Can't get a RAID 1 ...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Can't get a RAID 1 mirror to be accepted by macOS Time Machine

24 Posts
2 Users
0 Likes
621 Views
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

I posted a problem on June 9, which has disappeared: https://forums.softraid.com/functionality-issues/raid-array-wont-mount-or-rebuild/#post-10182 I finally bit the bullet and initialized and certified two drives and set them up as RAID 1. I'm running macOS 11.4 on an M1 iMac. I can successfully create a mirror with two drives, and copy files to to it. When I have macOS try to use it as an alternate Time Machine Volume it hangs during its attempt to set up the volume and unmount it. After that I can't remount it again. I previously had this configuration working on a 2014 iMac, but can't seem to get it going on the new one.

 

 
Posted : 12/06/2021 3:34 pm
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

I had a typo... it hangs during its attempt to set up the volume and unmountS it.

 
Posted : 12/06/2021 7:59 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8008
Member Admin
 

@dhk

This is a new "feature" in Big Sur. Time Machine requires APFS file system on RAID volumes.

 

Use the SoftRAID beta to create the volume as APFS. That will fix this. Do you have the link? You do not have to use the beta driver, just create the volume, then use 6.0.5 again.

 
Posted : 12/06/2021 11:27 pm
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks. That's interesting because I have a Drobo RAID that is working fine, but perhaps because it is more proprietary it does't look like a raid to TM. ... and I do need the link to the Beta.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 10:44 am
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

I did find 6.1b1. Is that what you referred to????

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 10:58 am
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

And I can't see where to Erase it and make it APFS... only HFS+, MS DOS, Ex FAT... Thanks.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 2:19 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8008
Member Admin
 

@dhk

SoftRAID cannot "convert" or erase a volume as APFS. delete the volume and create a new one, selecting APFS as the file system. that will work.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 3:01 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8008
Member Admin
 

@dhk

Yes a hardware RAID looks like a single disk to macOS, and while some like the drobo may need a driver, often a hardware RAID does not need a driver to load.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 3:02 pm
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

 That helped! Created the volume in SoftRAID. Disk Utility shows it mounted, SoftRAID does not and when I try to mount it says no errors-mounting and then returns to unmounted, while Disk Utility continues to show it mounted.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 3:14 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8008
Member Admin
 

@dhk

SoftRAID does not support APFS in the user interface, which is why.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 5:14 pm
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Aah. we're getting there. If there is no support for APFS in the interface how do I make it into a RAID volume. Time Machine DID accept it, but I was hoping for a RAID TM.

 
Posted : 13/06/2021 7:36 pm
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8008
Member Admin
 

@dhk

I had thought I mentioned to use the beta version to create an APFS volume. You do not need to use it, just run it to create the volume.

 

Here is a link:

http://www.softraid.com/sr_beta

 
Posted : 14/06/2021 12:47 am
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

@softraid-support

I guess we're not understanding each other. Thanks to your help I did successfully create the APFS volume. What did you mean by "You do not need to use it, just run it to create the volume." If the interface doesn't support APFS how do I create an APFS RAID 1 volume? Is that possible?

 
Posted : 14/06/2021 4:57 am
(@softraid-support)
Posts: 8008
Member Admin
 

@dhk

The beta can create an APFS volume. Just create the volume, then go back to 6.0.5.

You do not need to keep using the beta once you create the volume.

 
Posted : 14/06/2021 8:17 am
 DHK
(@dhk)
Posts: 31
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 
Screen Shot 2021 06 14 at 8.08.46 PM

 You're right, although it says unmounted, TM is happy. I'm not as I still can't see how to add a 2nd disk to it to make it RAID 1.

 
Posted : 14/06/2021 7:10 pm
Page 1 / 2
Share:
close
open