Asus Adaptec 2025 ZCR User Manual

INSTALLATION AND USER’S GUIDE

ADAPTEC SATA AND SCSI

RAID CONTROLLERS

Copyright

©2004 Adaptec, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written consent of Adaptec, Inc., 691 South Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035.

Trademarks

Adaptec, the Adaptec logo, and Adaptec Storage Manager are trademarks of
Adaptec, Inc., which may be registered in some jurisdictions.

Windows 2000 and Windows XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US
and other countries, used under license.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Changes

The material in this document is for information only and is subject to change
without notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this
document to assure its accuracy, Adaptec, Inc. assumes no liability resulting from
errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained
herein.

Adaptec reserves the right to make changes in the product design without
reservation and without notification to its users.

Disclaimer

IF THIS PRODUCT DIRECTS YOU TO COPY MATERIALS, YOU MUST HAVE
PERMISSION FROM THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OF THE MATERIALS TO AVOID
VIOLATING THE LAW WHICH COULD RESULT IN DAMAGES OR OTHER
REMEDIES.

ii

Adaptec Customer Support

If you have questions about installing or using your Adaptec product, check this
document first
further assistance, use the support options listed below.

Technical Support Identification (TSID) Number

■ Before contacting Technical Support, you need your unique 12-digit TSID

number. The TSID number identifies your product and support status.

■ The TSID number is included on a white, bar-coded label, like the example

below..

■ Affix a copy of the TSID label to the CD jacket so that you don’t lose it.

Support Options

■ Search the Adaptec Support Knowledgebase (ASK) at ask.adaptec.com for

articles, troubleshooting tips, and frequently asked questions for your product.

■ For support via Email, submit your question to Adaptec’s Technical Support

Specialists at

North America

■ Visit our Web site at www.adaptec.com.

■ For information about Adaptec’s support options, call [phone],

24 hours per day, 7 days per week. To speak with a Technical Support Specialist,

■ For Hardware products call [phone],

■

To expedite your service, have your computer in front of you.

■

To order Adaptec products, including accessories and cables, call [phone].
Or, you can order cables online at

—you will find answers to most of your questions here. If you need

ask.adaptec.com.

Monday to Friday, 3:00

For

RAID and Fibre Channel

Monday to Friday, 3:00

A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Pacific Time.

products call [phone] ,

A.M

. to 5:00 P.M., Pacific Time.

www.adaptec.com/buy-cables.

iii

Europe

■ Visit our Web site at www.adaptec-europe.com.

■ German: To speak with a Technical Support Specialist, call [phone],

Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, CET. For support via e-mail, submit your
question to Adaptec’s Technical Support Specialists at

■ French: To speak with a Technical Support Specialist, call [phone],

ask-de.adaptec.com.

Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, CET. For support via e-mail, submit your
question to Adaptec’s Technical Support Specialists at

■ English: To speak with a Technical Support Specialist, call [phone],

ask-fr.adaptec.com.

Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, GMT. For support via e-mail, submit your
question to Adaptec’s Technical Support Specialists at

■ You can order Adaptec cables online at www.adaptec.com/buy-cables.

ask.adaptec.com.

Japan

■ Visit our Web site at www.adaptec.co.jp.

■ To speak with a Technical Support Specialist, call [phone]

Monday–Friday, 9:00

A.M. to 12:00 P.M and 1:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

iv

Limited 3-Year Hardware Warranty

1. Adaptec, Inc. (“Adaptec”) warrants to the purchaser of this product that it will be free from
defects in material and workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of
purchase. If the product should become defective within the warranty period, Adaptec, at
its option, will repair or replace the product, or refund the purchaser’s purchase price for the
product, provided it is delivered at the purchaser’s expense to an authorized Adaptec
service facility or to Adaptec.

2. Repair or replacement parts or products will be furnished on an exchange basis and will
either be new or reconditioned. All replaced parts or products shall become the property of
Adaptec. This warranty shall not apply if the product has been damaged by accident,
misuse, abuse or as a result of unauthorized service or parts.

3. Warranty service is available to the purchaser by delivering the product during the warranty
period to an authorized Adaptec service facility or to Adaptec and providing proof of
purchase price and date. The purchaser shall bear all shipping, packing and insurance costs
and all other costs, excluding labor and parts, necessary to effectuate repair, replacement or
refund under this warranty.

4. For more information on how to obtain warranty service, write or telephone Adaptec at 691
South Milpitas Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035, [phone].

5. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY PRODUCT WHICH HAS
BEEN DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT, MISUSE, ABUSE, OR AS A RESULT OF
UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE OR PARTS.

6. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER EXPRESS WARRANTIES WHICH NOW
OR HEREAFTER MIGHT OTHERWISE ARISE RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT. IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT SHALL (A) HAVE NO GREATER
DURATION THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, (B) TERMINATE
AUTOMATICALLY AT THE EXPIRATION OF SUCH PERIOD AND (C) TO THE EXTENT
PERMITTED BY LAW BE EXCLUDED. IN THE EVENT THIS PRODUCT BECOMES
DEFECTIVE DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE PURCHASER’S EXCLUSIVE
REMEDY SHALL BE REPAIR, REPLACEMENT OR REFUND AS PROVIDED ABOVE.
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION
LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY
ARE NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ADAPTEC AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY
LAW, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED BOTH FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND TO THE
EXTENT NOT UNCONSCIONABLE, FOR PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGE.

7. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS, AND SOME STATES
DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO
THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

8. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary
from state to state.

v

Regulatory Compliance Statements

Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement

WARNING: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

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 harmful 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
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. However, if this
equipment does cause interference to radio or television equipment reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:

■ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

■ Increase the separation between equipment and receiver.

■ Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected.

■ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.

■ Use a shielded and properly grounded I/O cable and power cable to ensure compliance of

this unit to the specified limits of the rules.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Adaptec, Inc. ASR-2020ZCR/ASR-2025ZCR/ASR-2120S/

ASR-2130SLP/ASR-2200S/ASR-2230SLP/
AAR-2020SA/AAR-2025SA/AAR-2410SA/
AAR-2810SA/AAR-21610SA

Tes ted t o Compl y
With FC C Standards

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

European Union Compliance Statement

This Information Technology Equipment has been tested and found to comply with
EMC Directive 89/336/EEC, as amended by 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, in
accordance with:

■ EN55022 (1998) Emissions

■ EN55024 (1998) Immunity:

– EN61000-4-2 (1998) Electrostatic discharge: ±4 kV contact, ±8 kV air
– EN61000-4-3 (1998) Radiated immunity
– EN61000-4-4 (1995) Electrical fast transients/burst: ±1 kV AC, ±0.5 kV I/O
– EN61000-4-5 (1995) Surges ±1 kV differential mode, ±2 kV common mode
– EN61000-4-6 (1996) Conducted immunity: 3 V
– EN61000-4-11 (1994) Supply dips and variation: 30% and 100%

In addition, all equipment requiring U.L. listing has been found to comply with EMC
Directive 73/23/EEC as amended by 93/68/EEC in accordance with EN60950 with
amendments A1, A2, A3, A4, A11.

Australian/New Zealand Compliance Statement

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3548 set out by
the Spectrum Management Agency.

vi

Canadian Compliance Statement

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference­Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur
le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Japanese Compliance (Voluntary Control Council Initiative)

This equipment complies to class B Information Technology equipment based on
VCCI (Voluntary Control Council for Interface). This equipment is designed for home
use but it may causes radio frequency interference problem if used too near to a
television or radio. Please handle it correctly per this documentation.

vii

1 Introduction

Kit Contents 1-2
Overview of the Installation Process 1-3
System Requirements and Compatibility 1-3

Drive Requirements 1-4
Hardware Requirements 1-4
Operating System Compatibility 1-4

Controller Features 1-5

Features Overview 1-5
SATA RAID Controller Features Summary 1-6
SCSI RAID Controller Features Summary 1-7

Advanced RAID Features 1-8
About the Documentation 1-11
Using the Adaptec Installation CD 1-12

Booting from the CD with No Operating System 1-12

Using the CD Autorun in Windows 1-13

Browsing the CD 1-13
Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader 1-14
Software Tools Overview 1-15
Safety Information 1-15

Electrostatic Discharge 1-16

Contents

2 Installing the Controller and Drives

SATA Drives and Cables 2-2
SCSI Drives and Cables 2-2
Installing the Controller and Drives 2-3
Determining the Boot Controller 2-4
Creating a Bootable RAID 5 Array 2-5

Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) Utility 2-6

Using the Adaptec Installation CD 2-7

viii

Contents

3 Installing the Driver

Overview of the Driver Installation Process 3-2
Creating the Driver Disk 3-2
Installing the Windows Driver 3-3

Installing the Driver When You Install Windows 3-3

Installing the Driver in an Existing Windows System 3-4
Installing the Linux Module 3-5

Installing the Module When You Install Red Hat 3-5

Installing the Module in an Existing Linux System 3-6
Installing the Unix Driver 3-6

OpenServer 3-6

UnixWare and OpenUNIX 3-8
Installing the NetWare Driver 3-9

Installing the Driver When You Install NetWare 3-9

Installing the Driver in an Existing NetWare System 3-10

Loading NetWare Drivers During Server Restart 3-11

4 Installing and Starting Adaptec Storage Manager

Installing Adaptec Storage Manager on Windows 4-2
Installing Adaptec Storage Manager on Linux 4-3
Installing Adaptec Storage Manager on OpenServer 4-4
Installing Adaptec Storage Manager on UnixWare/OpenUNIX

4-5
Installing Adaptec Storage Manager on NetWare 4-6
Starting Adaptec Storage Manager 4-7

Windows Operating Systems 4-7
Linux Operating Systems 4-9
OpenServer UnixWare and OpenUNIX Operating

Systems 4-10
NetWare Operating System 4-10

Logging into Remote Systems 4-10

ix

5 Understanding Adaptec Storage Manager

Introduction 5-1

Features 5-1

Overview 5-2

Physical Devices View 5-3

Logical Devices View 5-3
Changing How Drives are Displayed 5-4
Collapsed and Expanded Views 5-4
Component Views 5-5

A Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility (ARC)

Overview A-1
Using the ACU A-2

Creating Arrays A-2

Managing Arrays A-4

Initializing Drives A-7

Rescanning Drives A-8
Using SATA

Controller Configuration Options A-10

SATA Configuration Options A-12

SCSI Configuration Options A-12
Using the Disk Utilities A-14
Viewing the Event Log A-15

Select

and SCSI

Select A-9

Contents

B ACU for DOS

Introduction B-1
Creating the ACU Utility Disk B-1
Running the ACU Interactively B-2
Running the ACU Using Scripts B-3

Playback Mode B-4

Record Mode B-4

Creating the Script File Manually B-5

Array Definition Block Keywords B-6

Channel Definition Block Keywords – SCSI only B-12

ACU Error Codes B-13

Example – Running the ACU with a Script B-14

x

C Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU)

Introduction C-1

System Requirements C-2

Compatibility C-2
Creating the Firmware Floppy Disks C-3
Running the AFU from the GUI C-4
Running the AFU from the Command Line C-5

Command Summary C-5

AFU Command Line – Step-by-Step C-9

D Command Line Interface

Introduction D-2
Terminology D-2

Adaptec 2410SA/2810SA Controllers Only D-2

Adaptec 21610SA Controllers Only D-2

All Controllers D-3
Accessing the CLI D-4

Accessing the CLI in MS-DOS D-4

Accessing the CLI in Windows D-4

Accessing the CLI in Unix D-4
Using the CLI D-5

Opening and Closing a Controller D-5

Managing Failover Options and Hotspares D-8

Displaying Controller Information D-9

Displaying Disk Information D-11

Displaying Array Information D-12
CLI Command Dictionary D-15

General Control Commands D-15

Container (Array) Commands D-16

Controller Commands D-25

Disk Commands D-28

Logfile Commands D-32

Task Commands D-32

Enclosure Commands D-34
Using Automated Command Scripts D-38

Contents

xi

E About RAID

Simple Volume E-1
Spanned Volume E-2
RAID 0 E-2
RAID 1 E-2
RAID 5 E-3
RAID 10 E-4
RAID 50 E-5

F About SCSI

SCSI Device Support F-1
Setting SCSI IDs F-2
Changing SCSI Termination on the Controller F-2
Enabling CD Drive Support F-2
Mixing SE Devices with LVD Devices F-3

G Controller Illustrations

H Specifications

Contents

Glossary

xii

1

Introduction

In this Chapter...

Kit Contents 1-2
Overview of the Installation Process 1-3
System Requirements and Compatibility 1-3
Controller Features 1-5
About the Documentation 1-11
Using the Adaptec Installation CD 1-12
Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader 1-14
Software Tools Overview 1-15
Safety Information 1-15

1-1

Introduction

Kit Contents

Your controller kit includes:

■ Adaptec RAID controller. For controller illustrations, see

Appendix G.

■ Installation CD

■ The cables supplied depend on the controller model:

Adaptec Model Cables Supplied

2020ZCR/2020SA None

2025ZCR/2025SA None

2120S/2200S/2130SLP/

1 internal LVD SCSI cable

2230SLP

2410SA 4 SATA cables

2810SA 8 SATA cables

21610SA 16 SATA cables

1. Features a multimode terminator. All these SCSI RAID controllers
support multimode termination.

■ Low-profile bracket (for low-profile controllers only - to

determine the form factor of your controller, see Controller

Features on page 1-5).

■ Warranty card

1

■ Quick Installation Guide

1-2

Introduction

Overview of the Installation Process

This section provides an overview of how to install and configure
the Adaptec RAID controller:

1 Install and configure the controller and hard drives, as

described in Chapter 2, Installing the Controller and Drives.

2 Your next steps depend on your system:

In a system without an operating system (fresh install)...

a Build the bootable array, as described in Creating a Bootable

RAID 5 Array on page 2-5.

b Install the controller driver at the beginning of the operating

system installation, as described in Chapter 3.

c Install Adaptec Storage Manager as described in Chapter 4.

d View, manage, and build additional arrays, as needed, using

Adaptec Storage Manager. For an overview, see Chapter 5.
For details, refer to the Adaptec Storage Manager online
Help.

In an existing system that already has an operating system...

a Install the controller driver.

b Install Adaptec Storage Manager as described in Chapter 4.

c Build the array using Adaptec Storage Manager. View,

manage, and build additional arrays, as needed, using
Storage Manager. For an overview, see Chapter 5. For
details, refer to the Storage Manager online Help.

3 Register online at

information about your controller.

register.adaptec.com to receive important

System Requirements and Compatibility

This section summarizes the following system requirements:

■ Drive Requirements

■ Hardware Requirements

■ Operating System Compatibility

1-3

Introduction

Drive Requirements

You need to have enough drives available for the RAID array level
you want to build. For details, see Appendix E, About RAID.

Note: Arrays work best when all array members (drives) are
identical.

Hardware Requirements

The following list summarizes the hardware requirements:

■ Intel Pentium, or equivalent, processor

■ A motherboard that meets the following compatibility

requirements:

– Complies with the PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.2

and higher.

– Supports multifunction devices where one of the devices is a

PCI bridge.

– Provides large memory-mapped address ranges.

Refer to the

Readme file on the Adaptec installation CD for

additional motherboard compatibility information.

■ At least 128 MB of RAM

■ An available 32- or 64-bit PCI slot

■ An available 32- or 64-bit PCI or PCI-X slot (For Adaptec

2020ZCR, 2130SLP, and 2230SLP controllers only)

■ 20 MB of free drive space

■ 16-bit SVGA color monitor with a resolution of at least 800 x 600

■ CD-ROM drive (that is not part of the RAID you are installing)

Operating System Compatibility

The following operating systems are supported:

■ Windows 2000—Server, Advanced Server, Professional

■ Windows 2003 Server—Standard and Advanced

■ Windows XP—Home Edition and Pro

■ Red Hat Linux—Professional, Enterprise, and Advanced Server

1-4

Introduction

■ SuSE Linux—Personal, Professional, and Enterprise

Note: For the latest on Adaptec’s support of Linux, or to
download driver sources, visit www.adaptec.com.

■

SCO—

– UnixWare 7.1.x/OpenUNIX 8 (Base and Business Editions)

– OpenServer 5.06 and 5.07

■ Novell—NetWare 6.x

Controller Features

This section contains the following subsections:

■ Features Overview

■ SATA RAID Controller Features Summary

■ SCSI RAID Controller Features Summary

■ Advanced RAID Features

Features Overview

Adaptec RAID controllers offer the following features:

■

Supports
support the

■ 64-bit, 66-MHz PCI interface compatible with 32-bit/33-MHz

PCI slots.

■ At least 64 MB of on-board RAM. Some controllers are available

with more RAM.

■ Operating system independent configuration and RAID

creation using the Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) utility.

PCI Local Bus Specification

PCI-X Addendum

, Revision 1.0a. See pages 1-6 and 1-7.

, Revision 2.2. Some models also

■ Flash ROM for easy updates of controller firmware, BIOS, and

ARC. For details on updating the flash, see Appendix C.

■ Centralized management across all Adaptec host-based RAID

products using Adaptec Storage
console access, Adaptec Storage

Manager. In addition to local

Manager

provides remote
configuration and management of RAID subsystems through
password-protected Web access.

1-5

Introduction

■ Event logging and broadcasting, including messaging for

alphanumeric pagers.

■ All except Adaptec 2020SA/2020ZCR—Optional battery backup

module available. For details, see page 1-9.

SATA RAID Controller Features Summary

The following tables summarizes the features of the Adaptec SATA
RAID controllers

Adaptec

Adaptec
2020SA

Form factor Low-

PCI compatibility PCI only PCI only PCI only PCI only

PCI bus width (max) 64-bit 64-bit 64-bit 64-bit

PCI bus speed (max) 66 MHz 66 MHz 66 MHz 66 MHz

Cache, standard 64 MB 64 MB 64 MB 64 MB

Ports NoneNone4 8/16

Drives per port N/A N/A 1 1

Total drives 16 16 4 8 / 16

Connectors, internal None None 4 8 / 16

Cables supplied NoneNone4 8/16

RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10, 500, 1, 5, 10, 500, 1, 5, 10 0, 1, 5, 10,

Simple volume Yes Yes Yes Yes

Spanned volume Yes Yes Yes Yes

Hotspares Yes Yes Yes Yes

Automatic failover Yes Yes Yes Yes

Audible alarm Yes No Yes Yes

Battery module option

1. Battery sold separately.

1

profile

Not
available

Adaptec
2025SA

ZCR
SO-DIMM

Not
available

Adaptec

2410SA

Low-

profile

Not

available

2810SA/
Adaptec
21610SA

Full-height

50

ABM-300

1-6

Introduction

SCSI RAID Controller Features Summary

The following tables summarizes the features of the Adaptec SCSI
RAID controllers.

For more on SCSI, see Appendix F, About SCSI.

Adaptec
2020ZCR

Form factor Low-

PCI
compatibility

PCI bus width
(max)

PCI bus speed
(max)

Cache,
standard

Channels None None 1 2 1/2

Devices per

1

channel

Total devices3030 153015/30

Connectors,

2

internal

Connectors,

3

external

Cables
supplied

RAID levels 0, 1, 5,

Simple volume Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Spanned
volume

Hotspares Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Automatic
failover

Audible alarm Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Battery module

4

option

profile

PCI/
PCI-X

64-bit 64-bit 64-bit 64-bit 64-bit

133 MHz 133 MHz 66 MHz 66 MHz 133 MHz

64 MB 64MB 64 MB 64 MB 128 MB/

15 15 15 15 15

None None 1 2 1/2

None None 1 2 1/2

None None 1

10, 50

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Yes

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Yes

Not
available

Adaptec
2025ZCR

ZCR
SO-DIMM

PCI/
PCI-X

0, 1, 5, 10, 500, 1, 5,

Not
available

Adaptec
2120S

Low­profile

PCI only PCI only PCI/

internal1 internal1 internal

10, 50

ABM­300

Adaptec
2200S

Low­profile

0, 1, 5,
10, 50

ABM­300

Adaptec
2130SLP/
2230SLP

Low­profile

PCI-X

256 MB

0, 1, 5,
10, 50

ABM­400

1-7

Introduction

1. Includes Ultra320 through Ultra2 hard drives and other devices, including CD and
tape drives.

2. High density

3. Very High Density Connector Interface (VHDCI)

4. Battery sold separately.

Advanced RAID Features

Adaptec RAID controllers support the following advanced features:

■

Optimized Disk Utilization

of all your drives, even if drive sizes vary.

■

SATA/SCSI Disk Hot Plug

disks without shutting down your system.

■ Online Capacity Expansion

■ Array Level Migration

■ Drive Enclosures – SCSI only

■ Hotspares

■ Audible Alarm

■ Automatic Failover

■ Adaptec Battery Backup Module

—Allows you to use the full capacity

—Allows you to add and remove

Online Capacity Expansion

These Adaptec RAID controllers support Online Capacity
Expansion (OCE) of existing arrays for all operating systems. With
OCE, you can add new members to increase the capacity of an
array without losing any data. For details, refer to the Adaptec
Storage Manager online Help.

Windows OCE allows you to use the additional capacity without
restarting the system. For details, refer to your Windows
documentation.

1-8

Introduction

Array Level Migration

Adaptec RAID controllers support migration from one array type to
another (provided your controller supports the new array type). The
migration possibilities are;

Current Array Type New Array Type

RAID 0 RAID 5 or 10

RAID 1 RAID 0 or 5 or 10

RAID 5 RAID 0 or 10

RAID 10 RAID 0 or 5

For details on how to migrate from one array type to another, refer
to the Adaptec Storage Manager online Help.

Drive Enclosures – SCSI only

Adaptec SCSI RAID controllers support drive enclosures that
include SAF-TE enclosure management hardware per the SAF-TE
specification.

Hotspares

Adaptec RAID controllers support hotspares—drives that are
reserved to replace a failing drive in a redundant array. If a drive
fails, the hotspare will replace it and the arrays is automatically
rebuilt.

Adaptec RAID controllers support two types of hotspares:

■ Global—Protects every array that the drive has enough

available capacity to protect.

■ Dedicated—Protects only the array that it has been assigned to

protect.

1-9

Introduction

Audible Alarm

Adaptec RAID controllers are equipped with an audible alarm that
alerts you to situations that affect safety of your data. This section
discusses the following topics:

■ Sounding the Alarm

■ Silencing the Alarm

For additional details on how to control the alarm, see page A-11
and the Adaptec Storage Manager online Help.

Sounding the Alarm

The alarm sounds under the following circumstances:

■ When the controller is running, the alarm sounds when a drive

fails. For example, if a drive becomes unplugged, the alarm
sounds.

■ When restarting the system, the alarm sounds if an array is

degraded. For example, if a drive is missing from a three-drive
RAID 5, the alarms sounds.

■ If an array can’t be configured, the alarm sounds. For example,

if a drive is missing from a RAID 0, or if two drives are missing
from a RAID-5, the alarm sounds.

Silencing the Alarm

The alarm continues to sound until one of the following actions is
taken:

■ The array with the failed member is deleted.

■ If the array is redundant, a rebuild begins.

■ The alarm is silenced using SATASelect or SCSISelect. For

details, see the Alarm Control option on page A-11 or Adaptec
Storage Manager online Help.

Automatic Failover

Adaptec RAID controllers can automatically rebuild an array when
a failed drive is replaced with a new drive. This feature applies
only to redundant arrays in SES- or SAF-TE-enabled drive
enclosures. See page A-10 for details.

1-10

Introduction

Adaptec Battery Backup Module

Some Adaptec RAID controllers accept an optional Adaptec battery
backup module.

Notes:

■ To see if the controller is available with battery modules,

see Controller Features on page 1-5.

■ To see the battery module connector location for your

controller, see Appendix G.

■ To purchase a battery module, visit www.adaptec.com.

About the Documentation

The documentation set for the Adaptec RAID controllers includes:

■ Quick Installation Guide—Printed guide that provides

summarized instructions on how to install and create a bootable
array.

■ Readme text file—Contains additional technical information

about device compatibility, operating system support, and
drivers. (For location, see table below.)

■ Installation and User’s Guide (this book)—PDF file on the

installation CD with complete information to install and
configure your Adaptec RAID controller and attached devices.

■ Command Line Interface Reference Guide—PDF file on the

installation CD containing an in-depth description of the
commands available in the CLI. (For location, see table below.)

■ Online Help—Adaptec Storage Manager includes an

embedded online Help system that provides details on how to
create and manage RAIDs.

1-11

Introduction

The locations for the PDF files and Readme file are listed below:

Document CD Location

Readme /

Installation and User’s Guide /books/RAID Install Gd ... pdf

Command Line Interface
Reference Guide

/books/RAID SW Ref ... .pdf

To view the PDF documents, you need Acrobat Reader or Viewer
installed on your computer. For details, see Installing the Adobe

Acrobat Reader on page 1-14.

For details on using the installation CD, see Using the Adaptec

Installation CD on page 1-12.

Using the Adaptec Installation CD

The Adaptec RAID Installation CD contains software, device drivers,
and documentation. You can use the CD the following ways:

■ Booting from the CD with No Operating System

■ Using the CD Autorun in Windows

■ Browsing the CD

Booting from the CD with No Operating System

The Adaptec installation CD is bootable. You can use it to start a
computer that has no operating system and configure an array
(provided your computer is set up to recognize bootable CDs).

Note: Verify that your computer supports bootable CDs by
entering system Setup and checking the settings.

1-12

Introduction

Using the CD Autorun in Windows

To use the Autorun executable, autorun.exe, start Windows and
insert the Adaptec installation CD. Your computer automatically
reads the CD if it is set up to do so.

Note: If your computer does not automatically read the CD,
you can prompt it to read the CD by clicking on
from the root directory.

The CD presents the following options:

■ Install Adaptec Storage Manager—Installs the management

software. For details, see Chapter 4.

■

Install Adobe Acrobat Reader

—Installs Adobe Acrobat Reader
for Windows to let you view the Adaptec documentation in PDF
format. Versions of Acrobat Reader for other platforms are also
included, see

■ View Release Notes—Displays the Readme file containing the

Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader

latest information for Adaptec RAID products and software.

■ View Documentation—Provides quick access to the PDF files

listed in the table on page 1-12.

autorun.exe

on page 1-14.

■ Create Driver Diskette—Allows you to create a driver disk for

any supported operating system.

Browsing the CD

If your installation process requires you to directly access files on the
Adaptec installation CD, you can save time by limiting your browsing
to the following files and folders, available at the root level:

■ Autorun executable—In Windows, click on autorun.exe if your

computer does not automatically execute it when you insert the
CD in the drive.

■

Readme text fil

about device compatibility, operating system support, and drivers.

■ DOCS folder—Contains the user documentation PDF files.

■ PACKAGES folder (and subfolders)—Contains the

management software and device drivers.

e—Contains additional technical information

1-13

Introduction

■ SOURCES folder (and subfolders)—Contains driver source

files and other components developed under the GNU General
Public License (GPL) agreement.

Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader

Both Adobe Acrobat Reader and Viewer are provided on the Adaptec
installation CD. These applications allow you to view the PDF files
on the Adaptec installation CD. Acrobat Reader is also available from
Adobe as a free download. For details, visit

How you use Reader or Viewer depends on your operating system,
as described below:

■

Windows

—To install Acrobat Reader, choose the appropriate

option. If Autorun is disabled, click

■ Linux—Acrobat Reader is located on the Adaptec installation

CD at

mount-point/packages/Linux/RedHat/apps/adobe. Be sure to

use the full path when viewing this location. If the path gets
truncated, you may not see the correct location.

■ UNIX—Use Acrobat Viewer because Reader is not available for

all operating systems. Your system must have Java Runtime
Environment 1.1.7B from April 11, 2000 or later. The Viewer is
located on the installation CD

at

mount-point

www.adobe.com

Autorun

/Acrobat_Reader

.

on the root to enter.

.

Note: To download Java Virtual Machine (JVM), visit

java.sun.com.

■ NetWare—Acrobat Reader and Viewer are not available for this

operating system or any DOS environment. You need to use a
computer that supports Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Viewer.

1-14

Introduction

Software Tools Overview

The Adaptec RAID controller includes the following tools to
configure and manage your storage devices:

■ Adaptec Storage Manager—Storage management application

with a graphical user interface. Used to create, configure, and
manage arrays. For details, see Chapters 4 and 5.

■ Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) Utility—BIOS-based

utility that contains the following components:

– Array Configuration Utility (ACU)—Storage management

utility. Used to create, configure, and manage arrays. Also
available as a DOS-based executable (see below). For details,
see Appendix A.

– SATASelect and SCSISelect—Device management utility.

Used to verify the hardware configuration of the controller
and the drives. For details, see page A-9.

– Disk Utilities—Drive management utility. Used to format

and verify drives. For details, see page A-14.

■ Array Configuration Utility (ACU) for DOS—DOS utility.

Used to create, configure, and manage arrays. Also available as
part of the ARC utility (see above). For details, see Appendix B.

■

Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU)

—DOS utility. Used to update, save,
or verify the controller firmware, BIOS, and ARC versions. For
details, see Appendix C.

■ Command Line Interface (CLI)—Allows you to automate array

creation or testing in a production environment using scripts.
For details, see Appendix D.

Safety Information

To ensure your personal safety, as well as the safety of you
equipment:

■

Keep your work area and the computer clean and clear of debris.

■ Before opening the system cabinet, unplug the power cord.

1-15

Introduction

Electrostatic Discharge

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is a natural by-product of human
activity. ESD is produced by materials that accumulate and retain
electrical charges which are transferred to people or other objects
upon contact.

Caution: ESD can damage electronic components when they

!

are improperly handled and can result in total or intermittent
failures. Always follow ESD-prevention procedures when
removing and replacing components.

To prevent ESD damage:

■ Use an ESD wrist or ankle strap and ensure that it makes skin

contact. Connect the equipment end of the strap to an
unpainted metal surface on the chassis. If a wrist strap is not
available, ground yourself by touching the metal chassis before
handling the controller or any other part of the computer.

■ Avoid touching the controller against your clothing. The wrist

strap protects components from ESD voltages present on the
body only. ESD voltages on clothing can still cause damage.

■ Handle your controller by its bracket or edges only. Avoid

touching the printed circuit board or the connectors.

■ When you need to put your controller down, use an antistatic

surface such as the bag supplied in your kit.

■ If you plan to return the controller to Adaptec, put it back in its

antistatic bag immediately.

1-16

2

Installing the Controller
and Drives

In this Chapter...

SATA Drives and Cables 2-2
SCSI Drives and Cables 2-2
Installing the Controller and Drives 2-3
Determining the Boot Controller 2-4
Creating a Bootable RAID 5 Array 2-5

2-1

Installing the Controller and Drives

SATA Drives and Cables

To install an Adaptec SATA RAID controller and drives, you need
equal numbers of each of the following:

■ Serial ATA hard drives

■ Serial ATA cables (supplied in this kit)

Configuration of Serial ATA drives is simple for the following reasons:

■ There are no jumpers or switches to set on SATA controllers or

hard drives.

■ Cable connectors are identical, so you don’t need to worry

about which end to attach to the controller and which end to the
drive.

■ All connectors are keyed so that you can insert them in only one

direction.

■ Adaptec 2020SA/2025SA only—When connecting SATA cables to

the motherboard connectors, make sure that you use the Zero
Channel RAID (ZCR) enabled connectors. For details, refer to
the motherboard documentation.

SCSI Drives and Cables

Adaptec recommends using only the latest Ultra320 hard drives in
arrays and only high-quality Ultra320-rated cables with multimode
terminators for all drives that share a channel with Ultra320 drives.

Notes:

■ For additional considerations related to installing SCSI

drives, see Appendix F, About SCSI.

■ Use only good quality cables. Poor quality cables may

degrade system reliability. Avoid cables not rated for
Ultra320 operation.

■ To buy cables, visit www.adaptec.com.

■ Use device adapters as needed to connect any SE drives.

■ Do not attach a cable to the controller unless the other end

of the cable is attached to a least one drive. Doing so
would cause unstable operation.

2-2