Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller 5i User Manual

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Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable

RAID Controller 5/i and 5/E

User’s Guide

Model UCP-50 and UCP-51

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable

RAID Controller 5/i and 5/E

User’s Guide

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your system.

NOTICE: A NOTICE warns against either potential damage to hardware or of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

NOTE: See the Product Information Guide that came with your system for complete information about U.S. Terms and

Conditions of Sale, Limited Warranties, and Returns, Export Regulations, Software License Agreement, Safety, Environmental and Ergonomic Instructions, Regulatory Notices, and Recycling Information.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, PowerVault, Dell Precision, and OpenManage are trademarks of Dell Inc.

MegaRAID is a registered trademark of LSI Logic Corporation. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows Server, and Windows are registered trademarks, and W indows V ista is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Novell and SUSE are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Model UCP-50 and UCP-51

January 2007 P/N GD740 Rev. A03

CAUTION: Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

SAFETY: General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

SAFETY: When Working Inside Your System

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

SAFETY: Battery Disposal

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Scope of the User’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PERC 5 Controller Descriptions

PCI Architecture

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Operating System Support

RAID Description

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Summary of RAID Levels

RAID Terminology

Disk Striping Disk Mirroring Parity

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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2 PERC 5 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

PERC 5 Controller Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created

on Existing PERC 5 Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

SMART Technology Background Initialization LED Operation Disk Roaming Disk Migration Alarm Alert in Case of Physical Disk Failures

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Contents 3

Battery Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Introduction to Write Cache Policy Write-Back versus Write-Through How Firmware Manages Cache Conditions Under Which Write-Back is Employed Conditions Under Which Write-Through is Employed

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Conditions Under Which Forced Write-Back With No Battery is Employed

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RAID Configuration Information

Fault Tolerance Features

Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Patrol Read

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Patrol Read Behavior Configuration

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Patrol Read Modes Behavior Details

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Blocked Operations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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3 Hardware Installation and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Installing the PERC 5/E Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Installing the Transportable Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) for PERC 5/E

Installing the DIMM on a PERC 5/E Adapter

Transferring a TBBU Between Controllers

Removing the DIMM and Battery from a PERC 5/E Adapter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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Removing the PERC 5/E Adapter

Installing the PERC 5/i Adapter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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4 Contents

Removing the PERC 5/i Adapter

Removing the DIMM from a PERC 5/i Card

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Disconnecting the BBU from a PERC 5/i Adapter or a PERC 5/i

. . . . . . . . . 38

4 Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Creating a Driver Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Installing the Driver During a Microsoft Operating System Installation

Installing a Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, or XP Driver for a New RAID Controller

Updating an Existing Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows Vista Driver

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Installing Windows Vista for a New RAID Controller

Installing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Driver

Creating a Driver Diskette Installing the Driver

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Installing the Driver Using an Update RPM

Installing the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (Version 9 or 10) Driver

Installing the Driver Using an Update RPM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

5 RAID Configuration and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Dell OpenManage Storage Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

SAS RAID Storage Manager

BIOS Configuration Utility

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility

Starting the BIOS Configuration Utility

Exiting the Configuration Utility

Menu Navigation Controls

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RAID Configuration Functions

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Contents 5

BIOS Configuration Utility Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt) Physical Disk Management (PD Mgmt) Physical Disk Actions

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Controller Management (Ctrl Mgmt) Controller Management Disk Actions Foreign Configuration View

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Setting Up Virtual Disks

Creating Virtual Disks Initializing Virtual Disks

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Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the VD Mgmt Menu

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Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen

Setting LED Blinking

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Managing Dedicated Hot Spares Creating Global Hot Spares

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Removing Global or Dedicated Hot Spares

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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Enabling the Alarm to Alert in Case of Physical Disk Failures Checking Data Consistency Stopping Background Initialization

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk Deleting Virtual Disks Deleting Disk Groups Upgrading Firmware Enabling Boot Support Enabling BIOS Stop on Error Restoring Factory Default Settings

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6 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6 Contents

Virtual Disks Degraded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Memory Errors

General Problems

Physical Disk Related Issues

Physical Disk Failures and Rebuilds

SMART Error

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PERC 5 Post Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Errors

LED Behavior Patterns

Audible Alarm Warnings

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7 Appendix: Regulatory Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Regulatory Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

FCC, Class A FCC, Class B

Industry Canada (Canada Only)

Industry Canada, Class A Industry Canada, Class B

CE Notice (European Union)

MIC Notice (Republic of Korea Only)

VCCI (Japan Only)

CNCA (China Only)

CNCA, Class A

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información NOM (únicamente para México)

Corporate Contact Details (Taiwan Only)

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Index

Contents 7

8 Contents

CAUTION: Safety Instructions

Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect your system and working environment from potential damage.

CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or

equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. See "SAFETY: Battery Disposal" on page 10.

NOTE: See the safety regulations and warnings stated in the documentation that ships with your

PowerEdge™ system/Dell Precision™ workstation.

SAFETY: General

• Observe and follow service markings. Do not service any product except as explained in your user documentation. Opening or removing covers that are marked with the triangular symbol with a lightning bolt may expose you to electrical shock. Components inside these compartments should be serviced only by a trained service technician.

• If any of the following conditions occur, unplug the product from the electrical outlet and replace the part or contact your trained service provider:

– The power cable, extension cable, or plug is damaged.

– An object has fallen into the product.

– The product has been exposed to water.

– The product has been dropped or damaged.

– The product does not operate correctly when you follow the operating instructions.

• Use the product only with approved equipment.

• Operate the product only from the type of external power source indicated on the electrical ratings label. If you are not sure of the type of power source required, consult your service provider or local power company.

• Handle batteries carefully. Do not disassemble, crush, puncture, short external contacts, dispose of in fire or water, or expose batteries to temperatures higher than 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not attempt to open or service batteries; replace batteries only with batteries designated for the product.

SAFETY: When Working Inside Your System

Before you remove the system covers, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated.

CAUTION: Except as expressly otherwise instructed in Dell documentation, only trained service technicians are authorized

to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside the system.

NOTICE: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the system before removing a

component from the system board or disconnecting a peripheral device.

Turn off the system and any devices.

Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis before touching anything inside the system.

While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.

Disconnect your system and devices from their power sources. To reduce the potential of personal injury or shock, disconnect any telecommunication lines from the system.

SAFETY: General 9

In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:

• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.

• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) events can harm electronic components inside your computer. Under certain conditions, ESD may build up on your body or an object, such as a peripheral, and then discharge into another object, such as your computer. To prevent ESD damage, you should discharge static electricity from your body before you interact with any of your computer’s internal electronic components, such as a memory module. You can protect against ESD by touching a metal grounded object (such as an unpainted metal surface on your computer’s I/O panel) before you interact with anything electronic. When connecting a peripheral (including handheld digital assistants) to your computer, you should always ground both yourself and the peripheral before connecting it to the computer. In addition, as you work inside the computer, periodically touch an I/O connector to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.

You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge:

• When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component from the antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component. Just before unwrapping the antistatic package, be sure to discharge static electricity from your body.

• When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic container or packaging.

• Handle all electrostatic sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and work bench pads.

SAFETY: Battery Disposal

Your system may use a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), lithium coin-cell, and/or a lithium-ion battery. The NiMH, lithium coin-cell, and lithium-ion batteries are long-life batteries, and it is very possible that you will never need to replace them. However, should you need to replace them, refer to the instructions included in the section

Configuration and Management

Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your local waste disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit site.

" on page 49.

NOTE: Your system may also include circuit cards or other components that contain batteries. These batteries must also

be disposed of in a battery deposit site. For information about such batteries, refer to the documentation for the specific card or component.

"RAID

Taiwan Battery Recycling Mark

10 Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Overview

The Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller (PERC) 5 family of controllers offers redundant array of independent disks (RAID) control capabilities. The PERC 5 Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) RAID controllers support SAS devices and Dell-qualified SATA devices. The controllers provide reliability, high performance, and fault-tolerant disk subsystem management.

Scope of the User’s Guide

This user’s guide for the PERC 5 controllers documents the following topics:

• Basic information about the PERC 5 controllers and RAID functionality

• Information about PERC 5 controller features

• Hardware installation and battery management

• Installation procedures for operating system drivers

• RAID configuration and management

• Troubleshooting information

• Regulatory information and notices

PERC 5 Controller Descriptions

The following list includes a description of each type of controller:

• The PERC 5/E Adapter with two external x4 SAS ports and a transportable battery backup unit (TBBU)

• The PERC 5/i Adapter with two internal x4 SAS ports with or without a battery backup unit, depending on the system

• The PERC 5/i Integrated controller with two internal x4 SAS ports and a battery backup unit

Each controller supports up to 64 virtual disks. In addition, PERC 5/E controllers provide two ports that can connect to up to three enclosures each, for a total of six enclosures per controller. Each enclosure can contain up to 15 physical disks, meaning a controller can support up to 90 physical disks total in the six enclosures.

NOTE: PERC 5/i is limited by the configuration supported on the platform.

Overview 11

PCI Architecture

PERC 5 controllers support a PCI-E x8 host interface. PCI-E is a high-performance I/O bus architecture designed to increase data transfers without slowing down the Central Processing Unit (CPU). PCI-E goes beyond the PCI specification and is intended as a unifying I/O architecture for various systems such as, desktops, workstations, mobiles, server, communications, and embedded devices.

Operating System Support

The PERC 5 controllers support the following operating systems:

• Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server family

• Windows Server

• Windows Server 2003 DataCenter

• Windows XP

• Windows Vista™

•Red Hat

•SUSE

NOTE: See driver release on www.dell.com for specific operating system service pack requirements.

NOTE: Microsoft Windows XP is supported with a PERC 5 controller only when the controller is installed in a

Dell Precision™ workstation.

NOTE: See the system documentation located at the Dell Support website at support.dell.com for the latest list of

supported operating systems and driver installation instructions.

Linux Enterprise Server 9 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10

2003 (includes Standard, Enterprise, and Small Business Servers)

Enterprise Linux® 3, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5

RAID Description

RAID is a group of multiple independent physical disks that provide high performance by increasing the number of drives used for saving and accessing data. A RAID disk subsystem improves input/output (I/O) performance and data availability. The physical disk group appears to the host system as either a single storage unit or multiple logical units. Data throughput improves because several disks are accessed simultaneously. RAID systems also improve data storage availability and fault tolerance. Data loss caused by a physical disk failure can be recovered by rebuilding missing data from the remaining data or parity physical disks.

NOTICE: In the event of a physical disk failure, you cannot rebuild data on a RAID 0 virtual disk.

Summary of RAID Levels

RAID 0 uses disk striping to provide high data throughput, especially for large files in an environment that requires no data redundancy.

12 Overview

RAID 1 uses disk mirroring so that data written to one physical disk is simultaneously written to another physical disk. This is good for small databases or other applications that require small capacity, but complete data redundancy.

RAID 5 uses disk striping and parity data across all physical disks (distributed parity) to provide high data throughput and data redundancy, especially for small random access.

RAID 10, a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, uses disk striping across mirrored spans. It provides high data throughput and complete data redundancy.

RAID 50, a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 5, uses distributed data parity and disk striping and works best with data that requires high system availability, high request rates, high data transfers, and medium-to-large capacity.

RAID Terminology

Disk Striping

Disk striping allows you to write data across multiple physical disks instead of just one physical disk. Disk striping involves partitioning each physical disk storage space into stripes that can vary in size ranging from 8 KB to 128 KB, often referred to as stripe size. These stripes are interleaved in a repeated sequential manner. The part of the stripe on a single physical disk is called a strip.

For example, in a four-disk system using only disk striping (used in RAID level 0), segment 1 is written to disk 1, segment 2 is written to disk 2, and so on. Disk striping enhances performance because multiple physical disks are accessed simultaneously, but disk striping does not provide data redundancy.

Figure 1-1 shows an example of disk striping.

Figure 1-1. Example of Disk Striping (RAID 0)

Stripe element 1 Stripe element 5 Stripe element 9

Stripe element 2 Stripe element 6

Stripe element 10

Stripe element 3 Stripe element 7

Stripe element 11

Stripe element 4 Stripe element 8

Stripe element 12

Disk Mirroring

With mirroring (used in RAID 1), data written to one disk is simultaneously written to another disk. If one disk fails, the contents of the other disk can be used to run the system and rebuild the failed physical disk. The primary advantage of disk mirroring is that it provides 100 percent data redundancy. Because the contents of the disk are completely written to a second disk, it does not matter if one of the disks fails. Both disks contain the same data at all times. Either of the physical disks can act as the operational physical disk.

Overview 13

Disk mirroring provides 100 percent redundancy, but is expensive because each physical disk in the system must be duplicated. Figure 1-2 shows an example of disk mirroring.

NOTE: Mirrored physical disks improve read performance by read load balance.

Figure 1-2. Example of Disk Mirroring (RAID 1)

Stripe element 1 Stripe element 2 Stripe element 3 Stripe element 4 Stripe element 4 Duplicated

Stripe element 1 Duplicated Stripe element 2 Duplicated Stripe element 3 Duplicated

Parity

Parity creates a set of redundant data from two or more parent data sets. You can use the redundant data to rebuild one of the parent data sets. Parity data does not fully duplicate the parent data sets but that data can be used to reconstruct the data if lost. In RAID, this method is applied to entire physical disks or stripes across all the physical disks in a physical disk group.

The parity data is distributed across all the physical disks in the system. If a single physical disk fails, it can be rebuilt from the parity and the data on the remaining physical disks. RAID level 5 combines distributed parity with disk striping, as shown in Figure 1-3. Parity provides redundancy for one physical disk failure without duplicating the contents of entire physical disks. However, parity generation can slow the write process.

Figure 1-3. Example of Distributed Parity (RAID 5)

Segment 1 Segment 7

Segment 13 Segment 19 Segment 25

Parity (26–30)

Note: Parity is distributed across all drives in the array.

Segment 2 Segment 8

Segment 14

Segment 20

Parity (21–25)

Segment 26

Segment 3 Segment 9

Segment 15

Parity (16–20)

Segment 21 Segment 27 Segment 29

Segment 4

Segment 10

Parity (11–15)

Segment 16 Segment 22 Segment 28

Segment 5

Parity (6–10)

Segment 11

Segment 17

Segment 23

Parity (1–5)

Segment 6

Segment 12

Segment 18

Segment 24

Segment 30

NOTE: Parity is distributed across multiple physical disks in the disk group.

14 Overview

PERC 5 Features

This section describes the features of the The Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller (PERC) 5 family of controllers, such as the configuration options, disk array performance, hardware specifications, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) management utilities, and operating system software drivers.

PERC 5 Controller Features

This section describes the hardware configuration features for the PERC 5 controllers. Table 2-1 compares the configurations for the controllers.

Table 2-1. PERC 5 Controller Comparisons

Specification PERC 5/E Adapter PERC 5/i Adapter PERC 5/i Integrated

RAID Levels 0, 1, 5, 10, 50 0, 1, 5, 10, 50 0, 1, 5, 10, 50

Enclosures per Port Up to 3 enclosures N/A N/A

Ports 2 x4 external wide port 2 x4 internal wide port 2 x4 internal wide port

Processor Intel

Battery Backup Unit Yes, Transportable Yes

Cache Memory 256 MB DDR2 cache

Cache Function Write-back, write-

Maximum Number of Drives per Array

Maximum Number of Arrays per Disk Group

IOP333 I/O processor with Intel XScale Technology

memory size

through, adaptive read ahead, non-read ahead, read ahead

Up to 32 drives per array Up to 32 drives per array Up to 32 drives per array

Up to 8 arrays (in a spanned configuration)

Intel IOP333 I/O processor with Intel XScale Technology

256 MB DDR2 cache memory size

Write-back, writethrough, adaptive read ahead, non-read ahead, read ahead

Up to 8 arrays (in a spanned configuration)

Intel IOP333 I/O processor with Intel XScale Technology

Ye s

256 MB DDR2 cache memory size

Write-back, writethrough, adaptive read ahead, non-read ahead, read ahead

Up to 8 arrays (in a spanned configuration)

PERC 5 Features 15

Table 2-1. PERC 5 Controller Comparisons (continued)

Specification PERC 5/E Adapter PERC 5/i Adapter PERC 5/i Integrated

Maximum Number of Virtual Disks per Disk Group

Multiple Virtual Disks per Controller

Support for x8 PCI Express host interface

Online Capacity Expansion

Dedicated and Global Hot Spares

Hot Swap Devices Supported

Non-Disk Devices Supported

Mixed Capacity Physical Disks Supported

Hardware Exclusive-OR (XOR) Assistance

The PERC 5/i Adapter supports a battery backup unit (BBU) on selected systems only. See the documentation that shipped with the system for additional information.

Up to 16 virtual disks per disk group

RAID 0=16

RAID 1=16

RAID 5=16

RAID 10= 1

RAID 50=1

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

Ye s Ye s Ye s

No No No

Ye s Ye s Ye s

Yes Yes Yes

Up to 16 virtual disks per disk group

RAID 0=16

RAID 1=16

RAID 5=16

RAID 10=1

RAID 50=1

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

Up to 16 virtual disks per disk group

RAID 0=16

RAID 1=16

RAID 5=16

RAID 10=RAID 50=1

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

NOTE: The maximum length of cable that you can use for Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) is 4 meters (13 feet) from port

to port. This applies only to external cables.

NOTE: The maximum array size is limited by the maximum number of drives per array (32) and the maximum

number of spans per disk group (8), along with the size of the physical drives. This limits the number of spans in RAID 10 to eight, giving a total of 16 drives per virtual disk.

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created on Existing PERC 5 Controllers

The PERC 5 controllers recognize and use virtual disks created on existing PERC 5 controllers without risking data loss, corruption, redundancy, or configuration loss. Similarly, the virtual disks created on the controllers can be transferred to other PERC 5 controllers.

NOTE: For more information about compatibility, contact your Dell Technical Support Representative.

16 PERC 5 Features

SMART Technology

The Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) feature monitors the internal performance of all motors, heads, and physical disk electronics to detect predictable physical disk failures. This feature helps monitor physical disk performance and reliability, and protects the data on the physical disk. When problems are detected on a physical disk, you can replace or repair the physical disk without losing any data.

SMART-compliant physical disks have attributes for which data (values) can be monitored to identify changes in values and determine whether the values are within threshold limits. Many mechanical and electrical failures display some degradation in performance before failure.

There are numerous factors that relate to predictable physical disk failures, such as a bearing failure, a broken read/write head, and changes in spin-up rate. In addition, there are factors related to read/write surface failure, such as seek error rate and excessive bad sectors.

NOTE: See www.t10.org for detailed information about Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface

specifications and www.t13.org for Serial Attached ATA (SATA) interface specifications.

Background Initialization

Background Initialization (BGI) is a process to correct parity on the virtual disks. BGI is an automated check for media errors in which parity is created and written in the process. BGI does not run on RAID 0 virtual disks.

NOTE: You cannot permanently disable BGI. If you cancel BGI, it automatically restarts within five minutes.

See "Stopping Background Initialization" on page 67 for information on stopping BGI.

The background initialization rate is controlled by the storage management software. You must stop an ongoing background initialization before you change the rate, or the rate change will not take effect. After you stop background initialization and change the rate, the rate change will take effect when the background initialization restarts automatically.

NOTE: Unlike initialization of virtual disks, background initialization does not clear data from the physical disks.

NOTE: Consistency Check and Background Initialization perform the same function. The difference between them

is that Background Initialization cannot be started manually, while Consistency Check can.

LED Operation

The LED on the physical disk carrier indicates the state of each physical disk. For internal storage, see your system documentation for more information about the blink patterns.

For blink patterns on the Dell PowerVault™ MD1000, see the Dell PowerVault MD1000 Hardware

Owner’s Manual. For blink patterns on the Dell PowerVault MD3000, see the Dell PowerVault MD3000 Hardware Owner’s Manual.

PERC 5 Features 17

Disk Roaming

The PERC 5 controllers support moving physical disks from one cable connection or backplane slot to another on the same controller. The controllers automatically recognize the relocated physical disks and logically place them in the proper virtual disks that are part of the disk group. You can perform disk roaming only when the system is shut down.

Perform the following steps to use disk roaming.

For proper shutdown, turn off the power to the system, physical disks, enclosures, and system components, and then disconnect the power cords from the system.

Move the physical disks to different positions on the backplane or enclosure.

Perform a safety check. Make sure the physical disks are inserted properly and perform correctly.

Turn on the system.

The controller detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the physical disks.

Disk Migration

The PERC 5 controllers support migration of virtual disks from one controller to another without taking the target controller offline. However, the source controller must be offline prior to performing the disk migration. The controller can import a virtual disk that is in optimal or degraded state. A virtual disk in offline state cannot be imported.

NOTE: The PERC 5 controllers are not backward compatible with previous SCSI PERC RAID controllers.

When a controller detects a physical disk with a pre-existing configuration, it flags the physical disk as foreign and generates an alert indicating that a foreign disk was detected.

Dedicated hot spares are imported as global hot spares. The firmware generates an alert to indicate a change in hot spare configuration.

Perform the following steps to use disk migration.

Turn off the system that contains the source controller.

Move the appropriate physical disks from the source controller to the target controller.

The system with the target controller can be running while inserting the physical disks.

The storage management application will flag the inserted disks as foreign disks.

Use the storage management application to import the detected foreign configuration.

NOTE: Ensure the complete set of physical disks that form the virtual disk are migrated.

Alarm Alert in Case of Physical Disk Failures

An audible alarm is available on the PERC 5/E Adapter to alert you of key critical and warning events involving the virtual disk or physical disk problems. You can use the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) Configuration Utility and management application to enable, disable, or silence the on-board alarm tone.

NOTE: See "Audible Alarm Warnings" on page 79 for information about audible alarm codes.

18 PERC 5 Features

Battery Management

The Transportable Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) is a cache memory module with an integrated battery pack that enables you to transport the cache module with the battery into a new controller. The TBBU protects the integrity of the cached data on the PERC 5/E Adapter by providing backup power during a power outage.

The Battery Backup Unit (BBU) is a battery pack that protects the integrity of the cached data on the PERC 5/i Adapter and PERC 5/i Integrated controllers by providing backup power during a power outage. Unlike the TBBU, the BBU is not directly attached to the cache memory module and is therefore not transportable with the controller.

The TBBU and BBU offer an inexpensive way to protect the data on the memory module. The lithium battery provides a way to store more power in a smaller form factor than previous batteries.

See "Transferring a TBBU Between Controllers" on page 30 for detailed procedures about handling controller cache in case of a controller failure.

Introduction to Write Cache Policy

The cache controller writes a block of data to cache memory, which is much faster than writing to the physical disk. The cache controller sends an acknowledgement of data transfer completion to the host system.

Write-Back versus Write-Through

In write-through caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host system when the disk subsystem has received all the data in a transaction. The controller then writes the cached data to the storage device when system activity is low or when the write buffer approaches capacity.

In write-back caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host when the controller cache has received all the data in a transaction. The cached data is not written to the storage device.

The risk of using write-back cache is that the cached data can be lost if there is a power failure before it is written to the storage device. This risk is eliminated by using a battery backup unit on selected PERC 5 controllers. Refer to Table 2-1 for information on which controllers support a battery backup unit.

Write-back caching has a performance advantage over write-through caching.

NOTE: The default cache setting is write-back caching.

NOTE: Certain data patterns and configurations perform better in a write-through cache policy.

How Firmware Manages Cache

Firmware manages cache based on the condition of the battery. Learn Cycle is a battery calibration operation performed by the controller periodically (approximately every 3 months) to determine the condition of the battery.

PERC 5 Features 19

Conditions Under Which Write-Back is Employed

Write-back caching is used under all conditions in which the battery is present and in good condition.

Conditions Under Which Write-Through is Employed

Write-through caching is used under all conditions in which the battery is missing or in a low-charge state. Low-charge state is when the battery is not capable of maintaining data for at least 24 hours in the case of a power loss.

Conditions Under Which Forced Write-Back With No Battery is Employed

Write-Back mode is available when the user selects Force WB with no battery. When Forced Write-Back mode is selected, the virtual disk is in Write-Back mode even if the battery is present and in good condition (healthy), or if a learn cycle is in process. Dell recommends that you use a power backup system when forcing Write-Back to ensure that there is no loss of data if the system suddenly loses power.

Learn Cycle Completion Time Frame

The time frame for completion of a learn cycle is a function of the battery charge capacity and the discharge/charge currents used. For PERC 5, the expected time frame for completion of a learn cycle is approximately seven hours and consists of the following parts:

• Learn cycle discharge cycle: approximately three hours

• Learn cycle charge cycle: approximately four hours

Learn cycles shorten as the battery capacity derates over time.

NOTE: See the storage management application for additional information.

During the discharge phase of a learn cycle, the PERC 5 battery charger is disabled. In this phase, the battery voltage is monitored through the smart battery bus (SMBus) using the battery gas-gauge. When the battery reaches the discharge capacity threshold (DCT), the dummy load is disabled and the battery charger is re-enabled. At this point, the battery charger detects that the battery is below the fast charge trigger voltage (FCTV) and initiates a fast-charge of the battery. The learn cycle completes once the battery fast charge is completed.

20 PERC 5 Features

RAID Configuration Information

Table 2-2 lists the configuration features for the PERC 5 controllers.

Table 2-2. Features for RAID Configuration

Specification PERC 5/E Adapter PERC 5/i Adapter and 5/i Integrated

Number of virtual disks supported

Online RAID level migration Yes Yes

Disk roaming Yes Yes

No reboot necessary after capacity expansion

User-specified rebuild rate Yes Yes

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

NOTE: The number of physical disks on a

controller is limited by the backplane on which the card is attached.

Ye s Ye s

Fault Tolerance Features

Table 2-3 lists the features that provide fault tolerance to prevent data loss in case of a failed physical disk.

Table 2-3. Fault Tolerance Features

Specification Feature

Support for SMART Yes

Support for Patrol Read Yes

Physical disk failure detection Automatic

Physical disk rebuild using hot spares Automatic

Parity generation and checking (RAID 5 only) Yes

Battery backup for controller cache to protect configuration data Yes

Hot-swap manual replacement of a physical disk unit without bringing the system down Yes

The PERC 5/i Adapter supports a battery backup unit (BBU) on selected systems only. For additional information, see documentation that was shipped with the system.

PERC 5 Features 21

Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Hot swapping is the manual substitution of a replacement unit in a disk subsystem for a defective one, where the substitution can be performed while the subsystem is running (performing its normal functions).

NOTE: The backplane or enclosure must support hot swapping in order for the PERC 5 controllers to support

hot swapping.

NOTE: Ensure that SAS drives are replaced with SAS drives and SATA drives are replaced with SATA drives.

NOTE: While swapping a disk, ensure that the new disk is of equal or greater capacity than the disk that is

being replaced.

Failed Physical Disk Detection

The firmware automatically detects and rebuilds failed physical disks. Automatic rebuilds can be performed transparently with hot spares. If you have configured hot spares, the controllers automatically try to use them to rebuild failed physical disks.

Patrol Read

The Patrol Read function is designed as a preventive measure that includes review of your system for possible physical disk errors that could lead to physical disk failure and damage data integrity. The Patrol Read operation can find and possibly resolve any potential problem with physical disks prior to host access. This can enhance overall system performance because error recovery during a normal I/O operation may not be necessary. You can use the storage management application to perform Patrol Read functions.

Patrol Read Behavior

The following is an overview of Patrol Read behavior:

Patrol Read runs on all disks on the controller that are configured as part of a virtual disk including hot spares. Patrol Read does not run on unconfigured physical disks. Unconfigured disks are those that are not part of a virtual disk or are in a ready state.

Patrol Read adjusts the amount of controller resources dedicated to Patrol Read operations based on outstanding disk I/O. For example, if the system is busy processing I/O operation, then Patrol Read will use fewer resources to allow the I/O to take a higher priority.

Patrol Read operates on all configured physical disks on the controller and there is no method to deselect disks.

In a Patrol Read iteration, Patrol Read will restart from zero percent if in Patrol Read does not restart on a reboot. Use dedicated to running Patrol Read.

Manual

mode if you have selected a window of time

Auto

mode. In

Manual

mode,

22 PERC 5 Features

Configuration

You can use the storage management application to select the Patrol Read options. Use Patrol Read options to set automatic or manual operation, or disable Patrol Read.

functions and operations available in the

NOTE: See the storage management application’s documentation for more information about the Patrol Read

configuration features available.

Storage Management application

The following sections describe Patrol Read

Patrol Read Modes

The following describes the scheduling details for Patrol Read:

By default the controller sets the Patrol Read to

Manual

Auto

within seven days after the last iteration is completed.

When

will start at:

mode.

mode, Patrol Read runs continuously on the system and is scheduled to start a new Patrol Read

Patrol Read Mode

field will be set to

is changed from

N/A

Auto

mode. You can set the Patrol Read to either

Manual

, or

Auto

Disabled

, the

Next execution

Auto

Behavior Details

The behavior details of Patrol Read are as follows:

Setting Patrol Read in

Start

select mode until you change it.

Setting the mode to set itself to run within seven days of the last iteration.

whenever you want to run Patrol Read. When the mode is set to

Manual

Automatic

mode does not start Patrol Read. It only sets the mode so that you can

Manual

starts Patrol Read. When the Patrol Read operation is complete, it will

, it remains in that

Blocked Operations

If any of the following conditions exist, then Patrol Read will not run on any of the affected disks:

• An unconfigured disk (the disk is in the

• Disks that are members of a virtual disk undergoing a reconstruction

• Disks that are members of a virtual disk undergoing a Background Initialization or Consistency Check

READY

state)

PERC 5 Features 23

24 PERC 5 Features

Hardware Installation and Configuration

This chapter describes how to install the Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller (PERC) 5 cards.

Installing the PERC 5/E Adapter

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of

the components inside the system. Before performing any procedure, see your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Unpack the PERC 5/E Adapter and check for damage.

NOTE: Contact Dell Technical support if the controller is damaged.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet. See your system’s

Disconnect the system from the network and remove the cover of the system. See your system’s

Hardware Owner’s Manual

Select an empty PCI Express (

system aligned with the PCI-E slot you have selected.

Align the PERC 5/E Adapter to the PCI-E slot you have selected.

Insert the controller gently, but firmly, until the controller is firmly seated in the PCI-E slot. See Figure 3-1.

Hardware Owner’s Manual

for more information on opening the system.

PCI-E) slot. Remove the blank filler bracket on the back of the

for more information on power supplies.

CAUTION: Never apply pressure to the memory module while inserting the controller into the

PCI-E slot. Applying pressure could break the module.

CAUTION: Electrostatic discharge can damage sensitive components. Always use proper antistatic

protection when handling components. Touching components without using a proper ground can damage the equipment.

NOTE: See your system documentation for a list of compatible controllers.

Hardware Installation and Configuration 25

Figure 3-1. Installing a PERC 5/E Adapter

bracket screw

filler bracket

PERC 5/E Adapter

PCI-E slot

Tighten the bracket screw, if any, or use the system’s retention clips to secure the controller to the system’s chassis.

Replace the cover of the system. See your system’s

Hardware Owner’s Manual

for more information on

closing the system.

Connect the cable from the external enclosure to the controller. See Figure 3-2.

Figure 3-2. Connecting the Cable From the External Enclosure

cable from the external enclosure

Reconnect the power cable(s) and network cables, and then turn on the system.

26 Hardware Installation and Configuration

connector on the controller

system

Installing the Transportable Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) for PERC 5/E

This section describes the installation of the transportable battery backup unit (TBBU) on the PERC 5/E.

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the

components inside the system. Before performing any procedure, see your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

NOTE: All work must be performed at an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)-safe workstation to meet the requirements

of EIA-625 - "Requirements For Handling Electrostatic Discharge Sensitive Devices." All actions must be performed following the IPC-A-610 latest revision ESD recommended practices.

NOTE: Charge the PERC 5 battery before initial use to attain full functionality.

Unpack the TBBU and follow all antistatic procedures.

CAUTION: When unpacking static sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the

component from the antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component. Just before unwrapping the antistatic package, ensure that you discharge static electricity from your body.

NOTICE: When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic container or packaging.

NOTE: Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and work

bench pads.

With the DIMM removed from the controller, insert one end of the battery pack harness (the red, white, yellow, and green wires) into the connector on the memory module and the other end into the connector on the battery.

Place the top edge of the battery over the top edge of the memory module so that the arms on the side of the battery fit into their sockets on the memory module. See Figure 3-3.

CAUTION: Electrostatic discharge can damage sensitive components. Always use proper antistatic

protection when handling components. Touching components without using a proper ground can damage the equipment.

Hardware Installation and Configuration 27

Figure 3-3. Installing a TBBU

memory module

connector on the memory module

battery pack harness

Place the PERC 5/E on a flat, clean, static–free surface.

Mount the memory module in the controller memory socket like a standard DIMM. See "Installing the

connector on the battery

battery

DIMM on a PERC 5/E Adapter" on page 28 for more information.

The memory module is mounted flush with the board so that the memory module is parallel to the board when installed.

Press the memory module firmly into the memory socket.

As you press the memory module into the socket, the TBBU clicks into place, indicating that the controller is firmly seated in the socket, and the arms on the socket fit into the notches to hold the memory module securely.

Installing the DIMM on a PERC 5/E Adapter

This section describes how to install the memory module on a PERC 5/E Adapter.

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the

NOTICE: PERC 5 cards support DELL-qualified 256-MB DDRII 400MHz ECC-registered DIMMs with x16 DRAM

components. Installing unsupported memory causes the system to hang at POST.

Remove the memory module in an antistatic environment.

NOTE: When unpacking a static sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component

from the antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component. Just before unwrapping the antistatic package, ensure to discharge static electricity from your body.

NOTE: Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and work

bench pads.

NOTE: Do not touch the gold leads and do not bend the memory module.

28 Hardware Installation and Configuration

2 Align the memory module so that the keyed edge of the memory module is placed exactly on top of

the physical divider on the memory socket of the controller to

Insert the memory module on the memory socket of the controller and apply a smooth, downward

avoid damage to the DIMM.

pressure on both ends or on the middle of the memory module until the retention clips fall into the allotted slots on either side of the memory module. See Figure 3-4.

NOTE: Figure 3-4 displays the installation of a memory module on a PERC 5/E Adapter.

Figure 3-4. Installing a DIMM

memory module

memory socket

PERC 5/E Adapter

retention clip

Hardware Installation and Configuration 29

Transferring a TBBU Between Controllers

The TBBU provides uninterrupted power supply to the memory module for up to 72 hours if power supply is unexpectedly interrupted while cached data is still present. If the controller fails as a result of a power failure, you can move the TBBU to a new controller and recover the data. The controller that replaces the failed controller must be devoid of any prior configuration.

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the

Perform the following steps to replace a failed controller with data in the TBBU:

Turn off the system and disconnect the physical disks.

Remove the controller that has the TBBU currently installed from the system.

Remove the TBBU from the controller.

Insert the TBBU into the new controller.

See "Installing the Transportable Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) for PERC 5/E" on page 27.

Insert the new controller into the system.

See the relevant sections on installing controllers under "Installing the PERC 5/E Adapter" on page 25.

Turn on the system.

The controller flushes the cache data to the virtual disks.

Removing the PERC 5/E Adapter

This section describes how to remove the PERC 5/E from a system.

NOTE: In the event that the SAS cable is accidentally pulled when the system is operational, reconnect the cable

and refer to the online help of your storage management application for the required recovery steps.

Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC 5/E is installed, as well as any attached storage enclosures.

Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the system cover.

CAUTION: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause damage due to improper cooling.

NOTE: For more information on removing and reinstalling the system cover, see the Hardware Owner’s

Manual that shipped with the system.

Locate the PERC 5/E in the system and disconnect the external cables from the PERC 5/E.

Remove any retention mechanism such as a bracket screw that may be holding the PERC 5/E in the system and gently lift the controller from the system’s PCI-E slot. See Figure 3-5.

30 Hardware Installation and Configuration

Figure 3-5. Removing the PERC 5/E Adapter

bracket screw

battery

memory module

PERC 5/E Adapter

NOTE: For more information on removing peripherals installed in the system’s PCI-E slots, see the Hardware

Owner’s Manual that shipped with the system.

Removing the DIMM and Battery from a PERC 5/E Adapter

NOTE: The TBBU on the PERC 5/E Adapter consists of a DIMM and battery backup unit.

This section describes how to remove the TBBU from a PERC 5/E Adapter that is currently installed in a system.

1 Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC 5/E Adapter is installed,

any attached storage enclosures, and remove the PERC 5/E Adapter from the system by following the instructions detailed in "Removing the PERC 5/E Adapter" on page 30.

Visually inspect the controller and determine whether the dirty cache LED on the DIMM is illuminated. See Figure 3-6. If the LED is illuminated, reinsert the controller into the system, replace the system cover, reconnect the system to power, turn the system on and repeat step 1.

Hardware Installation and Configuration 31

as well as

Figure 3-6. PERC 5/E Adapter Dirty Cache LED Location

battery

memory module

dirty cache LED

PERC 5/E Adapter

CAUTION: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause damage due to improper

cooling.

Remove the TBBU assembly from the adapter by pressing down on the tabs at each edge of the DIMM connector and lifting the TBBU off the adapter.

Disconnect the battery cable from the DIMM.

Detach the battery from the DIMM by pressing out on the battery clips inserted through the DIMM and rotating the battery off the DIMM. See Figure 3-7.

32 Hardware Installation and Configuration

Figure 3-7. Removing the TBBU

memory module

battery

Installing the PERC 5/i Adapter

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the

NOTE: See your system documentation for information on installing the PERC 5/i.

NOTE: The PERC 5/i Adapter will have a battery backup unit (BBU) when installed on a PowerEdge server and will

not have one when installed on a Dell Precision™ workstation or a PowerEdge SC server.

Unpack the PERC 5/i Adapter and check for damage.

NOTE: Call Dell Technical support if the controller is damaged.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet. See your system’s

Disconnect the system from the network and remove the cover of the system.

NOTE: For more information on removing and replacing the system cover, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual

included with the system.

Select an empty

Hardware Owner’s Manual

for more information on power supplies.

PCI-E slot and remove the blank filler bracket. The blank filler bracket is located on

the back of the system, aligned with the empty PCI-E slot you have selected.

Hardware Installation and Configuration 33

Align the PERC 5/i Adapter to the PCI-E slot you have selected.

Insert the adapter gently but firmly until the board is firmly seated in the PCI-E slot. See Figure 3-8.

CAUTION: Do not apply pressure to the memory module while inserting the controller into the PCI-E slot.

Applying pressure could break the memory module or damage the DIMM connector.

CAUTION: Electrostatic discharge can damage sensitive components. Always use proper antistatic

protection when handling components. Touching components without using a proper ground can damage the equipment.

Figure 3-8. Installing the PERC 5/i Adapter

bracket screw

filler bracket

PERC 5/i Adapter

PCI-E slot

Tighten the bracket screw, if any, or use the system’s retention clips to secure the controller to the system’s chassis.

Connect the cables from the backplane of the system to the controller. See Figure 3-9.

34 Hardware Installation and Configuration

Figure 3-9. Connecting Cables to the Controller

cable

connector

PERC 5/i Adapter

Replace the cover of the system. See your system’s

Hardware Owner’s Manual

for more information on

closing the system.

Reconnect the power cable(s) and network cables, and then turn on the system.

Removing the PERC 5/i Adapter

NOTE: A PERC 5/i Adapter installed on a Dell Precision workstation or PowerEdge SC server does not have a BBU.

This section describes how to remove the PERC 5/i Adapter or PERC 5/i while it is installed in a system.

Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC 5/i is installed.

Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet, and remove the cover of the system.

CAUTION: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause damage due to improper

cooling.

NOTE: For more information on removing and reinstalling the system cover, see the Hardware Owner’s

Manual that shipped with the system.

Hardware Installation and Configuration 35

Determine whether the dirty cache LED on the controller is illuminated.

• If the LED is illuminated, replace the system cover, reconnect the system to power, turn on the system, and repeat step 1 and step 2. See Figure 3-10.

NOTE: The location of the PERC 5/i varies from system to system. See the Hardware Owner’s Manual

included with the system for specific information on where the PERC 5/i is located.

• If the LED is not illuminated, continue with the next step.

Figure 3-10. PERC 5/i Adapter Dirty Cache LED Location

bracket screw

memory module

PERC 5/i Adapter

dirty cache LED

Disconnect the data cables and battery cable from the PERC 5/i.

Remove any retention mechanism, such as a bracket screw, that might be holding the PERC 5/i in the system, and gently lift the controller from the system’s PCI-E slot. See Figure 3-11.

36 Hardware Installation and Configuration

Figure 3-11. Removing the PERC 5/i Adapter

bracket screw

memory module

PERC 5/i Adapter

NOTE: See the Hardware Owner's Manual for information on removing the PERC 5/i from the system.

Removing the DIMM from a PERC 5/i Card

This section describes how to remove the memory module on a PERC 5/i Adapter or PERC 5/i that is currently installed in a system.

NOTE: PERC 5 cards support DELL-qualified 256-MB DDRII 400MHz ECC-registered DIMMs with x16 DRAM

components. Installing unsupported memory causes the system to hang at POST.

Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC 5/i is installed and remove the PERC 5/i from the system by following the instructions detailed in the section "Removing the PERC 5/i Adapter" on page 35.

CAUTION: Running a system without the system cover installed can cause damage due to improper cooling.

Remove the DIMM by pressing down on the tabs at each edge of the DIMM connector and lifting the DIMM off the controller.

NOTE: The location of the PERC 5/i varies from system to system. See the Hardware Owner’s Manual

that shipped with the system for specific information on the location of the PERC 5/i.

Hardware Installation and Configuration 37

Disconnecting the BBU from a PERC 5/i Adapter or a PERC 5/i

NOTE: A PERC 5/i Adapter installed in a Dell Precision workstation or a PowerEdge SC server does not have a BBU.

This section describes how to disconnect the BBU on a PERC 5/i Adapter or a PERC 5/i while the adapter or controller is installed in a system.

Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC 5/i is installed.

Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the system cover.

CAUTION: Running a system without the system cover installed can cause damage due to improper cooling.

NOTE: For more information on removing and replacing the system cover, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual

that shipped with the system.

Determine whether the dirty cache LED on the controller is illuminated.

• If the LED is illuminated, replace the system cover, reconnect the system to power, turn on the system, and repeat step 1 and step 2. See Figure 3-10.

NOTE: The location of the PERC 5/i varies from system to system. See the Hardware Owner’s Manual

that shipped with the system for specific information on where the PERC 5/i is located.

• If the LED is not illuminated, continue with the next step.

Locate the battery cable connection next to the DIMM on the controller, and disconnect the battery.

38 Hardware Installation and Configuration

Driver Installation

The

Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller

to operate with the Microsoft operating systems.

This chapter contains the procedures for installing the drivers for the following operating systems.

• Microsoft

• Windows Server

• Windows Server 2003 DataCenter

• Windows XP

• Windows Vista™

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, and 5

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10

Windows® 2000 Server family

Windows®, Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®, and SUSE® Linux

2003 (includes Standard, Enterprise, and Small Business Servers)

(PERC) 5 family requires software drivers

NOTE: See the Dell Support website at

The two methods for installing a driver that are discussed in this chapter are:

• During operating system installation. Use this method if you are performing a new installation of the operating system and want to include the drivers.

• Updating existing drivers. Use this method if the operating system and PERC 5 controller are already installed and you want to update to the latest drivers.

support.dell.com to check operating system compatibility.

Creating a Driver Diskette

Perform the following steps to create a driver diskette.

Browse to the download section for the system from the Dell Support website at

Locate and download the latest PERC 5 controller driver to the system. The driver should be labeled as packaged for a diskette on the Dell Support website.

Follow the instructions on the Dell Support website for extracting the driver to the diskette.

support.dell.com

Driver Installation 39

Installing the Driver During a Microsoft Operating System Installation

Perform the following steps to install the driver during operating system installation.

Boot the system using the Microsoft Windows 2000/Windows XP/Microsoft Windows Server 2003 CD.

When the message the <F6> key immediately.

Within a few minutes, a screen appears that asks for additional controllers in the system.

Press the <S> key.

The system prompts for the driver diskette to be inserted.

Insert the driver diskette in the diskette drive and press <Enter>.

A list of PERC controllers appears.

Select the right driver for the installed controller and press <Enter> to load the driver.

NOTE: For Windows Server 2003, a message may appear that states that the driver that you provided is older

or newer than the existing Windows driver. Press <S> to use the driver that is on the floppy diskette.

Press <Enter> again to continue the installation process as usual.

Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver

appears, press

Installing a Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, or XP Driver for a New RAID Controller

Perform the following steps to configure the driver for the RAID controller on a system that already has Windows installed.

NOTE: Windows Vista™ has PERC 5 driver native on the Windows Vista installation CD. For the latest supported

drivers, go to the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Turn off the system.

Install the new RAID controller in the system.

See "Hardware Installation and Configuration" on page 25 for detailed instructions on installing and cabling the RAID controller in the system.

Turn on the system.

The Windows operating system detects the new controller and displays a message to inform the user.

The

Found New Hardware Wizard

Click

On the

Insert the appropriate driver diskette and select

Click

40 Driver Installation

Locate device driver

screen pops up and displays the detected hardware device.

screen, select

Search for a suitable driver for my device

Floppy disk drives

on the

Locate Driver Files

and click

screen.

The wizard detects and installs the appropriate device drivers for the new RAID controller.

Click

Finish

to complete the installation.

Reboot the server.

Updating an Existing Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows Vista Driver

Perform the following steps to update the Microsoft Windows driver for the PERC 5 controller already installed on your system

NOTE: It is important that you close all applications on your system before you update the driver.

Select

Start→

System Properties

The

NOTE: For systems running a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system, click Start→ Control

→

Panel

Click on the

Click

Device Manager

The

Double-click on

NOTE: In Windows Vista, PERC is listed under Storage Controllers.

Double-click the RAID controller for which you want to update the driver.

Click the

The

Driver

Upgrade Device Driver Wizard

Settings→

System.

Hardware

SCSI and RAID Controllers

tab and click

Control Panel→ System

screen appears.

tab.

screen appears.

Update Driver

screen appears.

Insert the appropriate driver diskette.

Select

Install from a list or specific location

Click

Next.

Follow the steps in the Wizard to search the diskette for the driver.

Select the INF file from the diskette.

NOTE: For systems running a Windows Server 2003 operating system, select the name of the driver, not the

INF file.

Click

and continue the installation steps in the Wizard.

Click

Finish

to exit the wizard and reboot the system for the changes to take place.

Driver Installation 41

Installing Windows Vista for a New RAID Controller

Perform the following steps to configure the driver when you add the RAID controller to a system that already has Windows Vista installed.

Insert the Windows Vista DVD and reboot the system.

Select location information, such as your country and language.

Enter the Windows key.

Select the drive you want to install Windows on by highlighting your choice.

Select

Load Driver

NOTE: You do not need this for PERC or SAS installation as the driver is native on Windows Vista.

The driver can be provided by CD, diskette, DVD, or USB flash driver.

Browse to the proper location and select the driver.

Select

Advance

If a partition is manually created, it should at least be 10 GB.

NOTE: See the Windows Vista user documentation to determine the partition size.

Select

The operating system installation starts on the highlighted choice (partition or unallocated volume) and the system will reboot several times.

not

press any keys to start from the CD/DVD.

if needed.

if selected unallocated space is the target location.

to create a partition for the operating system.

Enter user and password information.

Enter the computer name.

Select the automatic Windows protection level.

Set the time, date, and time zone.

Click

Start

Windows checks your system and prompts you for the login password after a few minutes.

42 Driver Installation

Installing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Driver

Use the procedures in this section to install the driver for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (versions 3 and 4) and ES (versions 3 and 4). The driver is updated frequently. To ensure that you have the current version of the driver, download the updated Red Hat Enterprise Linux driver from the Dell Support website at

support.dell.com

Creating a Driver Diskette

Before beginning the installation, copy the drivers from the Service and Diagnostic Utilities CD or download the driver appropriate for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (versions 3 and 4) from the Dell Support website at Managers (RPMs) and driver update disk files. The package also contains the Dynamic Kernel Module Support (DKMS) Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) file.

The package is a gzipped tar file. After downloading the package to a Linux system, perform the following steps.

support.dell.com

Execute

Note that the package contains DKMS RPM, the driver RPM (dkms enabled) and the Driver Update Diskette (DUD) image(s).

Use the dd command to create a driver update disk. Use the appropriate image for the purpose.

dd if=<name of the dd image file> of=/dev/fd0

Use the diskette for operating system installation as described later in this section.

gunzip

tar xvf

on the package.

to your temporary directory. This file includes two Red Hat Package

on the package.

File and Directories Needed to Create the Driver Update Diskette (DUD)

The following files are needed before you create the DUD.

NOTE: The megaraid_sas driver package installs these files. You do not need to do anything at this point.

There is a directory source code, dkms.conf, and specifications file for the driver.

In this directory, there is a subdirectory called create the DUD. The files needed are disk_info, modinfo, modules.dep, and pcitable.

To create the DUD image for pre-Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, the kernel source package must be installed to compile the driver. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 distribution, the kernel source is not needed.

/usr/src/megaraid_sas-<driver_version>

redhat_driver_disk

which contains the files needed to

, which contains the driver

Driver Installation 43

Creating a Driver Update Diskette

Perform the following steps to create the DUD using the DKMS tool:

Install the DKMS-enabled megaraid_sas driver rpm package on a system running a Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system.

Type the following command in any directory:

dkms mkdriverdisk -d redhat -m megaraid_sas -v <driver version>

-k <kernel version>

This starts the process to create the megaraid_sas DUD image.

If you want to build the DUD image for multiple kernel versions, use the following command:

dkms mkdriverdisk -d redhat -m megaraid_sas -v <driver version>

-k <kernel_version_1>, <kernel_version_2>, ...

After the DUD image has been built, you can find it in the DKMS tree for the megaraid_sas driver.

NOTE: The DKMS package supports both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux.

Installing the Driver

Perform the following steps to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux (versions 3 and 4) and the appropriate driver.

Boot normally from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation CD.

At the command prompt, type:

Linux expert dd

When the install prompts for a driver diskette, insert the diskette and press <Enter>.

See "Creating a Driver Diskette" on page 39 for information about creating a driver diskette.

Complete the installation as directed by the installation program.

The driver will be installed.

Installing the Driver Using an Update RPM

The following steps explain the installation procedure for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux, AS (versions 3 and 4) operating systems and the appropriate RAID driver using an update RPM.

Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support

Perform the following steps to install the RPM package with DKMS support:

Uncompress the zipped file of the DKMS-enabled driver package.

Install the DKMS package using the command

Install the driver package using the command

Reboot the system to load the new driver.

44 Driver Installation

rpm -Uvh <DKMS package name

rpm -Uvh <Driver package name

Upgrading the Kernel

If you run the up2date utility to upgrade the kernel, you must reinstall the DKMS-enabled driver packages. Perform the following steps to update the kernel:

In a terminal window, type the following:

dkms build -m <module_name> -v <module version> -k <kernel version>

dkms install -m <module_name> -v <module version> -k <kernel version>

To check whether the driver is successfully installed in the new kernel, type:

dkms status

You must see a message similar to the following one on the screen to confirm installation:

<driver name>, <driver version>, <new kernel version>: installed

Installing the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (Version 9 or 10) Driver

Use the procedures in this section to install the driver for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (version 9 or version 10). The driver is updated frequently. To ensure you have the current version of the driver, download the updated SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (version 9 or 10) driver from the Dell Support website at

Installing the Driver Using an Update RPM

The following procedure explains the installation procedure for the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (version 9 or 10) operating system and the appropriate RAID driver using an update RPM.

support.dell.com

Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support

Perform the following steps to install the RPM package with DKMS support.

Uncompress the zipped file of the DKMS-enabled driver package.

Install the DKMS package using the command

Install the driver package using the

Reboot the system to load the new driver.

File and Directories Needed to Create the Driver Update Diskette (DUD)

The following files are needed before you create the DUD.

NOTE: The megaraid_sas driver package installs these files. You do not need to do anything at this point.

The directory and specifications file for the driver.

In this directory, the subdirectory The files needed are

/usr/src/megaraid_sas-<driver_version>

disk_info, modinfo, modules.dep

rpm -Uvh <Driver package name

redhat_driver_disk

rpm -Uvh <DKMS package name

contains the driver source code,

contains the files needed to create the DUD.

, and

pcitable

Driver Installation 45

dkms.conf

DUD Creation Procedure

Perform the following steps to create the DUD using the DKMS tool.

Install the DKMS-enabled megaraid_sas driver rpm package on a system running a SUSE Linux operating system.

Type the following command in any directory:

dkms mkdriverdisk -d redhat -m megaraid_sas -v <driver version>

-k <kernel version>

This starts the process to create the megaraid_sas DUD image.

If you want to build the DUD image for multiple kernel versions, use the following command:

dkms mkdriverdisk -d redhat -m megaraid_sas -v <driver version>

-k <kernel_version_1>, <kernel_version_2>, ...

After the DUD image has been built, you can find it in the DKMS tree for the megaraid_sas driver.

NOTE: The DKMS package supports both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette

NOTE: See "Creating a Driver Diskette" on page 39 for information about creating a driver diskette.

Perform the following steps to install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (version 9 or 10) using the DUD. See "Creating a Driver Diskette" on page 39 for information about creating a driver diskette.

Insert the appropriate SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (version 9 or 10) Service Pack (SP) CD in the system.

Select

Installation

Select the following key for the driver update disk, depending on the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server version you are installing:

For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, select <F6>.

For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, select <F5>.

Press <Enter> to load the Linux kernel.

At the prompt

The system selects the driver from the diskette and installs it. The system then displays the message

DRIVER UPDATE ADDED

from the menu options.

Please insert the driver update floppy/CDROM

with the description of the driver module.

, click OK.

Click OK.

If you want to install from another driver update medium, continue with the following steps.

The system displays the message

Select the appropriate driver update medium.

The system selects the driver from the diskette and installs it.

46 Driver Installation

PLEASE CHOOSE DRIVER UPDATE MEDIUM

Upgrading the Kernel

If you run the up2date utility to upgrade the kernel, you must reinstall the DKMS-enabled driver packages. Perform the following steps to update the kernel:

Type the following in a terminal window:

dkms build -m <module_name> -v <module version> -k <kernel version>

dkms install -m <module_name> -v <module version> -k <kernel version>

To check whether the driver is successfully installed in the new kernel, type:

dkms status

You must see a message similar to the following one on the screen to confirm installation:

<driver name>, <driver version>, <new kernel version>: installed

Driver Installation 47

48 Driver Installation

RAID Configuration and Management

Storage management applications enable you to manage and configure the RAID system, create and manage multiple disk groups, control and monitor multiple RAID systems, and provide online maintenance. The applications for Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller (PERC) 5 controllers include:

•Dell™ OpenManage™ Storage Management

• SAS RAID Storage Manager

• BIOS Configuration Utility (Ctrl-R)

Dell OpenManage Storage Management

Dell OpenManage Storage Management is a storage management application for PowerEdge™ servers that provides enhanced features for configuring a system's locally-attached RAID and non-RAID disk storage. Dell OpenManage Storage Management enables you to perform controller and enclosure functions for all supported RAID and non-RAID controllers and enclosures from a single graphical or command-line interface without requiring the use of the controller BIOS utilities. The graphical user interface (GUI) is wizard-driven with features for novice and advanced users and detailed online help. The command line interface is fully-featured and scriptable. Using Dell OpenManage Storage Management, you can protect your data by configuring data-redundancy, assigning hot spares, or rebuilding failed physical disks.

SAS RAID Storage Manager

SAS RAID Storage Manager is a storage management application for PowerEdge™ SC servers and Dell Precision™ workstations. SAS RAID Storage Manager configures virtual disks, and monitors and maintains PERC 5 controllers, battery backup units, and other devices running on systems and workstations. It offers a graphical user interface (GUI) you can use to perform these tasks.

BIOS Configuration Utility

The BIOS Configuration Utility, also known as Ctrl-R, is a storage management application embedded on the PERC 5 controllers that configures and maintains RAID disk groups and virtual disks, and manages the RAID system. It is independent of any operating system.

NOTE: The BIOS Configuration Utility is to be used for initial setup and disaster recovery. Advanced features

can be set through Storage Management and SAS RAID Storage Manager.

RAID Configuration and Management 49

The following sections will help you attain the basic knowledge needed to use the BIOS Configuration Utility. See the online help option by pressing <F1> to obtain additional information about the ongoing operation.

NOTE: PERC 5 controller configuration utility refreshes the screen to show changes to information on the screen.

The refresh occurs when you press a key or every 15 seconds if you do not press a key.

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility

The BIOS Configuration Utility configures physical disk groups and virtual disks. Because the utility resides in the controller BIOS, its operation is independent of the operating systems on your system.

Starting the BIOS Configuration Utility

Perform the following steps to enter the BIOS Configuration Utility when you boot the system.

Turn on and boot the system.

A BIOS banner displays information about the controller and configuration.

During bootup, press <Ctrl><R> when prompted by the BIOS banner.

After you press <Ctrl><R>, the screen displays the controllers, virtual disks, physical disks, free space, hot spares, and other details in an expandable tree directory similar to that of Microsoft

NOTE: You can access multiple controllers through the BIOS Configuration Utility by pressing <F12>. Verify which controller you

are currently set to edit.

Virtual Disk Management

Windows® Explorer.

menu screen displays by default. This

Exiting the Configuration Utility

To exit the BIOS Configuration Utility, press <Esc> at any menu screen until the utility closes.

Menu Navigation Controls

Table 5-1 displays the menu keys you can use to move between the different screens in the BIOS Configuration Utility.

50 RAID Configuration and Management

Table 5-1. Menu Navigation Keys

Notation Meaning and Use Example

Use the right arrow key to open a submenu, move from a menu heading to the first submenu, or move to the first item in that submenu. If you press the right arrow key at a menu heading, the submenu will expand. Press it again to go to the first item in the submenu. The right arrow key is also used to close a menu list in a popup window. Word wrap is supported.

Use the left arrow key to close a submenu, move from a menu item to the menu heading for that item, or move from a submenu to a higher level menu. If you press the left arrow key at a menu heading, the submenu will collapse. Press it again to go to the higher-level menu. Word wrap is supported.

Use the up arrow key to move to the upper menu items within a menu or to a higher level menu. You can also use the up arrow key to close a menu list in a popup window, such as the stripe element size menu. Word wrap is supported.

Use the down arrow key to move to the lower menu items within a menu or to a lower level menu. You can also use the down arrow key to open a menu list in a popup window, such as the stripe element size menu, and select a setting. Word wrap is supported.

Underlined letter in a menu heading on the menu bar

Underlined letter in a menu item

< > Key presses are enclosed in angle brackets. <F1>, <Esc>,

<Enter> After you highlight a menu item, press <Enter> to select that item.

<Esc> After you expand a pop-up window, press <Esc> to close the window.

Indicates a shortcut you can use by pressing <Alt><underlined letter>. To use this feature, the menu must be activated. Menu shortcuts are allowed but cannot be used when a menu is active.

Indicates a shortcut you can use to expand a menu by pressing <Alt><menu underlined letter>. Pressing <Alt> again closes the menu. Menu shortcuts are allowed but cannot be used when a menu is active.

This opens an options menu for the menu item. This applies to only certain menu items, such as Virtual Disk #. In a list of options for that item, such as the write policy for a virtual disk, highlight a setting, such as write-through, and press <Enter> to select it.

In the right frame, you can press <Enter> to select Tree View or List View under the View Type heading.

You can continue to press <Esc> to exit the BIOS Configuration Utility.

Start Programs

Controller 0 Disk Group 1

Virtual Disk 1

Virtual Disk 4

Virtual Disks

Virtual Disk 1

dapter

irtual Disk 1

<Enter>

Select Add New VD and press <Enter> to create a new virtual disk.

Press <Esc> to return to the VD Mgmt screen.

RAID Configuration and Management 51

Table 5-1. Menu Navigation Keys (continued)

Notation Meaning and Use Example

<Tab> Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the next control on a Dialog or

page.

<Shift><Tab> Press <Shift><Tab> to move the cursor to the previous control on a

dialog or page.

<Ctrl><N> Press <Ctrl><N> to move to the next menu screen among the main

menu screens: VD Mgmt, PD Mgmt, Ctrl Mgmt, and Foreign View.

When you return to the original menu, the cursor will be on the same menu item it was on before you pressed <Ctrl><N>.

<Ctrl><P> Press <Ctrl><P> to move to the previous menu screen among the main

menu screens: VD Mgmt, PD Mgmt, Ctrl Mgmt, and Foreign View.

When you return to the previous screen, the cursor will be on the same menu item it was on before you pressed <Ctrl><P>.

<F1> Press <F1> to access Help information. The Help screens display a

glossary of topics you can use to access information about navigation, RAID levels, and general topics.

<F2> Press <F2> to access the context menu, which displays the list of

options.

<F12> Press <F12> to display a list of controllers. <F12>

Spacebar Press the spacebar to select an item, such as a virtual disk in the List

View, select all the virtual disks (Mark All), or deselect all the virtual disks (Unmark All).

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the next parameter you want to change.

Press <Shift><Tab> to move the cursor from

Virtual Disk to Disk Group #.

Press <Ctrl><N> on the VD Mgmt screen to move to the PD Mgmt screen.

Press <Ctrl><P> on the PD Mgmt screen to return to the VD Mgmt screen.

<F1>

<F2>

Press the spacebar to select each virtual disk on which you want to check data consistency.

NOTE: You may need to press <F5> to refresh the information on the screen.

RAID Configuration Functions

NOTE: Dell OpenManage Storage Management can perform all the same tasks as and more tasks than the BIOS

Configuration Utility.

After you attach physical disks, use a configuration utility to prepare a virtual disk. Groups of the SAS and Serial ATA (SATA) physical disks are organized into virtual disks that must be able to support the RAID level that you select. If the operating system is not yet installed, use the BIOS Configuration Utility to perform this procedure.

NOTE: The PERC 5 controllers support Dell-qualified SATA physical disks.

52 RAID Configuration and Management

Use the configuration utilities to perform the following tasks:

• Access controllers, virtual disks, and physical disks individually.

• Select a host controller to work on.

• Create hot spare physical disks.

• Configure virtual disks.

• Initialize one or more virtual disks.

• Rebuild failed physical disks.

The following sections describe the menu options and provide detailed instructions used to perform the configuration tasks. They apply to the BIOS Configuration Utility and Dell OpenManage Storage Management. The following is a list of the procedures used to configure physical disks into virtual disks.

Designate hot spares (optional).

See "Managing Dedicated Hot Spares" on page 64 for more information.

Define virtual disks using the group of physical disks.

NOTE: A disk group is deleted when the last virtual disk in the disk group is deleted.

Save the configuration information.

Initialize the virtual disks.

See "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on page 58 for the detailed configuration procedures.

BIOS Configuration Utility Menu Options

This section describes the options for the BIOS Configuration Utility for each of the major menus:

• Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt)

• Physical Disk Management (PD Mgmt)

•

Controller Management (Ctrl Mgmt)

•

Foreign

Most menus consist of two frames:

• A left frame with the menu options

• A right frame with details of the items selected in the left frame

The following sections describe the menu and submenu options for each of the major menus.

Configuration

View

RAID Configuration and Management 53

Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt)

The

Virtual Disk Management

Configuration Utility. In the which are:

• Controller #

• Disk Group #

•

Virtual Disks

• Physical Disks

•

Space Allocation

•

Hot Spares

In the Tree View, the right frame displays detailed information for the selected controllers, disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares, as shown in Table 5-2.

Table 5-2. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen

screen,

Tree View

VD Mgmt

, is the first screen that displays when you access the BIOS

, the left frame displays the menus for the virtual disk management,

(displayed in descending numerical order)

(virtual disk size and free space you can use to create a virtual disk)

(global and dedicated)

Menu Item Selected in Left Frame

Controller #

Disk Group #

Virtual Disks

Virtual Disk #

Information That Displays in Right Frame

• Number of disk groups (DG)

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Space available on the physical disks

• Number of free segments

• Number of dedicated hot spares

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Space available in the virtual disk

• Number of free segments

• Number of dedicated hot spares

• RAID level (0, 1, 5, 10, or 50)

• RAID status of the virtual disk (failed, degraded, or optimal)

• Size of the virtual disk

• Stripe element size

• Operation currently in progress

54 RAID Configuration and Management

Table 5-2. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen (continued)

Menu Item Selected in Left Frame

Physical Disks

Physical Disk #

Space Allocation

Hot Spares

Information That Displays in Right Frame

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Space available on the physical disks

• Number of free segments

• Number of dedicated hot spares

•Vendor name

• Physical disk size

• Physical disk state

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Space available on the physical disks

• Number of free segments

• Number of dedicated hot spares

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Space available on the physical disks

• Number of free segments

• Number of dedicated hot spares

•Vendor name

• Physical disk size

• Physical disk state

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

• Space available on the physical disks

• Number of free segments

• Number of dedicated hot spares

In the List View, the Virtual Disk Management screen appears. In this view, the left frame displays the virtual disk number, RAID level, virtual disk status, virtual disk size, and stripe element size.

Use this screen to display the Virtual Disk Parameters window (used to select parameters, such as stripe element size and cache policy), and perform a consistency check on an individual virtual disk or multiple virtual disks. See "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on page 58 for the procedures used to perform these actions.

RAID Configuration and Management 55

Virtual Disk Actions

Table 5-3 describes the actions you can perform on virtual disks. See "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on page 58 for procedures you can use to perform these actions.

Table 5-3. Virtual Disk Menu Options

Option Description

Create a new virtual disk Creates a new virtual disk from one or more physical disks.

Manage dedicated hot spares

Initialize a virtual disk Initializes the selected virtual disk. Every virtual disk that is configured must be

Check data consistency on a virtual disk

Display or update virtual disk parameters

Delete a virtual disk Deletes the virtual disk and frees up disk space to create another virtual disk.

Delete a disk group Deletes a disk group, which is a collection of disks from one or more disk subsystems

Creates or deletes a hot spare that can be dedicated to a single redundant virtual disks.

initialized.

Verifies the correctness of the redundancy data in the selected virtual disk. This option is available only if RAID level 1, 5, 10, or 50 is used. The PERC 5 controllers automatically correct any differences found in the data.

Displays the properties of the selected virtual disk. You can modify the cache write policy, read policy, and the input/output (I/O) policy from this menu.

controlled by management software.

Physical Disk Management (PD Mgmt)

The

Physical Disk Management

The screen displays physical disk IDs, vendor names, disk size, type, state, and disk group ( the list of physical disks based on these headings. You can perform several actions on the physical disks, including the following:

• Rebuilding physical disks

• Setting the LED to blink

• Making a disk online or unaffiliated

• Removing dedicated or global hot spares

• Creating global hot spares

screen,

PD Mgmt

, displays physical disk information and action menus.

). You can sort

56 RAID Configuration and Management

Physical Disk Actions

Table 5-4 describes the actions you can perform on physical disks. See "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on page 58 for procedures that can be used to perform these actions.

Table 5-4. Physical Disk Options

Option Description

Rebuild Regenerates all data to a replacement disk in a redundant virtual disk (RAID level 1,

5, 10, or 50) after a disk failure. A disk rebuild normally occurs without interrupting normal operations on the affected virtual disk.

LED Blinking Indicates when physical disks are being used to create a virtual disk. You can choose

to start or stop the LED blinking.

Force Online Changes the state of the selected physical disk to online.

Force Offline Changes the state of the selected physical disk so that it is no longer part of a

virtual disk.

Make Global HS Designates the selected physical disk as a global hot spare. A global hot spare is part

of a pool for all virtual disks controlled by the controller.

Remove HS Removes a dedicated hot spare from its disk group or a global hot spare from the

global pool of hot spares.

Rebuild

Select Rebuild to rebuild one or more failed physical disks. See "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk" on page 67 disk rebuild.

for more information and the procedure to perform a physical

Controller Management (Ctrl Mgmt)

The

Controller Management

screen,

Ctrl Mgmt

, displays the BIOS version, firmware version, and Ctrl-R version, and offers actions you can perform on the controller and BIOS. You can use this screen to enable or disable the controller BIOS, alarm, and the BIOS during bootup in event of BIOS errors. In addition, you can select a virtual disk from which to boot, select default settings, and reset the configuration.

Controller Management Disk Actions

Table 5-5 describes the actions you can perform on the page 58 for procedures you can use to perform these actions.

Ctrl Mgmt

screen. See "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on

RAID Configuration and Management 57

Table 5-5. Controller Management Options

Option Description

Enable Controller BIOS Select this option to enable the controller BIOS. If the boot device is on the RAID

controller, the BIOS must be enabled. Disable the BIOS to use other boot devices.

In a multiple controller environment, you can enable BIOS on multiple controllers. However, if you want to boot from a specific controller, then enable the BIOS on that controller and disable it on the other controllers. The system can then boot from the BIOS-enabled controller.

Enable Alarm Select this option to enable or disable the on-board alarm tone generator. The alarm

sounds to alert you of key critical and warning events involving the virtual disk or physical disk problems. See Table 6-8 for details about the alarm.

Enable BIOS Stop On Error Select this option to stop the system BIOS during bootup if there are BIOS errors.

This option enables you to enter the configuration utility to resolve the problem.

NOTE: Certain errors continue for five seconds even when Stop On Error is enabled.

Select Bootable Virtual Disk Select this option to specify a virtual disk as the boot disk on the controller. This

option displays if you have built virtual disks.

Select Defaults Select this option to restore the default settings for the options in the Settings box.

Foreign Configuration View

Select Foreign Configuration View to display a foreign configuration before you either import the foreign configuration into the virtual disk or clear the foreign configuration.

Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen procedures you can use to manage the foreign configurations.

The section "Importing or

" on page 62

contains the

Setting Up Virtual Disks

This section contains the procedures used to set up a disk group and create virtual disks. Each of the following procedures are explained individually in this section in detail.

Create the virtual disks and select the virtual disk options.

Designate hot spares (optional).

See "Managing Dedicated Hot Spares" on page 64 for more information.

NOTE: A disk group is deleted when the last virtual disk in the disk group is deleted.

Initialize the virtual disks.

NOTE: When you use one physical disk group to create multiple virtual disks, the virtual disks must all have

the same RAID level.

58 RAID Configuration and Management

When you define the virtual disks, you can set the virtual disk parameters described in Table 5-6.

• Stripe element size

• Write policy

•Read policy

Table 5-6. Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions

Parameter Description

Stripe Element Size

Write Policy Write Policy specifies the controller write policy. You can set the write policy to Write-Back or

Stripe Element Size specifies the size of the segments written to each physical disk in a RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50 virtual disk. You can set the stripe element size to 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, or 128 KB. The default and recommended stripe element size is 128 KB.

A larger stripe element size provides better read performance, especially if your system does mostly sequential reads. However, if you are sure that your system does random read requests with small file sizes, select a small stripe element size.

Write-Through.

In Write-Back caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host when the controller cache has received all the data in a transaction.

NOTE: The default cache setting is Write-back cache. NOTICE: If Write-back is enabled and the system is quickly turned off and then on, the controller may

pause as the system flushes cache memory. Controllers that contain a battery backup will default to write-back caching.

In Write-Through caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host when the disk subsystem has received all the data in a transaction.

NOTE: Certain data patterns and configurations perform better with Write-through cache policy.

Write-Back caching has a performance advantage over write-through caching.

Read Policy Read-ahead enables the read-ahead feature for the virtual disk. You can set this parameter to

Read-ahead, No-read-ahead, or Adaptive. The default is No-read-ahead.

Read-ahead specifies that the controller uses read-ahead for the current virtual disk. Read-ahead

capability allows the controller to read sequentially ahead of requested data and store the additional data in cache memory, anticipating that the data will be needed soon. Read-ahead supplies sequential data faster, but is not as effective when accessing random data.

No-read-ahead specifies that the controller does not use read-ahead for the current virtual disk.

NOTE: No-read-ahead shows higher performance results due to the effectiveness of hard-drive

caching algorithms.

Adaptive specifies that the controller begins using read-ahead if the two most recent disk accesses occurred in sequential sectors. If all read requests are random, the algorithm reverts to No-read-ahead; however, all requests are still evaluated for possible sequential operation.

RAID Configuration and Management 59

Creating Virtual Disks

NOTE: PERC 5 does not support creation of a virtual disk that combines SAS and SATA physical disks

Perform the following steps to create virtual disks.

During host system bootup, press <Ctrl><R> when the BIOS banner displays.

The

Virtual Disk Management

NOTE: This procedure describes the BIOS Configuration Utility screens in Tree View.

Highlight

Press <F2> to display the actions you can perform, which are creating new virtual disks, resetting a

Controller #

configuration, and importing or clearing a foreign configuration.

Select

Create New VD

The

Press <Enter> to display the RAID levels.

Press the down arrow key to select a RAID level and press <Enter>.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the list of physical disks.

Use the down arrow key to highlight a physical disk and press the spacebar to select the disk.

Select additional disks, if desired.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the box

and press <Enter>.

screen displays. The cursor is on the

The virtual disk size displays in megabyte (MB) format.

NOTE: For RAID levels 0, 1, and 5 only, you can use part of the available disk space to create one virtual disk

and then use the rest of the disk space to create another virtual disk or disks.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

Press the spacebar to make the settings active so that you can change them.

An X displays next to

Advanced Settings

can also choose advanced options such as forcing the cache policy to be Write-back, initializing the virtual disk, and configuring a dedicated hot spare.

screen displays.

Basic Settings

Advanced Settings

. The settings are the stripe element size and read policy. You

RAID Levels

option.

and set the virtual disk size and name.

The defaults for these parameters display when the window displays. You can accept the defaults or change them. See "Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions" on page 59 for detailed information about the virtual disk parameters.

Perform the following steps to select the virtual disk parameters:

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the parameters you want to change.

Press the down arrow key to open the parameters and scroll down the list of settings.

To change the stripe element size, press <Tab> to highlight

Press <Enter> to display the list of stripe element sizes (8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, and 128 KB), then press the down arrow key to highlight an option and press <Enter>.

60 RAID Configuration and Management

Stripe Element Size

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Press <Enter> to display the options,

Read Policy

to change it if desired.

Read Ahd, No Read,

Adaptive

, then press the down

arrow key to highlight an option and press <Enter>.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Press <Enter> to display the options,

Write Policy

Write-Through

to change it if desired.

Write-Back

, then press the down arrow

key to highlight an option and press <Enter>.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to OK.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

NOTE: The initialization performed at this stage is fast initialization.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

NOTE: The hot spare created at this stage is a dedicated hot spare.

If you have chosen to create hot spares in the earlier steps a pop-up window appears where drives

Force WB with no battery

Initialize

Configure Hot Spare

and press <Enter>.

with appropriate sizes are displayed. Press the spacebar to select the drive size.

After you select the drive size, click OK to finalize the selection or click

Cancel

to forfeit the

selection.

Select OK to accept the settings and press <Enter> to exit this window or select press <Enter> to exit if you do not want to change any virtual disk parameters.

Initializing Virtual Disks

Perform the following steps to initialize virtual disks.

On the

actions.

Select

Fast initialization writes zeroes to the first sector of the virtual disk so that initialization occurs in 2–3 seconds. A progress bar displays next to the selected virtual disk as it initializes.

VD Mgmt

screen, select

Initialization

Start Init.

to begin a regular initialization or select

Virtual Disk #

and press <F2> to display the menu of available

and press the right arrow key to display the

Fast Init.

Initialization

submenu options.

to begin a fast initialization.

Cancel

and

When initialization is complete, press <Esc> to return to the main menu screen.

Repeat the procedures in this section to configure another virtual disk.

The PERC 5 controllers support up to 64 virtual disks per controller. The currently configured virtual disks display on the screen.

NOTE: Performing a full initialization eliminates the need for the virtual disk to undergo a background initialization.

The full initialization is faster than the background initialization. Full initialization can be performed to speed up performance access to the virtual disk after initial creation. The full initialization must be completed before accessing the virtual disk.

RAID Configuration and Management 61

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the VD Mgmt Menu

When a foreign configuration exists, the BIOS banner displays the message Foreign configuration(s) found on adapter. In addition, a foreign configuration, when present,

appears on the right side of the VD Mgmt screen.

You can use the VD Mgmt menu to import the existing configuration to the RAID controller or clear the existing configuration to create a new one. The information for the foreign configuration does not display until it is imported.

NOTE: The controller does not allow an import that results in more than 64 virtual disks.

Perform the following steps to import or clear foreign configurations.

During bootup, press <Ctrl><R> when prompted by the BIOS banner.

VD Mgmt

The

On the

VD Mgmt

The controller number is the only item that appears until you import the foreign configuration.

Press <F2> to display the available actions.

Press the right arrow key to display the available actions,

NOTE: Ensure that your virtual disk has all the physical disks by verifying that there are no physical disks

marked as Missing in the foreign view page and that all the disks appear as expected before importing them.

Select

Import

then press <Enter>.

If you import the configuration, the VD Mgmt displays detailed configuration information. This includes information about the disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares.

screen appears by default.

screen, highlight the

Controller #

to import the foreign configuration or

Import

Clear

and

Clear

to delete the foreign configuration and

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen

If one or more physical disks are removed from a configuration, for example, by a cable pull or physical disk removal, the configuration on those disks is considered a foreign configuration by the RAID controller. You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to view detailed configuration information about the disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares. After you view the foreign configuration, you can either import it to the RAID controller or clear it.

NOTE: Before you import, review the configuration on the screen to ensure that it is the desired end result.

You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to manage foreign configurations in the following cases:

• All the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted.

• Some of the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted.

• All the physical disks in a virtual disk are removed, but at different times, and then re-inserted.

• The physical disks in a non-redundant virtual disk are removed.

62 RAID Configuration and Management

Perform the following procedures on the Foreign Configuration View screen to manage foreign configurations in each specific case:

If all or some of the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted, the controller

considers the drives to have foreign configurations. Perform the following steps:

Select

Foreign Configuration View to

display the foreign configuration information on the

Foreign Configuration View screen.

b Press <F2> to display the options Import or Clear.

NOTE: You must have all the drives in the enclosure before you perform the import operation.

Select

Import

to import the foreign configuration to the controller or select

Clear

to delete the

foreign configuration(s) from the re-inserted disk(s).

Automatic rebuild occurs in redundant virtual disks if the VD transitions into DEGRADED before going OFFLINE.

NOTE: Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is complete to ensure data integrity for

the virtual disks. See "Checking Data Consistency" on page 66 for more information about checking data consistency.

If all the physical disks in a virtual disk are removed, but at different times, and re-inserted, the controller considers the drives to have foreign configurations. Perform the following steps:

Select

Foreign Configuration View to

display the complete virtual disk, across different foreign

configurations and allow foreign configurations to be imported.

b Press <F2> to display the options Import or Clear.

NOTE: You must have all the drives in the enclosure before you perform the import operation.

Select

Import

If you select

Clear

to merge the foreign configurations with the existing configuration on the controller

to delete the foreign configuration(s) from the re-inserted disk(s).

Import

, all drives that were pulled before the virtual disk became offline will be imported, and then automatically rebuilt. Automatic rebuild occurs in redundant virtual disks if the VD transitions into DEGRADED before going OFFLINE.

NOTE: Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is complete to ensure data integrity for

the virtual disks. See "Checking Data Consistency" on page 66 for more information about checking data consistency.

If the physical disks in a non-redundant virtual disk are removed, the controller considers the drives to have foreign configurations. Perform the following steps:

Select

Foreign Configuration View to

b Press <F2> to display the options Import or Clear.

Select

Import

to import the foreign configuration to the virtual disk or

display the complete foreign configuration information.

Clear

to delete the foreign

configuration(s) from the re-inserted disk(s).

No rebuilds will occur after the import operation because there is no redundant data to rebuild the drives with.

RAID Configuration and Management 63

Setting LED Blinking

The LED blinking option indicates when physical disks are being used to create a virtual disk. You can choose to start or stop the LED blinking. Perform the following steps to start or stop this option.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

A list of physical disks appears. The status of the each disk displays under the heading

Press the down arrow key to highlight a physical disk.

Press <F2> to display the menu of available actions.

Press the down arrow key to highlight

Press the right arrow key to display the available actions,

Select

Start

to begin LED blinking or

PD Mgmt

LED Blinking

Stop

screen.

Start

and

to end LED blinking.

Stop

State

Managing Dedicated Hot Spares

A dedicated hot spare automatically replaces a failed physical disk only in the selected disk group which the hot spare is part of. A dedicated hot spare is used before one of the global hot spares is used. You can create dedicated hot spares or delete them on the

delete dedicated hot spares.

On the

VD Mgmt

screen, select

The available menu options appear.

Select

Manage Ded. HS

and press <Enter>.

A screen displays a list of the current dedicated hot spares and the physical disks that are available to create dedicated hot spares. An X displays next to the current dedicated hot spares.

VD Mgmt

Disk Group #

screen.

Perform the following steps to create or

and press <F2> to display the menu of available actions.

NOTE: The utility allows only disks of the same drive technology and of equal or greater size to be selected

as dedicated hot spare.

To create a dedicated hot spare, press the down arrow key to highlight an available physical disk and press the spacebar to select the disk. Do this for as many dedicated hot spares as you want to create.

An X displays next to the selected physical disk(s).

To delete a dedicated hot spare, use the down arrow key to highlight a current hot spare and press the spacebar to deselect the disk. Do this for as many dedicated hot spares as you want to delete.

Press <Enter> to approve the changes.

The

VD Mgmt

NOTE: If a dedicated hot spare is removed, re-inserted, and then imported, the array disk transitions to a

global hot spare upon completion of the foreign configuration import.

screen displays the updated list of hot spares under the

64 RAID Configuration and Management

Hot spares

heading.

Creating Global Hot Spares

A global hot spare can be used to replace a failed physical disk in any redundant array as long as the capacity of the global hot spare is equal to or larger than the coerced capacity of the failed physical disk.

Perform the

following steps to create global hot spares.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

A list of physical disks displays. The status of the each disk displays under the heading

Press the down arrow key to highlight a physical disk to change to a global hot spare.

Press <F2> to display the menu of available actions.

Press the down arrow key to highlight

PD Mgmt

screen.

Make Global HS

and press <Enter>.

State

The physical disk is changed to a global hot spare. The status of the physical disk as a global hot spare displays under the heading

NOTE: To replace a failed physical disk global hot spares must use the same drive technology and must be

equal or greater in size.

Select additional physical disks if desired and follow the previous steps to change them to global

State

hot spares.

Removing Global or Dedicated Hot Spares

You can remove one global or dedicated hot spare at a time on following steps to remove a global hot spare or dedicated hot spare.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

PD Mgmt

screen.

A list of physical disks displays. The status of each disk displays under the heading

the

PD Mgmt

screen

. Perform the

State

Press the down arrow key to highlight a physical disk that is a hot spare.

Press <F2> to display the menu of available actions.

Press the down arrow key to select

The physical disk is changed to the heading

Select additional hot spares if desired and follow the previous steps to remove them.

State

NOTE: Try to use physical disks of the same capacity in a specific virtual disk. If you use physical disks with

different capacities in a virtual disk, all physical disks in the virtual disk are treated as if they have the capacity of the smallest physical disk.

NOTE: On the PERC 5/i RAID controller, after you delete a virtual disk, any hot spares dedicated to that virtual

disk become global hot spares.

Remove HS

Ready

from the list of actions and press <Enter>.

state. The status of the physical disk displays under the

RAID Configuration and Management 65

Enabling the Alarm to Alert in Case of Physical Disk Failures

The PERC 5/E Adapter uses an audible alarm to alert you to key critical and warning events involving the virtual disks or physical disks. You can use the BIOS Configuration Utility to enable or disable the on-board alarm tone. See Table 6-8 for the list of critical and warning events, severity levels of the events, and audible codes.

Perform the following steps to enable the alarm in the BIOS Configuration Utility.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> in the

Press the spacebar to select

displays next to

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Settings

Enable Alarm

The alarm is enabled. To disable the alarm, use the spacebar to deselect the

Apply

then select

Ctrl Mgmt

menu screen.

box to move the cursor to

Enable Alarm

Apply

button, then press <Enter> to apply the selection.

Enable Alarm

control, and

Checking Data Consistency

Select the Consistency Check option in the configuration utility to verify the redundancy data in virtual disks that use RAID levels 1, 5, 10, and 50. (RAID 0 does not provide data redundancy.)

NOTE: Dell recommends that you run data consistency checks on a redundant array at least once a month. This

allows detection and automatic replacement of bad blocks. Finding a bad block during a rebuild of a failed physical disk is a serious problem, as the system does not have the redundancy to recover the data.

NOTE: The system will take longer to reboot after you perform a data consistency check.

Perform the following steps to run a Consistency Check.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press the down arrow key to highlight

Press <F2> to display the menu of available actions.

Press the down arrow key to select

5 Press the right arrow key to display the menu of available actions, Start and Stop.

Select

Start

The

and press <Enter> to run a

Consistency Check

runs and checks the redundancy data in the virtual disks.

VD Mgmt

menu screen.

Virtual Disk #

Consistency Check.

Consistency Check

After you start the

Consistency Check

66 RAID Configuration and Management

, press <Esc> to display the previous menu.

Stopping Background Initialization

Background initialization is the automated check for media errors in which parity is created and written in the process. BGI does not run on RAID 0 virtual disks. Under certain conditions, Ctrl-R will ask you if you want to stop BGI in progress. An alert message displays if BGI is in progress and you start any of the following actions:

• A full initialization on the virtual disk

• A quick initialization on the virtual disk

• A consistency check on the virtual disk

The following alert message displays: The virtual disk is undergoing a background initialization process. Would you like to stop the operation and proceed with the <full initialization/quick initialization/consistency check> instead?

Click Yes to stop the BGI and start the requested operation or No to allow the BGI to continue.

Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk

Use the following procedures to rebuild one failed physical disk manually.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

A list of physical disks appears. The status of each disk appears under the heading

Press the down arrow key to highlight a physical disk that has a failed state.

Press <F2> to display a menu of available actions.

The

Rebuild

option is highlighted at the top of the menu.

PD Mgmt

screen.

State

Press the right arrow key to display the rebuild options and select

After you start the rebuild, press <Esc> to display the previous menu.

NOTICE: If a rebuild operation is in progress on a physical disk that is a member of a disk group that contains

multiple virtual disks, such as a sliced configuration, and one of the virtual disks is deleted while the rebuild is in progress, then the rebuild operation will stop. If this occurs, resume the rebuild operation manually using a storage management application. In order to avoid interruption, ensure that none of the virtual disks that reside on the rebuilding physical disk are deleted until the rebuild operation is complete.

Start

Deleting Virtual Disks

To delete virtual disks, perform the following steps in the BIOS Configuration Utility.

NOTE: You will not be allowed to delete a virtual disk during an initialization.

NOTE: Warning messages display the effect of deleting a virtual disk. You must accept two warning statements

before the virtual disk deletion is completed.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to a virtual disk under the

VD Mgmt

screen.

Virtual Disks

RAID Configuration and Management 67

heading.

Press <F2>.

The action menu appears.

Select

On the

Delete VD

VD Mgmt

and press <Enter>.

screen, select

Space Allocation

to display the amount of free space available after

you delete the virtual disk.

NOTE: On the PERC 5/i RAID controller, after you delete a virtual disk, any hot spares dedicated to that virtual disk

become global hot spares.

Deleting Disk Groups

You can delete disk groups using the BIOS Configuration Utility. When you delete a disk group, the utility also removes the virtual disks in that disk group.

To delete disk groups, perform the following steps in the BIOS Configuration Utility.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to a disk group under the

Press <F2>.

The action menu displays.

Select

Delete Disk Group

This deletes the disk group. When you delete a disk group, the remaining disk groups with higher numbers are automatically renumbered. For example, if you delete disk group #2, disk group #3 is then automatically renumbered as disk group #2.

VD Mgmt

screen.

and press <Enter>.

Virtual Disks

heading.

Upgrading Firmware

You can download the latest firmware from the Dell Support website and flash it to the firmware on the controller.

NOTE: Go to the Dell Support website at

support.dell.com

Enabling Boot Support

NOTE: See your system documentation to ensure the proper boot order is selected in the system BIOS.

In a multiple controller environment, multiple controllers can have their BIOS enabled. However, if you want to boot from a specific controller, then enable the BIOS on that controller and disable it on the other controllers. The system can then boot from the BIOS-enabled controller. Perform the following steps to enable the controller BIOS.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

68 RAID Configuration and Management

Ctrl Mgmt

menu screen.

Enable Controller BIOS

in the

Settings

box.

Press the spacebar to select

displays next to

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

The controller BIOS is enabled. To disable the controller BIOS, use the spacebar to deselect the

Enable Controller BIOS

After you enable the BIOS for a controller, perform the following steps to enable the boot support for that controller.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Shadow lines display if there are two or more virtual disks.

Press the down arrow key to display a list of virtual disks.

Use the down arrow key to move the cursor to a virtual disk.

Press <Enter> to select a virtual disk.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Boot support is enabled for the selected controller.

Enable Controller BIOS

Apply

control, and then select

Ctrl Mgmt

menu screen.

Select Bootable VD

Apply

button, and then press <Enter> to apply the selection.

Apply

and press <Enter>.

in the

Settings

button, and then press <Enter> to apply the selection.

box.

Enabling BIOS Stop on Error

The option the following steps to enable

BIOS Stop on Error

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

Press the spacebar to select

displays next to

is used to stop the system from booting if there are BIOS errors. Perform

BIOS Stop on Error

Ctrl Mgmt

Enable BIOS Stop on Error

menu screen.

Enable BIOS Stop on Error

in the

Settings

box.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

The controller BIOS is enabled. To disable

Enable BIOS Stop on Error

NOTE: Certain errors continue for five seconds even when Stop on Error is enabled.

, then select

Restoring Factory Default Settings

You can use the The settings are following steps to restore default settings.

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Ctrl Mgmt

Enable Controller BIOS, Enable Alarm

menu screen to restore the default settings for the options in the

Ctrl Mgmt

Apply

button, and then press <Enter> to apply the selection.

Enable BIOS Stop on Error

Apply

and press <Enter>.

, and

Enable BIOS Stop on Error

menu screen.

Settings

box.

RAID Configuration and Management 69

, use the spacebar to deselect

Settings

. Perform the

box.

Use the spacebar to deselect the settings for the options in the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Press the spacebar to select

displays next to

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

Press the spacebar to select

Advanced

Select Defaults

Advanced

Select Defaults

box.

Settings

box.

The defaults are automatically selected for the controller settings and display in the An

displays by each setting which is enabled by default.

Settings

box.

70 RAID Configuration and Management

Troubleshooting

To get help with your contact your Dell Technical Service representative or access the Dell Support website at support.dell.com

Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller

(PERC) 5 controller, you can

Virtual Disks Degraded

A redundant virtual disk is in a degr

example, a RAID 1 virtual disk consisting of two physical disks can sustain one physical disk in a failed or inaccessible state and become a degraded virtual disk.

To recover from a degraded virtual disk, rebuild the physical disk in the inaccessible state. Upon successful completion of the rebuild process, the virtual disk state changes from degraded to optimal. For the rebuild procedure, see "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk" on page 67 in "RAID Configuration and Management" on page 49.

aded state when one physical disk has failed or is inaccessible. For

Memory Errors

Memory errors can corrupt cached data, so the controllers are designed to detect and attempt to recover from these memory errors. Single-bit memory errors can be handled by the firmware and do not disrupt normal operation. A notification will be sent if the number of single-bit errors exceeds a threshold value.

Multi-bit errors are more serious, as they result in corrupted data and data loss. The following are the actions that occur in the case of multi-bit errors:

• If an access to data in cache memory causes a multi-bit error when the controller is started with dirty cache, the firmware will discard the cache contents. The firmware will generate a warning message to the system console to indicate that the cache was discarded and will generate an event.

• If a multi-bit error occurs at run-time either in code/data or in the cache, the firmware will stop.

• The firmware will log an event to the firmware internal event log and will log a message during POST indicating that a multi-bit error has occurred.

NOTE: In case of a multi-bit error, contact Dell Technical Support.

Troubleshooting 71

General Problems

Table 6-1 describes general problems you might encounter, along with suggested solutions.

Table 6-1. General Problems

Problem Suggested Solution

The device displays in Device Manager but has a yellow bang (exclamation point).

The device does not appear in Device Manager.

No Hard Drives Found

message appears during a CD installation of Microsoft 2000 Server, Windows Server Windows XP because of the following causes:

The driver is not native in the operating system.

The virtual disks are not configured properly.

The controller BIOS is disabled.

Windows®

2003, or

Reinstall the driver. See the driver installation procedures in the section "Driver Installation" on page 39.

Turn off the system and reseat the controller.

The corresponding solutions to the three causes of the message are:

Press <F6> to install the RAID Device Driver during installation.

Enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to configure the virtual disks. See the section "RAID Configuration and Management" on page 49 for procedures to configure the virtual disks.

Enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to enable the BIOS. See the section "Hardware Installation and Configuration" on page 25 for procedures to configure the virtual disks.

Physical Disk Related Issues

Table 6-2 describes physical disk-related problems you might encounter, along with suggested solutions.

Table 6-2. Physical Disk Issues

Problem Suggested Solution

One of the physical disks in the disk array is in the inaccessible state.

Cannot rebuild a fault tolerant virtual disk.

Fatal errors or data corruption are reported when accessing virtual disks.

Perform the following actions to resolve this problem:

• Check the enclosure or backplane for damage.

• Check the SAS cables.

• Reseat the physical disk.

• Contact Dell Technical Support if the problem persists.

This could result from any of the following:

• The replacement disk is too small. Replace the failed disk with a good physical disk with sufficient capacity.

Contact Dell Technical Support.

72 Troubleshooting

Physical Disk Failures and Rebuilds

Table 6-3 describes issues related to physical disk failures and rebuilds.

Table 6-3. Physical Disk Failure and Rebuild Issues

Issue Suggested Solution

Rebuilding a physical disk after one of them is in an inaccessible state.

Rebuilding the physical disks after multiple disks become simultaneously inaccessible.

A virtual disk fails during rebuild while using a global hot spare.

A virtual disk fails during rebuild while using a dedicated hot spare.

If you have configured hot spares, the PERC 5 controller automatically tries to use one to rebuild a physical disk that is in an inaccessible state. Manual rebuild is necessary if no hot spares with enough capacity to rebuild the inaccessible physical disks are available. You must insert a physical disk with enough storage into the subsystem before rebuilding the physical disk. You can use the BIOS Configuration Utility

or Dell OpenManage™ Storage Management application

manual rebuild of an individual physical disk.

See the section "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk" on page 67 in "RAID Configuration and Management" on page 49 for procedures to rebuild a single physical disk.

Multiple physical disk errors in a single array typically indicate a failure in cabling or connection and could involve the loss of data. It is possible to recover the virtual disk after multiple physical disks become simultaneously inaccessible. Perform the following steps to recover the virtual disk.

Turn off the system, check cable connections, and reseat physical disks. Follow the safety precautions to prevent electrostatic discharge. Ensure that all the drives are present in the enclosure.

Power up the system and enter into the CTRL-R utility and import the foreign configuration.

If the VD is redundant and transitioned into DEGRADED state before going OFFLINE a rebuild operation starts automatically after the configuration is imported. If the VD has gone directly into the OFFLINE state due to a cable pull or power loss situation the VD will be imported in its OPTIMAL state without a rebuild occurring.

You can use the BIOS Configuration Utility

Management application

See the section "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk" on page 67 in "RAID Configuration and Management" on page 49 for procedures to rebuild a single physical disk.

The global hot spare goes back into HOTSPARE state and the virtual disk goes into FAI L state.

The dedicated hot spare goes into READY state and the virtual disk goes into FAI L state.

to perform a manual rebuild of multiple physical disks.

to perform a

or Dell OpenManage Storage

Troubleshooting 73

Table 6-3. Physical Disk Failure and Rebuild Issues (continued)

Issue Suggested Solution

A physical disk becomes inaccessible during a reconstruction process on a redundant virtual disk that has a hot spare.

A physical disk is taking longer than expected to rebuild.

The rebuild operation for the the reconstruction is completed.

A physical disk takes longer to rebuild when under high stress. For example, there is one rebuild input/output (I/O) operation for every five host I/O operations.

inaccessible

physical disk starts automatically after

SMART Error

Table 6-4 describes issues related to the Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART). SMART monitors the internal performance of all motors, heads, and physical disk electronics and detects predictable physical disk failures.

NOTE: For information about where to find reports of SMART errors that could indicate hardware failure, see the

Dell OpenManage Storage Management documentation.

Table 6-4. SMART Error

Problem Suggested Solution

A SMART error is detected on a physical disk in a redundant virtual disk.

A SMART error is detected on a physical disk in a non-redundant virtual disk.

Perform the following steps:

Force the physical disk offline.

Replace it with a new physical disk of equal or higher capacity.

Perform a rebuild. See "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk" on page 67 for

rebuild procedures.

Perform the following steps:

Back up your data.

Delete the virtual disk. See "Deleting Virtual Disks" on page 67 for information on deleting a virtual disk.

Replace the affected physical disk with a new physical disk of equal or higher capacity.

Recreate the virtual disk. See "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on page 58 for information on creating virtual disks.

Restore the backup.

74 Troubleshooting

PERC 5 Post Error Messages

In PERC 5 controllers, the BIOS (read-only memory, ROM) provides INT 13h functionality (disk I/O) for the virtual disks connected to the controller, so that you can boot from or access the physical disks without the need of a driver. Table 6-5 describes the error messages and warnings that display for the BIOS.

Table 6-5. BIOS Errors and Warnings

Message Meaning

BIOS Disabled. No Logical Drives

Handled by BIOS

Press

Adapter at Baseport xxxx is not

responding

where xxxx is the baseport of the controller

x Virtual Disk(s) Failed

where x is the number of virtual disks failed

x Virtual Disk(s) Degraded

where x is the number of virtual

disks degraded

Memory/Battery problems were

detected. The adapter has

recovered, but cached data was

lost. Press any key to continue.

Firmware is in Fault State

<Ctrl><R> to Enable BIOS

This warning displays after you disable the ROM option in the configuration utility. When the ROM option is disabled, the BIOS cannot hook Int13h and cannot provide the ability to boot from the virtual disk. (Int13h is an interrupt signal that supports numerous commands that are sent to the BIOS, then passed to the physical disk. The commands include actions you can perform with a physical disk, such as reading, writing, and formatting.)

When the BIOS is disabled, you are given the option to enable it by entering the configuration utility. You can change the setting to Enabled in the configuration utility.

If the controller does not respond for any reason but is detected by the BIOS, it displays this warning and continues.

Shut down the system and try to reseat the controller. If this message still occurs, contact Dell Technical Support.

When the BIOS detects virtual disks in the failed state, it displays this warning. You should check to determine why the virtual disks failed and correct the problem. No action is taken by the BIOS.

When the BIOS detects virtual disks in a degraded state, it displays this warning. You should try to make the virtual disks optimal. No action is taken by the BIOS.

This message occurs under the following conditions:

• The adapter detects that the cache in the controller cache has not yet been written to the disk subsystem

• The controller detects an error-correcting code (ECC) error while performing its cache checking routine during initialization

• The controller then discards the cache rather than sending it to the disk subsystem because the data integrity cannot be guaranteed

To resolve this problem, allow the battery to charge fully. If the problem persists, the battery or adapter DIMM might be faulty. In that case, contact Dell Technical Support.

Contact Dell Technical Support.

Troubleshooting 75

Table 6-5. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)

Message Meaning

Firmware version inconsistency

was detected. The adapter has

recovered, but cached data was

lost. Press any key to continue.

Foreign configuration(s) found

on adapter. Press any key to

continue, or ’C’ to load the

configuration utility.

The foreign configuration

message is always present during

POST but no foreign

configurations are present in the

foreign view page in CTRL+R and

all virtual disks are in an

optimal state.

Previous configuration(s)

cleared or missing. Importing

configuration created on XX/XX

XX.XX. Press any key to continue,

or ’C’ to load the configuration

utility.

There are X enclosures connected

to port X but only X may be

connected to a single SAS port.

Please remove the extra

enclosures then restart your

system.

New firmware has been flashed that is incompatible with the previous version. The cache contains data that has not been written to the physical disks and that cannot be recovered. Check data integrity. You may need to restore the data from a backup.

When a controller firmware detects a physical disk with existing foreign metadata, it flags the physical disk as foreign and generates an alert indicating that a foreign disk was detected.

You can use the BIOS Configuration Utility to import or clear the foreign configuration.

Clear the foreign configuration using CTRL+R or Dell OpenManage™ Server Administrator Storage Management.

If a physical disk is inserted into the system that was once a member of a virtual disk, and that disk’s previous location has been taken by a replacement disk through a rebuild, the newly inserted disk that was once a member of the virtual disk must have its foreign configuration flag manually removed.

The message means the controller and physical disks have different configurations. You can use the BIOS Configuration Utility to import or clear the foreign configuration.

Too many enclosures are attached to one port. The extra enclosures must be removed and the system restarted.

76 Troubleshooting

Table 6-5. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)

Message Meaning

Invalid SAS topology detected.

Please check your cable

configurations, repair the

problem, and restart your system.

Multi-bit errors are detected on

the controller. DIMM on the

controller needs replacement. If

you continue, data corruption can

occur. Press ’X’ to continue or

else power off the system and

replace the DIMM module and

reboot. If you have replaced the

DIMM please press ’X’ to

continue.

Some configured disks have been

removed from your system, or are

no longer accessible.

Check your cables and ensure all disks are present

key or ’C’ to continue.

Physical disk removed: Physical

Disk {x.x.x} Controller {x},

Connector {x}

Device failed: Physical Disk

{x.x.x} Controller {x},

Connector {x}".

Battery is missing or the battery

could be fully discharged. If

battery is connected and has been

allowed to charge for 30 minutes

and this message continues to

appear, then contact Technical

Support for assistance.

. Press any

The SAS cables for your system are improperly connected. Check the cable connections and fix any problems, then restart the system. You may need to restore your data from a backup.

There are multi-bit ECC errors (MBE). ECC errors are errors that occur in the memory, which can corrupt cached data so that it has to be discarded.

NOTICE: MBE errors are serious, as they result in corrupted data

and data loss. In case of MBE errors, contact Dell Technical Support.

NOTE: A similar message appears when multiple single-bit ECC

errors are detected on the controller during bootup.

An array has failed. Some configured disks were removed from the system or, if not removed, are no longer accessible for other reasons.

The SAS cables for your system might be improperly connected. Check the cable connections and fix any problems, then restart the system. You may need to restore your data from a backup.

If there are no cable problems, press any key or <C> to continue.

These two messages appear in the event log when you remove a drive. One indicates that the disk was removed and the other indicates that the device has failed. This is expected behavior.

A storage component such as a physical disk or an enclosure has failed. The failed component might have been identified by the controller while performing a task such as a rescan or a check consistency.

Replace the failed component. You can identify which disk has failed by locating the disk that has a red "X" for its status. Perform a rescan after replacing the disk.

• The controller battery is missing or damaged.

• The controller battery is completely discharged and needs to be charged for it to become active. The battery must first be charged and the system must be restarted for the battery to be active again.

Troubleshooting 77

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Errors

Table 6-6 describes an issue related to the Red Hat® Enterprise Linux operating system.

Table 6-6. Linux Operating System Error

Error Message Suggested Solution

<Date:Time>

<HostName> kernel:

sdb: asking for cache

data failed

<Date:Time>

<HostName> kernel:

sdb: assuming drive

cache: write through

Driver does not

auto-build into new

kernel after customer

updates.

This error message displays when the Linux Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) mid layer asks for physical disk cache settings. Because the PERC 5 controller firmware manages the virtual disk cache settings on a per controller and a per virtual disk basis, the firmware does not respond to this command. Thus, the Linux SCSI mid layer assumes that the virtual disk's cache policy is write-through. SDB is the device node for a virtual disk. This value changes for each virtual disk.

See the section "Setting Up Virtual Disks" on page 58 for more information about write-through cache.

Except for this message, there is no side effect to this behavior. The cache policy of the virtual disk and the I/O throughput are not affected by this message. The cache policy settings for the PERC5 SAS RAID system remain the settings you have already chosen.

This error is a generic problem for DKMS and applies to all DKMS-enabled driver packages. This issue occurs when you perform the following steps:

Install a DKMS-enabled driver package.

Run

up2date

or a similar tool to upgrade the kernel into the latest version.

Reboot into the new kernel. The driver running in the new kernel is the native driver in the new kernel. The

driver package you once installed in the new kernel does not take effect in the new kernel.

Perform the following procedure to make the driver auto-build into the new kernel:

Ty p e :

dkms build -m <module_name> -v <module version> -k <kernel version>

Ty p e :

dkms install -m <module_name> -v <module version> -k <kernel version>

Type the following to check whether the driver is successfully installed in the new kernel:

DKMS

The following details appear:

<driver name>, <driver version>, <new kernel version>: installed

78 Troubleshooting

Table 6-6. Linux Operating System Error (continued)

Error Message Suggested Solution

smartd[smartd[2338]

Device: /dev/sda, Bad

IEC (SMART) mode

page, err=-5, skip

device

smartd[2338] Unable

to register SCSI

device /dev/sda at

line 1 of file

/etc/smartd.conf

These error messages are caused by an unsupported command coming directly from the user application. This is a known issue in which user applications try to direct Command Descriptor Blocks to RAID volumes. This error message has no effect on the user and there is no loss of functionality due to this error.

The Mode Sense/Select command is supported by firmware on the PERC 5. However, the Linux kernel daemon is issuing the command to the virtual disk instead of to the driver IOCTL node. This action is not supported.

LED Behavior Patterns

The external SAS ports on the PERC 5/E Adapter have a port status LED per x4 SAS port. This bi-color LED displays the status of any external SAS port. The LED indicates whether all links are functional or only partial links are functional. Table 6-7 describes the patterns for the port status.

Table 6-7. LED Behavior Patterns

Port State LED State

Power-on state Off

Reset state Off

All links in port connected Green light on

One or more links are not connected (applicable only in wide port configurations) Amber light on

All links in the port are disconnected or the cable is disconnected Off

Audible Alarm Warnings

An audible alarm is available on the PERC 5/E Adapter to alert you of key critical and warning events involving the virtual disk or physical disk problems. You can use the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) Configuration Utility to enable, disable, or silence the on-board alarm tone.

NOTE: Silencing the alarm stops only the current alarm, but future alarms will be sounded. To permanently disable

the alarm, select the disable alarm option.

Troubleshooting 79

Table 6-8 lists the critical and warning events, severity levels of the events, and audible codes.

Table 6-8. Audible Alarm Descriptions

Description Severity Audible Code

Controller alarm enabled Normal N/A

Virtual disk failed Critical 3 seconds on, 1 second off

Virtual disk degraded Warning 1 second on, 1 second off

Global hot spare failed Warning 1 second on, 1 second off

Dedicated hot spare failed Warning 1 second on, 1 second off

Physical disk failed Critical 1 second on, 1 second off

Rebuild completed on physical disk Normal 1 second on, 3 seconds off

Rebuild failed on physical disk Warning 1 second on, 1 second off

Physical disk offline Critical 1 second on, 1 second off

NOTE: If the PERC 5/E alarm was already beeping due to a previous failure and a new virtual disk is created on the

same controller, then the previous alarm will be silenced. This is expected behavior.

80 Troubleshooting

Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Regulatory Notices

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is any signal or emission, radiated in free space or conducted along power or signal leads, that endangers the functioning of radio navigation or other safety service or seriously degrades, obstructs, or repeatedly interrupts a licensed radio communications service. Radio communications services include but are not limited to AM/FM commercial broadcast, television, cellular services, radar, air-traffic control, pager, and Personal Communication Services (PCS). These licensed services, along with unintentional radiators such as digital devices, including computer systems, contribute to the electromagnetic environment.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is the ability of items of electronic equipment to function properly together in the electronic environment. While this computer system has been designed and determined to be compliant with regulatory agency limits for EMI, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference with radio communications services, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient the receiving antenna.

• Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver.

• Move the computer away from the receiver.

• Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and the receiver are on different branch circuits.

If necessary, consult a Dell™ Technical Support representative or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions.

Dell computer systems are designed, tested, and classified for their intended electromagnetic environment. These electromagnetic environment classifications generally refer to the following harmonized definitions:

• Class A is typically for business or industrial environments.

• Class B is typically for residential environments.

Information Technology Equipment (ITE), including peripherals, expansion cards, printers, input/output (I/O) devices, monitors, and so on, that are integrated into or connected to the system should match the electromagnetic environment classification of the computer system.

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 81

A Notice about Shielded Signal Cables: Use only shielded cables for connecting peripherals to any Dell device to reduce the possibility of interference with radio communications services. Using shielded cables ensures that you maintain the appropriate EMC classification for the intended environment. For parallel printers, a cable is available from Dell. If you prefer, you can order a cable from Dell on the World Wide Web at www.dell.com.

To determine the electromagnetic classification for your system or device, see the following sections specific for each regulatory agency. Each section provides country-specific EMC/EMI or product safety information.

This Regulatory appendix covers the following Dell products:

Please find a list of Class A EMC Environmental products:

• PERC 5/E Adapter

• PERC 5/i Integrated

Please find a list of Class B EMC Environmental products:

• PERC 5/i Adapter

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

FCC, Class A

This product has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This product generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual, may cause harmful interference with radio communications. Operation of this product in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case you will be required to correct the interference at your own expense.

FCC, Class B

This product generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual, may cause interference with radio and television reception. This product has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

This device may not cause harmful interference.

This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

NOTICE: The FCC regulations provide that changes or modifications not expressly approved by Dell Inc. could void

your authority to operate this equipment.

82 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient the receiving antenna.

• Relocate the system with respect to the receiver.

• Move the system away from the receiver.

• Plug the system into a different outlet so that the system and the receiver are on different branch circuits.

If necessary, consult a representative of Dell Inc. or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions.

The following information is provided on the device or devices covered in this document in compliance with FCC regulations:

Product Name: Dell PERC 5/i Adapter

Company Name: Dell Inc.

Worldwide Regulatory Compliance & Environmental Affairs One Dell Way Round Rock, Texas 78682 USA 512-338-4400

Industry Canada (Canada Only)

Industry Canada, Class A

This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Industry Canada, Class B

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

NOTICE: The Industry Canada regulations provide that changes or modifications not expressly approved by

Dell Inc. could void your authority to operate this equipment.

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 83

CE Notice (European Union)

This product has been determined to be in compliance with 73/23/EEC (Low Voltage Directive), 89/336/EEC (EMC Directive), and amendments of the European Union.

European Union, Class A

RF INTERFERENCE WARNING: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio frequency (RF) interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

European Union, Class B

This Dell device is classified for use in a typical Class B domestic environment.

A "Declaration of Conformity" in accordance with the preceding directives and standards has been made and is on file at Dell™ Inc. Products Europe BV, Limerick, Ireland.

84 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 85

86 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 87

88 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 89

90 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 91

MIC Notice (Republic of Korea Only)

92 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

VCCI (Japan Only)

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 93

CNCA (China Only)

CNCA, Class A

94 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

información NOM (únicamente para México)

La información siguiente se proporciona en el dispositivo o dispositivos descritos en este documento, en cumplimiento con los requisitos de la Norma oficial mexicana (NOM):

Exportador: Dell Inc.

One Dell Way Round Rock, TX 78682

Importador: Dell México, S.A. de C.V.

Paseo de la Reforma 2620 - 11° Piso Col. Lomas Altas 11950 México, D.F.

Enviar a: Dell México, S.A. de C.V.

al Cuidado de Kuehne & Nagel de México S. de R.L. Avenida Soles No. 55 Col. Peñon de los Baños 15520 México, D.F.

Corporate Contact Details (Taiwan Only)

Pursuant to Article 11 of the Commodity Inspection Act, Dell provides the following corporate contact details for the certified entity in Taiwan for the computer products addressed by this document:

Dell B.V. Taiwan Branch

20/F, No. 218, Sec. 2, Tung Hwa S. Road,

Taipei, Taiwan

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 95

96 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Appendix: Regulatory Notices 97

98 Appendix: Regulatory Notices

Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller 5i User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

User’s Guide

User’s Guide

Contents

CAUTION: Safety Instructions

SAFETY: General

SAFETY: When Working Inside Your System

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

SAFETY: Battery Disposal

Overview

Scope of the User’s Guide

PERC 5 Controller Descriptions

PCI Architecture

Operating System Support

RAID Description

Summary of RAID Levels

RAID Terminology

Disk Striping

Disk Mirroring

Parity

PERC 5 Features

PERC 5 Controller Features

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created on Existing PERC 5 Controllers

SMART Technology

Background Initialization

LED Operation

Disk Roaming

Disk Migration

Alarm Alert in Case of Physical Disk Failures

Battery Management

Introduction to Write Cache Policy

Write-Back versus Write-Through

How Firmware Manages Cache

Conditions Under Which Write-Back is Employed

Conditions Under Which Write-Through is Employed

Conditions Under Which Forced Write-Back With No Battery is Employed

RAID Configuration Information

Fault Tolerance Features

Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Patrol Read

Patrol Read Behavior

Configuration

Patrol Read Modes

Behavior Details

Blocked Operations

Hardware Installation and Configuration

Installing the PERC 5/E Adapter

Installing the Transportable Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) for PERC 5/E

Installing the DIMM on a PERC 5/E Adapter

Transferring a TBBU Between Controllers

Removing the PERC 5/E Adapter

Removing the DIMM and Battery from a PERC 5/E Adapter

Installing the PERC 5/i Adapter

Removing the PERC 5/i Adapter

Removing the DIMM from a PERC 5/i Card

Disconnecting the BBU from a PERC 5/i Adapter or a PERC 5/i

Driver Installation

Creating a Driver Diskette

Installing the Driver During a Microsoft Operating System Installation

Installing a Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, or XP Driver for a New RAID Controller

Updating an Existing Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows Vista Driver

Installing Windows Vista for a New RAID Controller

Installing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Driver

Creating a Driver Diskette

Installing the Driver

Installing the Driver Using an Update RPM

Installing the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (Version 9 or 10) Driver

Installing the Driver Using an Update RPM

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette

RAID Configuration and Management

Dell OpenManage Storage Management

SAS RAID Storage Manager

BIOS Configuration Utility

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility

Starting the BIOS Configuration Utility

Exiting the Configuration Utility

Menu Navigation Controls