SoftRAID 6.2.1: Enhancing Your RAID Recovery Experience

When dealing with multiple RAIDs connected to your system, recovering from a failed array can be a daunting task. In this article, we'll explore the process of recovering a SoftRAID 6.2.1 setup and highlight some key improvements in the latest version.

Before we begin, it's essential to identify the UUID of the array to ensure accurate recovery. This is crucial when dealing with multiple RAIDs connected to your system.

To recover from a failed array, our goal is to get back to state 3 with minimal data loss. We'll walk through a scenario where a RAID fails due to multiple disk failures.

Let's consider an example:

`Md0 : active raid6 sdn1(S) sdm1 sdk1(F) sdj1 sdh1(F) sdg1(F)`

In this situation, the rebuild on `/dev/sdn1` cannot continue, so it reverts to its status as a spare (state 4). However, before the rebuild finishes, another data disk (`/dev/sdh1`) fails, causing the RAID to fail.

To recover from this point, we need to focus on rebuilding the array while minimizing data loss. This is especially important when dealing with multiple failed disks.

One of the key improvements in SoftRAID 6.2.1 is its ability to prevent kernel panics during prolonged I/O operations to a SoftRAID volume composed of NVMe blades.

Additionally, this release includes several bug fixes and enhancements:

* A problem in the SoftRAID driver that prevents validating non-RAID, RAID 0, 1, and 1+0 volumes is now fixed.

* The 'Volume locked' dialog is no longer displayed incorrectly when a Mac comes out of sleep.

* An occasional kernel panic during prolonged I/O operations to a SoftRAID volume composed of NVMe blades is now prevented.

* Connecting SoftRAID disks to the USB-A port on M1 Macs no longer causes a kernel panic.

* Erasing SoftRAID disks with Apple's Disk Utility application no longer results in a hang.

* The driver has been improved to mark all SoftRAID volumes as removable in the IORegistry.

With SoftRAID 6.2.1, you can now enjoy compatibility with macOS Monterey 12.2 and experience enhanced recovery capabilities for your RAID setup.

At OWC, we're committed to delivering the best software and hardware solutions to ensure our customers have an exceptional computing experience. With the latest release of SoftRAID 6.2.1, we're confident that you'll be able to recover from failed arrays with ease and enjoy improved performance and reliability.

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