Intel Virtual RAID on CPU (VROC)
Intel® Virtual RAID on CPU (Intel VROC) is an enterprise RAID solution for NVMe SSDs directly attached to Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Intel Volume Management Device (VMD) is an integrated controller inside the CPU PCIe root complex.
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A single processor supports up to 12 NVMe SSDs and up to 6 RAID arrays.
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A dual processor system supports up to 24 NVMe SSDs and 12 RAID arrays.
Stripe sizes are 4K, 8K, 16K, 32K, 64K, 128K.
Requirements and Restrictions
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Intel VROC is only available when the system is configured for UEFI boot mode.
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To enable the mdadm command and support for RSTe, install the patch from
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To enable Intel VROC, a hardware key must be inserted on the motherboard, and the appropriate processor’s Virtual Management Devices must be enabled in the BIOS setup.
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It is possible to enable Intel VROC without a hardware key installed, but only RAID0 will be enabled.
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Intel VROC is not compatible with secure boot. This feature must be disabled.
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When creating bootable OS RAID1 devices, you must have both devices on the same CPU, and a VMD on that CPU.
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Spanning drives when creating RAID devices is not recommended due to performance issues, even though it is supported.
Additional Information
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Latest SSD and operating system information: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000030310/memory-and-storage/ssd-software.html
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Additional information for the Supermicro add-on card and linked manuals: https://www.supermicro.com/products/accessories/addon/AOC-VROCxxxMOD.cfm
Hardware Key
The Intel VROC hardware key is a license key that detects the Intel VROC SKU and activates the function accordingly. The key must be plugged into the Supermicro motherboard (connector JRK1). The key options are:
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Intel® VROC Keys |
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|---|---|---|---|
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VROC Package |
Description |
Part Number |
Intel MM Number |
|
Standard |
RAID 0, 1, 10 Supports 3rd party SSDs |
AOC-VROCSTNMOD |
951605 |
|
Premium |
RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 Supports 3rd party SSDs |
AOC-VROCPREMOD |
951606 |
Figure 70. Intel VROC RAID Key and Motherboard Connector JRK1