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OWC Flex 1U4 Support Manual

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OWC Flex 1U4
Support Manual
Introduction
1.1 System Requirements
Operating System
•
Mac
: macOS 10.15 or later
Hardware
•
Works with any Mac with a Thunderbolt (USB-C) port
Supported Drives
•
4 Drive Bays
: 3.5"/ 2.5" SATA, SAS, and NVMe U.2 SSDs/adapters

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Summary of Contents for OWC Flex 1U4

  • Page 1 OWC Flex 1U4 Support Manual Introduction 1.1 System Requirements Operating System • : macOS 10.15 or later Hardware • Works with any Mac with a Thunderbolt (USB-C) port Supported Drives • 4 Drive Bays : 3.5”/ 2.5” SATA, SAS, and NVMe U.2 SSDs/adapters...

  • Page 2: Package Contents

    Electrical : x4 PCIe 3.0 • NOTE : Cards with drivers must be Thunderbolt-aware & GPUs are not supported 1.2 Package Contents • OWC Flex 1U4 • Thunderbolt 4 cable • Power supply cable • 19" Deep Rack Mounting Hardware •...

  • Page 3: Getting Started

    (1) PCIe Slot Cover – Becomes replaced by available I/O ports of any installed PCIe card. GPUs are not supported. B. (2) OWC ClingOn-ready cable stabilizer mount – Affix ClingOn to help prevent accidental cable disconnections (sold separately) C. (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) Type-C Ports – Supports USB devices with a Type-C connection D.

  • Page 4: Assembly Steps

    • This section describes the process of setting up the OWC Flex 1U4 if purchased with pre-installed drives. The OWC Flex 1U4 is available assembled with a variety of configurations. • Plug the power cable into the OWC Flex 1U4 power port located on the back and into a power outlet.
  • Page 5 1. Begin by placing the OWC Flex 1U4 on a static free work surface. Careful remove the drive trays from the packaging. 2. The drive trays have locking mechanisms. Press down on the locking mechanism to lock the drive tray. A small amount of red will show indicating the drive tray is locked. Press up to unlock the drive tray.

  • Page 6: Inch Drive

    4. Lay the drive tray on a flat surface and place a drive into the drive tray with the label facing upwards. Secure the drive to the drive tray. NOTE : 2.5-inch drives have screws installed on the bottom of the drive tray. They are also installed with a spacer.
  • Page 7 2.5-Inch Drive...
  • Page 8 5. Insert the drives, with the drive label facing upwards. Carefully push the drive tray forward into the drive bay. Do not force the drive as a minimal amount is needed. The drive will rest slightly protruded outside the drive bay. NOTE : The drive trays have locking mechanisms.
  • Page 9 6. Press the drive tray door to finish pushing the drive into the drive bay and completing the connection. 7. The installed drives are ready to be formatted. Move onto Section 2.4 “RAID Configuration Options” for instructions on how to format and configure the OWC Flex 1U4. 2.3 PCIe Card Assembly Steps (Optional) This is an optional section that describes the process of installing a PCIe card in the OWC Flex 1U4.
  • Page 10 2. Remove the screw holding the PCle slot cover. NOTE : Keep the slot cover in case an authorized return is needed.
  • Page 12 3. Align the PCle connector on the card with the PCle slot of the OWC Flex 1U4. If there is resistance, do not force the card into the slot. Remove it, re-align the card's connector and try again. 4. Once the card is fully seated, reaffix the screw to the bracket. Place the lid back onto the chassis and secure the five screws that were removed.
  • Page 13 Optional Step: SAS RAID Controller Card • An additional step is required if installing a SAS RAID Controller Card. The cable connected to the onboard SATA controller needs to be disconnected and connected to the SAS RAID Controller Card. • NOTE : A longer cable will need to be acquired If the stock cable isn’t long enough.

  • Page 14: Raid Configuration Options

    2.4 RAID Configuration Options OWC SoftRAID RAID Configuration • Downloading and installing the latest version of OWC SoftRAID is recommended to experience the best performance from the OWC Flex 1U4. • NOTE : OWC Flex 1U4 devices come bundled with "...
  • Page 15 • NOTE : The OWC SoftRAID license is located on the bottom of the OWC Flex 1U4. Mac RAID Configuration Open the “Disk Utility” application on your Mac. Choose “File” and select “RAID Assistant”. Select a set type: • Striped (RAID 0) set: striped RAID set can speed up access to your data.
  • Page 16 Click "Create" and then click "Done". 2.5 Rack Ear Installation (Optional) This is an optional section that describes the process of installing the 19-26" rack ears to the OWC Flex 1U4. 1. Gather the rack ear screws and (2) rack ears.
  • Page 17 2. Align the rack ears over the (4) rack ear mounting holes. Adjust the placement of the rack ears to accommodate the rack cabinet. NOTE : The angled ends of the rack ears for attaching the OWC Flex 1U4 to a rack cabinet should be going outwards.
  • Page 18 3. Affix the rack ears with the rack ear screws to the OWC Flex 1U4 once the desired placement is achieved.
  • Page 19 4. Carefully place the OWC Flex 1U4 in a rack cabinet. Affix the other end of the rack ears to the rack cabinet.

  • Page 21: Device Management

    Device Management 3.1 Drive Failure • If the OWC Flex 1U4 was configured as a RAID 0, the data on the array is lost and the disk is no longer usable. • If the OWC Flex 1U4 was configured as a RAID 5, the RAID card will alert the user with a beeping tone.
  • Page 22 • NOTE : The OWC Flex 1U4 needs an active data signal to remain powered on. If it is disconnected from the computer, or if the computer goes to sleep or turns off, the device will power off. To minimize the rebuild...

  • Page 23: Usage Notes

    20Gb/s but does not support notebook charging. • Select SSDs have been tested by OWC and shown to be incompatible with Mac systems running macOS 10.14 'Mojave' and later regardless of how they are connected to the host computer. Please consult the article "...

  • Page 24: Online Resources

    To ensure that your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that you keep two copies of your data: one copy on your OWC Flex 1U4 and a second copy on your internal drive or another storage medium, such as an optical backup, or on a second external storage unit.

  • Page 25: General Use Precautions

    The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. The latest product details and warranty information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and General Use Precautions •...

  • Page 26: Terms And Conditions Of Sale

    OWC reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.

  • Page 27: Copyrights And Trademarks

    Copyrights and Trademarks © 2023 Other world Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. OWC, the OWC logo, and ThunderBay are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S.

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