Using Restorer Ultimate , you can create and process quite advanced RAID layouts.

Advanced RAID 5

For example, let us create a RAID5 with the following configuration:

• 3 disks,

• Block size: 64 KB

• Offset: 32768 sec

• Stripe order:

where PD is parity of data.

The RAID components are the images RAID5CDisk1.bin, RAID5CDisk2.bin, and RAID5CDisk3.bin on the Device/Disk list.

To create such RAID 5 object,

Specify the required Offset parameters of the disks.

RAID options

Note: Components should be placed in the same order and the offsets should be specified as they were in the original volume set. If this order is incorrect, you must change it by using the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

If a component from the objects is absent (due to hardware failure, for example), you can add a "missing disk" to re-construct the RAID. The missing disk should be placed in the same order as in the original RAID structure.

Turning Disks On-Line and Off-Line on-the-fly

You may turn the objects in the virtual RAID or volume set on-line and off-line by selecting/clearing the On checkbox on the Create Virtual RAID dialog box . It may be useful, for example, if you need to see which disk is non-actual in a RAID5 or 6.

Actually, when you turn an object off-line, Restorer Ultimate substitutes it with a Missing Disk or Empty Space object.

Note: Restorer Ultimate does not write anything real on the disk. A missing disk is a virtual object that does not affect actual data on the drive.

Select Custom for the RAID type, and do not pay attention to Block order .

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

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

Corrections : Restorer Ultimate will show if some digits are not correct by coloring their cells in red. 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 Restorer Ultimate detects a valid file system on this RAID object, a partition object will appear on the Device/Disk list.

Note: You may check how correctly you have reconstructed the original volume set or RAID. Find a file and preview it. If the file appears correct, you have created a correct RAID layout. The file should be large enough. For example, it should have size equal or larger to Block size*(Number of disks-Number of parity disks) for RAID 5 or 6.

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

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.

The RAID components are the images RAID_MAC_ProDisk1.bin, RAID_MAC_ProDisk2.bin, RAID_MAC_ProDisk3.bin, and RAID_MAC_ProDisk4.bin on the Device/Disk list.

To create such RAID 5 object,

Specify the required Offset parameters of the disks.

RAID options

Note: Components should be placed in the same order and the offsets should be specified as they were in the original volume set. If this order is incorrect, you must change it by using the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

If a component from the objects is absent (due to hardware failure, for example), you can add a "missing disk" to re-construct the RAID. The missing disk should be placed in the same order as in the original RAID structure.

Turning Disks On-Line and Off-Line on-the-fly

You may turn the objects in the virtual RAID or volume set on-line and off-line by selecting/clearing the On checkbox on the Create Virtual RAID dialog box . It may be useful, for example, if you need to see which disk is non-actual in a RAID5 or 6.

Actually, when you turn an object off-line, Restorer Ultimate substitutes it with a Missing Disk or Empty Space object.

Note: Restorer Ultimate does not write anything real on the disk. A missing disk is a virtual object that does not affect actual data on the drive.

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:

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.

If Restorer Ultimate detects a valid file system on this RAID object, a partition object will appear on the Device/Disk list.

Note: You may check how correctly you have reconstructed the original volume set or RAID. Find a file and preview it. If the file appears correct, you have created a correct RAID layout. The file should be large enough. For example, it should have size equal or larger to Block size*(Number of disks-Number of parity disks) for RAID 5 or 6.

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

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.

The RAID components are the images img1.bin, img2.bin, img3.bin, img4.bin, and img5.bin on the Device/Disk list.

To create such RAID 6 object

RAID options

Note: Components should be placed in the same order and the offsets should be specified as they were in the original volume set. If this order is incorrect, you must change it by using the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

If a component from the objects is absent (due to hardware failure, for example), you can add a "missing disk" to re-construct the RAID. The missing disk should be placed in the same order as in the original RAID structure.

Turning Disks On-Line and Off-Line on-the-fly

You may turn the objects in the virtual RAID or volume set on-line and off-line by selecting/clearing the On checkbox on the Create Virtual RAID dialog box . It may be useful, for example, if you need to see which disk is non-actual in a RAID5 or 6.

Actually, when you turn an object off-line, Restorer Ultimate substitutes it with a Missing Disk or Empty Space object.

Note: Restorer Ultimate does not write anything real on the disk. A missing disk is a virtual object that does not affect actual data on the drive.

Disregard the Block order parameter .

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

Select the necessary sequences on the Sequence pane when entering Parity of Data

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 pane, select the cell on the RAID table, and enter the required value.

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 pane or select Create New Sequence on the contextual menu on the Create Virtual RAID dialog box .

To add a block to a sequence: Control-click the respective cell and select Add To Sequence on the contextual menu on the Create Virtual RAID dialog box ..

To remove a block from a sequence: Control-click the respective cell and select Remove From Sequence on the contextual menu on the Create Virtual RAID dialog box ..

Corrections:

Restorer Ultimate will show if some digits are not correct by coloring their cells in red. 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 Restorer Ultimate  for Mac detects a valid file system on this RAID object, a partition object will appear on the Device/Disk list.

Note: You may check how correctly you have reconstructed the original volume set or RAID. Find a file and preview it. If the file appears correct, you have created a correct RAID layout. The file should be large enough. For example, it should have size equal or larger to Block size*(Number of disks-Number of parity disks) for RAID 5 or 6.

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