Have been using SoftRAID Version 5(.x) since around 2014 with external (Thunderbolt) OWC RAID arrays. Perhaps the best thing I can say is that since then, except for replacing drives from time to time as needed, I’ve barely thought about SoftRAID, everything has just worked.
But what prompted me to post this review tonight was how quick/helpful/friendly tech support was late today (Friday) helping with recovering a volume. My initial email was answered within a few minutes and after maybe 5-6 back and forths (mostly waiting for me as I was also working on something else), everything was wrapped up about 2 hours later.
I was a little surprised at the quick response, but realized then I had used support once before for some type of recovery situation (and questions) and had a similar experience. While I’m sure there are plenty of issues that just don’t lend themselves to quick/same-day resolution like this, my (admittedly limited) experience with the tech support folks has been great, nice folks.
macOS 13.4 Brings Bug Fix for Some SoftRAID Users
/in SoftRAID /by Jeff JorgensenIncludes a fix for a bug some SoftRAID users were encountering when accessing RAID 5 volumes
Sometimes, the change in CPU type also introduces bugs. This was the case with the transition to Macs with Apple silicon. This transition introduced a bug which very occasionally causes a kernel panic when reading or writing files to SoftRAID RAID 5 volumes on Macs with Apple silicon. Reading or writing the same file to the same volume on an Intel Mac never fails.
This bug happens so infrequently that it took our testers more than a year to figure out a way of reproducing it. Most SoftRAID users on Macs with Apple silicon never see this problem.
We determined that this bug was in the code which transfers data to and from disks when accessing files on SoftRAID volumes. We then notified Apple engineers of the bug and helped them investigate it. After many, many months of working with Apple, there is finally a fix which has been introduced with the release of macOS 13.4. Now, Macs with Apple silicon are as reliable as Intel Macs when accessing SoftRAID RAID 5 volumes.
See What’s New In SoftRAID 7.5
/in SoftRAID /by Jeff JorgensenNew easy install and SoftRAID Upgrade + Support Plan
Upgrading to SoftRAID 7.5 requires an active Upgrade + Support plan.
Click here to check your license status.
SoftRAID Updates Bring Easier Licensing Management
/in SoftRAID /by Jeff JorgensenAs customers’ workflows continue to evolve, more and more users need to access RAID volumes from single locations and RAID enclosures are being shipped and shared to multiple destinations. With these new challenges, we have streamlined the process and make it even easier to use SoftRAID.
License management
The latest versions of SoftRAID make it even easier to manage your license. SoftRAID is still licensed per computer, meaning you need to have a valid serial number activated on your computer to access all SoftRAID features (i.e. creation, deletion, monitoring, etc.). If you have multiple startup volumes on one computer a single license is valid for that system.
If you need SoftRAID on multiple computers, you can add additional seats to your license at a discounted price at any time. New seats are added to your current SoftRAID serial number, making it easy to keep track of your license and manage the software. Additional seats can be purchased on the OWC Software store (https://software.owcdigital.com/license)
Remember: With SoftRAID you can always access your Data
While SoftRAID does use activation technology to control some of its powerful features, like RAID creation, deletion, and drive health monitoring, you can ALWAYS access your data with SoftRAID installed. Running full SoftRAID, a trial version, or even an expired version—you can always read and write to a SoftRAID volume. Your data is always accessible.
Activating and and deactivating your licenses
The process of activating and deactivating your license is extremely simple. While connected to the internet, simply go to the SoftRAID menu on the Mac or the Help menu on Windows and select the “Activate” option. This will open a new window to activate the software.
Deactivation is just as easy—once the software is activated, the menu option will change to “Deactivate License”. License management made easier.
Not connected to the internet? SoftRAID also provides options for “offline” activation using another computer or smartphone. Those options are available through the same menus if an internet connection is not detected.
Checking license status
We’ve also created tools to help check the status of your licenses—our new License Management page allows you to check the status of your SoftRAID serial numbers anytime.
Visit https://software.owcdigital.com/license/ and enter your SoftRAID serial number to view all the information associated with the license. This will work for both licenses purchased on the OWC Software store and licenses purchased with OWC enclosures and from third parties.
Here to help
If you have additional questions about OWC Software Licenses, please visit the License Management page on the OWC Software Store.
If you aren’t sure what kind of license you have or how many seats are available, please reach out to our support team anytime and they can assist with any license questions.