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GA-EP45-UD3P: Onboard GB RAID1 plus Intel RAID5 - RAID5 not seen after OS Reload

I'm running Server 2008 (32-bit) on a GA-EP45-UD3P. I have the operating system installed on a 2 drive RAID1 that's running on the onboard Gigabyte SATA2 RAID controller... and for storage I have a 4 drive RAID5 that's running on the onboard Intel RAID controller. The server has been running fine for the past couple of weeks, but on Monday I realized that I didn't/don't have a Datacenter Edition license key for Server 2008, (stupid mistake). Since there's no way to downgrade, I had to reformat the mirror set and reload the operating system, (and choose Standard Edition instead of Datacenter Edition).
 
Note: I haven't made *any* changes in the system BIOS or in the Gigabyte SATA2 RAID BIOS or in the Intel RAID BIOS since I built the server a couple of weeks ago.
 
After installing Server 2008 Standard on the reformatted mirror set, I updated to SP2 and applied all of the available critical updates. Then I installed the 32-bit Vista driver for the Intel RAID controller, (by running iata_cd.exe). The documentation for the 32-bit Vista driver says that it's the correct driver to use for Server 2008, (and it's the one I was using before... successfully). The driver seems to be installed correctly, (iaStorV.sys), but Windows doesn't see the RAID5... and the RAID management software only sees the 2 unused ports... but the Intel RAID BIOS still shows the existing 4 drive RAID5, (plus the 2 unused ports).
 
Since both RAID BIOS's are configred the same as they were before, (no changes have been made), and since I'm using the same driver, I don't understand why the operating system isn't seeing the RAID5 on the Intel RAID controller (now that I've reformatted the RAID1 on the Gigabyte SATA2 RAID controller and reinstalled Server 2008).
 
I know that both of the onboard RAID controllers are considered "software" RAID, and I've admittedly never worked with a "software" RAID solution before, (the only reason I went with a software RAID on this server is to save money). But, it doesn't seem like the fact that it's a software RAID would matter in this case. If I'm wrong, and it *does* matter, and I need rebuild the array before it will work, (and then start restoring over 3 TB of data), or if you have a solution, (fingers crossed), please let me know. :)
 
Thank you.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2010, 01:05:27 am by jbaker55360 »

Peteruk

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What is the status show for the RAID at the BIOS on boot up? Or is Intel App?

Dose Disk management in windows show the storage and with a drive letter? 

The status is the same as it was when it was working. There's a RAID1 on the Gigabyte SATA2 RAID controller, and a RAID5 on the Intel RAID controller. All drives show up as member disks, (nothing has been changed in either RAID BIOS).
 
Disk Management just shows the mirror set (C:) and the DVD drive (D:)... there aren't any other drive letters, which is what I don't understand. The RAID set exists and the driver is installed, so Windows *should* see the RAID5 as a drive letter... but it doesn't. :(
« Last Edit: April 08, 2010, 04:03:12 pm by jbaker55360 »

Peteruk

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And what about the Intel App for RAID in windows?

The Intel RAID mgmt software shows the 2 unused ports, but does not see the 4 drives that are setup as a RAID5.

I was able to get it working, but I'm not exactly sure why/how. Basically, I just went into the properties of the Intel RAID controller in Device Mgr and updated the driver, (and manually pointed it at a backup I made of the 32-bit driver files). That driver *should* have been the same driver that was already installed, but apparently not, because after I manually updated the driver in Device Mgr and rebooted the server, it started working.
 
By the way, Gigabyte technical support was no help whatsoever. They basically told me that I was out of luck.