Areca ARC-8050T2 User manual

Thunderbolt™ Prod

ARC-8050T2

(Thunderbolt 2 to 6Gb/s SAS RAID Storage)

uct

User Manual

Version: 2.0

Issue Date: January, 2014

Copyright and Trademarks

The information regarding products in this manual is subject to change
without prior notice and does not represent a commitment on the part
of the vendor, who assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors
that may appear in this manual. All brands and trademarks are the
properties of their respective owners. This manual contains materials
protected under International Copyright Conventions. All rights
reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without
the written permission of the manufacturer and the author.

FCC Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the lim­its for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against in­terference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interfer­ence will not occur in a particular installation.

Manufacturer’s Declaration for CE Certication

We conrm ARC-8050T2 has been tested and found comply with the

requirements set up in the council directive on the approximation of

the low of member state relating to the EMC Directive2004/108/EC.

For the evaluation regarding to the electromagnetic compatibility, the
following standards where applied:

EN 55022: 2006, Class B
EN 61000-3-2: 2006
EN 61000-3-3: 1995+A1: 2001+A2: 2005

EN 55024:1998+A1:2001=A2:2003

IEC61000-4-2: 2001
IEC61000-4-3: 2006
IEC61000-4-4: 2004
IEC61000-4-5: 2005
IEC61000-4-6: 2006

IEC61000-4-8: 2001

IEC61000-4-11: 2004

Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................ 8

1.1 Overview .........................................................................8

1.2 Features ........................................................................ 10

2. Installation ................................................................ 12

2.1 Before You First Installing................................................. 12

2.2 Summary of RAID Storage Setup Steps .............................. 13

• For Mac OS X ................................................................. 13

• For Windows .................................................................. 13

2.3 RAID Storage View .......................................................... 15

2.4 Locations of the Storage Component .................................. 16

2.4.1 Drive Tray LED Indicators ............................................ 16

2.4.2 LCD Panel LED Indicators ............................................17

2.4.3 Thunderbolt Port LED Indicators ................................... 17

2.5 Setting Up RAID Storage .................................................. 18

2.5.1 Physically Install RAID Storage and Drives ..................... 18

2.5.2 Mac Users ................................................................. 22

2.5.2.1 Install the MRAID Software ..................................... 22

2.5.2.2 Congure RAID Volumes ......................................... 26

2.5.2.3 Format RAID Volumes ............................................ 29

2.5.2.4 Make A Bootable RAID Volume ................................ 31

2.5.2.5 Unmounting RAID Volumes .....................................31

2.5.3 Windows Users .......................................................... 32

2.5.3.1 Install the MRAID Software ..................................... 32

2.5.3.2 Congure RAID Volumes ......................................... 36

2.5.3.3 Format RAID Volumes ............................................ 39

2.5.3.4 Unmounting RAID Volumes .....................................39

3. ArcHTTP Conguration .............................................. 41

• General Conguration ..................................................... 41

• Mail (Alert by Mail) Conguration ..................................... 42

• SNMP Traps Conguration ............................................... 43

• Rescan Device Conguration ............................................ 45

• Collect Support Data ...................................................... 45

4. Web Browser-based Conguration ........................... 46

4.1 Start-up McRAID Storage Manager ....................................47

• McRAID Storage Manager from Local Administration

(In-Band) ..................................................................... 47

• McRAID Storage Manager Through LAN Port (Out-of-Band) 48

4.2 McRAID Main Window ...................................................... 48

4.3 Main Menu .................................................................... 49

4.4 Quick Function ................................................................ 49

4.5 Raid Set Functions .......................................................... 50

4.5.1 Create Raid Set ......................................................... 50

4.5.2 Delete Raid Set .......................................................... 51

4.5.3 Expand Raid Set ......................................................... 52

4.5.4 Ofine Raid Set .......................................................... 53

4.5.5 Rename Raid Set ........................................................ 53

4.5.6 Activate Incomplete Raid Set .......................................54

4.5.7 Create Hot Spare ....................................................... 54

4.5.8 Delete Hot Spare ........................................................ 55

4.5.9 Rescue Raid Set .........................................................55

4.6 Volume Set Functions ......................................................56

4.6.1 Create Volume Set (0/1/10/3/5/6) ...............................57

• Volume Name ................................................................ 57

• Volume Raid Level ......................................................... 57

• Capacity ....................................................................... 57

• Greater Two TB Volume Support ....................................... 57

• Initialization Mode .......................................................... 58

• Stripe Size .................................................................... 58

• Cache Mode .................................................................. 59

• Volume Write Protection .................................................. 59

• Full Volume Encryption....................................................59

• Tagged Command Queuing .............................................. 60

• SCSI Channel/SCSI ID/SCSI Lun ...................................... 60

4.6.2 Create Raid30/50/60 (Volume Set 30/50/60) ................. 61

4.6.3 Delete Volume Set ...................................................... 61

4.6.4 Modify Volume Set ......................................................62

4.6.4.1 Volume Growth .....................................................63

4.6.4.2 Volume Set Migration ............................................. 63

4.6.4.3 Volume Write Protection ......................................... 64

4.6.5 Check Volume Set ......................................................64

4.6.6 Schedule Volume Check ..............................................65

4.6.8 Download Volume Key File ........................................... 66

4.7 Physical Drive ................................................................ 67

4.7.1 Create Pass-Through Disk ............................................ 67

4.7.2 Modify Pass-Through Disk ............................................ 67

4.7.3 Delete Pass-Through Disk ............................................ 68

4.7.4 Clone Disk ................................................................. 68

4.7.4.1 Clone And Replace ................................................. 69

4.7.4.2 Clone Only ........................................................... 69

4.7.5 Abort Cloning ............................................................. 70

4.7.6 Set Disk To Be Failed ..................................................70

4.7.7 Activate Failed Disk .................................................... 70

4.7.8 Identify Enclosure ...................................................... 71

4.7.9 Identify Drive ............................................................ 71

4.8 System Controls ............................................................. 72

4.8.1 System Cong ........................................................... 72

• System Beeper Setting ................................................... 72

• Background Task Priority ................................................. 72

• JBOD/RAID Conguration ................................................ 72

• SATA NCQ Support ......................................................... 73

• HDD Read Ahead Cache .................................................. 73

• Volume Data Read Ahead ............................................... 73

• HDD Queue Depth ......................................................... 73

• Empty HDD Slot LED ...................................................... 73

• Max Command Length .................................................... 74

• Auto Activate Incomplete Raid .........................................74

• Disk Write Cache Mode ................................................... 74

• Write Same For Initialization ............................................ 74

• Hot Plugged Disk For Rebuilding ....................................... 74

• Disk Capacity Truncation Mode ......................................... 75

• Smart Option For HDD .................................................... 75

• Smart Polling Interval .....................................................76

4.8.2 Advanced Conguration ...............................................76

• TLER Setting ................................................................. 76

• Timeout Setting ............................................................. 77

• Number of Retries .......................................................... 77

• Buffer Threshold ............................................................ 77

• Amount of Read Ahead ................................................... 78

• Number of AV Stream ..................................................... 78

• Optimize AV Recording .................................................... 78

• Read Performance Margin ................................................ 79

• Write Performance Margin ...............................................79

• Read And Discard Parity Data .......................................... 79

• BIOS Selection............................................................... 79

4.8.3 HDD Power Management ............................................. 80

• Stagger Power On Control .............................................. 80

• Time to Hdd Low Power Idle ........................................... 81

• Time To Hdd Low RPM Mode ........................................... 81

• SATA Power Up In Standby ............................................. 81

4.8.4 Ethernet Conguration ............................................... 81

• DHCP Function ............................................................... 82

• Local IP address ............................................................. 82

• Gateway IP address ........................................................ 83

• Subnet Mask ................................................................. 83

• HTTP Port Number .......................................................... 83

• Telnet Port Number ........................................................ 83

• SMTP Port Number ......................................................... 83

4.8.5 Alert By Mail Conguration ......................................... 83

4.8.6 SNMP Conguration .................................................... 84

4.8.7 NTP Conguration ...................................................... 84

• NTP Sever Address ......................................................... 85

• Time Zone ..................................................................... 85

• Automatic Daylight Saving............................................... 85

4.8.8 View Events/Mute Beeper ............................................ 85

4.8.9 Generate Test Event ................................................... 86

4.8.10 Clear Events Buffer ................................................... 86

4.8.11 Modify Password ....................................................... 87

4.8.12 Update Firmware ..................................................... 87

4.9 Information .................................................................... 88

4.9.1 Raid Set Hierarchy ...................................................... 88

4.9.2 SAS Chip Information ................................................. 88

4.9.3 System Information .................................................... 89

4.9.4 Hardware Monitor ....................................................... 89

Appendix A ................................................................... 90

Upgrading Flash ROM Update Process ...................................... 90

Appendix B .................................................................... 93

Battery Backup Module ......................................................... 93

(ARC-6120BA-T021).............................................................. 93

B-1 BBM Connector and Components .................................. 93

B-2 Status of BBM ............................................................ 93

B-3 Installation ................................................................ 94

Appendix C .................................................................... 97

SNMP Operation & Installation ................................................ 97

Appendix D .................................................................. 102

Event Notication Congurations ........................................ 102

A. Device Event .............................................................. 102

B. Volume Event ............................................................. 103

C. RAID Set Event .......................................................... 104

D. Hardware Monitor Event .............................................. 104

Appendix E .................................................................. 106

RAID Concept .................................................................... 106

RAID Set ......................................................................... 106

Volume Set ...................................................................... 106

Ease of Use Features ......................................................... 107

• Foreground Availability/Background Initialization .............. 107

• Online Array Roaming ................................................... 107

• Online Capacity Expansion ............................................. 107

• Online RAID Level and Stripe Size Migration .................... 109

• Online Volume Expansion .............................................. 110

High Availability ............................................................... 110

• Global/Local Hot Spares ................................................ 110

• Hot-Swap Disk Drive Support ......................................... 111

• Auto Declare Hot-Spare ............................................... 111

• Auto Rebuilding ........................................................... 112

• Adjustable Rebuild Priority ............................................. 112

High Reliability ................................................................. 113

• Hard Drive Failure Prediction .......................................... 113

• Auto Reassign Sector .................................................... 113

• Consistency Check ....................................................... 114

Data Protection ................................................................ 114

• Battery Backup ........................................................... 114

• Recovery ROM ............................................................. 115

Appendix F .................................................................. 116

Understanding RAID .......................................................... 116

RAID 0 ............................................................................ 116

RAID 1 ............................................................................ 117

RAID 10(1E) .................................................................... 118

RAID 3 ............................................................................ 118

RAID 5 ............................................................................ 119

RAID 6 ............................................................................ 120

RAID x0 .......................................................................... 120

Single Disk (Pass-Through Disk) ......................................... 121

Summary of RAID Levels ................................................... 122

INTRODUCTION

1. Introduction

This section presents a brief overview of the 6Gb/s SAS RAID storage,

ARC-8050T2. (Thunderbolt 2 to 6Gb/s SAS RAID storage)

1.1 Overview

Unleash Your Creativity Faster Than Ever

Thunderbolt 2 is full backward compatibility to the same cables
and connectors used with today’s Thunderbolt. It pushes speed to

20Gb/s and enables 4K video le transfer and display simultane­ously. ARC-8050T2 is equipped with dual Thunderbolt 2 ports for

connecting to any Thunderbolt 2-enabled host such as the new Mac
Pro, and offers an additional Thunderbolt 2 port for daisy-chaining
other peripherals. The Thunderbolt daisy-chaining allows connec-

tion of up to six devices, so customers can connect ARC-8050T2

for massive amounts of video storage with a single Thunderbolt
connection to their host computer. ARC-8050T2 can meet the de­mand of users when working with rich, ultra- high resolution media

through Thunderbolt 2 interface.

Unparalleled Performance for 4K Workow

ARC-8050T2 is the most complete 6Gb/s SAS 8-bay Thunderbolt

2 box with RAID control capabilities solution for both PC and Mac.

ARC-8050T2 incorporated on-board dual core 800Mhz RAID-On-

Chip and with 1GB DDR3-1333 memory to deliver true high perfor­mance hardware RAID protection against drive failure.This combi­nation helps to provide a high performance storage device perfect

for the video editor working with Real time multi-stream HD and 4K
workows. It runs efciently without disruption or major drops in
performance to meet the requirements of 4K data workow. It is so
quick it allows for 4K displays at the same time as daisy chaining
ARC-8050T2 and doing a simultaneous 4K output and le transfers

while maintaining maximum throughput.

8

INTRODUCTION

Enterprise-class Data Availability and Security

ARC-8050T2 supports the hardware RAID 6 engine to allow two

HDDs failures without impact the existing data and performance.
It allows users to hot swap drive in the event of a drive failure

with zero downtime. Its high data availability and protection de­rives from many advanced RAID features on ARC-8050T2 RAID

box design. Intelligent power On/Off function on storage turns
power in unison with the host computer power status. It can intel­ligently power down the unit after the thunderbolt host shuts down

everything for data integrity. ARC-8050T2 also supports a battery

backup option that protects all data in cache memory in the event
of unexpected power outage. Board-level hardware encryption
manages any kinds of drives attached to ARC-8050T2 without im­pacting the performance for higher levels of security.

Enabling an Easy-to-Manage Storage

Conguration and monitoring can be managed either through the

LCD control panel, Thunderbolt interface or LAN port. The intel­ligent cooling continuously adapts to environmental conditions by
automatically controlling the speed of the cooling fans for the rap­idly growing demand from the video editing markets. You can even

congure ARC-8050T2 to intelligently spin down drives during

periods of inactivity to further reduce noise and save energy. Areca
solution of Thunderbolt 2 provides user the capability of adding
bootable drive via Thunderbolt on Apple thunderbolt-capable ma­chine.

9

INTRODUCTION

1.2 Features

Controller Architecture

• 800 MHz dual core ROC for RAID core and SAS microcode

• 1GB on-board DDR3-1333 SDRAM with ECC protection

• Support bootable from RAID storage volume

• Controller level hardware encryption support

• Redundant ash image for adapter availability

• System status indication through LCD, LED and alarm buzzer

• Intelligent power On/Off function

• Battery backup module ready (Optional)

RAID Features

• RAID level 0, 1, 1E, 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60, Single Disk or JBOD

• Multiple RAID selection

• Support up to 1MB stripe size

• Online array roaming

• Online RAID level/stripe size migration

• Support global hot spare and local hot spare

• Instant availability and background initialization

• Advanced conguration for smooth data streaming

• Disk scrubbing/ array verify scheduling support

• Multiple pairs SSD/HDD disk clone function

• SSD automatic monitor clone (AMC) support

• Complete conguration management suite

- McRAID manager – browser-based management tool (LAN or
Thunderbolt)

- Push Buttons and LCD Display panel for setup and status

- Command Line Interface (CLI) – scriptable conguration tool

- API libraries support – combine GUI with user management
utility

- SNMP support for remote monitoring

- SMTP support for email notication

10

Important:

Be sure to update the ArcMSR.kext driver shipping with Mac
OS X to V1.3.7 or later from the software CD or from the
Areca website.

INTRODUCTION

Function Advantages

Features Benets

Bootable Drive Support Provide user the capability of adding bootable drive

Advanced Conguration Provide optimized parameter to adjust controlled

Controller-level Hardware
Encryption

BBM Support Support a battery backup option that protects all

Intelligent power On/Off
function

Front Panel LCD and Buttons Easy access for conguration and status report.

Product Features

Form Factor Compact – 8 Bays Disk Tower

Host Connection Two 20 Gb/s Thunderbolt Technology Ports

Disk Support 8 x 6Gb/s SAS/SATA 3.5”/2.5”HDDs/SSDs

OS Support Mac OS X 10.8.5 or Higher

Enclosure Management Thunderbolt Port, LAN Port, and LCD

Cooling Fan 2 * 2700rpm/0.135A Brushless Fan

Operating Temperature 0 ~ 40 C

Operation Humidity 5% ~ 95 %, Non-condensing

Power Supply/In/out 270W / 90-256V AC / +12V/26A, +5V/18A, +3.3V/16A

Dimension (W x H x D) 5.7 x 11.8 x 11.4 in

Weight (W/O Drives) 14.9 lbs / 6.8Kg

via Thunderbolt on Apple thunderbolt-capable
machine.

rmware behavior for smooth data streaming.

Board-level hardware encryption manages any

kinds of drives attached to ARC-8050T2 without

impacting the performance for higher levels of
security.

data in cache memory in the event of unexpected
power outage.

Turn ARC-8050T2 power in unison with the host

computer power status for data integrity.

& Windows 7/8

(146 x 302 x 290 mm)

11

INSTALLATION

2. Installation

This section describes how to install the ARC-8050T2 Thunderbolt 2

RAID storage with host computer and disks.

2.1 Before You First Installing

Thanks for purchasing the ARC-8050T2 as your RAID data storage.

The following manual gives simple step-by-step instructions for

installing and conguring the ARC-8050T2 RAID storage.

Unpack

Unpack and install the hardware in a static-free environment.

ARC-8050T2 RAID storage is packed inside an anti-static bag

between two sponge sheets. Remove it and inspect it for dam­age. If the ARC-8050T2 RAID storage appears damaged, or if any
items of the contents listed below are missing or damaged, please
contact your dealer or distributor immediately.

Checklist

• 1 x ARC-8050T2 8-bays RAID storage unit

• 1 x Installation CD – containing driver, relative software, an

electronic version of this manual and other related manual

• 1 x RJ-45 LAN cable

• 1 x Power cord

• 32 x Drive mounting screws (4 per drive tray)

• 1 x Quick start guide

System Requirements

• Computer with Thunderbolt connector

• Thunderbolt cable

• Mac OS X 10.8.5 or higher

• Windows 7&8
“For Windows PC: the Thunderbolt certied device driver must be
installed before plugging in the device for it to function properly”

12

INSTALLATION

2.2 Summary of RAID Storage Setup Steps

• For Mac OS X

Step 1. Physically Install the Hardware (Chapter 2.5.1)

1. Install HDDs.

2. Connect power cord.

3. Connect Thunderbolt cable.

Step 2. Install the MRAID Software Package (Chapter 2.5.2.1)

1. Download the install_mraid installer from the website at
“http://www.areca.com.tw/support/s_ thunderbolt/thunder
bolt.htm”.

2. Double-click on the install_mraid zipped le.

3. Double-click on the install_mraid icon on the Finder.

4. Follow the installer on-screen steps to complete the installa­ tion.

Step 3. Congure RAID Volumes (Chapter 2.5.2.2)

1. Double-click on the “MRAID” icon on the desktop.

2. Double-click on the “ArcHTTP64”.

3. Locate “ARC-8050T2 Web Management” and launch the

McRAID storage manager.

4. Login User Name “admin” and the Password “0000”.

5. Click on the “Quick Create” to congure the volume.

6. Follow the on-screen steps to complete the conguration.

Step 4. Format RAID Volumes (Chapter 2.5.2.3)

1. Mac OS X recognizes that a new disk is available.

2. Follow the Disk Utility on-screen steps to initialize and parti-

tion your unit.

3. Icons for each new partition show up on your desktop.

4. They are now ready to use.

• For Windows

Step 1. Physically Install the Hardware (Chapter 2.5.1)

1. Install HDDs.

2. Connect power cord.

3. Connect Thunderbolt cable.

13

INSTALLATION

Step 2. Install the MRAID Software Package (Chapter 2.5.3.1)

1. Download the install_mraid installer from the website at
“http://www.areca.com.tw/support/s_ thunderbolt/thunder
bolt.htm”.

2. Double-click on the install_mraid zipped le.

3. Double-click on the “setup.exe” unzip le.

4. Follow the installer on-screen steps to complete the installa­ tion.

Step 3. Congure RAID Volumes (Chapter 2.5.3.2)

1. Double-click on the “MRAID” icon on the desktop.

2. Double-click on the “ArcHTTP64”.

3. Locate “ARC-8050T2 Web Management” and launch the

McRAID storage manager.

4. Login User Name “admin” and the Password “0000”.

5. Click on the “Quick Create” to congure the volume.

6. Follow the on-screen steps to complete the conguration.

Step 4. Format RAID Volumes (Chapter 2.5.3.3)

1. Click “Start” ==> right-click “Computer” and select “Man­ age”.

2. Click “Disk Management” in the left pane.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the middle pane. Windows will
display a list of new drives attached to your system with a

label such as “Disk 1” or “Disk 2”, etc.

4. Right-click on the drive you want to partition and then again
to format it.

5. Once it’s formatted, Windows automatically assigns the next
available drive letter to it and then it will appear in Windows
Explorer.

6. They are now ready to use.

14

INSTALLATION

2.3 RAID Storage View

The following diagram is the RAID storage front view and rear view.

Front View

1. Disk Activity LED

2. Disk Fault/Link LED

3. LCD Panel with Keypad

Rear View

4. Thunderbolt Port1

5. Thunderbolt Port2

6. Thunderbolt Port1 Link LED

7. Thunderbolt Port2 Link LED

8. System Fan1

9. LAN Port
(For McRAID Web Manager)

10. Reset Button

11. System Fan2

12. Power Connector

13. Power Supply Fan

15

INSTALLATION

2.4 Locations of the Storage Component

The following components come with LEDs that inform ARC-8050T2

RAID storage managers about the operational status.

2.4.1 Drive Tray LED Indicators

Figure 2-1, Activity/Fault LED

The following table describes the RAID storage disk drive tray LED
behavior.

Tray LED Normal Status Problem Indication

1. Activity LED
(Blue)

2. Fault/Link LED
(Red/Green)

1. When the activity LED
is lit, there is I/O acti­ vity on that disk drive.

2. When the LED is not
lit; there is no activity
on that disk drive.

1. When the fault LED is
lit, there is no disk
present.

2. When the link LED is
lit, there is a disk pre­ sent.

N/A

1. When the fault LED is off, the
disk is present and status is
normal.

2. When the fault LED is blinking
(2 times/sec.), the disk drive
has failed and should be hot­ swapped immediately.

3. When the activity LED is lit
and fault LED is fast blinking
(10 times/sec.) there is re­ building activity on that disk
drive.

16

INSTALLATION

2.4.2 LCD Panel LED Indicators

There are a variety of status conditions that cause the RAID stor­age panel monitoring LED to light. The front panel LCD comes
with three (3) status-indicating LEDs. The LEDs on the front panel

are dened, from top to bottom, Power, Busy, and Caution, as

shown in Figure 2-2.

Figure 2-2, LCD Panel LED

The following table provides a summary of the front panel LED.

Panel LED Normal Status Problem Indication

1. Power LED
(Green)

2. Busy LED
(Amber)

3. Caution LED
(Red)

Solid green, when power on. Unlit, when power on.

Blinking amber during host ac­cesses RAID storage.

Unlit indicates that the RAID
storage and all its components
are operating correctly.

Unlit or never icker.

Solid indicates that one or
more component failure/Ur­gent events have occurred.

2.4.3 Thunderbolt Port LED Indicators

Figure 2-3, Thunderbolt Ports LED

The following table describes the ARC-8050T2 SAS RAID storage

Thunderbolt port link LED behavior.

17

INSTALLATION

Thunderbolt Ports

Link LED

Green light 1. Lit indicates RAID storage is powered and maintained

the daisy chain with other Thunderbolt devices.

2. Blinking (5 times/sec) that indicates RAID storage is
in sleep mode.

3. Blinking (1 time/sec) that indicates RAID storage is
powered down and maintained the daisy chain with
other Thunderbolt devices.

Amber light There is a proper DisplayPort connection on that Thun-

derbolt port.

Red light There is a proper DisplayPort to DVI connection on that

Thunderbolt port.

Status

2.5 Setting Up RAID Storage

Setting up your ARC-8050T2 RAID storage involves these main

steps:

• Physically Install the RAID Storage and Drives

• Install the MRAID Software

• Congure RAID Volumes

• Format RAID Volumes

• Unmounting RAID Volumes

Details about these steps are described in the following sections.

2.5.1 Physically Install RAID Storage and Drives

Please follow the steps below in order they are given to ensure

that your ARC-8050T2 connected on your Thunderbolt computer.

Step 1. Install the Drives in the ARC-8050 RAID Storage

Your RAID storage supports up to 8 x 3.5-inch disk drives or 8 x

2.5-inch SAS or SATA 6.0Gb/s drives, each one contained in its
individual hole on the disk carrier. Each drive is hot-pluggable,
allowing you to remove and insert drives without shutting down
your RAID storage. Installation in this section describes how to
install or remove 3.5 inch drives in your RAID storage.

1. Gently slide the drive tray out from the ARC-8050 RAID

storage.

18

INSTALLATION

2. Install the drive into the drive tray and secure the drive to the

drive tray by four of the mounting screws.

Figure 2-4-1. Installing 2.5-inch
SAS/SATA Drive

3. After all drives are in the drive tray, slide all of them back into

the ARC-8050 RAID storage and make sure you latch the drive

trays.

Figure 2-5, Sliding Drive Tray into Enclosure

Step 2. Connecting RAID Storage to Thunderbolt Ports

Thunderbolt connectors are provided on the back of the ARC-8050

RAID storage for connecting the array to Thunderbolt host and
next Thunderbolt devices. There are two Thunderbolt connectors

on the rear of ARC-8050 RAID storage. You can plug-in two host

ports.

Figure 2-4-2. Installing 3.5-inch
SAS/SATA Drive

1. Direct connection to a Thunderbolt technology capable

computer.

2. Daisy chaining Thunderbolt capable devices and displays.

19

INSTALLATION

• Thunderbolt Computer Port Connection

By installing Thunderbolt technology capable computer and
ARC-8050 Thunderbolt port using the Thunderbolt cable which
is included in your Thunderbolt capable computer. Then connect
ARC-8050 RAID storage and Thunderbolt technology capable
computer port as shown below:

Figure 2-6, Connecting to Thunderbolt computer

• Daisy Chain Topologies

A single Thunderbolt technology daisy chain can have seven
devices, including the computer. Connect the cable to one of the
interface ports on the back of your ARC-8050 RAID storage and
to your Thunderbolt capable computer. The additional port may
be used to daisy chain compatible computer peripherals, such
as hard drives, monitors, and much more. A single Thunderbolt
port supports hubs as well as a daisy chain of up to seven Thun­ derbolt devices on, including the Thunderbolt capable computer.

20

INSTALLATION

Figure 2-7, Thunderbolt Computer Daisy Chain

Step 3. Connecting Monitor Port (Optional)

You can connect LAN port to the manager clinet system, if you

want to congure and manage the RAID storage from the clinet

system through out-of-band manager.

• LAN Port Connection

User can remote manage the RAID enclosure without adding

any user specic software (platform independent) via standard

web browsers directly connected to the 10/100Mbit RJ45 LAN

port. Connect LAN port of the ARC-8050 using the included

Ethernet cable and then to a LAN port or LAN switch.

Step 4. Connecting RAID Storage Power

To power the RAID storage:

1. Using the included power cord, connect this power cord to a

grounded electronical outlet and to the ARC-8050 RAID stor-

age.

2. ARC-8050 RAID storage will automatically turn on when host

computer power on status is received from the thunderbolt
cable. It takes about 30 seconds to fully start up the RAID stor­ age.

21

INSTALLATION

Figure 2-8, Connecting the Power to Enclosure

3. ARC-8050 RAID storage automatically turns off when the

computer to which it is attached sleeps or is disconnected.

Note:

You can press and hold the “Reset” button for 3 seconds to

force the RAID storage AC power on or off.

When you are nished installing the ARC-8050 RAID storage, you

can set up the RAID volume using McRAID storage manager or
LCD to set up RAID volumes.

2.5.2 Mac Users

2.5.2.1 Install the MRAID Software

This section describes detailed instructions for installing the

Areca Mac driver & utility for the ARC-8050 on your Apple

Thunderbolt capable machine. You must have administrative
level permissions to install Mac OS X driver & utility. This can be
done in just a few steps!

1. Download the install_mraid installer from the website at
"http://www.areca.com.tw/support/s_ thunderbolt/thunder-
bolt.htm", the le name begins with “install_mraid” followed

by the version control or insert the ARC-8050 software CD

in the CD-ROM drive.

22

INSTALLATION

2. Double-click on the zipped le that comes from the website or
resides at <CDROM>\packages\MacOS to add the installer on

the Finder.

3. Launch the installer by double-clicking the install_mraid on
the Finder. The MRAID Installer opens. Click on the "Next"
button to begin the installation.

4. The MRAID Installer opens. Click on the "Next" button to
begin the installation.

5. On the Choose Install Set screen, click on an icon to install
special components and click on the "Next" button to
continue.

• Driver is required for the operating system to be able to inter-
act with the ARC-8050 RAID storage.

23

INSTALLATION

• ArcHTTP has to be installed for GUI RAID console (MRAID
storage manager) to run. It also runs as a service or daemon
in the background that allows capturing of events for mail and

SNMP traps notication. Refer to the Chapter 5 ArcHTTP
Conguration on ARC-8050 user manual, for details about
the mail and SNMP traps conguration.

• CLI (Command Line Interface) provides the functionality

available in MRAID storage manager through a Command Line
Interface. You can set up and manage RAID storage inline. CLI
performs many tasks at the command line. You can download

CLI manual from Areca website or software CD <CDROM>\

DOCS directory.

6. On the Choose Alias Folder screen, click on an icon to choose
where you like to create aliases and click on the "Next"
button to continue.

24

7. On the Pre-Installation Summary screen, review your installa­ tion setting and click on the "Install" button to continue. If
you want to change any of your installation setting, click on
the "Previous" button.

INSTALLATION

8. A program bar appears that measures the progress of the

driver installation.

9. When this screen shows, you have completed the driver
installation and click on the "Next" button to continue.

25

INSTALLATION

10. After installation is completed, click on the "Done" button to
reboot your computer in order to complete installation.

11. The ArcHTTP and ArcCLI are installed at the same time on

ARC-8050. Once ArcHTTP and CLI have been installed,

the ArcHTTP background task automatically starts each time
when you start your computer. There is one MRAID icon
showing on your desktop. This icon is for you to launch the
McRAID storage manager (by ArcHTTP) and CLI utility. If
you have not yet installed the hardware, please follow the

“2.5.1 Physically Install RAID Storage and Drives” section to

install it. Otherwise, to begin the creation volume, go on the

“2.5.2.2 Congure RAID Volumes” section to congure the

volume.

26

2.5.2.2 Congure RAID Volumes

There are often multiple ways to accomplish the same congura­tion and maintenance tasks for your RAID storage. Your ARC-

8050 RAID storage can be congured by one of the following

methods:

1. McRAID Storage Manager from ArcHTTP. (Thunderbolt port)

2. McRAID Storage Manager Through LAN port.

3. LCD Panel with Keypad.

INSTALLATION

• Method 1: McRAID Storage Manager From ArcHTTP

Start McRAID Storage Manager – Browser Edition

There is one “MRAID” icon showing on your desktop. Double-
click on the “MRAID” icon to locate your ArcHTTP utility and

CLI program le folder.

When you double-click on the “ArcHTTP64”, it shows all RAID
storages available on the system and create an individual
RAID storage icon located on left column of the “ArcHTTP Con-

gurations” screen.

Locate “ARC-8050 Web Management” and launch the selected

McRAID storage manager. Enter RAID storage default User
Name “admin” and the Password “0000” when the login page
prompted for it. After logging in, the McRAID storage manager
process starts.

27

INSTALLATION

Click on the “Quick Create” in the main menu, your volume is
automatically congured based on the number of disks in your

system. You can create a RAID set associated with exactly one
volume set. The user can change the Raid Level, Capacity,

Initialization Mode, and Stripe Size. A hot spare option is also
created, depending on the exist conguration. Click on the
“Conrm The Operation” check box and click on the “Submit”
button, the RAID set and volume set will start to initialize. If
you prefer to customize your volume set, please use the “Raid
Set Functions” and “Volume Set Functions”. See chapter 4 of
ARC-8050 user manual for information on customizing your

RAID volumes using McRAID storage manager. Otherwise, to

begin using the ARC-8050 right away, go on the next “Format

the Volume” section to begin the formatting procedure.

28

• Method 2: McRAID Storage Manager Through LAN port

User can remote manage the RAID storage directly connected
to the 10/100Mbits RJ45 LAN port via standard web browsers.

To congure ARC-8050 RAID storage using a LAN port, you

need to know its IP address. The default IP address will be
shown on the LCD initial screen. Launch your web browser­based McRAID storage manager by entering http://[IP Ad­dress] in the web browser. Enter RAID storage default User
Name “admin” and the Password “0000” when the login page
prompted for it. After logging in, the McRAID storage man­ager process starts. Follow the on-screen steps, responding as

needed, to congure RAID volume. See the Chapter 4 of ARC-
8050 user manual for information on customizing your RAID

volumes using McRAID storage manager.

INSTALLATION

• Method 3: LCD Panel with Keypad

You can use LCD front panel and keypad function to simply
create the RAID volume. The LCD status panel also informs
you of the disk array’s current operating status at a glance.

The LCD conguration is described in a separate manual:
ARC-8050_LCD manual. It is available on your Areca CD, in

the /docs folder. The LCD provides a system of screens with
areas for information, status indication, or menus. The LCD
screen displays up to two lines at a time of menu items or

other information. ARC-8050 RAID storage default User Name

is “admin” and the Password is “0000”.

The LCD initial screen is shown below:

2.5.2.3 Format RAID Volumes

After the volume set is ready for system accesses, it needs to be
partitioned, formatted, and mounted by the operating system.

When you create a volume through McRAID storage manager,

the Mac OS X recognizes that a new disk is avail, and displays a

message asking what you next want to do. If the message does

not show up, start the “Disk Utility” manually from the “Finder”,
use the “Go” menu and open the “Utilities” folder. Double-click
on the “Disk Utility” program.

To initialize and partition your unit

1. When the Disk Utility window opens, nd and select the de-

sired drive in the sidebar that represents your RAID storage
and click on the “Partition” button.

29

INSTALLATION

2. In the Partition Layout column, click on the “Current” to
show the drop-down menu and select the number of parti­ tions that you want your RAID storage to have. Each partition
will appear as a separate drive on your computer.

3. Specify your Partition Information, Option setting and click on
the “Apply” button.

30

If you’re not sure which format to use, choose Mac OS X
Extended (Journaled).

4. When a message asks you to conrm you want to partition
the disk, click on the “Partition” button. This may take a
couple of minutes, depending on the size of the drives in your

RAID storage. When the partitioning is complete, icons for
each new partition show up on your desktop. They are now
ready to use.