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Intel release TRIM for RAID

Published on 23rd March 2010 by Gareth Halfacree

Intel release TRIM for RAID

Those users lucky enough to have multiple SSDs in their system can now use TRIM in certain RAID setups.

The benefits of using TRIM with your SSD are well known, but RAID users have been left behind in the race for ever-faster data access – until now.

TRIM, which purges data from the SSD's cells upon deletion and can prevent the slowdown that many solid state drives experience after prolonged use, is generally considered to be the best thing to have happened to the devices for quite some time – but unfortunately for those looking for the ultimate in performance, it has never been available to those running SSDs in a RAID array.

Thankfully, Intel has solved the problem with the release of a TRIM-compatible driver which finally brings the technology to SSDs in RAID arrays.

Available over on Intel's website – via TechConnect Magazine – the new Rapid Storage Technology driver allows users of selected Intel motherboards to enjoy the benefits of RAID without losing the benefits of TRIM support.

There are caveats to the driver, of course: your operating system needs in-built TRIM support, and all drives in the array must be TRIM-compatible. You're also out of luck if you're running RAID 5, for some reason – although the home-use scenarios of RAID 0 or RAID 1 are well covered.

Now the ground has been broken by Intel, we can expect other chipset manufacturers – including rival AMD – to produce RAID-compatible TRIM drivers for their users, too.

Are you running SSDs in RAID and looking forward to the additional performance that this latest driver could promise, or are you shocked that anyone could think that two or more SSDs in RAID represent value for money in an everyday-use scenario? Share your thoughts over in the forums.

19 Comments

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l3v1ck 23rd March 2010, 14:45 Quote
I wonder how long before Indilinx do something similar.
Not that I'd use RAID anyway.
mi1ez 23rd March 2010, 14:47 Quote
That's excellent news!
mi1ez 23rd March 2010, 14:49 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by l3v1ck
I wonder how long before Indilinx do something similar.
Not that I'd use RAID anyway.

Indilinx? it's a motherboard driver!
l3v1ck 23rd March 2010, 14:57 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by mi1ez
Indilinx? it's a motherboard driver!
So it'll work on non Intel SSD's? That is good news. For some reason I was thinking firmware rather than driver.
leexgx 23rd March 2010, 15:00 Quote
lol (use google) Indilinx is whats used in OCZ vertex and Crucial M225 SSDs (and some other random makes, but best to stick with SSDs that are on the partner lists and them two are so they get updates first)
leexgx 23rd March 2010, 15:02 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by l3v1ck
Quote:
Originally Posted by mi1ez
Indilinx? it's a motherboard driver!
So it'll work on non Intel SSD's? That is good news. For some reason I was thinking firmware rather than driver.

any SSD with TRIM support with the updated intel drivers
HandMadeAndroid 23rd March 2010, 16:03 Quote
In my country trim means.....
amacieli 23rd March 2010, 16:13 Quote
There's only one Intel. Releases.
Cyberpower-UK 23rd March 2010, 16:33 Quote
Finally SSD's balls have dropped, once this is native across the board along with SATA-3 or a more suitable interconnect we might be able to call them mature.
l3v1ck 23rd March 2010, 17:11 Quote
post deleted
Gareth Halfacree 23rd March 2010, 17:22 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by amacieli
There's only one Intel. Releases.
Aye - t'was a typo that didn't get caught at the editing stage.
barbary 23rd March 2010, 17:23 Quote
Well that answers that question. I've been wondering all this time what happends to SSD's in RAID 0 like I have. Now I'll be able to have TRIM.

I like TRIM ;-)
Isitari 23rd March 2010, 18:09 Quote
I've been using this in Vertex RAID 0 array. Been working smoothly over the last few days and by the look of my benchies the Trim is doing its job.
XeroNXS 23rd March 2010, 19:21 Quote
Sadly the news is not correct.

This is from Intel
Quote:

It will support TRIM with SSDs in an AHCI configuration, or with the RAID controller enabled and the SSD is used as a pass through device. An example of this use case is for users that want to use the SSD as a boot drive but still be able to RAID multiple HDDs together to allow for large protect data storage – a great use for the home theater PC. TRIM support for SSDs in a RAID configuration is under investigation and is not included in Intel® RST 9.6.

So it only works with a single SSD in AHCI or RAID mode.
general22 24th March 2010, 01:43 Quote
Yep if the SSD's are in RAID it won't pass the TRIM command to them.
metarinka 24th March 2010, 05:51 Quote
why would someone run 2 ssd's in Raid 1 anyways? I feel like the reliability is so high that you would run raid 0 if you were gonna raid them.
B1GBUD 24th March 2010, 08:21 Quote
Pah!! I can't afford a single SSD let alone two
NickCPC 24th March 2010, 10:27 Quote
One of my friends has 3x Intel X-25M 160GB SSDs in RAID 0 on an Areca RAID controller, and I remember him telling me Areca were supposed to release a TRIM RAID driver about 3 months ago, will have to ask him if they did as this would then be old news :P
bilbat 29th April 2010, 17:06 Quote
Just got this recently:

Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 3:15 AM
Subject: Ask a Question

> Category : PCIe/PCI-X RAID controller
> Model name : ARC-1680IX-12-4G
> Firmware Version : 1.48
> Disk Vendor : Intel
> Disk model : SSDSA2MH160G2R5
> Operating System : Seven Ultimate 64bit
> Driver Version : V6.20.00.19_91126_W7WHQL
> Motherboard Vendor : Tyan
> Motherboard Model name : S7025AGM2NR
> Motherboard BIOS Version : 1.05
> Your Question : When will drivers support TRIM for SSDs?


Dear Sir/Madam,

The TRIM command specification is being standardized as part of the ATA interface standard.
OS use the build-in ATA command device driver to communicate the ATA port for TRIM command. But most of the RAID adapter emulate the

SCSI command to support more volumes on one RAID adapter, including our RAID cards. this command different result the TRIM command can not support on all vendors of RAID adapters.


Best Regards,


Kevin Wang
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