New Intel Chipset Drivers Bring TRIM Support for RAID Setups

Monday, March 22 2010

The TRIM feature introduced by the newest generation of operating systems makes solid state drives more efficient with write performance. However, it does not work when RAID arrays are built with SSDs, until now. The latest version (9.6.0.1014) of Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver enables TRIM for each of the SSDs that are part of a RAID volume, of all RAID types, with the exception for RAID 5. The software can be downloaded from here.

Introduced with Microsoft's Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and with Linux 2.6.33, TRIM is a feature which uses system idle time to physically erase deleted data, since unlike with magnetic hard drives, data can't be simply overwritten on areas with deleted data. Deleted data must be erased before a NAND flash device can store fresh data in its place, and this causes additional write-cycles on setups without TRIM support. TRIM erases deleted data whenever feasible so that lesser number of write cycles are spent when there's data to be actually written in its place, increasing performance.

Source: TechConnect Magazine

posted by btarunr - 1:47 PM | Related News |

User comments

by mcloughj (March 22nd - 1:51 PM) - Reply

nice!

by ERazer (March 22nd - 1:53 PM) - Reply

sweet love em ssd

by Thrackan (March 22nd - 1:59 PM) - Reply

TRIM on RAID is hot news!

by Breathless (March 22nd - 2:02 PM) - Reply

NOW EVERYONE ELSE JUST NEEDS TO FOLLOW SUIT! Then, we all win :toast:

by CBRworm (March 22nd - 3:57 PM) - Reply

I assume that this only works when using an integrated Intel Raid controller like ICH10R?

will it work with 3rd party RAID controllers like Adaptec or Promise?

by mlee49 (March 22nd - 4:02 PM) - Reply

Question, will this help existing setups or will it require a fresh install?

by LoneEagle70 (March 22nd - 4:07 PM) - Reply

by: mlee49
Question, will this help existing setups or will it require a fresh install?

Simply install the Driver and will replace the current one (from Microsoft or Intel).

by 95Viper (March 22nd - 4:07 PM) - Reply

I installed these over the older Intel Matrix storage drivers, on my Raid setup with no problem. Did this when I first found them(version 9.5.xxx).
Cleaner interface and usablility IMO. Saw no performance noticeable difference.

by mlee49 (March 22nd - 4:09 PM) - Reply

Right, so replacing the driver will support TRIM.

Gotcha!

by dark2099 (March 22nd - 4:10 PM) - Reply

I think it basically is the old matrix storage manager with better support for SSDs since they have become increasingly popular.

by Fitseries3 (March 22nd - 4:14 PM) - Reply

wont let me install.

says im missing dnsapil.dll but im not missing it.

wtf?

by Wrigleyvillain (March 22nd - 4:25 PM) - Reply

Sweet news.

by dcf-joe (March 22nd - 6:14 PM) - Reply

It says on their website that these are available for "Intel Desktop Boards?"

Edit: sorry for the stupid question, it says that they are "also available" DUH

by renozi (March 22nd - 8:50 PM) - Reply

does anyone know how to manually send the TRIM command? I don't see anything on the Intel Rapid Storage Technology window.

by dcf-joe (March 22nd - 9:56 PM) - Reply

So, let me get this straight. Say I am installing Windows 7 x64 for the first time. I would use the F6 version to install the driver during the actual windows installation, and then use the .exe to install another raid driver when I am finished installing windows and am now using it? Do I need to install any other raid drivers?

by dark2099 (March 22nd - 9:58 PM) - Reply

by: renozi
does anyone know how to manually send the TRIM command? I don't see anything on the Intel Rapid Storage Technology window.

Not 100% on this, but I think it manages itself, isn't a specific setting to turn on or can make it do when you want it to.

by: dcf-joe
So, let me get this straight. Say I am installing Windows 7 x64 for the first time. I would use the F6 version to install the driver during the actual windows installation, and then use the .exe to install another raid driver when I am finished installing windows and am now using it? Do I need to install any other raid drivers?

Actually you would install it after installing Windows, not during the install itself.

by dcf-joe (March 22nd - 10:00 PM) - Reply

But, during Windows installation, isn't there a "Press F6 to install third party raid drivers" option?

by dark2099 (March 22nd - 10:03 PM) - Reply

It is set up a little different with the windows 7 install, and this isn't a driver, it's a management program for your raid arrays in windows. Windows 7 driver database is very large, and I've never had to specifically install a third party raid driver, I think that mostly relates to ones that aren't controlled by the normal Intel/AMD SB.

by dcf-joe (March 22nd - 10:03 PM) - Reply

So, then ALL that I need to do as far as raid drivers is to install this .exe, reboot, and everything is fine?

by renozi (March 22nd - 10:08 PM) - Reply

by: dcf-joe
So, then ALL that I need to do as far as raid drivers is to install this .exe, reboot, and everything is fine?

Pretty much how I did it. Run WEI again after you reboot just to make sure Windows 7 picks up that you have SSDs, although I'm not sure if it knows that because they are in RAID:confused:

by dcf-joe (March 22nd - 10:09 PM) - Reply

That is true, windows will read any RAIDed drives as one physical drive, I think

by dark2099 (March 22nd - 10:09 PM) - Reply

After you reboot, go to start menu and run Intel Rapid Storage Technology from the Intel sub menu. Then go to the Manage tab, click box that has the name of the array, then advanced in the info pane, and enable the write-back cache, will boost performance of the array. Other than that, isn't much the program does.

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