SoftRAID for Mac

5.8.4

5.8.4

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Has become very unreliable on the Mac, OWC disk gets locked require you to restart sometimes a few times a day, Issues with Big Sur can not recommend OWC products anymore sadly

OpenZFS is here for good now. Originally ZFS for Sun Microsystems, then came macZFS, then Zevo ZFS and now OpenZFS for 16 operating systems. If you value your data, I suggest you rethink how you store it. SR was brilliant for HFS back in the day, I owned a copy. But things have advanced so much when it comes to storage. SR should consider adopting ZFS and use SR's great GUI to sit on top. (hint hint)

does not work well under Catalina you need to enable startup security if you have a T2 chip. not a good option. Given I need to rely on the software working to access my files they are behind the 8 ball in regards to compatibility and system updates which is not comforting.

Ok just bought new Mac Pro 2020, installed an OWC 8TB SSD as a back up disk, all good. Wanted to install a RAID 4 System onto the OWC SSD, so downloaded and installed OWC SoftRaid (AUD$270), its a 3 step set up in SoftRaid, but here's the problem everyone should be aware of and its not something OWC make clear in any way when you buy SoftRaid, if your Mac has a T2 Chip, the only way to Mount a finished RAID Volume with SoftRaid, is to disable the security system on the T2 chip to "No Security". When you talk to SoftRaid tech support they simply tell you to go ahead and disable the security system on the T2 chip, which I'm not prepared to do. They offer no support at all in how to re turn the SSD to pre SoftRaid format. My advice would be not to use this software while it requires disabling of the T2 chip security protocol. And the SoftRaid tech support ?? useless

Great App, have it running since 10.12.x with no fuss at all. I am angry about the reluctance of Akitio and OWC, about a firmware update on the Thunder2 Quad, to bring the controller to the version Apple uses on its Hardware. Lots of shit happens because of this, and it has nothing to do with either SoftRaid or macOS. I talked to the Akitio support about some critical issues regarding this. It can't be the controller, it must be a software bug, was the reply. I know it isn't...

Can SoftRAID 5.7 build RAID 50 (5 +0) arrays, if not 6?

I am planning to build RAID 50 with 10 bay tower casing with 10 500MB HDDs with 5 volume array each for RAID 5 (say, array 1 and array 2) and then mirrored with RAID 0. It's for SNS use and does not necessarily need speed and size for the arrays. 2.5TB each suffice, if not overkill.

After using this on two OWC ThunderBay RAIDs I am deeply disappointed in the product, and OWC who is cramming this obsolete technology on unsuspecting customers. SoftRAID is a serious kludge for modern users. I've lost confidence and respect in OWC.

Some folk's reviews here are mind-boggling. SoftRAID is one of the most acclaimed and widely accepted soft-RAID solutions. I myself have been running it on all my drives, (13 actively connected; some RAIDed - some not; some spinners; some SSDs) for well over a decade. In those 10+ years, I can attribute ONE issue to it, about 7 years ago. Is it fast? According to BlackMagic I can edit all types of vide except2160p50/p60 10bit YUV 4:2:2... and I do. Everyone has different hardware, skill levels and experience, so these reports are all just anecdotal.
My "anecdote" is that I'm trusting my entire setup, and my business to SoftRAID and have for about 14 years, and based on 16/6 experience, I'm going to continue to do so.

Two issues: > SoftRAID is just not reliable or efficient, it is a bygone technology snarfed up by OWC > The 'demo' lite version is a crappy marketing technique to extract another $179 from purchasers of the already-pricey ThunderBay. AVOID SoftRAID and ThunderBay at all costs.

Mixed feelings. I acquired Softraid Lite under the impression it could convert an Apple Raid 1 system into a Softraid system. To this day this function isn't implemented despite the fact that the very nice people from the customer service department kept promising: "soon, very soon..." So back-Up and complete rebuild. After that it is running solidly. But promising functions that never appear is a bit lame.

Absolutely, positively, top 10 in my tool chest.

Very solid software, nice support, have been using it for close to a decade: a 5-star product. However, it's kind of expensive if one wants to deploy it in multiple locations. I would have liked a more liberal licensing policy, of perhaps a single desktop / single laptop license, which enables switching disks between RAID arrays. Myself, I'll keep using SoftRAID for years to come on my main rig, but installed OpenZFS on all other systems.

Softraid 5 seems to be extraordinarily reliable as well as extraordinarily capable. While Apple's Disk Utility can set up RAIDs, SoftRAID gives you more options, and the interface is years better. I have always worried that when a disk fails, I won't know how to add a new disk back to my RAID 5 to restore the redundancy. With SoftRAID I know that it will be easy. SoftRAID also allows you to set up RAID 4, which has better performance in certain circumstances. It is also being actively developed. I found a small bug in it, corresponded with the developer, and he says that it will be fixed in the next release. Try doing that with Apple's software! Go to SoftRAID's website for benchmark speeds—my experience is that these are the speeds that you can expect. If you want fast or reliable or fast + reliable disks, use SoftRAID.

I had virtually no experience with RAID configurations other than establishing one based upon directions and Disk Utility. This software removes guess work and the user will know what he/she is getting. It is pricey, but it leaves little to the imagination and dissolves frustration.

I combined today three SSDs in an old MacPro of my customer and built a small but lightning fast server for a workgroup. This software works fantastically. I like the professional documentation. Thank you.

Yes, expensive. The trial version is a nice idea, but be warned you will get a message at least once a day for 30 days warning you your trial version will expire in * days. Once a week would be fine or on the last day, but everyday - how annoying. I was told the only way to get rid of this annoyance would be to buy the software.

I tried Yosemite PB1 on MacBook Pro 15in(Early 2011) with Intel SSD 530. Chameleon SSD and Trim Enabler does not success at TRIM enable. But SoftRAID 4.5.3 success at TRIM enable.

And if you have a look on the ZEVO forums, a very uncertain future as Zevo is currently broken on 10.9 with no clear plans other than tweets for assurances. We all wish ZFS was the way forward, but Softraid is the rock solid NOW compared to ZEVO's still to arrive FUTURE...

We have been using SoftRAID for years on Apple servers and workstations. Apple includes the SoftRAID driver on their servers, a testiment to how good it is. ZEVO...ya know, I gave them a shot, spent a few buckx on a license...wouldn't you know, they sold the product to another company. Yea....so much for ZEVO being a solid, supported solution. Not only have they flown under the radar (taking our money in the process), they just dumped on all their customers. Bye, bye ZEVO. SoftRAID...as always, recommended if you want bullet proof performance and excellent support from a solid company with a rock steady history. Don

This is not professional grade software; after several emails my freeze/crash issues still exist!!!!! support was useless in my case this software is definitely NOT compatible with my book thunderbolt duo

Meh. I'm using a CalDigit PCIe RAID card in my Mac Pro and couldn't be happier. It's faster than software RAID, and IMO more stable, at least with a quality controller. IMO, you're either serious about RAID, or it's just a toy to play with on a hobby computer. If you're serious, get a hardware controller, if not, use Mac OS X's software RAID support.

Nice update. I use SoftRaid with all my personal data (total = 13 2Tb disks in three 5-bay eSATA enclosures) and can't be happier. I also have MacZFS on another 5-bay enclosure and that too is nice (but can't match the convenience of SoftRaid). The ZFS-implementation competition appears to be around the corner, which can only be a good thing for us end-users; I'm sure SoftRaid will evolve further!

Very nice app, but with some gripes. It seems to be rock-solid (in my case the arrays survive a lot of mishaps, e.g. kernel panics) and very well-supported. My questions to the developer get answered immediately. Still, I find a couple of things bothersome. First, the licensing policy: only one machine is allowed full functionality (in the past, SoftRaid could be installed liberally to any computers one owns). Second, the lack of some sort of knowledge base in their website. To me, this is a serious problem as storage setups become increasingly complex (FW, eSATA, PCI cards, etc) and some guidance would be very useful to the average home user. Overall, however, this is good software (version 4.0.5).

Very nice app, but with some gripes. It seems to be rock-solid (in my case the arrays survive a lot of mishaps, e.g. kernel panics) and very well-supported. My questions to the developer get answered immediately. Still, I find a couple of things bothersome. First, the licensing policy: only one machine is allowed full functionality (in the past, SoftRaid could be installed liberally to any computers one owns). Second, the lack of some sort of knowledge base in their website. To me, this is a serious problem as storage setups become increasingly complex (FW, eSATA, PCI cards, etc) and some guidance would be very useful to the average home user. Overall, however, this is good software (version 4.0.5).

Very nice app, but with some gripes. It seems to be rock-solid (in my case the arrays survive a lot of mishaps, e.g. kernel panics) and very well-supported. My questions to the developer get answered immediately. Still, I find a couple of things bothersome. First, the licensing policy: only one machine is allowed full functionality (in the past, SoftRaid could be installed liberally to any computers one owns). Second, the lack of some sort of knowledge base in their website. To me, this is a serious problem as storage setups become increasingly complex (FW, eSATA, PCI cards, etc) and some guidance would be very useful to the average home user. Overall, however, this is good software.

This software is dead.. Don't believe me? Checkout http://z410.tenscomplement.com/ then!! ZFS puts this software to shame and it's time everyone knew it.

Excellent software that i use to protect my most valued information, as my photos archive : a main disk with 2 mirrored disks, one of them always offsite with a rotation. Most of all, incredible support, with immediate answers : Mark just helped me to recover a disk that I thought dead (din't mount anymore), by sending me a file and a command line, after sending him a report generated by SR : kind of magic..

Yawn... http://code.google.com/p/maczfs/ Softraid: Ease of Use: is 2nd to none. Stability: can't really comment, but I know it can't protect from silent failures. Features: WAY behind. Value: Way behind.

I'm using Softraid 3 and it works great. As soon as the docs/manual is out for v4.x I will be upgrading.

Why on earth would anyone want to run RAID5 in software? Buy a RAID card for that. SoftRAID is an excellent replacement for Apple's own software RAID. I allows you to do much more, faster and better than Apple software RAID. Don Montalvo, TX

I bought SoftRaid a few years back, and it was pretty obvious that this is industrial strength software. Never got to use it, except trying out its (nice) features. Some time ago, I tried to install it on my 10.6.2 Hackintosh, and got kernel panics --- seems that this driver is pretty invasive, as my hack runs beautifuly otherwise. There is no mention of using SoftRaid on OSx86 machines, and googling does not help (as it returns references to "software RAID implementations" in general, not this actual program. Any experience out there?

WHERE is the LONG OVERDUE PROMISED SOFTWARE RAID 5?!

RAID1 boot drives for high end workstations and servers. It's a no brainer. SoftRAID for RAID1. It's a no brainer. Apple have always included the SoftRAID driver. It's a *much* better software RAID solution than Apple's native solution. We've used it heavily for years. Can't imagine being without it. This new SoftRAID4 version adds email notification, plus a slew of other refinements. No bloat, just smart tweaks to its behavior. Excellent, excellent software, well worth the price. Don Montalvo, TX

Very reliable and useful software. I heard of it reading the eBook "Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard", which I recommand : http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/leopard-easy-backup.html See what Joe Kissell says : "That said, you can have your cake and eat it too (for a price). If you use SoftRAID (http://www.softraid.com/, $129), you can create a RAID in which your internal disk is mirrored onto two or more external drives at once. You can then periodically rotate one of the drives off-site, where it will function as a stand-alone duplicate of your disk at an earlier state. When you plug it back into your Mac, it will automatically synchronize with the remaining drives in the RAID. The beauty of this approach is that you never have to set up, schedule, or run backup software to make duplicates-it happens automatically. This scheme can even be expanded to include archives. Using SoftRAID, it is possible (though a bit awkward) to partition an external drive so that one partition is used along with your internal drive to form a mirrored RAID while another, non-RAID partition on the external holds archives. Set up two drives this way and you're in business-as close to a painless backup system as I can imagine." So, I use it : - to prevent a disk failure, - in my backup strategy, in order to have a mirror of all my important disks in both my home and my office. Each of these disks is connected to a mirror disk in each place : either I rotate the mirror or I move the main disk. Add an overnight daily incremental backup, and you get a rock solid backup strategy. Most of all, Mark James has always been incredibly reactive and helpful : for example, I had an issue today (jan. 1st !!) with a corrupted syslog file, I got an answer from him within a few minutes. Renaud, Nice, France

There is no better software RAID solution for Mac than SoftRAID. It used to be bundled with ASIP server, then later when OSX was released, the driver was bundled (minus the application). Apple would be doing everyone a favor by bundling SoftRAID with their Xserve boxes. Sure, they offer hardware RAID for money - but most small shops only want software RAID. Sorry, but Diskutil software RAID is not in the same league as SoftRAID. We use it for critical workstations (RAID-1, email notification if a drive fails, user is none the wiser). Great stuff. Don Montalvo, NYC

SoftRaid is far superior to the RAID functionality offered within OS X's own Disk Utility program. I had resigned myself to purchasing hardware RAID prior to trying SoftRaid; now I have the functionality I was seeking without the worry of proprietary hardware solutions. I would have rated SoftRaid higher in the value category had it offered a bit more in the way of RAID monitoring options, i.e. email error notification and a monitoring Widget. In the big scheme of things these are minor issues but considering the price of the application they certainly would have been appreciated.

Well now, May I suggest you guys dump your code and keep your GUI for ZFS, because after years of requesting that you implement a software RAID5 capability, it seems you have now missed the boat. It's very disappointing to lose Mac developers, but once ZFS is here (currently freely available to anyone via an ADC account) your days seem extremely numbered. Having tested ZFS, even in it's current state, it can do everything that SoftRAID currently does, and so so much more. Unfortunately, as an owner of SoftRAID, the best use I'll get from your software will be the media acting as a drink coaster.

still a perfekt type of software... svrroot

purchased the software yesterday evening, unfortunately had problems with softraid DVD. mark did everything possible to help me out with this little problem - great support and now it works fine. 5 stars! iPoe

there appears to be an issue with 3.5.1 where if you try to "add second drive", you get a fast progress bar followed by "mirror is rebuilt" dialog followed by "missing secondary drive". reverted to 3.3 and emailed softraid to see what's up. don don montalvo, nyc curmudgeon at large

Hmm, they're working on "user interface elements" rather than value added features like RAID 5. I trust you prove me wrong soon.

This is a great application. RAID 1 offers a bootable backup in real time through mirroring. The application is much more versatile than Apple's RAID. I use it mirroring an internal 250 GB HD in my duo G5 2 GHZ with an external 250 GB HD using firewire 800. Works flawlessly. Particularly impressive is the automatic rebuilding of the mirror in the background after re connecting the mirror. Apple should include this application in its OS and it would make it an unbeatable value proposition for the home and enterprise users. Yes, the application costs $ 129, perhaps a bit steep, but as users we should realise the cost and value of designing and developing world-class software. I have asked questions to the developers and they responded within hours. Highly recommended.

I bought SoftRAID 3.1 because I wanted the capability to mirror my startup disk. I had previously used Apple MacOS X RAID utility, but it didn't work well for me. SoftRAID 3.1 had several serious bugs, and I was about to throw in the towel on it. Luckily I hung in there, and v3.1.1 was released. It works great now. No problems.

Apple's Disk Utility is so versatile it will even RAID a couple of FLOPPY DRIVES. I'd be a LOT more likely to get this app if it worked under 9.

Still not bootable from a striped RAID volume.

Bootable RAID, FANTASTIC! Keep up the good work! I only wish I had more than one hard drive =-/