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nStor Corporation Ultra S2S User Manual

Raid controller with administor pc utilities
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Ultra S2S RAID Controller
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Summary of Contents for nStor Corporation Ultra S2S

  • Page 1 Ultra S2S RAID Controller with AdminiStor PC Utilities ™...
  • Page 2 Second Edition nStor Corporation, Inc. shall not be liable for any damages or for the loss of any information resulting from the performance or use of the information contained herein. Your rights to the software are governed by the license agreement included with any accompanying software.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Preface Where to Find Answers Features Introduction Ultra S2S RAID Controller Components Processor SCSI Bus Memory and DRAM Cache Controller Firmware SCSI Functions Dual Active Controllers Drive Organization Drive Groups Logical Units (LUNs) Drive Management Cache Management RAID Management...
  • Page 4 Cabling Configuration Simplex Configuration Duplex (Dual-Active) Configuration Clustering (Dual Host) Configuration Configuration Method 1 – Using AdminiStor PC Utilities Installing the AdminiStor PC Utilities Starting AdminiStor PC Utilities Configuring the Array Option 1 – Automatic Configuration Option 2 - New Configuration Initializing the System Drives Method 2–...
  • Page 5 Change Disk State Drive Size File Firmware Customize Download Save Accel File Controller Information Technical Information Specifications Index Contents...
  • Page 6 Contents...

  • Page 7: Preface

    Ultra S2S RAID Controllers sharing access to the same array of disk drives. In the event of one controller failure, operations are assumed by the surviving controller through a process called fail-over.

  • Page 8: Where To Find Answers

    Drive Sizing, the user can specify how much of the drive’s total capacity should be used. This permits the user to make various size drives and make them appear to all be the same size from the perspective of the Ultra S2S RAID Controller. Registering Your Product Registering your product allows nStor to continue providing the highest quality technical support while keeping you informed about product developments.

  • Page 9: Features

    CR8e disk array subsystem. Battery Backup Module Use this document for information on how to install documentation and use the nStor Ultra S2S RAID Controller – Battery Backup Module. AdminiStor Agent User’s Use one of these manuals to install and use the nStor...
  • Page 10 Preface Managed RAID/SCSI Disk Arrays Multiple RAID level support Online expansion allows drive(s) to be added with existing logical drives Array configuration and management without special software or drivers Support for all popular operating system environments (works independent from the OS) Connect up to 15 physical drives per drive channel Drives can be grouped and managed as a single very large array, as multiple large capacity drive groups, or as individual disk drives...

  • Page 11: Introduction

    Introduction Ultra S2S RAID Controller Components Some of the key components of the Ultra S2S RAID Controller include: Intel i960 RISC processor Memory and DRAM cache SCSI and I/O Functions Battery Backup Module (optional) Cache Memory (J5) Jumper Module (SIMM)

  • Page 12: Processor

    Introduction Processor The Ultra S2S RAID Controller uses an Intel i960 RISC microprocessor which operates at 33 MHz, has 4 KB of instruction cache and 1 KB of data cache to manage all controller functions. These include: SCSI bus transfers, RAID processing, configuration, data striping, error recovery, and drive rebuild.

  • Page 13: Controller Firmware

    (e.g., drive fails) the NVRAM keeps a record of the changes. Configuration on Disk The configuration on disk allows the Ultra S2S RAID Controller to detect certain hardware changes when they occur and automatically reconfigure accordingly. Automatic reconfiguration occurs after:...
  • Page 14 Introduction The controller provides one ultra wide SCSI channel (single-ended or differential) out to the host system. This connection is accomplished via either the S2S Single-ended Interface card or an S2S Differential Interface card. These cards will be installed in the upper (or right) feature card slot located on the rear panel of the CR8e subsystem.
  • Page 15 (removing jumper). Drive SCSI Bus The drive SCSI bus consists of the Ultra S2S RAID Controller’s disk channel 0 and 1 SCSI I/O processors, the backplane circuitry, the disk drives, and the I/O Interface card. If there are multiple cabinets connected in a master/slave configuration, the drive SCSI bus includes all cabinet drives, backplane...

  • Page 16: Controller Id Selection

    SCSI Address Selection (SCSI ID) Controller ID Selection The SCSI ID of the Ultra S2S RAID Controller is set to a target address (SCSI ID) of 0 by default on power up. This setting should be adequate for a single cabinet configuration in stand-alone solutions.

  • Page 17: Dual Active Controllers

    Dual Active Controllers A dual-active (active-active) fault-tolerant configuration is provided when two CR8e subsystems, each with Ultra S2S RAID Controllers are installed. This configuration allows two separate host systems continuous concurrent access to data. Refer to the installation chapter for diagram and setup information, and the configuration chapter for software configuration.

  • Page 18: Drive Organization

    Drive Groups When using the Ultra S2S RAID Controller, up to eight individual disk drives can be used together to form a pack or drive group. These physical drives make up the array’s logical unit capacity. The controller supports up to eight drive groups. The number of drives in a drive group determines the possible RAID levels available when configuring the array.
  • Page 19 Introduction Controlling Physical Drive States The state of a physical drive refers to a SCSI drive’s current operational status. At any given time, a SCSI drive can be in one of several states: Ready, Online, Standby, Rebuild, Dead, Format, or Unformatted. The operational status of a disk drive is indicated by a three-letter status code.
  • Page 20 Introduction Controlling Logical Unit States The logical unit can be Online, Critical, or Offline. Note that the same term “online” is used for both physical drives and logical units. These states are defined as: Online – a logical unit has all of its participating physical drives on-line. Critical –...
  • Page 21 Any disk with too many errors will be killed by the controller. Disk Media Error Management The Ultra S2S RAID Controller manages SCSI disk media errors in a manner transparent to the user. Disk drives are programmed to report errors. When a disk reports a media error...

  • Page 22: Cache Management

    Introduction Cache Management The Ultra S2S RAID Controller provides data transfers performance enhancements through its on-board cache memory. The controller supports cache memory sizes from 8MB to 128MB. Cache memory is allocated by the controller memory management functions for Read Cache and Write Cache. Write cache policy is user-selectable for optimum performance with specific applications.

  • Page 23: Raid Management

    Supported RAID Levels The Ultra S2S RAID Controller supports RAID levels 0, 1, 3, 0+1, 5, and JBOD. Drives within an individual subsystem can use different RAID levels and a single drive within the system can be configured to use more than one RAID level.
  • Page 24 Introduction Mirroring (RAID 1) Mirroring refers to the duplication of data on two disk drives. Each disk contains a copy of the data on the other drive. Striping with Dedicated Parity Drive (RAID 3) RAID level 3 the data is striped in blocks across several physical drives and parity data on a separate drive.
  • Page 25 Introduction Striping and Stripe Size Striping writes data across two or more disk drives to a defined depth. The stripe width is the number of drives within a drive group. The stripe order is the order in which the SCSI drives appear within a drive group.
  • Page 26 Introduction Supported RAID Levels...

  • Page 27: Installation

    Supported Application There are three types of installation covered in this user’s guide. They include: Simplex – a CR8e with an Ultra S2S RAID Controller connected to a single host. Duplex (Dual-Active)– two CR8e’s each with an Ultra S2S RAID Controller connected to one host system.

  • Page 28: Quick Start

    To setup your Ultra S2S RAID Controller: Install the Ultra S2S RAID Controller into the front upper feature card bay. Install the S2S Interface card in the upper (or right) feature card slot located at the rear of the subsystem. (Terminate the S2S Interface card per your configuration, refer to “Cabling Configuration”...

  • Page 29: Setup

    Installation Setup CAUTION: Printed circuit board components are sensitive to electrostatic discharge. To prevent operating failure or damage, observe the following: Establish a ground for yourself by using the wrist grounding strap, or by touching the metal chassis prior to handling or installing any printed circuit boards.
  • Page 30 Installation The CR8e ships from the factory with I/O Interface cards installed in both Feature card slots. On each master subsystem you will need to install the S2S Interface Card (Single-ended or Differential) in the upper (right) feature card slot. Loosen the two thumb screws on the upper (right) I/O Interface card and remove the card.
  • Page 31 Installation (Master subsystems only) Install the Ultra S2S RAID Controller(s). Open the front door to the subsystem. Locate the controller in the accessory kit and using precaution, handle the controller by its edges and/or the latch clip. Open the latching clip and carefully align the controller card edges into the rails of the upper (left) bay.

  • Page 32: Cabling Configuration

    The Duplex (Dual-Active) Configuration supports a single host which is attached to one or more CR8e subsystems. Each master subsystem has an Ultra S2S RAID Controller installed and the slave subsystem(s) are connect through daisy-chained cabling.

  • Page 33: Simplex Configuration

    SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Host Computer Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller S2S Single-ended Interface Card (Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) Verify that the jumper at location JP1 on the S2S Interface card is removed. This will terminate the SCSI bus.
  • Page 34 SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Host Computer Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller S2S Differential Interface Card (Terminate card remove jumper at JP1) Verify that the jumper at location JP1 on the S2S Interface card is removed. This will terminate the SCSI bus.

  • Page 35: Duplex (Dual-Active) Configuration

    SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Master Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller S2S Single-ended Interface Card* (* Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) Verify that the jumper at location JP1 on the S2S Interface cards are removed. This will terminate the SCSI bus.
  • Page 36 Installation Connect a one (1) meter data cable from the “OUT” port on the CR8e “Master” subsystem S2S Interface card to the CR8e “Slave” cabinet “IN” port on the S2S Interface card. Secure the cable connectors using the thumb screws. Connect one end of the S2S Cluster cable to the S2S Feature card at the Serial B connector on the “Master”...
  • Page 37 Host Adapter Chl # SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller Host Computer S2S Single-ended Interface Card (Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) Verify that the jumper at location JP1 on the S2S Interface card is removed. This will terminate the SCSI bus.
  • Page 38 Installation Turn on the power to the CR8e’s. After the power-on self-test has successfully completed, the Status and Channel Mode LEDs will be solid green. Set the SCSI IDs. The IDs are configured via the Operator Control Panel using the predefined sets. Access the Options menu and select “SAFTE CHAIN ID”...
  • Page 39 SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Master Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller S2S Differential Interface Card* (* Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) Connect one end of a 25 meter data cable to the host bus adapter (HBA) and the other end to the “IN” port on the CR8e master subsystem S2S Interface card.
  • Page 40 Installation Connect one end of the S2S Cluster cable to the S2S Feature card at the Serial B connector on the “Master” subsystem using the RJ11 connector plug. Connect the other end to the “Slave” subsystem S2S Feature card to the Serial B connector.
  • Page 41 Host Computer SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller S2S Differential Interface Card (Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) Connect one end of a 25 meter data cable to the host bus adapter (HBA) and the other end to the “IN” port on the CR8e master subsystem S2S Interface card.
  • Page 42 Installation Set the SCSI IDs. The IDs are configured via the Operator Control Panel using the predefined sets. Access the Options menu and select “SAFTE CHAIN ID” then choose “Master” for the subsystem identified as the master subsystem and “Slave 1” for the subsystem identified as the first slave subsystem and “Slave 2”...
  • Page 43 SAF-TE Card SAF-TE Card I/O Interface I/O Interface Card Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller Ultra S2S RAID Controller S2S Differential Interface Card S2S Differential Interface Card (Disable termination jumper installed at JP1) (Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) 12 meter data cable...
  • Page 44 Installation Connect a one (1) meter data cable from the Master cabinet Ch #0 I/O Interface card to the Slave #1 cabinet Ch #0 Ultra Extender card connectors. Secure the cable connectors using the thumb screws. Connect a one (1) meter data cable from the Master cabinet Ch #1 I/O Interface card to the Slave #1 cabinet Ch #1 Ultra Extender card connectors.

  • Page 45: Clustering (Dual Host) Configuration

    Rear View CR8e with Dual-Bus Module Host Computer #2 Chl x SAF-TE Card I/O Interface Differential Card Ultra S2S RAID Controller 12 meter data cable Host Adapter S2S Differential Interface Card Host Computer #1 (Terminate card removing jumper at JP1) Clustering (Dual Host) Configuration...
  • Page 46 Installation Connect one end of a 12 meter data cable to the host bus adapter (HBA) in the host computer #1 and the other end to the “IN” port on the CR8e subsystem S2S Interface card. Secure the cable connectors using the thumb screws. Connect one end of a 12 meter data cable to the host bus adapter (HBA) in the host computer #2 and the other end to the “OUT”...

  • Page 47: Configuration

    Configuration There are two possible methods to format, configure and initialize the disk array when using the Ultra S2S RAID Controller. Method 1 – Using the AdminiStor PC Utilities from a DOS-based PC and accessing the CR8e through the host system SCSI adapter (DOS ASPI via SCSI to the controller).

  • Page 48: Installing The Administor Pc Utilities

    NOTE: When using the DOS-based utility, the SCSI ID of the Ultra S2S RAID Controller must be set within IDs 0 - 6. This enables the software to recognize the controller. To change the SCSI IDs refer to “SCSI ID Menu”...
  • Page 49 Unclaimed (HBA Addressing) HBA Addressing indicates that Windows NT has not claimed ownership of the controller. To achieve this state: Make sure the CR8e subsystem with the Ultra S2S RAID Controller is powered Off. Turn on the computer and boot Windows NT.

  • Page 50: Configuring The Array

    Claimed without Drive Letter (Physical Addressing) An existing configuration on the controller is required for this addressing method: Make sure the CR8e with the Ultra S2S RAID Controller is powered on. Turn on the computer and boot Windows NT. Windows NT will claim ownership of the controller.
  • Page 51 Configuration Select Advanced Functions from the Configuration menu. Use the arrow keys to highlight Advanced Functions and press <Enter>. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Configuration Menu Automatic View/Update...
  • Page 52 Configuration Verify that the options “Automatic Rebuild Management” and “Operational Fault Management” are set to Enabled. Use the <Enter> key to switch each selection from Disabled to Enabled, if required. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Hardware Parameters...
  • Page 53 Configuration Press <Esc> to return to the previous menu. Use the arrow keys to highlight Physical Parameters and press <Enter>. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Physical Parameters Default rebuild rate...
  • Page 54 Configuration AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Physical Parameters Default rebuild rate Controller read ahead Enabled Super read ahead Disabled True Verification of Data Disabled Stripe Size <K bytes>...
  • Page 55 Configuration Verify that the “Reassign Restricted to 1 blk” option is set to Disabled. When enabled, the controller will only request a single block to be reassigned. When disabled, the controller will reassign all blocks in a failing request. Most disk drives are now configured to auto-reassign, plus there is some additional safety in reassigning all blocks in the request instead of just the one reported by the device.
  • Page 56 Configuration AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.30-00 <F1>= help Disk Side Parameters Per Channel: Data transfer rate - 20MHz 20MHz 20MHz Async Async Async Command tagging Enabl Enabl Disab...
  • Page 57 Configuration Maximum IOPs value controls the maximum number of host command queue tags (from all host ports) that the controller can process simultaneously. The available values are 64-244. The default and recommended value is 244 (RAIDfx value of 0 implies 244). The controller ignores the value setting of zero (0) and instead substitutes the stated value (32 for Queue limit, and 244 for max IOP).
  • Page 58 Configuration The Vendor Unique TUR is not used by this controller. When “Disable CC for Invalid LUN” is disabled, the controller will return a check condition for any command to an invalid LUN, including the INQUIRY command. This a non SCSI-2 compliant. When “Disable CC for Invalid LUN”...
  • Page 59 Configuration For Simplex configurations, set the “Force Simplex” parameter to Enable. For Duplex configurations, set the option to Disable. This option must be disabled for duplex configurations. Set the “Host Bus Reset Delay” value to 0. See note below. NOTE: For Sun Microsystems installations, set the “Host Bus Reset Delay”...

  • Page 60: Option 1 - Automatic Configuration

    Configuration Option 1 – Automatic Configuration This option will automatically configure a RAID 5 system drive containing from three to eight disk drives. All drives must be the same size. The stripe six is taken from the current Stripe Size setting. Use the arrow keys to highlight Configuration from the Main menu and press <Enter>.
  • Page 61 Configuration On the next screen, select whether you wish to enable Write Cache and press <Enter>. Select NO to enable write through, which writes data to the disk before acknowledging the write. This setting results in lower performance, but no data can be lost in a power failure/system crash.

  • Page 62: Option 2 - New Configuration

    Configuration Option 2 - New Configuration This section describes how to manually create a new configuration. To create a new configuration, use the arrow keys to highlight New and press <Enter>. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Configuration Menu...
  • Page 63 Configuration NOTE: A pack is a logical grouping of physical disk drives. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Physical Drives Pack Definition Create Pack SBY…...
  • Page 64 Configuration NOTE: If you would like to have a standby drive (Hot Spare), manually assign all but one drive and the software will automatically allocate the unassigned drive as the Hot Spare. Press <Esc> to stop selecting drives and proceed with creating the pack. The software displays the pack in the Disk Packs window on the lower right side of the screen.
  • Page 65 Configuration Defining System Drives After you define the packs, you will use them to create system drives. System drives have the following properties: More than one system drive can be defined on a single pack; or a system drive can span one to four packs. The minimum size of a system drive is 8 MB.
  • Page 66 Configuration Choose the RAID Level you want to use for this system drive and press <Enter>. The table shows the supported RAID levels. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help System Drive Definition...
  • Page 67 Configuration If you enter a number greater than the size of the next available pack, the software assigns the next two packs to the system drive, and so on. If you want to span a system drive across two or more packs, the packs must be all identical in size and number of disks.
  • Page 68 Configuration Mapping LUNs This option is used to enable LUN mapping. LUN mapping assigns system drives to specific controller and ports, using a LUN (logical unit number) for each system drive. The LUN Mapping menu option provides the following options: No LUN mapping/Simple In-line LUN Mapping/Complex Table LUN Mapping Change Mapping...
  • Page 69 Configuration The following table defines the fields displayed in the Simple LUN Mapping screen. Field Name Description System drive number. Size Size of the system drive, in megabytes. RAID RAID level. c0p0 Controller 0 Port 0 LUN c0p1 Controller 0 Port 1 LUN c1p0 Controller 1 Port 0 LUN c1p1...
  • Page 70 Configuration Select Change Mapping. The software displays the Complex LUN Mapping screen. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Complex LUN Mapping LUN Map Size RAID c0p0 c0p1...
  • Page 71 Configuration When you have completed your changes, press <Esc> to exit. A warning will appear if a system drive has no access path (no affinity). Saving the Configuration When you leave the New configuration menu, the system will prompt you to save the configuration.

  • Page 72: Initializing The System Drives

    Configuration Initializing the System Drives After you have configured the System Drives, you must initialize them. CAUTION: Failure to initialize a System Drive may result in unpredictable drive behavior, such as the inability to boot or load the operating system, or failure of a consistency check.
  • Page 73 Configuration From the list of all configured System Drives, select the System Drive(s) you wish to initialize. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Initialize System Drives System Drive Selection Sys Drv 0 Sys Drv 1...
  • Page 74 Configuration Select Start Initialize from the Initialize System Drives menu. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Initialize System Drives Select System Drives Start Initialize Item Help Choose this opton to initialize selected System drives.
  • Page 75 Configuration Backing Up the Configuration File It is highly recommended to make a backup copy of the configuration file, in the event you would need to recover the system. Select Configuration from the Main menu, and choose Backup from the Configuration menu.

  • Page 76: Method 2- Using The Vt100 Mode

    Configuration Method 2– Using the VT100 Mode This method will describe the various screens and elements used with the built-in configuration/administration utilities. With a VT100 terminal connected, message monitoring can also be performed. To perform this configuration, the following will be required: VT100 compatible terminal (set at 19,200 baud, no parity, 8 data bits and 2 stop bits) Serial A inter-cabinet communication cable (provided)
  • Page 77 Configuration This selection will provide access to the drive and controller utilities. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Configuration 2 Administration 3 Tool Kit INSTRUCTIONS: INFORMATION: Press <N> to view more options. Select Controller Parameters, press the <2> key and press <Enter>. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Show Drives 2 Drive Information...
  • Page 78 Configuration MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Format Drives 2 Controller Parameters 3 Controller Diagnostics INSTRUCTIONS: Press Space bar to change. Esc to Continue. <Enter> for next parameter. INFORMATION: Automatic Rebuild Management: Enabled NOTE: For detailed information about each option, refer to “Option 2 - New Configuration”...
  • Page 79 Configuration Set “Simplex No Reset” to Enabled. Set “SCSI Transfer rate, Channel #0” to 20 MB/s. Set “SCSI Transfer rate, Channel #1” to 20 MB/s. Set “Spinup option” to Automatic. Set “Number of disks per spin” to 2. Set “Spin-up initial delay (seconds)” to 12. Set “Spin-up sequence delay (seconds)”...

  • Page 80: Configuring The Array

    Configuration Dual Active Parameter Settings The following should be set when configuring a Dual Active configuration: Force Simplex should be disabled for both controllers Controller Present/Fault Signal should be disabled for both controllers Auto Failback should be disabled on both controllers Configuring the Array Before beginning the configuration process, make sure the controller sees all of the installed drives.
  • Page 81 Configuration Create Array Select Toolkit from the Main menu, press the <3> key and press <Enter>. Choose Show Drives by pressing the <3> key and press <Enter>. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Show Drives 2 Drive Information 3 Change Drive State ENTER PARAMETER: INSTRUCTIONS: Press any key to continue Chan #0: Status ONL ONL ONL ENV ONL - - - - - - - - - -...
  • Page 82 Configuration MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Get Configuration 2 Show Configuration 3 Create Array ENTER PARAMETER: INSTRUCTIONS: Enter Channel Number INFORMATION: Select the drives (up to 8) for the Array, <Esc> to end selection Selected Drives (CHN:TGT) : 0:0, 0:1, 0:2, 1:0 Press <Esc>...
  • Page 83 Configuration 10 Next you will be prompted to enter the cache write policy. Make your choice by toggling the selection using the <Space Bar> and press <Enter>. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Get Configuration 2 Show Configuration 3 Create Array ENTER PARAMETER: INSTRUCTIONS: Hit spacebar to toggle write policy, other to continue INFORMATION:...

  • Page 84: Initializing The Array

    Configuration Save Configuration From the Configuration menu, press the <N> key for more options. Choose Save Configuration, press the <3> key and press <Enter>. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Delete Last Array 2 Create Standby 3 Save Configuration ENTER PARAMETER: INSTRUCTIONS: Press any key to continue INFORMATION: Saved the configuration successfully Configuration ID = F0027F00...
  • Page 85 Configuration Select Start Initialize, press the <1>key and press <Enter>. Select the System Drive to be initialized. Enter the System drive ID and press <Enter>. Verify that your selection is correct and press “Y” to start the initialization. Press “N” to cancel the selection. MESSAGE: INIT SDRV COMPLETE OPTIONS:...

  • Page 86: Relinquish Partner (Dual-Active Only)

    Configuration Relinquish Partner (Dual-Active only) From the Main menu, press the <2> key and press <Enter>. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 Configuration 2 Administration 3 Tool Kit INSTRUCTIONS: INFORMATION: Press the <N> key to view more options. Select Relinquish Controller, press the <3> key and press <Enter>. MESSAGE: OPTIONS: 1 System Drive Statistics...

  • Page 87: Vt100 Menu Functions

    Configuration VT100 Menu Functions The following descriptions are given for each of the functions provided by the VT100 menu options. Configuration Menu Options Function Description Get Configuration This function loads the current saved configuration data into the controller’s temporary work space. Show Configuration This menu selection allows the user to review the current configuration data.
  • Page 88 Configuration Function Description LUN Statistics This menu selection provides statistical data about the logical drives. SDRV Statistics This menu selection provides information about the existing System Drives. Enclosure Status This selection provides information about the enclosure’s components. Relinquish Partner This menu selection brings a controller in a duplex environment out of reset mode and places it back in service.

  • Page 89: Administering The Array

    Administering the Array Overview During the operational life of the array, you may have a need to make additions or changes to certain array update or management functions. For example: rebuilding redundancy in the array after a failed drive is replaced running a consistency check to verify data and parity information resetting controllers after a configuration change occurs initialize new system drives...

  • Page 90: Increasing Array Capacity

    Administering the Array Increasing Array Capacity Mylex On-line RAID Expansion (MORE) is a dynamic RAID set expansion feature which allows the addition of drives (capacity) to a given RAID set while the controller is on-line with the host. MORE accommodates expansion on RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 3, RAID 5, and RAID 0+1 (RAID 6) arrays.
  • Page 91 Administering the Array AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Information Increased Capacity System Drive: ? Operation: ? Select System Drive Target RAID: n/a Select MORE Operation LUN Mapping: n/a Select Target RAID Write Policy: n/a...
  • Page 92 Administering the Array The next two sub-steps are applicable only if you have chosen “Add System Drive” and you have elected to create the system drive now by enabling the Create option. Select the Select Target RAID option from the Increase Capacity sequence menu.
  • Page 93 Administering the Array 10 Select Drive, in both expansion types (Add System Drive or Enlarge System Drive) it is necessary to select the available (standby) physical drives that will be used as the source of the added capacity. Select the Select Drives option from sequence menu. A list of physical drives is presented.

  • Page 94: Manual Configuration

    Administering the Array Manual Configuration This section describes how to manually change a configuration. To change a configuration, use the arrow keys to highlight View/Update and press <Enter>. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Configuration Menu...
  • Page 95 Administering the Array NOTE: A pack is a logical grouping of physical disk drives. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Physical Drives Pack Definition Create Pack SBY…...
  • Page 96 Administering the Array NOTE: If you would like to have a standby drive (Hot Spare), manually assign all but one drive and the software will automatically allocate the unassigned drive as the Hot Spare. Press <Esc> to stop selecting drives and proceed with creating the pack. The software displays the pack in the Disk Packs window on the lower right side of the screen.
  • Page 97 Administering the Array Defining System Drives After you define the packs, you will use them to create system drives. System drives have the following properties: More than one system drive can be defined on a single pack; or a system drive can span one to four packs.
  • Page 98 Administering the Array Choose the RAID Level you want to use for this system drive and press <Enter>. The table shows the supported RAID levels. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help System Drive Definition...
  • Page 99 Administering the Array If you enter a number greater than the size of the next available pack, the software assigns the next two packs to the system drive, and so on. If you want to span a system drive across two or more packs, the packs must be all identical in size and number of disks.
  • Page 100 Administering the Array Mapping LUNs This option is used to enable LUN mapping. LUN mapping assigns system drives to specific controller and ports, using a LUN (logical unit number) for each system drive. The LUN Mapping menu option provides the following options: No LUN mapping/Simple In-line LUN Mapping/Complex Table LUN Mapping Change Mapping...
  • Page 101 Administering the Array The following table defines the fields displayed in the Simple LUN Mapping screen. Field Name Description System drive number. Size Size of the system drive, in megabytes. RAID RAID level. c0p0 Controller 0 Port 0 LUN c0p1 Controller 0 Port 1 LUN c1p0 Controller 1 Port 0 LUN...
  • Page 102 Administering the Array Toggle the selection to Complex Table LUN Mapping. Select Change Mapping. The software displays the Complex LUN Mapping screen. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Complex LUN Mapping LUN Map...
  • Page 103 Administering the Array To change the LUN mapping, use the arrow keys to make your selection and press <Enter>. When you have completed your changes, press <Esc> to exit. A warning will appear if a system drive has no access path (no affinity). Saving the Configuration When you leave the New configuration menu, the system will prompt you to save the configuration.

  • Page 104: Initializing The System Drives

    Administering the Array Initializing the System Drives After you have configured the System Drives, you must initialize them. CAUTION: Failure to initialize a System Drive may result in unpredictable drive behavior, such as the inability to boot or load the operating system, or failure of a consistency check.
  • Page 105 Administering the Array From the list of all configured System Drives, select the System Drive(s) you wish to initialize. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Initialize System Drives System Drive Selection Sys Drv 0...

  • Page 106: Rebuilding Drives

    Administering the Array Select Start Initialize from the Initialize System Drives menu. AdminiStor PC Utilities Version 7.11 2 Channel - 16 Targ, 16MB SX DAC960SX at p1 0000 c0 Firmware: t6, v3.33-00 <F1>= help Initialize System Drives Select System Drives Start Initialize Item Help Choose this opton to initialize selected System drives.
  • Page 107 Administering the Array NOTE: If you are operating in a duplex environment, you must perform a rebuild using Controller C-0. To rebuild a physical drive: Select Rebuild Redundancy from the Administration menu. If there is a drive that requires rebuilding, AdminiStor PC Utilities (RAIDfx) displays the rebuild screen.

  • Page 108: Running A Consistency Check

    Administering the Array Running a Consistency Check A consistency check compares the data and parity information on redundant system drives to ensure that they can continue to function in the event of a physical drive failure. You can use Check Consistency on arrays with RAID levels 1, 3, 5, and 0+1 (RAID 6).

  • Page 109: Using Kill Partner And Relinquish Partner

    Administering the Array CAUTION: Restoring data consistency could mean loss of data in the blocks that were found inconsistent, resulting in data corruption and/or loss of data. Use the consistency check with caution. Select YES to restore consistency to the selected system drive. Be aware that potential data loss could result from this action.

  • Page 110: Relinquish Partner

    Administering the Array Relinquish Partner Relinquish Partner brings a partner controller in a duplex environment out of reset mode and places it back in service. This command is used when a failed controller has been replaced. To bring the replaced controller back on-line: Select Relinquish Partner from the Administration menu.

  • Page 111: Maintenance

    Maintenance Overview During the operational life of the array, you may require the use of maintenance tools to manage your system. These are available from the Tools menu. Get New Drives This function performs a STARTDEV, INQUIRY, and GETDEVSTATE on each drive position that is currently considered empty.

  • Page 112: Bad Block Table

    Maintenance Bad Block Table This function reads the Bad Block Table from the controller and displays it on the screen. A bad block is a section on a disk that cannot reliably store information. Identifying the number and location of bad blocks can help troubleshoot a failed rebuild operation or help predict a physical drive failure.

  • Page 113: Error Counts

    Maintenance Error Counts The controller maintains several error count tables of disk errors that are encountered during normal operation. Error Count Tables can be used to monitor the health of a device and to indicate when a device needs to be repaired or replaced.

  • Page 114: Change Disk State

    Maintenance • Miscellaneous errors – all other errors: - Device times out on a command issued to it by the controller - Active device was busy when the controller attempted to send it a command Error counters have the following properties: •...

  • Page 115: Drive Size File

    Maintenance Drive Size File Previous versions of the firmware for the controller used a drive sizing algorithm which took the capacity of the smallest drive in a RAID group and used that to determine the total RAID group size. Mixtures of different drive types with slightly different drive sizes in an array can lead to problems when a drive failure takes place.

  • Page 116: Firmware

    Maintenance Firmware This version of AdminiStor PC Utilities (RAIDfx) allows you to customize and/or change the firmware in the controller system. Customize This option accesses the firmware customization menu where you can modify or adjust parameters and strings in the firmware image. Adjustable parameters are type, miscellaneous, and debug bytes.

  • Page 117: Save Accel File

    Maintenance Save Accel File This option allows you to save information about the current set of controllers into an accelerator file (accel.dat) that will be used to speed startup the next time AdminiStor PC Utilities (RAIDfx) is started. This faster startup is accomplished by using information in the accelerator file rather than invoking a full scan.
  • Page 118 Maintenance Controller Information...

  • Page 119: Technical Information

    Technical Information Specifications Ultra S2S RAID Controller (DAC960SX) Intel i960 RISC 32-bit microprocessor @ 33 Memory Module Type Two DRAM, 72-pin SIMMs Size 70ns self-refreshing, parity Minimum: 8MB - Two 1M x 36 (4MB) Optional: 16MB - Two 2M x 36 (8MB)
  • Page 120 Technical Information RAID levels supported RAID level 0, Block striping without redundancy. RAID level 1, Mirroring. RAID level 3, Striping RAID level 6 (0 +1), Block striping and writes identical data two drives. RAID level 5, Block striping and generation of parity data.

  • Page 121: Index

    Index Controller Read Ahead 12 CPU 2 Accel File 107 Active-active 7 ASPI driver 37 Data transfer rate 46 Defining System Drives 87 Disk State 104 Bad Block Table DRAM Cach 2 Rebuild BBT 102 Drive Groups 8 View BBT 102 Drive ID Selection 6 Write Back BBT 102 Drive Management 8...
  • Page 122 Failure Detection 11 Online 9 Firmware Ready 9 Customize 106 Rebuild 9 Download 106 Standby 9 Processor 2 Product Registration vi Global 47 Global Spin up option 47 Que Limit 46 Quick Start 18 Host SCSI Bus 5 Hot Spare 10 RAID 5 Algorithm 45 RAID Levels 13 Increasing Array Capacity 80...
  • Page 123 Striping and Stripe Size 15 Striping with Dedicated Parity Drive (RAID 3) 14 Striping with Mirroring (RAID 0+1) 14 Striping with Parity (RAID 5) 14 Super Read Ahead 12 Supported Application 17 Technical Information 109 Using AdminiStor PC Utilities 37 Using DOS ASPI 38 Using Windows NT Pass-Through 38 Windows NT Pass-Through...
  • Page 124 Index...

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