[Sticky] macOS 13 (Ventura) public beta

@softraid-support 

As this could be interesting also for other users I want to confirm that the limit in Ventura seems the same of Monterey... in my specific setup the problem is triggered when I have more than 12 disks visible from maCOS. In my case it was 13 disks... 

Hi @softraid-support  tonight I tried to apply in Ventura the workaround that you suggested in Monterey. I did it on the enclosure that was creating always the sudden DART Kernel panic after the login in Ventura and that was basically making the enclosure useless. The workaround to remove one drive before turning on the system connect it, wait for 5 minutes and reconnect the removed hard drive worked also in Ventura. 

I think it is important to mention that initially having one drive of the RAID 5 configuration disconnected, Ventura (like Monterey) mounts the disc without the Kernel panic but Softraid correctly put the disk in in protected mode, after reconnecting the missing hard disk Softraid quickly rebuilds the RAID 5 array but in my case it was a very fast process (around 5 minutes). After that the drive can be operated correctly. I tried to shut down and reboot and apparently everything is fine and the Kernel panic doesn't happen anymore. 

As I use the data on this enclosure every day I will provide additional feedback if the kernel panic shows again but for the time being this seems a very practical and simple solution until Apple finally fix their Kernel panic problem. 

Quick Update, I tested the system the morning after and I get again the DART sudden crash so I need to revert my prior statement. This solution is really not more than a temporary workaround. Additionally it works but on a single enclosure at a time which is also very annoying as you cannot access to the data stored in 2 enclosures at once.. (which is my use case).  Need to put pressure on Apple to fix what they need to fix.

@theubster 

We are going to push them. I have three sets of data, which is enough for Apple bug reports on this issue.

Been running Ventura betas and SoftRaid betas quite smoothly. Still fine on release version of Ventura 13.0. Now on 6.3.2 b11 which is warning it will expire in 9 days.  

Have downloaded 7.0b18. I would like to avoid a major slugfest with a new version. Is 7.0b18 just an incremental upgrade of 6.3.2b11 or a completely new version? Is it stable at this point? Any experience with Ventura 13.1 beta?  

Thanks.

@tomnash 

It is 6.3.3 beta, plus some additional tweaks, so it is indeed stable. We have a couple more things to get in before we release SoftRAID 7.

We have not tested 13.1 yet, that will start when 7.0 is released.

So is this ultimately another forced paid upgrade to 7 or will we get a properly patched 6?  Getting tired of paying every year.

@dfortney 

Going forward, we are moving to a support plan process. versions will not be the determining factor, if you are under a plan, you will be able to upgrade. Which can be from buying a new enclosure (3 years if with drives, i.e, warranty), or if warranty is expired, annual support.

Posted by: @softraid-support

@dfortney 

Going forward, we are moving to a support plan process. versions will not be the determining factor, if you are under a plan, you will be able to upgrade. Which can be from buying a new enclosure (3 years if with drives, i.e, warranty), or if warranty is expired, annual support.

 

So like an annual subscription?

@dfortney 

Only if you keep updating MacOS. The license itself is permanent, but upgrades will stop when the support expires. But you can keep using the driver indefinitely. So we never hold your data hostage, but managing your volumes will require an active license.

The forum will continue to offer free support for any users, however. I do not see that changing.

This is definitely what I call an annual subscription...Seriously, who's going to stop updating MacOS ?

I've been using Sotfraid for many years now, and over the years I bought quite a few pieces of OWC gear and I must admit this is the first time I'm deeply disappointed by the company. I have no problem with annual subscriptions as I have quite a few running (Adobe, 1password, Office, Nova, Tower...) but the way you're presenting it just doesn't feel right.

Just my two cents, let's go back to the subject of this thread.

@softraid-support Doesn't everyone update macOs pretty much in clockwork with Apple?  

@dfortney 

True, 85% update within 6 months.

I understand the feelings on this, but we have to maintain the software, and most users cycle new enclosures every 3 years, so this would be in their update schedules.

If we did not have to do such major engineering every cycle, updates would not be such a problem. But it is where we are now.

Posted by: @softraid-support

@dfortney 

Only if you keep updating MacOS. The license itself is permanent, but upgrades will stop when the support expires. But you can keep using the driver indefinitely. So we never hold your data hostage, but managing your volumes will require an active license.

...

Just so I understand. We'll be able to download the latest version, eg v7, for free which will be compatible with Ventura, to access the RAID volumes.

But, we won't be able to change/manage the RAID volumes eg rebuilding them if there's a bad drive, or change the RAID set etc., without paying for an upgrade.

Presumably, this means if we have an "old" machine that we didn't upgrade to Ventura, and kept it on Monterey, we can continue to manage it with v6.

Posted by: @softraid-support

@dfortney 

...

I understand the feelings on this, but we have to maintain the software, and most users cycle new enclosures every 3 years, so this would be in their update schedules.

My view is this is acceptable for new buyers getting enclosures so they know about the future cost and factor it in in their purchasing decision.

But to change the cost structure for purchasers that have bought OWC enclosures historically seems to be a change in the original contractual basis.