Intel Rapid StorageTechnology - SSD Acceleration mode question...
Please excuse me if this topic has already been broached elsewhere in the forum – I did a search but could find no such reference. Please direct me to it if it has.
At issue is a very new-series HP SpectreXT-15 Ultrabook (and as I found out today from HP, two other very new models of HP NBs based on the same Intel technology / chipset).
This NB had to be returned to HP in order to reload the factory image because TIH-2013 (previous build); the on HD HP recovery PTN; not even the HP optical media recovery set, could be used to successfully restore the system after suffering a corrupted file system failure…
It turns out that these three ultrabook class HP NBs, when equipped with the 32GB accelerator SSD option, cannot be restored successfully without first (if possible) disassociating the acceleration mode (from within Windows via the Intel Rapid Storage control console); disabling the SDD in the UEFI BIOS; then physically disconnecting/removing the SSD from the NB, prior to performing the restoration. Afterward the SDD can be reconnected and its raid-0 configuration re-associated with the HD for acceleration mode (again using the Intel control console in Windows.) BTW: That last part about re-associating the SSD was a step that was omitted by HP’s technical support department prior to returning the NB to me...Also - Since Intel has already, and quite recently updated this chipset’s Rapid Storage / Raid support drivers, my guess is that the previous version support drivers were the responsible agent for the corrupted file system that started all this mess to begin with…
This brings me to my question – has Acronis fully tested the current TIH-2013 build with this Intel HW scenario -- namely the Intel Rapid Storage Technology + SSD / HD acceleration configuration...specifically as to whether or not it can really be counted on to achieve a successful full image creation and later restoration if need be? If not I feel I’d be just as well off using it to only save off user/app data (which BTW I could do just as well with Win-8’s built-in file history function) and simply plan on sending everything back to HP (again) if the file system again becomes damaged - and then look forward to having to re-install everything else again...
Any input regarding this would be most greatly appreciated…
Kind Regards,
John
Thanks for the quick response...
You are completely correct - this concern (of mine) pertains to the SRT implementation on these (very new) HP Ultrabooks. In my case, I am using the acceleration function in the Maximized mode.
It amazes me that HP didn't implement a way of disabling/bypassing the caching SSD device in the BIOS if doing so is a prerequisite to accomplishing a successful system recovery. Subsequent (to the failed recovery attempt) discovery of the necessity of having to physically remove the caching SSD seems (at best) arcane to me.
Thank you very much for the link to the other forum - I will scan through the postings there and hopefully be enlightened and assisted further by the endeavor.
Kind Regards,
John
John,
I may be missing something in your question, but I am running a desktop using an SSD as a cache drive. All I did when I backed up my system was to open the Intel RST program, disable acceleration, which allowed the cache drive (in maximized mode) to sync with the system drive, then ran my backup. When I restored my backup I simply then reenabled the SSD cache drive.
I am also fairly certain you can do the same thing in BIOS if you're using Intel RAID. During boot do you get the option to hit "control +i" to enter the RAID setup?
Thanks for your input on this...
The problem I encountered seems to be unique to a very few (currently only 3 according to HP) very, very new models of HP Ultrabooks (and possibly the specific/unique way in which HP chose to implement the RST <> SSD caching feature on them). FWIW, you cannot use HP's own model-specific recovery media to restore one of these ultrabooks to a viable factory image without first physically removing the SSD from the ultrabook; which BTW is exactly what HP does themselves if you end up having to send one of these back to them because you're unable to recover it yourself.
Also of note is that these ultrabooks are equipped with integrated, non-removable, 4-cell battery systems and it is rather clear once you have one in-hand that HP did not intend for the end user to ever open one up themselves for any "in-field" modifications or self-service. IMHO, this is a new direction for HP regarding such products.
FWIW, and now that I understand the "necessary process" required to restore the official HP recovery image, I've decided that it's probably ok to create the TIH image from within the Win-8 environment - But doing a full recovery from the image will entail the same "system preparation" that doing an HP restoration requires. Here's hoping I never again will have to find out...
Thanks again,
John
Thank you for sharing the post, John.
It is surprising you have to disconnect the SSD physically to be able to restore, after you have disabled the caching through the BIOS.
When you restore an image, as you know, you specifically target a destination, and I don't see how data can make it to the disabled SSD...
At any rate, it makes sense you have to disable the caching in Windows, before you backup your system, and then disable the caching in the BIOS before you restore.
If you have the chance, could you try to restore with the BIOS disabling the cachine, but leaving the SSD in? It is not practical to have to remove the SSD for a restore.
I already tried your suggested method and it did not work. And although TIH reported a successful restoration, the resulting HD file system was corrupted. Win-8 reported the corruption when it tried to load from this restoration - it cited that it had detected FS errors during the load process and initiated an auto-repair of the corrupted FS - after allowing this "autofix" to continue for 36 hours I gave up and tried to recover the system via the HP recovery media, which also failed. That's when it went back to HP for recovery and I subsequently found out that HP had a problem with the SSD being "in place" (even though disabled) on these particular model ultrabooks during full system recovery. HP knows they have a problem on this and has admitted it (at least to me). I'm now trusting that images made from within Windows-8 (that validate) and appear to be of the approximated correct size, should be recoverable (if necessary) by following HP's specification of disconnecting the SSD while performing the restore. I hope that trust is not misguided...
Thanks for your thoughts on this - I have a feeling you'll be hearing more regarding it (from others) before too long...
Kind Regards,
John
BTW, I spent about an hour in support chat with an Acronis tech regarding all this and was told that TIH2013 has no problem with detecting SRT and handling it automatically (as long as the OEM implementation is fully up to Intel specs and guidelines).
FWIW, since that chat I tried generating three different images (all created from within Win-8) - one with with SRT disabled; one with it set to Enhanced; and one with it set to Maximized. All three validate - and when mounted and the files within examined, all three (at least appear) to be completely viable...
Kind Regards,
John