RAID and SSD and Rollback Rx.

[aladdin™]

On my Intel SSD on my ROG laptop, I just ran the Intel SSD Toolbox , when I tried to run Intel SSD Optimizer, it wouldn't run saying that my SSD is under RAID.

Questions:

1. Does Rollback Rx put the system drive it protects under RAID on SSDs. My Intel SSD is 120GB, with two partitions. The system partition is under the protection of Rollback Rx and shows as RAID. The second partition is not under the protection of Rollback Rx and doesn't show as RAID, and Intel SSD Optimizer runs without a problem.

2. Is it true that RAID setups with SSD's lack TRIM, meaning one is left totally at the mercy of SSD's own chosen garbage collection for performance.

Can Nick confirm the above, or gurus like Froggie, Graham, Owl and so forth too.

Kindest regards,

aladdin.

[aladdin™]

Just an update, I un-installed Rollback Rx, and then ran the Intel SSD Toolbox and it didn't show the system drive to be under RAID. Ran the Intel SSD Optimizer on the system partition without a hitch.

Installed Rollback Rx again, and now it show the error "exceeded activation" and it doesn't activate. This is under the latest release of Rollback Rx.

Best regards,

aladdin.

[Owl]

Sorry, no idea. This sounds odd. It feels to me like there may be a driver problem or driver interaction with RbRX, not impossible being as SSDs are so new on the block. Such a problem might explain some of the difficulties you have been experiencing.

[aladdin™]

Originally Posted by Owl

Sorry, no idea. This sounds odd. It feels to me like there may be a driver problem or driver interaction with RbRX, not impossible being as SSDs are so new on the block. Such a problem might explain some of the difficulties you have been experiencing.

Dearest Owl,

Thanks for your kind response.

Best regards,

aladdin.

[aladdin™]

I should also add, guru life Carfal and any others who I have forgot add. This is caused by old age and senility.

Kindest regards,

aladdin™.

[nexstar]

Hi aladdin, I'm still waiting on some insight into how they are dealing with trim on this thread. They don't give us too much information around here. I think it is a deliberate policy to keep our brains active by making us work it out .

Speaking of frustration, have all of your devices had internet access at the time of uninstalling RB? I just wonder if the new system has to 'phone home' to notify them of the uninstall. We haven't been told that, of course.

Back to SSD's. I have the OCZ SSD's and so the Intel utility only gives me access to the second and third menu options. Where does it tell you it has detected RAID? I'm guessing in one of the other options. OCZ have a more basic utility but I can't see any reference to RAID in any of their reports.

I don't use RAID (at least, I didn't think I did!) but I did read that the Trim command doesn't work on RAID. This may be how they are making the latest version work with Trim by making the system look like a RAID setup and so stopping Trim from working.

I have no evidence for any of this and it would be nice for someone in the know to give us some idea as to what is going on with our systems .

Graham

[aladdin™]

Originally Posted by nexstar

Hi aladdin, I'm still waiting on some insight into how they are dealing with trim on this thread. They don't give us too much information around here. I think it is a deliberate policy to keep our brains active by making us work it out .

Dear Graham,

I read the link you provided. No feedback from Horizon so far. At my age, there are hardly any grey cells left.

Originally Posted by nexstar

Speaking of frustration, have all of your devices had internet access at the time of uninstalling RB? I just wonder if the new system has to 'phone home' to notify them of the uninstall. We haven't been told that, of course.

Yes, I have 24/7 internet access, though not very fast. The desktop is on 24/7 with internet access. Yes, the new system definitely 'phone home' as I cannot activate both online and offline. See here:

Bug in Offline Activation.

Originally Posted by nexstar

Back to SSD's. I have the OCZ SSD's and so the Intel utility only gives me access to the second and third menu options. Where does it tell you it has detected RAID? I'm guessing in one of the other options. OCZ have a more basic utility but I can't see any reference to RAID in any of their reports.

Please, see the attachment. The first menu is called, "Intel SSD Optimizer".

Originally Posted by nexstar

I don't use RAID (at least, I didn't think I did!) but I did read that the Trim command doesn't work on RAID. This may be how they are making the latest version work with Trim by making the system look like a RAID setup and so stopping Trim from working.

I have no evidence for any of this and it would be nice for someone in the know to give us some idea as to what is going on with our systems .

Graham

It appears from the Intel SSD Toolbox and the Intel SSD Optimizer that they are disabling TRIM by using software RAID. It doesn't say very much about Horizon and their methods. Also, by disabling TRIM, without the knowledge of the owner of the SSD, how much harm they are causing to their SSD.

I am not sure about this kind of methods.

Best regards,

aladdin®

[nexstar]

To be fair to HDS, this may be the safest way at the moment to protect snapshots on a RB setup without any user intervention. I would imagine that the other option would be to mark all the sectors used by RB as used and this will need some fundamental changes in the way RB currently works.

It may be that this is a change which will be necessary for v10 to allow for backing up of the snapshot data. In the meantime, I guess it is a choice between using RB with SSD and include Trim in the maintenance when RB is uninstalled or not using RB at all.

I have to say that, in the time I've been using SSD without Trim and RB, I've not noticed any slow-down or issues but I haven't bench-marked anything. I did notice a dramatic loss of snapshots after a few days when using SSD with Trim enabled though!

Graham

[aladdin™]

Originally Posted by nexstar

To be fair to HDS, this may be the safest way at the moment to protect snapshots on a RB setup without any user intervention. I would imagine that the other option would be to mark all the sectors used by RB as used and this will need some fundamental changes in the way RB currently works.

It may be that this is a change which will be necessary for v10 to allow for backing up of the snapshot data. In the meantime, I guess it is a choice between using RB with SSD and include Trim in the maintenance when RB is uninstalled or not using RB at all.

I have to say that, in the time I've been using SSD without Trim and RB, I've not noticed any slow-down or issues but I haven't bench-marked anything. I did notice a dramatic loss of snapshots after a few days when using SSD with Trim enabled though!

Graham

Dear Graham,

But to make the following claim is devious and unethical.

According to HorizpnDataSys, the current release dated 18Jul (which was really stealthily updated on or about 08Aug) is supposed to now support SSDs with active TRIM through Windows 7.

And, then to disable TRIM without the knowledge of the users, which might reduce the life of their SSDs, is both devious and unethical.

Kindest regards,

aladdin®

[aladdin™]

It is like saying, let the buyer beware.

aladdin®