Configuring RAID

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If you want to configure the server storage drives in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configuration, configure the RAID volume before you install the OS. For instructions for configuring RAID, refer to Configuring Storage Drives for Operating System Installation in Oracle Servers X8-2 and X8-2L Installation Guide.

HBA and RAID Support

Oracle Server X8-2 with SAS drives have these HBA and controller options:

Oracle Storage 12 Gb/s SAS PCIe Host Bus Adapter, Internal – This SAS controller card does not support RAID.
Oracle Storage 12 Gb SAS PCIe RAID Host Bus Adapter, Internal: 16 Port and 2 GB Memory – This SAS controller card provides support for RAID configurations that include RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.

Oracle Server X8-2L with SAS drives have these HBA and controller options:

Oracle Storage 12 Gb/s SAS PCIe Host Bus Adapter, Internal – This SAS controller card does not support RAID.
Oracle Storage 12 Gb/s SAS PCIe Host Bus Adapter, External – This SAS controller card does not support RAID.
Oracle Storage 12 Gb SAS PCIe RAID Host Bus Adapter, Internal: 16 Port and 2 GB Memory – This SAS controller card provides support for RAID configurations that include RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.

Note - RAID 1e and RAID 10 are functionally equivalent. RAID 1e requires an odd number of drives (minimum three drives). RAID 10 requires an even number of drives (minimum four drives).

There are two RAID management utilities you can use with the internal SAS3 HBAs provided in the servers.

Avago BIOS Configuration Utility
Host Operating System MegaRAID Utility (storCLI Ultility)

In addition, you can use the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Enterprise (RSTe) for setting up a RAID volume on the installed SATA M.2 devices. For information about RSTe, refer to Rapid Storage Technology Enterprise (RSTe) in Oracle Servers X8-2 and X8-2L Installation Guide.

RAID Configuration Requirements

Oracle Server X8-2 and Oracle Server X8-2L might be configured with an Oracle Storage 12 Gb SAS PCIe RAID HBA, Internal: 16 port and 2 GB memory (for factory installation) card. This HBA requires a RAID volume to install and boot an operating system (OS).

To install an OS, ensure that the drive where you install the OS is visible to the system. To make a drive visible, you must create a RAID volume on the drive. If you do not want to use a RAID array, configure the drive as a RAID 0 volume. All RAID levels are installed using options in the BIOS Setup Utility.

RAID Level	Number of Disks Required
0	1
1	2
5	3
6	3
10	4
50	6
60	6

RAID Volume Creation After OS Installation

Before installing an operating system, complete the RAID configuration. However, after installing an operating system, it is possible to create a RAID volume on non-boot disks.

Use these tools to create and manage the RAID resources in your server:

Oracle Hardware Management Pack 2.4 – Use the raidconfig commands contained in the Oracle Server CLI Tools component to create and manage RAID volumes on your server. Refer to the Oracle Hardware Management Pack 2.4 documentation at https://www.oracle.com/goto/ohmp/docs.
Avago MegaCLI or MegaRAID Storage Manager (Oracle Storage 12 Gb SAS PCIe RAID HBA) – Use the Avago MegaCLI command-line tool or the MegaRAID Storage Manager graphical interface to configure and manage RAID volumes for Oracle Storage 12 Gb SAS PCIe RAID HBA. Refer to HBA documentation at https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E87591_01/index.html.