How can I enable Intel VMD and Intel VROC NVMe RAID on my Lenovo ThinkSystem server? (Lenovo Intel VMD NVMe RAID ThinkSystem Servers User Manual)

Answer

manuals.plus

Jan 18, 2025 - 12:11 AM

To enable Intel VMD and Intel VROC NVMe RAID on your Lenovo ThinkSystem server, you can follow these steps:

1. Configure UEFI: During server boot, press F1 to enter System Setup. Then, navigate to System Settings > Devices and I/O Ports > Intel VMD Technology. Enable VMD if it is not already enabled. Save the settings and reboot the system.

2. Verify VMD Enablement: After the system reboots, enter System Setup again by pressing F1 when prompted. Go to System Settings > Storage. You should see the installed NVMe SSDs and an entry for Intel VROC. This confirms that Intel VROC is enabled and ready to configure a RAID volume.

3. Create a RAID Volume: In UEFI, go to System Settings > Storage > Intel Virtual RAID on CPU. Select All Intel VMD Controller and then choose Create RAID Volume. Select the desired RAID level (e.g., RAID 5) and the disks you want to include in the RAID volume. Save the settings to create the RAID volume.

4. Install the Operating System: After creating the RAID volume, you can proceed with installing the operating system on the RAID volume. During the OS installation, select the BIOS RAID set (e.g., raid5) as the target for installation.

5. Verify VMD and VROC Functions in the OS: After the OS installation, boot into the OS and verify the existence of NVMe disks using commands like "fdisk -l | grep nvme" and "lsblk | grep nvme". You can also check VMD enablement using commands like "lspci -tv" and "ls -al /sys/block". These commands will provide information about the NVMe disks and VMD devices in the OS.

For additional RAID functions, such as detailed RAID information or creating a new RAID within the OS, you can use the mdadm command line utility, which supports the Intel Matrix Storage Manager (IMSM) metadata format.

Please note that the specific steps may vary depending on your server model and the version of Intel VMD and Intel VROC software. It is recommended to refer to the Lenovo Intel VMD and Intel VROC NVMe RAID User Manual for detailed instructions and any specific requirements for your server model.