to the CPU but luckily Intel included a feature in thier chips "vROC" to offer hardware assisted NVMe Raid and it works very well with all Intel NVMe i have tried Optane and 4600.

[ralfgro]

I'm a bit confused. We want to use an all NVMe approach for Ceph and got feedback from HPE that SLES 15 would not support boot from NVMe. Currently nobody at SuSE did confirm this. But I checked the datasheet of one of the NVMes we want to use (this one not for boot) and there is a lot about SAS in it. I don't think SAS is involved with this NVMes, right? It seems also to be a problem to configure a DL380Gen10 with 3 x dual port 10GbE adapters and more than 8 NVMe devices, which is hard to believe.

[ksumbly]

Hi Swapnil,

Thanks for bringing it up however, I still have a doubt. Will Smart Array S100i SW RAID able to do RAID configuration on NVMe x4 Lanes SSDs in Windows environment. If not, then what is the option or workaround to configure RAID with NVMe SSDs.

Also does the same logic applies to M.2 SSDs or for these we have some different practise. Will appreciate if you can address this.

Apologies for bothering you with too many queries at once.

Thanks in advance.

[Lawrance Lee_1]

 Is there an updated link to this document?
<h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/4aa6-3464enw.pdf>

The link no longer works! 

Is it this document, by any chance?  https://assets.ext.hpe.com/is/content/hpedam/a00040243enw Moderator [above link is no longer valid, please visit https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/  to find the latest info ]

[baber1]

Finally, Is that possible create Raid1 whle I am using 2 Nvme siak ?

[aelberawy]

as you mentioned the only solution to make S.W RAID on LINUX OS for example oracle linux can the created raid drive raid 1 be boorable for the OS ?

[kondor]

Starting February 2021 and Proliant bios update 2.40 there should be an option now to configure software raid with nvme drives. I see the new option in BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU) > Storage Options > NVM Express Options. The option name is "NVM Express SmartRAID SW RAID Options" but it's grayed out and I cannot enter that option. What should be done to be able to set two NVMe drives in Raid1 mode?

[techin]

@kondor , this seems to be an old topic. I think you should consider creating a brand new post

[T_1_6]

Guys is this right about software raid in the BIOS now for DL360 Gen10?

I want to purchase a 10 SFF DL360, but want the OS to go on a pair of small NVMe drives, then use the remaining 8x3.2TB NMVe bays as a backup server with the storage pools created in Windows.

Seeing as the performance of the NVMe is so rapid, we should be very good for high intensity backup bandwidth.
If we cannot install the underlying OS on a small RAID1 mirror pair, we will not bother with this solution, but it would be worse to get a 10SFF SAS Gen10, more expensive, and slower performance.