How to Configure RAID from the BIOS

If you decided to install an operating system outside of OVHcloud's templates and would like to configure RAID, one way you can to do so is from the servers BIOS. In this article, we will be going over how to configure RAID utilizing Intel's BIOS Version: S1200SP. If you have a different BIOS the instructions may be different.

Prerequisites

• Getting Started with IPMI

Configuring RAID from the BIOS

Note: Not all operating systems are compatible with RAID when it's configured directly from the motherboard. Please refer to your operating system's documentation to see if and how you can utilize this feature.

In order to configure RAID in the BIOS, access the server via IPMI as discussed in our Getting Started with IPMI article. Next, press the Ctrl Alt Del button in the top-right corner and press the appropriate F key when prompted to enter the BIOS. From the BIOS menu, scroll down and select Boot Maintenance Manager option.

Next, highlight and select the Advanced Boot Options button. Change the "Boot Mode" to "Legacy" as displayed in the following screenshot:

Now, return to the main BIOS menu, highlight and select the Advanced option and then highlight and select Mass Storage Controller Configuration option from the following menu:

Highlight and select the SATA Port Configuration option and then change the AHCI Capable SATA option from AHCI to RAID Mode. Lastly, change the AHCI Capable RAID Options to INTEL(R) RSTe.

Next, return to the main BIOS menu and press the appropriate F key (or use the soft keyboard to press the appropriate F key button) to save all changes. Then, exit the BIOS. You will be taken to the following screen:

Press Ctrl+I to enter the RAID configuration utility. Highlight and select the first option, Create RAID Volume, and proceed to configure the RAID volume to your preference.

You have now successfully configured RAID from the BIOS.

Conclusion

Configuring RAID is extremely useful for improving performance and redundancy. By configuring RAID in the BIOS we are able to set up our disks without having to interact with the operating system.