External sSATA RAID problems, malloc error in Drive Genius

[ScratchyMoose]

Please note, I'm not so sure you can get AHCI mode enabled on the ODD_SATA ports in an '08, and it can matter for an SSD. If possible, it might be faster on one of the HDD bays.

Let me know of the physical setup internally, and hopefull, you can find out about AHCI under OS X on the ODD_SATA ports.

I read

The 2006 MP has two ODD SATA ports which are not used on the logic board. They are located immediately near the PCIe power ports you use for graphic cards. A 60 cm 90° SATA cable will be long enough to run from there to the ODD bay where the SSD can be connected to the Molex power with an adaptor. In fact you could use both SATA ports for the boot SSD RAID0 but it would require more modifications to the fan unit.

and

The '08 Mac Pro has a total of 6 SATA connectors. 4 are for the sleds, I'm using the two spare/unused SATA connectors. The optical drive uses a PATA interface.

which he's talking about for a RAID0 G2 SSD, which i think is for his OS

Might this answer the AHCI issue, probably not as that would be too simple Can you put me on the trail to how i can find out? because I do want to keep the 4x internal bays free to fill with 1.5Tb drives to make the second copy of my data, after the 1st copy (and user) on the ARC card

That card should be just fine for use with a PM enclosure. Worst case, it's cheap. Just keep in mind, the drivers are as simple as they come, so there's NO RAID capability in the drivers (so JBOD may not be possible either). You could try LaCie's drivers for their SIL3132 card, but I don't know if there's additional features in them or not (it could be the SIL provided drivers as is, or modified to add what's missing in terms of RAID support).

That's all cool - i can give it a go, and losing JBOD won't be a disaster

Thanks, as always

 

[nanofrog]

I read
and
which he's talking about for a RAID0 G2 SSD, which i think is for his OS

Might this answer the AHCI issue, probably not as that would be too simple Can you put me on the trail to how i can find out? because I do want to keep the 4x internal bays free to fill with 1.5Tb drives to make the second copy of my data, after the 1st copy (and user) on the ARC card


That's all cool - i can give it a go, and losing JBOD won't be a disaster

Thanks, as always

The '08's are a different system though, and have a few quirks the others don't with the ODD_SATA ports. That's why I'm not so sure they'll work in AHCI mode with OS X drives. They won't with Windows, nor will they boot.

As I didn't test that one myself, I can't say for sure. And unfortunately, I no longer have the '08 2.8 Octad to test it out with.

I'd actully put a call into Apple, as you're asking about using them with OS X, and they should know the information (no guarantee they will though, as it's a bit more complicated than the normal questions, and the base systems aren't using those ports). Assuming you're still covered by Apple Care of course.

If you have a spare mechanical drive on hand, you can test it out now. If it works with that, it will with SSD. As the mechanicals in the HDD bays aren't primary data, I'm not expecting you to run into throttling issues given the lack of simultaneous access with all the drives on the ICH. In the instances it might (backups), just schedule them at night, when you're not on the system.

I'm not sure if the JBOD function can be had, but I don't see it as a disaster. It just takes a little more work setting up the backup source to location is all. Use scheduling, and you're good. Easy once the initial setup is done.

 

[ScratchyMoose]

don't with the ODD_SATA ports

I can confirm that i can boot from the ODD_SATA port (10.6.1 MP3,1)

I had all the RAID and SSD parts with me before christmas, but it's been only today before i could fit them! I can't tell you how much that hurt!

Cheers

 

[nanofrog]

I can confirm that i can boot from the ODD_SATA port (10.6.1 MP3,1)

I had all the RAID and SSD parts with me before christmas, but it's been only today before i could fit them! I can't tell you how much that hurt!

Cheers

So you did get AHCI to work with OS X on the ODD_SATA ports?

I worked with another member on the '08 for Windows on the '08 ODD_SATA ports, to no avail. Mulitple attempts with varied proceedures (i.e. attached to HDD bays, got Windows installed and AHCI enabled, moved to ODD, and fail. Wouldn't boot. Start on ODD ports (blank drive), Fail, no matter what we tried with Windows).

We got OS X to work no problemd (optical or HDD, boot and non-boot), but never tried to enable AHCI for OS X, as that's not what was desired. So we never tested that. But given the problems with Windows, I wasn't sure you could get AHCI to operate on those ports at all. So it's just Windows that they don't like. Figures...

 

[ScratchyMoose]

So you did get AHCI to work with OS X on the ODD_SATA ports?

Please forgive me, but that's gone right over my head even after a wee search on AHCI I'm not running windows, just OS X. I might have confused the issue ...

 

[nanofrog]

Please forgive me, but that's gone right over my head even after a wee search on AHCI I'm not running windows, just OS X. I might have confused the issue ...

It's still possible to use it with OS X to improve drive performance with newer drives that can actually benefit from it (features in the firmware).

But unlike a PC where you get into the firmware settings to enable it (sometimes having to set it in the OS if it's an existing installation for example), you have to get it to work solely from the OS X side since Apple didn't think users should be able to access such things any more (they did allow it in the PPC systems).

IIRC, there's information on it if you search MR (How To).

 

[ScratchyMoose]

Ahci

It's still possible to use it with OS X to improve drive performance with newer drives that can actually benefit from it (features in the firmware).

I guess an 80Gb intel G2 would qualify

but I have seen all kinds of experienced people struggle with this.

but i don't think i would!
What sort of benefit would it give me?

 

[nanofrog]

I guess an 80Gb intel G2 would qualify

Yep.

but i don't think i would!

You'd be surprised. It's not that bad on Windows, but doing things like this in OS X tend to be surprisingly aggravating and difficult. Solutions are usually found by those who are rather stubborn and intrepid to try anything possible, and stumble on a solution (granted, the direction has method and an understanding of computers to even know what to attempt, but there's a certain amount of luck too it seems).

What sort of benefit would it give me?

Increased throughputs result from the features (i.e. allows you to benefit from NCQ, even though it's technically part of the SATA 3.0Gb/s spec.).

Rather nice to have, and in the case of an SSD, more a necessity than option IMO, given they can nearly saturate the real world throughput you can get from SATA 3.0Gb/s (~270MB/s, even though the theoretical max is 375MB/s).