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Accusys ExaSAN A08S3-PS User Manual

Accusys exasan a08s3-ps pcie 3.0 storage system
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ExaSAN A08S3-PS
User Guide
Includes hardware setup information for:
PCIe RAID System Models: A08S3-PS
QSFP HBA Model: Z2M-G3
QSFP PCIe Cables
Optional hardware setup information for:
PCIe Convertor: C1M
Also includes software setup information for:
RAID Management Software:
RAIDGuard X
Accusys Storage Ltd.,
Version: V0.0.1

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Summary of Contents for Accusys ExaSAN A08S3-PS

  • Page 1 ExaSAN A08S3-PS User Guide Includes hardware setup information for: PCIe RAID System Models: A08S3-PS QSFP HBA Model: Z2M-G3 QSFP PCIe Cables Optional hardware setup information for: PCIe Convertor: C1M Also includes software setup information for: RAID Management Software: RAIDGuard X Accusys Storage Ltd.,...
  • Page 2 Revision Sheet Revision Sheet Release Date Revision Description V0.0.1 04/30/2014 Initial release User Guide Page i...

  • Page 3: Notice

    It delivers stability, exceptional performance, and scalable capacity. This guide also contains instructions for installing and using the ExaSAN A08S3-PS system and RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technologies and RAIDGuard X (ExaSAN’s RAID management software).

  • Page 4: Trademarks

    All contents of this manual are copyrighted by Accusys Storage Ltd. The information contained herein is the exclusive property of Accusys Storage Ltd. and shall not be copied, transferred, photocopied, translated on paper, film, electronic media, or computer- readable form, or otherwise reproduced in any way, without the express written permission of Accusys Inc.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Introducing ExaSAN PCIe 3.0 Storage Systems ................1-1 System Overview ........................1-1 1.1.1 What is the ExaSAN Solution......................1-1 1.1.2 What is the ExaSAN A08S3-PS Solution ...................1-2 1.1.3 ExaSAN A08S3-PS Components and Accessories ................1-2 1.1.3.1 ExaSAN PCIe RAID System ....................1-2 1.1.3.2 Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for the RAID System .................1-3...
  • Page 6 Choosing the Location for the System .................. 2-1 Electrical Power ........................2-1 Operating Environment ......................2-2 Security ............................ 2-2 Installing the ExaSAN A08S3-PS ....................3-1 Installing the System ......................3-1 3.1.1 Installing Disk Drives .........................3-1 3.1.2 Installing the HBA Card ........................3-2 3.1.3...
  • Page 7 How RAID Works ........................5-1 Data Storage Methods ......................5-1 5.2.1 Data Striping ............................5-1 5.2.2 Data Mirroring ............................5-1 5.2.3 Data Parity ............................5-1 RAID Levels ..........................5-2 5.3.1 RAID 0: Striping ..........................5-2 5.3.2 RAID 1: Mirroring ..........................5-2 5.3.3 RAID 5: Independent data disks with distributed parity ..............5-2 5.3.4 RAID 6: Independent data disks with two Independent parity schemes ..........5-2 5.3.5...

  • Page 8: Table Of Figures

    Table of Figures Page # Figure 1: A08S3-PS DAS environment ......................1-1 Figure 2: A typical Level 2 SAN environment Figure 3: A08S3-PS in SAN environment .............................. 1-2 Figure 3: Z2M HBA card ..........................1-3 Figure 4: QSFP optical cable .......................... 1-3 Figure 5: Power cord ............................
  • Page 9 Figure 57: GUI “e-mail setting” ........................4-20 Figure 58: GUI “Mode setting” ........................4-21 Figure 59: DLP concept ..........................4-21 Figure 60: NCQ concept ..........................4-22 Figure 61: EQ mode concept ........................4-23 Figure 62: GUI “Cache”..........................4-24 Figure 63: GUI “MISC” ..........................4-25 Figure 64: GUI “Slicing”...
  • Page 10 1. Introduction Introducing ExaSAN PCIe 3.0 Storage System User Guide...

  • Page 11: Introducing Exasan Pcie 3.0 Storage Systems

    Your new ExaSAN (pronounced “X-sa-SAN”) PCIe 3.0 Storage System “A08S3-PS” is the new family of PCIe 3.0 based storage and switch solutions from Accusys which is capable of transferring data up to 32 Gb/sec. The tower storage A08S3-PS can be used as a DAS (Direct-...

  • Page 12: What Is The Exasan A08S3-Ps Solution

    1.1.2 What is the ExaSAN A08S3-PS Solution The ExaSAN A08S3-PS is a 8Bay disk array system in a small form factor employing the latest PCIe3.0 technology with support for RAID level 0, 1, 5, 6, 0+1, high speed 3.5” SAS/SATA drives.

  • Page 13: Hard Disk Drive (Hdd) For The Raid System

    For 3.5” SAS or SATA HDD for the A08S3-PS should be the same capacity, speed performance, model, and firmware. Accusys recommends 3.5” SAS and SATA Enterprise HDDs for the A08S3-PS systems. 1.1.3.3 ExaSAN QSFP Host Bus Adapter (Z2M) The ExaSAN QSFP HBA (Figure 3) requires an available PCIe x4, x8, or x16 slot in your client system.

  • Page 14: Power Cord

    1. Introduction 1.1.3.5 Power Cord An AC Power Cord (Figure 5) is included in the A08S3-PS package. The power cord supports three models - AU, EU, or the US standard power cord. The option corresponds to the region the product is shipped to. Figure 5: Power cord 1.1.4 Key Features Below are the key features of the A08S3-PS.
  • Page 15 1. Introduction 5. Management  Java-based GUI, cross-platform executable  Enclosure components monitoring and control via GUI  LED indicator for RAID & enclosure status  Event logging to text file with event viewer  Event notification by email (SMTP) ...

  • Page 16: Unpacking The System

    1. Introduction Unpacking the System Your ExaSAN A08S3-PS is shipped in special packaging (Figure 6) to provide protection during transportation, as well as to facilitate simple and safe removal from the carton(s). Note that different components may be shipped in separate cartons.

  • Page 17: Unpacking

    You should have the items as described in the sections below. Contact your Accusys System Integrator/Value Added Reseller or Accusys Customer Service (see Appendix C “Customer Service and Technical Support” for more information) to report any missing item.

  • Page 18: Your A08S3-Ps At A Glance

    1. Introduction 1.4 Your A08S3-PS at a Glance This section helps you get familiar with the physical appearance of your ExaSAN A08S3-PS. 1.4.1 ExaSAN A08S3-PS 1.4.1.1 A08S3-PS Front Panel & LED Indicators Figure 7: A08S3-PS front view There are two columns of LEDs on the front panel, which correspond to the following:...

  • Page 19: Beeper Codes

    1. Introduction Name Color Description Control the power to the RAID system  Push the button to power on the RAID system Power Button Blue  Push the button for 5 seconds to shut down the power of the RAID system manually.

  • Page 20: Disk Mapping

    1. Introduction 1.4.1.3 Disk Mapping Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3 Disk 4 Disk 5 Disk 6 Disk 7 Disk 8 1.4.1.4 Disk Tray and LED Indicators Figure 8: A08S3-PS tray front view Disk Status LED #1 (Access LED) LED #2 (Power/Failure/Status LED) Disk Online Steady Green Disk Fail...
  • Page 21 1. Introduction  Migrating Drives: Steady Green  Original Drives: Steady Green Migrating Drives < Original Drives  Migrating Drives: Steady Red  Original Drives: Steady Green Migrating Drives = Original Drives  Migrating Drives: Steady Green  Original Drives: Steady Green Disk Health Flashing Blue Steady Green...

  • Page 22: A08S3-Ps Rear Panel

    1. Introduction 1.4.1.5 A08S3-PS Rear Panel Figure 9: A08S3-PS back view Name Description Connects the controller to the HBA on the host server. Host access LED (top):  Flashing Blue indicates host accessing is in progress.  PCIe port No light indicates no host accessing. Host connected LED (bottom): ...

  • Page 23: Exasan Qsfp Host Bus Adapter (Hba) And Led Indicators

    1. Introduction Rare panel door lock Luck and unlock the back panel door. Connects to a power source with a power Power Supply AC In cord. Redundant Power Support redundant 300W power supply. Supply (Optional) 1.4.2 ExaSAN QSFP Host Bus Adapter (HBA) and LED Indicators Figure 10: HBA LED indicators Name Description...

  • Page 24: What Else You Need

    PCIe3.0 support to get 32Gb/s transfers from the A08S3-PS. Note Accusys cannot guarantee ExaSAN product compatibility with all workstations and motherboards on the market, so please check with your supplier to get maximum performance from ExaSAN storage 3.

  • Page 25: Software

    A08S3-PS through operation system’s software to create a bigger and faster storage device. Accusys provide dual port HBA card to meet your needs, you can contact local ExaSAN resellers to purchase dual port HBA card.

  • Page 26: San Environment

    SAN management software. All A08S3-PS required Firmware/ Driver/ BIOS/ GUI are included in the DVD ROM inside A08S3-PS package. Also, you can download it from the website (http://www.accusys.com.tw/support/download_new.htm). The folder path is \Download&Upload\Download\ExaSAN\For SAN. (Open For SAN folder, you will need the model number of the switch to find the correct Installer package/ Driver, rather that A08S3-PS.)
  • Page 27 And there are other SAN management software that do not require a dedicated MDC. Note: Accusys offers a new SAN switch that combine both MDC and SAN software, and switch ports in one switch called SWF16. Accusys SAN software is called SANit.

  • Page 28: Preparing To Install Exasan A08S3-Ps

    2. Preparation Preparing to Install ExaSAN A08S3-PS User Guide...

  • Page 29: Precaution For Handling The System

    5. Allow additional room at the front and back of the unit for service. 6. The ExaSAN A08S3-PS uses several cables and cords. It’s a good idea to determine how they will be arranged at the rear of the system, and where the cables will be routed to connect to the host systems and RAID disk systems.

  • Page 30: Operating Environment

    Non-operating temperature: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F) c. Operating humidity: 5-85%, non-condensing d. Storage humidity: 0-95%, non-condensing 2.5 Security To ensure the security of the ExaSAN A08S3-PS, make certain that the chosen location meets your security requirements. User Guide Page 2-2...

  • Page 31: Installing The Exasan A08S3-Ps

    3. Installation Installing the ExaSAN A08S3-PS User Guide...

  • Page 32: Installing The System

    3. Installation Installing the ExaSAN A08S3-PS Follow the steps in this chapter to prepare your ExaSAN A08S3-PS system for installation. 3.1 Installing the System Follow the instructions in this section to hook up all your hardware components of the ExaSAN A08S3-PS system.

  • Page 33: Installing The Hba Card

    3.1.2 Installing the HBA Card Before the ExaSAN A08S3-PS is ready to be connected and powered on, you must install the HBA card in the workgroup client system. The HBA card is compatible with PCIe x4, x8, and x16 slots. If a choice is given, use the fastest PCIe slot available. Although the HBA card is compatible with both PCIe 2.0 and 3.0 standards, only the latter is recommended for best...

  • Page 34: Figure 16: Install Hba Card

    3. Installation 4. Locate the available PCIe slot; remove the blank plate if one is present, save the screw for later use. Figure 16: Install HBA card 5. Position the connector of the card over the slot, insert the connector into the slot, press gently but firmly until it is securely seated.

  • Page 35: Connecting The Hba To The A08S3-Ps System For Das

    3.1.3 Connecting the HBA to the A08S3-PS System for DAS 1. Connect the HBA to the ExaSAN A08S3-PS with a QSFP PCIe cable. Insert one end of the QSFP cable into the host port on the rear panel of A08S3-PS. Your cable connector is securely plugged when you hear a click.

  • Page 36: Figure 20: Connecting The Power Cord To A08S3-Ps

    3. Installation 3. Plug a power cord into the AC power-in port in the storage system; do not turn power on yet. Figure 20: Connecting the power cord to A08S3-PS Caution Once powered on, Do remove the QSFP PCIe cable when in use to avoid data loss and corruption.

  • Page 37: Powering The System On And Off

    3.2.1 Powering On Before powering on, make sure that all cables and cords are properly installed and connected. 1. If you have not yet done so, plug the power cords for ExaSAN A08S3-PS Storage System to a power source. 2. Turn power on for the ExaSAN A08S3-PS by switching on the Power button. Wait for the “Heartbeat LED indicator”...

  • Page 38: Powering Off

    3. Installation 3.2.2 Powering Off If you need to power off the entire system, such as in the cases of switch or RAID system firmware updates, adding a RAID system or client computer, power off in the reverse order of Powering On.

  • Page 39: Exasan Gui Raidguard X Overview

    The RAIDGuard X Client must be installed on a Java-based computer in order to remotely view the details of the RAID controller. 3.3.2 Installation prerequisites RAIDGuard X is designed to be used in conjunction with Accusys ExaSAN systems. Users require the following: Hardware requirements ...

  • Page 40: Before You Start

    Section 3.2.1, “Powering On”. 3.3.4 Installing the driver and RAIDGuard X The RAIDGuard X GUI can be downloaded from the Accusys website. Go to the website support page (http://www.accusys.com.tw/support/download_new.htm) for available downloads. If you need more info or tech support, please contact your system integrator of ExaSAN product or Accusys FAE Dept.

  • Page 41: Figure 23: Gui Welcome Page

    3. Installation 3. Follow the onscreen instructions. Sample screens shown below are from a MAC installation. Figure 23: GUI welcome page 4. Accept the License Agreement and click Continue. Figure 24: GUI license page User Guide Page 3-10...

  • Page 42: Figure 25: Gui Destination Select Page

    3. Installation 5. Select the Destination volume to install RAIDGuard X. Figure 25: GUI destination select page 6. Click Install to continue with the Standard installation, which will automatically install the Driver, the RAIDGuard X Server, and the RAIDGuard X Client. Click Customize to manually select the content to install.

  • Page 43: Installing Exasan Raid System Driver On Linux

    3. Installation 7. Click to Restart the computer. Figure 27: GUI installation successful page Note Storport and miniport are new storage drivers created by Microsoft for Windows Server 2003 and future Windows operating systems. 3.3.4.2 Installing ExaSAN RAID system driver on Linux Driver Installation 1.
  • Page 44 3. Installation The Linux compiler should now begin compiling the driver. # ls Example: Verify that acs_ame.ko has been compiled. If so, please type the following command # insmod acs_ame.ko # lsmod Example: The driver should be now loaded in Linux. RAIDGuardX Installation Before installing RAIDGuard X, make sure the RAID HBA drivers is already installed in your Linux OS.
  • Page 45 3. Installation Example: Check the “ACS_CDEV” device number. For example, if the “ACS_CDEV” device number is “$$$". # mknod /dev/ACS_CDEV0 c $$$ 0 Example: # cd /root/ # unzip RAIDGuard X Server x.x.zip # cd /Linux/AP # chmod 777 DTR GuiSrv # ./DTRGuiSrv User Guide Page 3-14...
  • Page 46 3. Installation Example: 3. Open CD ROM/GUI/Client/x.x. Open a terminal window on the folder, and enter the following commands: # java –version Check your Java version. If your JAVA version is earlier than 1.6, please go to www.java.com to upgrade. Example: # cd /root/ # unzip RAIDGuard X Client x.x.zip...
  • Page 47 3. Installation export JAVA_HOME="/usr/java/jre1.6.0_14" export JRE_HOME="$JAVA_HOME/jre" export PATH="$JAVA_HOME/bin":$PATH: export CLASSPATH=.:"$JAVA_HOME/lib": "$JRE_HOME/lib": Example: # reboot User Guide Page 3-16...

  • Page 48: Confirm The Exasan Raid System Driver On Os

    3. Installation 3.3.5 Confirm the ExaSAN RAID system driver on OS 3.3.5.1 Confirming the ExaSAN RAID system driver on Mac After installing the ExaSAN RAID system HBA driver on the Mac host server, confirm the driver has been properly installed with the following steps. 1.

  • Page 49: Figure 30: More Info About This Mac

    3. Installation 3. Click on the System Report… button. Figure 30: more info About this MAC Under the Hardware category, click on PCI Cards to bring up information on PCI cards that are installed in the system. If the driver has been correctly installed, the HBA is listed with the Accusys6xxxx identifier (actual name may vary) as a RAID Controller.

  • Page 50: Confirming The Exasan Raid System Driver In Windows

    3. Installation 3.3.5.2 Confirming the ExaSAN RAID system driver in Windows After installing the ExaSAN RAID system HBA driver on a Windows based host server, confirm the driver has been properly installed. Go to Control Panel -> System Properties -> Hardware -> Device Manager (depending on the version of Windows, the path may vary).

  • Page 51: Confirm Leds On Hba

    3. Installation 3.3.6 Confirm LEDs on HBA Verify the Jumper Switch LED, Link LED, and Access LED on the backplane of the HBA are appropriately lit according to your installation (Refer to Section 1.5.2 ExaSAN QSFP Host Bus Adapter). If the LEDs are not on, please refer to the Appendix A FAQ Q3. User Guide Page 3-20...
  • Page 52 4. How to Use Using RAIDGuard X User Guide...

  • Page 53: Using Raidguardx Gui

    4. How to Use Using RAIDGuardX GUI After you have connected all your ExaSAN components, powered the system on, and installed the RAIDGuardX drivers, we will first need to perform some basic configuration and setup before the ExaSAN RAID system is fully operational. Figure 33: GUI “Main screen”...
  • Page 54 4. How to Use Function Description Add Controller Add RAID controller/system to RAIDGuard X Remove Controller Remove RAID controller/system from RAIDGuard X Create Array Create an array from disk drives in the storage system Delete Array Delete an array in the storage system Email Set email notification Drive Lag Proof...

  • Page 55: Accessing The Raidguardx Gui

    RAIDGuard X can provide remote configuring and monitoring features. A host with RAIDGuard X Server installed can use RAIDGuard X to identify Accusys RAID systems on the same network, regardless if it is DAS or SAN. RAIDGuard X enables one server to configure multiple RAID systems, but you can only configure one RAID system at a time.

  • Page 56: Raidguard X Menu Bar

    To access RAIDGuard X Server: For Macs: Go -> Application -> RAIDGuard X -> RAIDGuard X Server For Windows: Start -> Program -> Accusys -> RAIDGuard X -> RAIDGuard X Server 4.1.2 RAIDGuard X Menu Bar The menu bar across the top contains the following functions: File –...

  • Page 57: Adding And Removing Controllers

    RAID system is used as a DAS, the controller is displayed as “Local” under the IP field. 2. Click on the controller to administer, enter the password. The default password for the Accusys PCIe controllers is 00000000 (8 zeros). 3. Assign a name to the controller and click Add.

  • Page 58: Figure 37: Gui "Raid Controller Info

    4. How to Use 4. The Main screen lists the controller after it has been successfully added. Note To change the controller password, refer to Section 4.1.2.7.3 MISC. Figure 37: GUI “RAID controller info” User Guide Page 4-6...

  • Page 59: Figure 38: Gui "Manual Add Raid Controller 1/2"

    4. How to Use Manual Add Controller In the event that a firewall is used or special network settings are in place, RAIDGuard X client may not be able to detect the Server in the Main Menu. In this case, you can manually add another controller in the network.
  • Page 60 4. How to Use 3. Click Search and wait for the Serial Number to populate. 4. Type the password (default is 00000000) for the controller. 5. Click Add to finish adding the controller. Removing To remove a controller, select a controller and then click the Remove Controller button to remove the controller from the table.

  • Page 61: Planning Your Raid

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.2 Planning your RAID Before using RAIDGuard X to set up your RAID storage, it is a good idea to become familiar with the variety of configurations, or schemes, that are available for the ExaSAN RAID storage. This section describes these schemes and illustrates how each RAID level is applied.

  • Page 62: Figure 42: Create Array With 16 Hdds In Two Raid5

    4. How to Use DAS Example 3: Figure 42: Create array with 16 HDDs in two RAID5 SAN Example 1: Figure 43: Create array with 8 HDDs in one RAID 5 and one RAID 1 SAN Example 2: Figure 44: Create array with 16 HDDs in two of two RAID5 and one RAID 1 SAN Example 3: Figure 45: Create array with 18 HDDs in two RAID5 and one RAID1 User Guide...

  • Page 63: Creating And Deleting An Array

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.3 Creating and Deleting an Array Administrators can choose how best to distribute the available hard disk drives. Once an array has been created, it can be further administered in the Options section. Creating an Array When the RAID controller is first configured, an array needs to be set up.

  • Page 64: Figure 47: Gui "Select Sector Size

    4. How to Use 2. Select the stripe size from the drop down menu. Available stripe sizes are: 8-256KB. The greater the stripe size, the faster the I/O output for each drive. This speeds up disk access. 3. Select the sector size from the drop down menu. Available sector sizes are 512 bytes (default) and 4096 bytes.

  • Page 65: Figure 48: Gui "Select Hard Drives

    4. How to Use Figure 48: GUI “Select hard drives” Optional: From the drop down menu, select either On-the-fly initialization or Performance evaluation. On-the-fly initialization – ExaSAN RAID systems record the initialized sectors in the bitmap. All sectors are initialized only once. The entire initialization process will be completed faster and the performance will be better during the initialization.

  • Page 66: Figure 50: Gui "Array Initializing Percentage

    4. How to Use Performance evaluation – Select to evaluate the performance of the target array. Data and parity are not initialized. (No data protection when this mode is on). Note Once you click Create Array and you have selected On-the-fly initialization, you will see the initializing % on the Main screen.

  • Page 67: Figure 51: Gui "Delete Array

    4. How to Use After the array has been created, the Main screen displays the newly created array with an array number. The array initialization progress is also displayed. Arrays are assigned numbers in the order they are created. For example, the first array created is labeled with the “1”...

  • Page 68: Controller Info

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.4 Controller Info Figure 52: GUI “Controller info” The system information section provides details on the vendor, model name, controller name, serial number, and memory size. It also has 4 tabs: Firmware, Hardware, Power, and PCIe. User Guide Page 4-16...

  • Page 69: Figure 53: Gui "Controller Info For Four Sections

    The Array & Drives tab provides details on the status of the drives, such as which array they are assigned to. It also has 2 radio buttons: Array and Drives. The icons next to each drive will change depending on whether the Accusys PCIe controller is installed. The number above the drive indicates the array number.

  • Page 70: Figure 54: Gui "Array Member

    4. How to Use Figure 54: GUI “Array member” Clicking the Array radio button displays information about the array: the array number, Status, RAID type, stripe size, sector size, RAID Level, capacity, and slice. The status of array actions, such as initialization, migration, and expansion, can be viewed under the Array tab.

  • Page 71: Formatting And Mounting Arrays

    4. How to Use Drives Display the overview of all drives for the selected controller. Snapshot The progress of the snapshot is displayed in the snapshot tab. To enable the snapshot function, see Options > Snapshot. Event Display a list of the most recent events. These events are automatically saved in RAIDGuard X/Application/Log as .txt files.

  • Page 72: Figure 57: Gui "E-Mail Setting

    4. How to Use SMTP Server – requires authentication for user name and password Check this box if your mail server requires a user name and password. SMTP POST event Check this box if wish to create a log for error events. Note Ask your systems administrator for SMTP Server details.

  • Page 73: Preference Setting

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.7 Preference Setting This menu allows administrators to set the conditions of the controller, such as performance modes, caching, and miscellaneous functions. 4.1.2.7.1 Mode Figure 58: GUI “Mode setting” Disk Lag Proof Mode – This feature ensures the stability and continuity of the RAID performance.

  • Page 74: Figure 60: Ncq Concept

    4. How to Use In the event of performance degradation or delay of a single drive due to aging, the ExaSAN RAID system reads both data and parity stripes concurrently. It bypasses the slow reads and returns data to the host with the regenerated data and to provide stabled performance based on the RAID parity.

  • Page 75: Figure 61: Eq Mode Concept

    4. How to Use SMART Mode – S.M.A.R.T. is a monitoring system of disk drives to detect and report on various indicators of reliability, in the hope of anticipating failure. ExaSAN RAID system supports S.M.A.R.T. Once this function is selected, you can select the check interval from the drop-down list.

  • Page 76: Cache

    4. How to Use This mode is designed to provide smooth sequential access, such as during video editing and capture, to the RAID system. To achieve best system performance, NCQ mode is automatically turned off. 4.1.2.7.2 Cache Figure 62: GUI “Cache” Cache memory in the controller enhances read and write performance, improving overall storage throughput streaming data can be queued into the cache to dramatically accelerate read performance.

  • Page 77: Misc

    Password – Enter the new controller password. The default password is 00000000 (8 zeros). Type another 8 characters. Password Confirmation – Confirm the new controller password. Note: Do not lose your password. If it is lost, you will have to contact your agent or the Accusys Support Team. User Guide Page 4-25...

  • Page 78: Options Function Setting

    4. How to Use SNMP Notification – Select SNMPv1 or SNMPv2 to send notifications for error conditions and possible problems to the SNMP servers. SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol. SNMP Target – Enter the IP address for sending the SNMP notifications. Note: The ExaSAN RAID system supports SNMP.

  • Page 79: Slicing

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.1 Slicing You can subdivide a RAID array into segments, or slices. These slices are effective hardware partitions of all drives in the array. Each slice is a separate LUN and appears as a separate volume on the host computer. After slicing, the LUN map must be set for each slice. Figure 65: slicing concept Note You can create up to 16 slices per array and 64 LUNs on the controller.

  • Page 80: Figure 66: Gui "Slicing 1/3"

    4. How to Use Figure 66: GUI “Slicing 1/3” 3. Click on the slice to create, and use the slider bar or buttons to adjust the size. Click OK to confirm. Figure 67: GUI “Slicing 2/3” User Guide Page 4-28...

  • Page 81: Figure 68: Gui "Slicing 3/3"

    4. How to Use 4. Check the Confirm box and click OK. Figure 68: GUI “Slicing 3/3” Note Slices must be adjusted in order; for example - Slice 0, Slice 1, Slice 2, etc. Each array supports a maximum of 16 slices. User Guide Page 4-29...

  • Page 82: Lun Map

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.2 LUN Map LUN, which stands for Logical Unit Number, is used to identify a logical unit in computer storage. When creating an array, you may select Assign LUN automatically to automatically assign a LUN to the new array. If Assign LUN automatically is not selected, you need to assign the LUN manually using LUN map.

  • Page 83: Figure 70: Gui "Lun Mapping 2/3"

    4. How to Use 3. Check the Confirm box and click OK. Figure 70: GUI “Lun mapping 2/3” 4. If you attempt to assign a LUN to a slice that has already been assigned a LUN, a warning prompt appears. Figure 71: GUI “Lun mapping 3/3”...

  • Page 84: Expansion

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.3 Expansion Expansion adds spare disks or new hard drives to an existing array. This is no need to create a new array or stop an array; you may add new disks online while the array is in use. Expansion can enlarge the capacity and frequency of an array.

  • Page 85: Figure 73: Gui "Expansion 1/2"

    4. How to Use Figure 73: GUI “expansion 1/2” 3. The Main array information screen will indicate that the array is currently under expansion. Figure 74: GUI “expansion 2/2” User Guide Page 4-33...

  • Page 86: Migrations

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.4 Migrations Different from Expansion, which enlarges an array by adding hard drives to a fixed RAID level, Migration changes the RAID level of an array. It allows live changes to the RAID without the need to delete the array and rebuild. This can be useful when new drives have been added, and a new array type needs to be created.

  • Page 87: Figure 77: Gui "Migration

    4. How to Use 1. Select the array to migrate. From the drop down menu, select the RAID level to migrate to, and then select the total number of drives to include in the array. A “+” appears above the drive(s) to be added, and a “-”...

  • Page 88: Snapshot

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.5 Snapshot A snapshot is initialized with a data sync task running in the background to duplicate the data from a source to a target. The host I/O data is also replicated in the target. The mirror snapshot is offered by the ExaSAN RAID controller.

  • Page 89: Figure 80: Two Types Of Snapshot Function

    4. How to Use Figure 80: Two types of snapshot function Create Shot Create a snapshot of the selected slice. A maximum of 8 shots can be created. Once all shots have been used, older shots must be deleted before new ones can be taken. 1.

  • Page 90: Figure 81: Gui "Snapshot Setting 1/2"

    4. How to Use Figure 81: GUI “Snapshot setting 1/2” Delete Shot Delete the selected shot. 1. Select the Delete Shot function from the drop down menu. 2. Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the respective drop down menus, select the source volume and destination volume.

  • Page 91: Figure 82: Gui "Snapshot Setting 2/2"

    4. How to Use Cancel Scheduling – Cancel the split shot scheduling. 1. Select the Split Shot function from the drop down menu. 2. Select the Cancel Scheduling radio button. 3. Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the respective drop down menus, select the source volume and destination volume.

  • Page 92: Health Center

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.6 Health Center To ensure the accuracy of the RAID parity data, ExaSAN RAID controller offers Background checking and “Rebuild parity data”. During checking or rebuilding parity, the performance of the array will be affected. You may check the progress of in the Main view or in the Health Center. Follow the steps below to select an array to verify, rebuild, or condition.

  • Page 93: Unlock Drives

    4. How to Use 4.1.2.8.7 Unlock Drives The RAID controller may lock abnormal drives in an array. You may unlock these drives and rejoin them in an array. Drives may be locked with one of two conditions: 1. If a drive returns data too slowly, the controller determines the drive is experiencing a fault and executes Drive Drop.

  • Page 94: Figure 85: Gui "Hdd Locked

    4. How to Use Follow the steps below to select a drive to unlock or change the ID. Locked drives prevent the accidental loss of user data when drives are installed one at a time, or a RAID member is accidentally removed while the controller is powered on. The meta-data and user data on the locked drives are preserved for online/offline recovery.

  • Page 95: Updating The Exasan Raid System Firmware

    1. Note the current System Version, Boot Version, BIOS Version and EFI version on your ExaSAN RAID system. These can be viewed in the Main menu firmware tab. 2. Visit the website below: http://www.accusys.com.tw/support/download_new.htm 3. Under the “Download” link, locate “ExaSAN” and locate your RAID system and expand the folder.

  • Page 96: Installing The Firmware Update Files

    4. How to Use 4.1.3.2 Installing the Firmware Update Files Caution Before updating the firmware, Boot code or BIOS, Right-click on the RAIDGuard X Server icon in the Windows notification area, and check Remove from Windows Startup. 1. Select Controller in the Menu bar and select Update. Figure 87: GUI “Update system code (firmware)”...

  • Page 97: Raid Overview

    5. RAID RAID Overview User Guide...

  • Page 98: How Raid Works

    RAID RAID Overview This chapter gives an overview of RAID storage system within the context of recommended setting of ExaSAN based SAN environment to provide fast, shared storage to client computers. 5.1 How RAID Works RAID, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is a data-storage technology that spreads data across multiple drives.

  • Page 99: Raid Levels

    RAID remove and replace a failed disk (known as “hot swapping”), and the controller then rebuilds the data using the information on the remaining drives. 5.3 RAID Levels The ExaSAN RAID system supports several RAID levels and configurations. Each level has a different architecture and provides varying degrees of performance and fault tolerance.

  • Page 100: Appendices

    Appendices Appendices User Guide Page 6-1...

  • Page 101: Appendix A: Faqs

    Appendices Appendix A: FAQs 1. Q: Why is my disk LED status RED? A: This is likely caused by a faulty hard drive. Replace the faulty drive as soon as possible to protect your data. 2. Q: After an array has been created in RAIDGuard X, but the host does not find the array volume.
  • Page 102 Appendices 6. Q: If “Find no RAID card” appears in a Windows host server, how can this be resolved? A: Please make sure the PCIe cable is properly connected to the back of the host server and the RAID system. Check the Device Manager in Windows to confirm that the correct driver has been installed for the HBA.
  • Page 103 10. Q: When inserting the HDD into my A08S3-PS, why does RAIDGuard X show the HDD mode as Lock? A: The lock indicates that the HDD has been previous used in Accusys products and that it contains a portion of a RAID data. If the data can be deleted, you can unlock the HDD.

  • Page 104: Appendix B: Icons

    Appendices Appendix B: Icons ICON Description Main Menu Icons RAIDGuard X Server icon – The icon that is on the desktop and notification area Add / Delete a controller – Select the controller to administer Create / Delete an array – Change the arrays within the RAID system.

  • Page 105: Appendix C: Customer Service And Support

    Go to the ExaSAN switch GUI, select the “Event Management” icon. Follow instructions there to download the log file. Contact Us For customer services and technical support, locate an Accusys office near you from the link below: http://www.accusys.com.tw/about/contact.htm Or, you may email us at support@accusys.com.tw...

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