Write Caching and Intel Optane

[chazus]

Kind of an obscure issue. I have a client that requires having Write Caching disabled on disk policy. Normally one would open Device Manager > Disk > Properties > Policy > and simply uncheck write caching.

On one of his 5 systems, it has an Intel Optane 1TB drive, and Write Caching cannot be disabled, it literally says 'cannot be disabled for this drive' and also a section on 'click here to find out why' and clicking does nothing.

Does Intel Optane require write caching to function? I've never seen one before, and info/reviews/tech on them is very, very skimpy.

[Kagthul]

I take it this is an Optane SSD, and not an Optane memory module. Just for clarity.

[Temp name]

I take it this is an Optane SSD, and not an Optane memory module. Just for clarity.

Considering he said it's a 1TB drive, yeah

[chazus]

I take it this is an Optane SSD, and not an Optane memory module. Just for clarity.

I wasn't aware there were different ones. I just thought it could be used as both. I literally know almost nothing about Optane

[Temp name]

I wasn't aware there were different ones. I just thought it could be used as both. I literally know almost nothing about Optane

Optane originally came out in 16/32gb variants specifically meant to speed up your HDD, and they since came out with actual decent sized drives, like the 1TB you're takling about

[Supermuncher]

Also keep in mind that when drive acceleration is enabled, the optane drive will not be visible. The only way to see the status is by installing the intel RST softare or the optane specific software https://downloadcenter.intel.com/pro...-Optane-Memory.

I do have a spare 905p sitting around if you want me to test if write caching can be deactivated.

[Kagthul]

I wasn't aware there were different ones. I just thought it could be used as both. I literally know almost nothing about Optane

Thats why i was asking if it was a full-up Optane SSD or one of the modules being used to cache/speed up a 1TB HDD.

[chazus]

Now I'm not 100% sure -what- we're working with. I don't have physical access to the system, only remote.

There is a ~900gb partition for C. In Device Manager, there is a single drive listed as "Intel Optane+932GB HDD". I assumed this was a 1TB Optane Drive.

AGain there's very little info... But I'm seeing some posts that "Intel Optane+932GB HDD" is actually a 32gb M2 Optane and a 1TB HDD in a weird raid configuration using RST and Optane.

[Supermuncher]

Pretty much. And as far as I’m aware they require caching to do their job. If the client can’t have write caching, they need to ditch the optane.

Yes exactly, if it's running in raid mode with caching enabled, obviously it cannot be turned off.

[Temp name]

Now I'm not 100% sure -what- we're working with. I don't have physical access to the system, only remote.

There is a ~900gb partition for C. In Device Manager, there is a single drive listed as "Intel Optane+932GB HDD". I assumed this was a 1TB Optane Drive.

AGain there's very little info... But I'm seeing some posts that "Intel Optane+932GB HDD" is actually a 32gb M2 Optane and a 1TB HDD in a weird raid configuration using RST and Optane.

In that case the Optane module is working as a write cache for the HDD in order to accelerate it