i waited for a couple of days then downloaded the alternative cd and made a software raid. but as you requested i ran the above commands

does this seem to be a bug or user error?

root@######:~# dmraid -tay -vvvv -dddd -f nvidia
NOTICE: checking format identifier nvidia
NOTICE: creating directory /var/lock/dmraid
WARN: locking /var/lock/dmraid/.lock
NOTICE: skipping removable device /dev/hdb
NOTICE: /dev/sda: nvidia  discovering
NOTICE: /dev/sda: nvidia metadata discovered
NOTICE: /dev/sdb: nvidia  discovering
DEBUG: _find_set: searching nvidia_dhhfcfca
DEBUG: _find_set: not found nvidia_dhhfcfca
DEBUG: _find_set: searching nvidia_dhhfcfca
DEBUG: _find_set: not found nvidia_dhhfcfca
NOTICE: added /dev/sda to RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca"
DEBUG: checking nvidia device "/dev/sda"
DEBUG: set status of set "nvidia_dhhfcfca" to 16
nvidia_dhhfcfca: 0 72303744 linear /dev/sda 0
INFO: Activating stripe RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca"
NOTICE: discovering partitions on "nvidia_dhhfcfca"
NOTICE: /dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca: dos     discovering
NOTICE: /dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca: dos metadata discovered
DEBUG: _find_set: searching nvidia_dhhfcfca1
DEBUG: _find_set: not found nvidia_dhhfcfca1
DEBUG: _find_set: searching nvidia_dhhfcfca2
DEBUG: _find_set: not found nvidia_dhhfcfca2
DEBUG: _find_set: searching nvidia_dhhfcfca3
DEBUG: _find_set: not found nvidia_dhhfcfca3
NOTICE: created partitioned RAID set(s) for /dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca
nvidia_dhhfcfca1: 0 337302 linear /dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca 63
INFO: Activating partition RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca1"
nvidia_dhhfcfca2: 0 70493220 linear /dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca 337365
INFO: Activating partition RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca2"
nvidia_dhhfcfca3: 0 1461915 linear /dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca 70830585
INFO: Activating partition RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca3"
WARN: unlocking /var/lock/dmraid/.lock
DEBUG: freeing devices of RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca"
DEBUG: freeing device "nvidia_dhhfcfca", path "/dev/sda"
DEBUG: freeing devices of RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca1"
DEBUG: freeing device "nvidia_dhhfcfca1", path "/dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca"
DEBUG: freeing devices of RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca2"
DEBUG: freeing device "nvidia_dhhfcfca2", path "/dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca"
DEBUG: freeing devices of RAID set "nvidia_dhhfcfca3"
DEBUG: freeing device "nvidia_dhhfcfca3", path "/dev/.static/dev/mapper/nvidia_dhhfcfca"
root@######:~# dmraid -n
/dev/sda (nvidia):
0x000 NVIDIA  
0x008 size: 30
0x00c chksum: 946633451
0x010 version: 100
0x012 unitNumber: 0
0x013 reserved: 255
0x014 capacity: 144603392
0x018 sectorSize: 512
0x01c productID: STRIPE    68.95G
0x02c productRevision: 100
0x030 unitFlags: 0
0x034 array->version: 6553668
0x038 array->signature[0]: 1900212879
0x03c array->signature[1]: 1648542816
0x040 array->signature[2]: 225094918
0x044 array->signature[3]: 1451584459
0x048 array->raidJobCode: 0
0x049 array->stripeWidth: 2
0x04a array->totalVolumes: 2
0x04b array->originalWidth: 2
0x04c array->raidLevel: 128
0x050 array->stripeBlockSize: 128
0x054 array->stripeBlockByteSize: 65536
0x058 array->stripeBlockPower: 7
0x05c array->stripeMask: 127
0x060 array->stripeSize: 256
0x064 array->stripeByteSize: 131072
0x068 array->raidJobMark 0
0x06c array->originalLevel 128
0x070 array->originalCapacity 144603392
0x074 array->flags 0x1