R-Studio allows you to create and process very complex custom RAID layouts.

Advanced RAID 5

For example, let us create a RAID 5 with the following layout:

• Three disks,

• Block size: 4 KB

• Offset: 32768 sectors (64 KB)

• Block order:

To create such RAID 5,

or select Create Virtual Block RAID on the Create menu

Check that the Apply changes immediately check box is clear on the Parents tab. This will prevent R-Studio from trying to start processing the RAID configuration until you specify it completely.

Other ways to add objects

These objects may be hard drives, logical disks, or images . Check that the objects are correctly placed.

Object control buttons

Disregard the Block order field.

Use the RAID sequence window to move from one row to another.

Using the keyboard : arrow keys to navigate, digit and p keys to enter the block order.

Using the mouse : control-click the cell and select the number or parity from the contextual menu. If the block table is too large, you better use the keyboard to enter the digits.

Corrections : R-Studio will tell you if some digits are not correct . Navigate to the required cell and enter the correct value. Use the Delete key to clear a cell.

Clear the table : Control-click the table and select Clear all on the contextual menu.

If R-Studio detects a valid file system on this RAID object, a partition object will appear on the Drives panel.

The Description Files for RAID Configurations topic shows the RAID description file for this RAID configuration.

You also may check the RAID consistency, if necessary. See the Checking RAID Consistency help page for details.

Advanced RAID 5

Another example is a RAID with the following layout, similar to that used in Mac Pro internal RAID cards with 4 hard drives.

• Four disks,

• Block size: 512 KB (1024 sectors)

• Offset: 32768 sectors (64 KB)

• Block order:

As you see, this layout cannot be fit directly into a standard 2D block order table. Still, it's possible to create such RAID layout using the RAID Sequence window.

To create such RAID,

or select Create Virtual Block RAID & Autodetect on the Create menu

Check that the Apply changes immediately check box is clear on the Parents tab. This will prevent R-Studio from trying to start processing the RAID configuration until you specify it completely.

These objects may be hard drives, logical disks, or images . Check that the objects are correctly placed.

Object control buttons

Disregard the Block order field.

Continue those steps for the rest of the table until the RAID Sequence window will have 4 sequences of 3 disks:

Sequences window

If any unnecessary sequences appear, control-click them in the RAID Sequence window, and select Remove.

If any unnecessary sequences appear, control-click them in the RAID Sequence window, and select Remove.

Do that for the rest of the sequences until you fill all cells in the block order table in the Parents tab .

If R-Studio detects a valid file system on this RAID object, a partition object will appear on the Drives panel.

The Description Files for RAID Configurations topic shows the RAID description file for this RAID configuration.

You also may check the RAID consistency, if necessary. See the Checking RAID Consistency help page for details.

Advanced RAID 6 Layout

For example, let us create a RAID 6 with the following layout:

• Five disks,

• Block size: 64 KB

• Offset: 0

• Block order:

where

PD is parity of data;

PA is parity of all;

RS is Reed-Solomon;

Rows from 1 to 5 use two types of error correction: parity of data (xor) and Reed-Solomon. That is, row 1 uses blocks A1 and E1, row 2 uses blocks D2 and E2, and so on.

Row 6 is used for error correction for columns. That is, column A uses block A6, column B uses B6, and so on. Parity of all is used for error correction.

or select Create Virtual Block RAID on the Create menu

Check that the Apply changes immediately check box is clear on the Parents tab. This will prevent R-Studio from trying to start processing the RAID configuration until you specify it completely.

Other ways to add objects

These objects may be hard drives, logical disks, or images. Check that the objects are correctly placed.

Object control buttons

Disregard the Block order parameter .

You may enter either a block number, or an error correction block of the following types:

Note: You should specify an error correction block only when the correct sequence is selected on the RAID Sequences window.

Using the keyboard : arrow keys to navigate, digit, and rs, pd, pa, u, i keys to enter the block order.

Using the mouse : control-click the cell and select the number or parity from the contextual menu. If the block table is too large, you better use the keyboard to enter the digits.

For the rows:

Select the required row sequence on the RAID Sequences window, select the cell on the RAID table, and enter the required value. R-Studio automatically generates those sequences when you add RAID parents.

For the columns and arbitrary sequences:

You need to create those sequences and add the respective blocks to it manually.

To create a sequence: Click Add empty on the RAID Sequences window or select Create New Sequence on the contextual menu on the Parents tab.

To add a block to a sequence: Control-click the respective cell and select Add To Sequence on the contextual menu on the Parents tab.

To remove a block to a sequence: Control-click the respective cell and select Remove From Sequence on the contextual menu on the Parents tab.

If R-Studio detects a valid file system on this RAID object, a partition object will appear on the Drives panel.

The Description Files for RAID Configurations topic shows the RAID description file for this RAID configuration.

You also may check the RAID consistency, if necessary. See the Checking RAID Consistency help page for details.