GA-P55a-ud4p Sata 6gb/s Raid1 configuration

[Dominique]

My system:
GA-p55a-ud4p (rev.1)
Win7 64Bit

The situation is that I had my system running for a few years with a ssd c: drive, hocked to the 3gb/s Intel sata port.
I have 4 other hdd drives in 2 raid1 arrays, also under the Intel controller, and this had been working as a charm.
Then, recently, the c: drive became corrupted beyond repair.
So I purchased 2 new Samsung avo sdd drive with the purpose of putting them in a raid1 array.

I also wanted to take advantage of the two 6gb/s ports, so I hocked up these new sdd drives to these ports.
I loaded the BIOS and did what I thought was the proper procedure for setting them up in a raid 1 array.
In the BIOS, it all looked good (although still uncertain) so I proceeded with a clean re-installation of my OS.
In the set up of the os, it was only showing 1 of the drives, so I deduced that the os was figuring out that it was a raid 1 array.
(I read somewhere that I should have had to install drivers at that stage, but I never did, and was never prompted to install raid drivers during os install)

After now having re-installing all my programs and with everything working, I wanted to verify my raid configs.
The 4 wd hdd drives status are properly reported as two raid1 in the intel rapid storage application, and these 2 arrays are properly reported as volume d: and volume e:.

But for the SSD drives, I'm still confused.  The Marvell interface is not as straight forward as the Intel one but it looks like they are not fully configured as raid1.
When I click on "my computer" icon, only one of these drives appear, as c:.  But in Device Manager, here is what is listed:
Intel Raid 1 Volume SCSI disk Device
Intel Raid 1 Volume SCSI disk Device
Samsung SSD 840 EVO 120gb ATA device
Samsung SSD 840 EVO 120gb ATA device

Still in the Device Manager, if I click properties, volume, populate for both these SSD drive,: There is one drive that shows "unallocated space" as equal to "Capacity"... This seems to indicate that nothing is written to one of them. 

Finally, if I open the the Marvell Tray program, when I click on Virtual Disks,  it does not do anything.  In the Physical disks, it shows:
Physical Disk 0  (Status Unconfigured)
Physical Disk 8 (Status Unconfigured)

My question, with what I have done (Bios raid config done prior to os installation but raid not working and with the OS now fully installed) can I still get these 2 drives in a raid1 array?
What did I miss and how do I fix it?
Thank you,
Dominique 

[autotech]

Well they are not in raid 1 as you wanted. Did you build the array rightly?  If so windows should not of found it during install without the driver loaded.

As you are using the marvell controller for the sata 6  gigabytes which would be the top two labeled Gsata.
3-6 and 3-7.
Make sure Gsata controller is enabled on motherboard  then below that you will see gsata control mode should be set to AHCI.

Then right below that in bios it has  configure raid and hit enter to configure what raid you want. If you download the manual for gigabyte go to page 101 and it will walk you thru the proper steps.

That is what you most likely missed. You have to use that bios function to configure the raid on the G-sata ports which is what you are using.

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-p55a-ud4(p)_v2.0_e.pdf

That is the ink for your manual.

[Dominique]

Hi
First, thank you for your help with this.
Looking over the manual, I think the bios part is the only part I got about right!
Yes GSata is Enabled and Gsata Ctrl mode is AHCI.
And when I go in the bios gsata configuration module, it shows my 2 drives under a virtual tree, but I can only edit the volumes, I mean nothing happens when I click on Virtual disk (or the tree root). I had originally configured them (the disks) to raid1 (or did things in that direction...) and I even remember the "Do you want to create this virtual disk?" Screen (fig 5 on page 103). But today, when I click on one of those volumes, it gives me 2 choices:
>Erase raid config data for this disk
>Migrate to raid0

Yet, I noted that it show the status of each drives as "unconfigured". (!?!)
I'm sure I missed something, but up to that part of the instructions, I'm pretty sure I did all that right.  But at the beginning of page 105, it says
Now, you may proceed to create the SATA driver diskette (for AHCI mode) and the installation of the SATA driver and operating system.

At the time, I did not know and I left it at saving my bios configs, and proceeded to install the os.  The os showed me a single C: drive, so I thought, hey, he got it right, it should only show one volume if it is properly set in raid1, and it does... So I when on with it.. and it did not ask for a raid driver ... and that is where we are now.

A few more notes, on system boot messages, I saw, right after the Intel raid raid drives, a message that says something like : AHCI BIOS not installed.
Finally, I do not see a place in the those boot messages where it says I can access the raid setup utility by pressing <Ctrl-G>, like it says at page 117.

The question is, can it be fixed without having to do a new os install?
And of course, if so, how do I proceed?
Thank you
Dominique

[dmdilks]

You need to set that controller to the Raid mode. AHCI is only for a single drive. Go to page 101 to 104 there it has step by step setup.

[autotech]

And when installing operating system load the driver at the point it shows you the disk. I usually load it thru usb once you load the driver it will show you what you have.

[Dominique]

So now that os is installed, there is no way to put them in raid1 without the need to re-install?

(the thing is that it is not the just the os... I use this machine for web development... so all the web servers, ms sql server, my sql server, adobe suite, office suite,  and I'm on a domain network... etc... Quite a few hours to set it all up!)

[autotech]

Sadly no. I have been thru it to many times so I know what it takes when windows comes up and shows you drives without loading driver it is no good.

[shadowsports]

Not here to step on anyone's toes  

Dominique,
Just to recap.  

Ports/Connection
Ensure the disks you want configured as RAID1 on Marvell 9128 are connected to ports GSATA3_6 & 3_7 (page 7 manual)

BIOS Settings / Integrated Peripherals Configuration (Page 52)
GSATA Controller [Enabled]
GSATA Ctrl Mode [AHCI]
GSATA RAID Configuration [Press Enter]
The driver for AHCI and RAID is the same, but pressing enter here takes you into the Marvell RAID Configuration Utility
Here, you must mark the member disks you want included in the RAID array
One will be the Source, the other the Mirror (RAID1)
Now jump to page 102 of the manual See Fig 2

Use your arrow keys to select HBA 0: Marvell 0 (press Enter)
You should see both disks you intend to use in your RAID 1 "Boot Array"
Use your arrow keys and the "space bar" to highlight mark each disk as a member for this array
Each member disk will now appear with a * - indicating it is a member disk
When done, press Enter
You are now back in menu selection mode
Use right arrow key to move into right hand pane
Highlight RAID Level: press Enter select RAID 1
Enter to save
Move on
Stripe Size only applies to RAID 0
VD name default is fine
Create Virtual Disk YES
What this is really doing is writing RAID metadata to the disk members
Marvell calls this create virtual disks
NOTE - This will hose your install and OS

Most important now press F10 to save this configuration and Exit back to BIOS
I don't have this board.... so two things could happen

1. You will be returned to the MB BIOS
2. Likely - the system could restart

Regardless of which happens, you must now set the newly created array as your first boot device..  so either navigate to it in BIOS, set and press F10 to save settings, or if the system restarts (and I believe it will) press Delete and re-enter the MB BIOS.  Make your desired changes, save and exit.

Now you are ready to install your OS to the RAID 1 array connected to your marvell controller.

Footnotes:
It is actually possible to migrate a single disk install to RAID 1 if you have set the controller's operate mode correctly [AHCI] (in this case) and installed the AHCI driver, F6 during windows install.  You said you did not and although its possible to enable this driver in the registry and reboot, I am not going to cover this here.  If installed, you could rebuild or in this case migrate to RAID 1 from the individual disk within the RAID Configuration Utility.  This feature allows you to replace a failed disk member when the array is operating in in "Degraded Mode" as a single drive.    

Before starting any of this, create a marvell AHCI/RAID drivers disk (USB is best) so you'll have what you need when you re-install windows.  Yep, you're going to reinstall - F6 and provide the enhanced driver.  Disk creation can be done in "dos mode" but its easier with an OS.  The drivers are on the motherboard CD (page 107) Be sure to select the correct driver x86 or x64.

Last, like intel, the Marvell controller has a in OS RAID Management Utility that provides considerable flexibility and control of your Array in windows.  Its worth installing.

Any more questions, just post again.  One of us, autotech, dmdlinks or I can surely help.  Good luck...  but you won't need it