Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller H800 User Manual

Download

Dell PowerEdge RAID

Controller (PERC) H700

and H800

User’s Guide

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

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

your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if

instructions are not followed.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal

injury, or death.

____________________

Reproduction of these materials 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™, CacheCade™, and OpenManage™ are trademarks of Dell Inc. Intel in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft

Vista

are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat Enterprise Linux of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Novell trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. VMware of VMWare, Inc. in the United States or other countries.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this publication 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.

, Windows®, Windows Server®, MS-DOS®, and Windows

is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation

, and Enterprise Linux® are registered trademarks

and SUSE ™ are registered

is a registered trademark

Model UCP-70, UCPM-70, and UCP-71

March 2011 Rev. A02

Contents

1 Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

General Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

When Working Inside Your System

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

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . 12

Battery Disposal

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

2Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions. . . . . . . . . 15

PCI Architecture

Operating System Support

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

RAID Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Summary of RAID Levels

RAID Terminology

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

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

3 Storage Controller Features . . . . . . . . . . 21

Physical Disk Power Management . . . . . . . . . 24

Using the SMART Feature

Initializing Virtual Disks

Background Initialization of Virtual Disks

Full Initialization of Virtual Disks

Fast Initialization of Virtual Disks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . 26

Contents 3

Consistency Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Disk Roaming

Disk Migration

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created on PERC 6 and H200 Cards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Migrating Virtual Disks From PERC 6 or

H200 to PERC H700 and H800 . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Virtual Disk Write Cache Policies. . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Write-Back and Write-Through

. . . . . . . . . . . 29

Conditions Under Which

Write-Back is Employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Conditions Under Which

Write-Through is Employed. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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

Virtual Disk Read Cache Policies

Reconfiguring Virtual Disks

Fault Tolerance Features

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using Persistent Hot Spare Slots

Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Failed Physical Disk Detection

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

. . . . . . . . . . 34

. . . . . . . . . . . . 34

. . . . . . . . . . . 34

Redundant Path With Load Balancing Support

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

Using Replace Member and

Revertible Hot Spares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Controller Cache Preservation

Cache Preservation With Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . . . . . 37

Cache Preservation With Non-Volatile Cache (NVC)

Cache Data Recovery

Battery Learn Cycle

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

4 Contents

Patrol Read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

4 Installing and Configuring Hardware. . . . . 41

Installing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters . . . . . . 41

Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters

. . . . . . 46

Removing and Installing the PERC H700 Modular Card in Dell Blade Systems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700. . . . . . . . . 51

Installing the DIMM on a PERC H700

Replacing the BBU on a PERC H700

. . . . . . . . . . 53

. . . . . . . . . . . 56

Removing the TBBU or TNVC From a PERC H800 Adapter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Replacing the Battery and Battery Cable Onto the DIMM of a PERC H800 Adapter

. . . . . . . . . . . 60

Installing the TBBU or TNVC on a PERC H800 Adapter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Transferring a TBBU or TNVC Between PERC H800 Cards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Setting up Redundant Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Reverting From Redundant Path Support to Single Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter

. . . . . . . . 67

5 Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Installing Windows Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Creating the Driver Media

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Contents 5

Pre-Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2003

Operating System Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2008,

Windows Server 2008 R2 Installation. . . . . . . . 72

Installing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows

Server 2003 for a New RAID Controller. . . . . . . 72

Updating Existing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2,

Windows Server 2003. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Installing Linux Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Using the DUD

. . . . . . . . . . 76

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette

. . . . . . . . . . 77

Installing the RPM Package

With DKMS Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

6 Configuring and Managing RAID . . . . . . 81

6 Contents

Installing Solaris Driver

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Installing Solaris 10 on a PowerEdge System Booting From a PERC H700 or H800 Card

. . . . . . 80

Adding or Updating the Driver

to an Existing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Dell OpenManage Storage Management . . . . . . . . 81

BIOS Configuration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility

Exiting the Configuration Utility

Menu Navigation Controls

Setting Up Virtual Disks

Virtual Disk Management

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

. . . . . . . 82

. . . . . . . . . . . 83

Creating Virtual Disks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Initializing Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Checking Data Consistency

. . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations

Using the VD Mgmt Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen

. . . . 93

Managing Preserved Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Managing Dedicated Hot Spares

Deleting Virtual Disks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

. . . . . . . . . . 97

Deleting Disk Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Clearing the Configuration

BIOS Configuration Utility Menu Options

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

. . . . . . 99

Physical Disk Management

Setting LED Blinking

Creating Global Hot Spares

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

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

Removing Global or Dedicated Hot Spares . . . . 109

Replacing an Online Physical Disk

. . . . . . . . . 110

Stopping Background Initialization. . . . . . . . . 111

Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk

Controller Management

Enabling Boot Support

Enabling BIOS Stop on Error

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

. . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Enabling Auto Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Restoring Factory Default Settings

. . . . . . . . . 114

7 CacheCade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

CacheCade Virtual Disk Characteristics . . . . . . . . 115

Configuring and Managing CacheCade Virtual Disks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Contents 7

CacheCade Virtual Disk Management . . . . . . 116

Create CacheCade Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . 116

Delete CacheCade Virtual Disk

Reconfiguring CacheCade Virtual Disks

. . . . . . . . . . 118

. . . . . 118

8 Security Key and RAID Management. . . . 121

Security Key Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Configuring and Managing Secured Virtual Disks

BIOS Configuration Utility Security Menu Options

Security Key Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Creating Secured Virtual Disks

Securing Pre-Existing Virtual Disks

Importing or Clearing Secured Foreign

Configurations and Secure Disk Migration. . . . 126

Instant Secure Erase

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

. . . . . . . . . . 125

. . . . . . . . 126

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

9 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

8 Contents

Troubleshooting Security Key Errors

Secured Foreign Import Errors

. . . . . . . . . 128

. . . . . . . . . . 128

Failure to Select or Configure Non

Self-Encrypting Disks (non-SED) . . . . . . . . . 129

Failure to Delete Security Key

. . . . . . . . . . 129

Failure to Instant Secure Erase

Task on Physical Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Post Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Degraded State of Virtual Disks

Memory Errors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

. . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Preserved Cache State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

General Issues

Physical Disk Related Issues

Physical Disk Failures and Rebuild Issues . . . . . . . 144

SMART Errors

Replace Member Errors

Linux Operating System Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Disk Carrier LED Indicators

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

A Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

B Corporate Contact Details

(Taiwan Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Contents 9

10 Contents

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.

WARNING: 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 "Battery Disposal" on page 13.

NOTE: For complete information on 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, see the S

Environmental and Regulatory Information Warranty and Support Information

(SERI),

(WSI) that shipped with your system.

End User License Agreement

General Safety Instructions

• 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 the compartments must 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 in 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° Celsius (140° Fahrenheit). Do not attempt to open or service batteries; replace batteries only with batteries designated for the product.

afety,

(EULA), and

Safety Instructions 11

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.

CAUTION: 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 connected devices.

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.

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.

In addition, take note of the following 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, when you connect a cable, make sure 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 system. 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 system. To prevent ESD damage, you must discharge static electricity from your body before you interact with any of your system’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 system’s I/O panel) before you interact with anything electronic. When connecting a peripheral (including handheld digital assistants) to your system, you should always ground both yourself and the peripheral before connecting it to the system. Additionally, as you work inside the system, periodically touch an I/O connector to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.

12 Safety Instructions

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.

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 possible that you may never need to replace them. However, should you need to replace them, see the instructions included in the section "Configuring and Managing RAID" on page 81.

NOTE: 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.

NOTE: Your system may also include circuit cards or other components that contain

batteries. The batteries too must be disposed of in a battery deposit site. For information about such batteries, see the documentation for the specific card or component.

Taiwan Battery Recycling Mark

Safety Instructions 13

14 Safety Instructions

Overview

The Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 family of cards:

• Comply with Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) 2.0 providing up to 6 Gb/sec throughput.

• Offer RAID control capabilities which include support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.

• Provide reliability, high performance, and fault-tolerant disk subsystem management.

PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions

Table 2-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions

Card Name Card Description

PERC H700 Adapter Two internal x4 SAS ports and either a battery backup

unit (BBU) or non-volatile cache (NVC).

PERC H700 Integrated Two internal x4 SAS ports and either a BBU or NVC

PERC H700 Modular One internal x4 SAS port and a BBU

PERC H800 Adapter Two external x4 SAS ports and either a transportable

battery backup unit (TBBU) or transportable nonvolatile cache (TNVC)

NOTE: Each controller supports up to 64 virtual disks.

Overview 15

PCI Architecture

• The PERC H700 and H800 cards support a PCI-E 2.0 x8 host interface.

• The PERC H700 Modular cards support a PCI-E 2.0 x4 host interface.

Operating System Support

The

PERC H700 and H800

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, including Hyper-V virtualization

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5.5 and later (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 6.0 and later (64-bit)

•Sun

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server version 10 SP3 and later (64-bit)

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server version 11 SP1 and later (64-bit)

• VMware ESX and ESXi 4.0 Update 2

• VMware ESX and ESXi 4.1

NOTE: For the latest list of supported operating systems and driver installation

Solaris10 (64-bit)

instructions, see the system documentation at support.dell.com/manuals. For specific operating system service pack requirements, see the Drivers and Downloads section at support.dell.com.

cards support the following operating systems:

16 Overview

RAID Description

RAID is a group of independent physical disks that provides high performance by increasing the number of disks used for saving and accessing data.

A RAID disk subsystem offers the following benefits:

• Improves I/O performance and data availability.

• Improves data throughput because several disks are accessed simultaneously. The physical disk group appears either as a single storage unit or multiple logical units to the host system.

• Improves data storage availability and fault tolerance. Data loss caused by a physical disk failure can be recovered by rebuilding missing data from the remaining physical disks containing data or parity.

CAUTION: In the event of a physical disk failure, a RAID 0 virtual disk fails,

resulting in data loss.

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.

• RAID 1 uses disk mirroring so that data written to one physical disk is simultaneously written to another physical disk. RAID 1 is good for small databases or other applications that require small capacity and 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 6 is an extension of RAID 5 and uses an additional parity block. RAID 6 uses block-level striping with two parity blocks distributed across all member disks. RAID 6 provides protection against double disk failures, and failures while a single disk is rebuilding. If you are using only one array, deploying RAID 6 is more effective than deploying a hot spare disk.

• RAID 10 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, uses disk striping across mirrored disks. It provides high data throughput and complete data redundancy. RAID 10 can support up to eight spans, and up to 32 physical disks per span.

Overview 17

• RAID 50 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 5 where a RAID 0 array

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

is striped across RAID 5 elements. RAID 50 requires at least six disks.

• RAID 60 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 6 where a RAID 0 array is striped across RAID 6 elements. RAID 60 requires at least eight disks.

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 in stripes of the following sizes: 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB, and 1024 KB. The stripes are interleaved in a repeated sequential manner. The part of the stripe on a single physical disk is called a stripe element.

For example, in a four-disk system using only disk striping (used in RAID 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 2-1 shows an example of disk striping.

Figure 2-1. Example of Disk Striping (RAID 0)

18 Overview

Disk Mirroring

Stripe element 1 Stripe element 2 Stripe element 3

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

Stripe element 4 Stripe element 4 Duplicated

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 complete data redundancy. Both disks contain the same data at all times. Either of the physical disks can act as the operational physical disk.

Disk mirroring provides complete redundancy, but is an expensive option because each physical disk in the system must be duplicated.

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

Figure 2-2 shows an example of disk mirroring.

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

Spanned RAID Levels

Spanning is a term used to describe the way in which RAID levels 10, 50, and 60 are constructed from multiple sets of basic, or simple RAID levels. For example, a RAID 10 has multiple sets of RAID 1 arrays where each RAID 1 set is considered a span. Data is then striped (RAID 0) across the RAID 1 spans to create a RAID 10 virtual disk. Similarly, RAID 50 and RAID 60 combine multiple sets of RAID 5 or RAID 6 respectively with striping.

Parity Data

Parity data is redundant data that is generated to provide fault tolerance within certain RAID levels. In the event of a disk failure the parity data can be used by the controller to regenerate your data. Parity data is present for RAID 5, 6, 50, and 60.

Overview 19

The parity data is distributed across all the physical disks in the system. If a

Stripe element 1 Stripe element 7

Stripe element 2 Stripe element 8

Stripe element 3 Stripe element 9

Stripe element 4

Stripe element 10

Stripe element 5

Parity (6–10)

Parity (11–15)

Parity (1–5)

Stripe element 6

Stripe element 12

Stripe element 15

Stripe element 11

Stripe element 14

Stripe element 13 Stripe element 19 Stripe element 25

Stripe element 20

Stripe element 23

Stripe element 18

Stripe element 21

Stripe element 16

Stripe element 22

Stripe element 17

Parity (21–25)

Parity (26–30)

Parity (16–20)

Stripe element 24

Stripe element 30

Stripe element 27 Stripe element 29

Stripe element 26

Stripe element 28

Stripe element 1 Stripe element 5

Stripe element 2 Stripe element 6

Stripe element 3

Parity (5–8)

Stripe element 4

Parity (5–8)

Parity (1–4)

Stripe element 7

Stripe element 10

Parity (1–4)

Stripe element 8

Stripe element 12

Stripe element 9

Stripe element 11

Parity (9–12)

Stripe element 13 Stripe element 14 Stripe element 16Parity (13–16) Stripe element 15

Parity (13–16)

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 2-3. Parity provides redundancy for one physical disk failure without duplicating the contents of entire physical disks.

RAID 6 combines dual distributed parity with disk striping. This level of parity allows for two disk failures without duplicating the contents of entire physical disks.

Figure 2-3. Example of Distributed Parity (RAID 5)

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

Figure 2-4. Example of Dual Distributed Parity (RAID 6)

NOTE: Parity is distributed across all disks in the array.

20 Overview

Storage Controller Features

This section describes the features of the Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 cards such as the configuration options, disk array performance, RAID management utilities, and operating system software drivers.

The PERC H700 and H800 family of controllers support Dell-qualified serial-attached SCSI (SAS) hard drives, SATA hard drives, and solid-state drives (SSDs).

NOTE: Mixing SAS and SATA disks within a virtual disk is not supported.

Also, mixing hard drives and SSDs within a virtual disk is not supported.

NOTE: Mixing disks of different speed (10,000 rpm or 15,000 rpm) and bandwidth (3

Gbps or 6 Gbps) while maintaining the same drive type (SAS or SATA) and technology (HDD or SSD) is supported.

Table 3-1 compares the hardware configurations for the PERC H700 andH800 cards.

Table 3-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Comparisons

Specification PERC H700 Adapter PERC H700

Integrated

RAID Levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 0, 1, 5, 6, 10,

50, 60

Enclosures per Port

Ports 2 x4 internal mini-

Processor Dell adapter SAS

N/A N/A N/A Up to 4

2 x4 internal

SAS wide ports

RAID-on-Chip, 8port with LSI 2108 chipset

mini-SAS wide ports

Dell adapter SAS RAIDon-Chip, 8port with LSI 2108 chipset

Storage Controller Features 21

PERC H700 Modular

0,1,5,6, and

1x4 integrated SAS wide port

Dell adapter SAS RAIDon-Chip, 4lanes with LSI 2108 chipset

PERC H800 Adapter

0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60

enclosures

2 x4 external mini-SAS wide ports

Dell adapter SAS RAID-onChip, 8-port with LSI 2108 chipset

Table 3-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Comparisons

Specification PERC H700 Adapter PERC H700

Integrated

BBU (Backup Battery Unit)

Non-Volatile Cache

Cache Memory 512 MB DDR2 or 1

Cache Function

Maximum Number of Spans per Disk Group

Maximum Number of Virtual Disks per Disk Group

Multiple Virtual Disks per Controller

Support for x8

2.0 PCIe Host Interface

Online Capacity Expansion

Optional Optional Yes Optional,

Optional Optional No Optional,

512 MB

GB DDR2

Wri t e - Back, WriteThrough, Adaptive Read Ahead, NoRead Ahead, Read Ahead

88 28

16 virtual disks per disk group

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

Yes Yes Yes, x4 PCIe

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s

DDR2 or 1 GB DDR2

Write-Back, Wri te Through, Adaptive Read Ahead, No-Read Ahead, Read Ahead

16 virtual disks per disk group

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

PERC H700 Modular

512 MB Integrated DDR2

Write -B ack, Write Through, Adaptive Read Ahead, No-Read Ahead, Read Ahead

16 virtual disks per disk group

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

2.0 for host operation

PERC H800 Adapter

Tr a ns p o r ta b l e

512 MB DDR2 or 1 GB DDR2

Write-Back, Write-Through, Adaptive Read Ahead, No-Read Ahead, Read Ahead

16 virtual disks per disk group

Up to 64 virtual disks per controller

Ye s

22 Storage Controller Features

Table 3-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Comparisons

Specification PERC H700 Adapter PERC H700

Integrated

Dedicated and

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s

PERC H700 Modular

PERC H800 Adapter

Global Hot Spares

Hot Swap

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Devices Supported

Enclosure Hot-

Add

Mixed

N/A N/A N/A Yes

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Capacity Physical Disks Supported

Hardware XOR

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Engine

Revertible Hot

Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Spares Supported

Redundant

N/A N/A N/A Yes Pat h Support

Maximum

112

number of controllers per server

a. The RAID configurations are only supported on select Dell modular systems. b. Using the enclosure Hot-Add feature, you can hot plug enclosures to the PERC H800 adapter

without rebooting the system.

c. Only one boot controller (PERC H700) is supported on a server, consult the system

determine which one is the appropriate boot controller on you system.

d. Only up to two PERC H800 controller for additional storages are supported on a system, this may

be further limited by the server specifications (number of PCIe slots). Consult the system

Guide

for specifications.

User’s Guide

User’s

NOTE: The maximum array size is limited by the maximum number of disks per span

(32), the maximum number of spans per disk group (8), and the size of the physical disks (array and disk group terms are equivalent).

Storage Controller Features 23

Physical Disk Power Management

The PERC H700 and H800 cards can be configured to spin down certain hard drives after a set amount of time of inactivity to conserve power. This power-savings feature is disabled by default and can be enabled in the Dell OpenManage storage management application.

The power-savings feature can be enabled so that unconfigured disks, hot spares, or both are spun down. The amount of time to wait to spin down these disks can also be set. The minimum amount of time to wait that can be set is 30 minutes and the maximum is 1 day. The default is 30 minutes.

Disks that are spun down automatically, spin up when they are needed for use. When a system is rebooted, all disks spin up.

Using the SMART Feature

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. The SMART feature helps monitor physical disk performance and reliability. SMART-compliant physical disks have attributes for which data 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.

A SMART failure is also referred to as a predicted failure. There are numerous factors that relate to predicted 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. For information on physical disk status, see "Disk Roaming" on page 26.

NOTE: For detailed information on SCSI interface specifications, see t10.org

and for detailed information on SATA interface specifications, see t13.org.

24 Storage Controller Features

Initializing Virtual Disks

You can initialize the virtual disks as described in the following sections.

Background Initialization of Virtual Disks

Background Initialization (BGI) is an automated process that writes the parity or mirror data on newly created virtual disks. BGI does not run on RAID 0 virtual disks.

NOTE: You cannot disable BGI permanently. If you cancel BGI, it automatically

restarts within five minutes. For information on stopping BGI, see "Stopping Background Initialization" on page 111.

You can control the BGI rate in the Dell OpenManage storage management application. Any change in the BGI rate does not take effect until the next BGI run.

NOTE: Unlike full or fast initialization of virtual disks, background initialization does

not clear data from the physical disks.

Consistency Check (CC) and BGI perform similar functions in that they both correct parity errors. However, CC reports data inconsistencies through an event notification, but BGI does not. You can start CC manually, but not BGI.

Full Initialization of Virtual Disks

Performing a full initialization on a virtual disk overwrites all blocks and destroys any data that previously existed on the virtual disk. Full initialization of a virtual disk eliminates the need for the virtual disk to undergo a BGI. Full initialization can be performed after the creation of a virtual disk.

During full initialization, the host is not able to access the virtual disk. You can start a full initialization on a virtual disk by using the Slow Initialize option in the Dell OpenManage storage management application. For more information on using the BIOS Configuration Utility to perform a full initialization, see "Initializing Virtual Disks" on page 91.

NOTE: If the system reboots during a full initialization, the operation aborts and

a BGI begins on the virtual disk.

Storage Controller Features 25

Fast Initialization of Virtual Disks

A fast initialization on a virtual disk overwrites the first and last 8 MB of the virtual disk, clearing any boot records or partition information. The operation takes only 2–3 seconds to complete and is recommended when you are recreating virtual disks. To perform a fast initialization using the BIOS Configuration Utility, see "Initializing Virtual Disks" on page 91.

NOTE: Fast Initialization is automatically executed when a virtual disk is created

with Dell OpenManage storage management application.

Consistency Checks

Consistency Check (CC) is a background operation that verifies and corrects the mirror or parity data for fault tolerant virtual disks. It is recommended that you periodically run a consistency check on virtual disks.

You can manually start a CC using the BIOS Configuration Utility or the Dell OpenManage storage management application. To start a CC using the BIOS Configuration Utility, see "Checking Data Consistency" on page 91. You can schedule CC to run on virtual disks using a Dell OpenManage storage management application.

Disk Roaming

Disk roaming is moving the physical disks from one cable connection or backplane slot to another on the same controller. The controller automatically recognizes the relocated physical disks and logically places them in the proper virtual disks that are part of the disk group. You can perform disk roaming only when the system is turned off.

CAUTION: Do not attempt disk roaming during RAID level migration (RLM) or

online capacity expansion (OCE). This causes loss of the virtual disk.

Perform the following steps to use disk roaming:

Turn off the power to the system, physical disks, enclosures, and system

components. Disconnect power cords from the system.

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

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

Turn on the system.

26 Storage Controller Features

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

Disk Migration

The PERC H700 and H800 cards support migration of virtual disks from one controller to another without taking the target controller offline. The controller can import RAID virtual disks in optimal, degraded, or partially degraded states. You cannot import a virtual disk that is in an offline state.

NOTE: The source controller must be offline prior to performing the disk migration.

NOTE: Disks cannot be migrated back to previous PERC RAID controllers.

NOTE: Importing secured virtual disks is supported as long as the appropriate key

(LKM) is supplied/configured.

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

CAUTION: Do not attempt disk roaming during RLM or online capacity

expansion (OCE). This causes loss of the virtual disk.

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 online while inserting the physical disks.

The controller flags the inserted disks as foreign disks.

Use the Dell OpenManage storage management application or the controller

BIOS Configuration Utility

to import the detected foreign

configuration.

Ensure that all physical disks that are part of the virtual disk are migrated.

NOTE: For more information about compatibility, contact your Dell technical

support representative.

Storage Controller Features 27

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created on PERC 6 and H200 Cards

Virtual disks that are created on the PERC 6 and H200 family of controllers can be migrated to the PERC H700 and H800 cards without risking data or configuration loss. Migrating virtual disks from the PERC H700 and H800 cards to PERC 6 or H200 is not supported.

NOTE: For more information about compatibility, contact your Dell technical

support representative.

Migrating Virtual Disks From PERC 6 or H200 to PERC H700 and H800

To migrate virtual disks from PERC 6 or H200 to PERC H700 and H800:

Turn off the system.

Move the appropriate physical disks from the PERC 6 or H200 card to the PERC H700 and H800 card. If you are replacing your PERC 6 or H200 card with a PERC H700 or H800 card, see the shipped with your system or at

Boot the system and import the foreign configuration that is detected.

support.dell.com/manuals

You can do this in two ways:

• Press <F> to automatically import the foreign configuration.

• Enter the

Configuration View

NOTE: For more information on accessing the BIOS Configuration Utility,

see "Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility" on page 82

NOTE: For more information on Foreign Configuration View, see "Foreign

Configuration View" on page 108.

Exit the

Ensure all the latest drivers for the PERC H700 or H800 card (available at

support.dell.com

BIOS Configuration Utility

) are installed. For more information, see "Driver

Installation" on page 69.

Hardware Owner’s Manual

and navigate to the

and reboot the system.

that

Foreign

28 Storage Controller Features

Virtual Disk Write Cache Policies

The write cache policy of a virtual disk determines how the controller handles writes to that virtual disk. Write-Back and Write-Throug h are the two write cache policies and can be set on virtual disks individually.

All RAID volumes are presented as Write-Through (WT) to the operating system (Windows and Linux) independent of the actual write cache policy of the virtual disk. The PERC cards manage the data in cache independently of the operating system or any applications. Use Dell OpenManage or the BIOS Configuration Utility to view and manage virtual disk cache settings.

Write-Back and Write-Through

In Writ e-Throug h 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.

In Writ e-Bac k 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 controller then writes the cached data to the storage device in the background.

The risk of using Writ e-Ba ck 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 mitigated by using a BBU on PERC H700 or H800 cards. For information on which controllers support a BBU, see Table 3-1.

Write-Back caching has a performance advantage over Writ e-Thr oug h caching.

NOTE: The default cache setting for virtual disks is Write-Back caching.

NOTE: Certain data patterns and configurations perform better with a

Write-Through cache policy.

Conditions Under Which Write-Back is Employed

Writ e-B ack caching is used under all conditions in which the battery is present and in good condition.

Storage Controller Features 29

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. This low-charge state does not apply to controllers with the optional non-volatile cache (NVC) module present.

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

Write-Back mode is available when you select 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 not present.

CAUTION: It is recommended that you use a power backup system when forcing

Write-Back to ensure there is no loss of data if the system suddenly loses power.

Virtual Disk Read Cache Policies

The read policy of a virtual disk determines how the controller handles reads to that virtual disk. The read policies are:

•

Always Read Ahead — A

requested data and to store the additional data in cache memory, anticipating that the data is required soon. This speeds up reads for sequential data, but there is little improvement when accessing random data.

•

No Read Ahead

•

Adaptive Read Ahead

disk accesses occurred in sequential sectors. If the read requests are random, the controller reverts to

— Disables the

llows the controller to read sequentially ahead of

Read-Ahead

— Begins using

No Read Ahead

capability.

Read-Ahead

mode.

if the two most recent

NOTE: The default read cache setting for virtual disks is Adaptive Read Ahead.

30 Storage Controller Features

Reconfiguring Virtual Disks

An online virtual disk can be reconfigured in ways that expands its capacity and/or change its RAID level. Spanned virtual disks such as RAID 10, 50, and 60 cannot be reconfigured.

Online Capacity Expansion (OCE) can be done in two ways. The first way is to expand the volume using free space already in the disk group. For example, if there is a single virtual disk in a disk group and free space is available, the virtual disk’s capacity can be expanded within that free space. If a virtual disk is created and it does not use the maximum size of the disk group, free space is available and OCE is possible. Free space is also available when a disk group’s physical disks are replaced by larger disks using the Replace Member feature. The second method by which OCE can be done is by adding physical disks to the disk group and using OCE to incorporate free space from the newly added disks into the virtual disk.

RAID Level Migration (RLM) refers to changing a virtual disk’s RAID level. Both RLM and OCE can be done at the same time so that a virtual disk can simultaneously have its RAID level changed and its capacity increased. When a RLM/OCE operation is complete, a reboot is not required.For a list of RLM/OCE possibilities, see Table 3-2. The source RAID level column indicates the virtual disk RAID level before the RLM/OCE and the target RAID level column indicates the RAID level after the operation has completed.

NOTE: If you configure 64 virtual disks on a controller, you cannot perform a

RAID level migration or capacity expansion on any virtual disk.

NOTE: The controller changes the write cache policy of all virtual disks undergoing

a RLM/OCE to Write-Through until the RLM/OCE is complete.

Storage Controller Features 31

Table 3-2. RAID Level Migration

Source RAID Level

RAID 0RAID 01 2 or more Yes Increases capacity by

RAID 0RAID 11 2 No Converts

RAID 0 RAID 5 1 or more 3 or more Yes At least one disk

RAID 0 RAID 6 1 or more 4 or more Yes At least two disks need

RAID 1RAID 02 2 or more Yes Removes redundancy

RAID 1 RAID 5 2 3 or more Yes Maintains redundancy

RAID 1RAID 62 4 or more Yes Two disks required to

RAID 5 RAID 0 3 or more 3 or more Yes Converts to a

RAID 5RAID 53 4 or more Yes Increases capacity by

Target RAID Level

Required Number of Physical Disks (Beginning)

Number of Physical Disks (End)

Capacity Expansion Possible

Description

adding disks

non-redundant virtual disk into a mirrored virtual disk by adding one disk.

needs to be added for distributed parity data.

to be added for dual distributed parity data.

while increasing capacity.

while doubling capacity.

be added for distributed parity data.

non-redundant virtual disk and reclaims disk space used for distributed parity data.

adding disks

32 Storage Controller Features

Table 3-2. RAID Level Migration

(continued)

Source RAID Level

RAID 5 RAID 6 3 or more 4 or more Yes At least one disk needs

RAID 6 RAID 0 4 or more 4 or more Yes Converts to a

RAID 6 RAID 5 4 or more 4 or more Yes Removes one set of

RAID 6 RAID 6 4 5 or more Yes Increases capacity by

Target RAID Level

NOTE: The total number of physical disks in a disk group cannot exceed 32. You

cannot perform RAID level migration and/or expansion on RAID levels 10, 50, and

60.

Required Number of Physical Disks (Beginning)

Number of Physical Disks (End)

Capacity Expansion Possible

Description

to be added for dual distributed parity data.

non-redundant virtual disk and reclaims disk space used for distributed parity data.

parity data and reclaims disk space used for it.

adding disks

Fault Tolerance Features

The list of features of the controller cards that provide fault tolerance to prevent data loss is as follows:

• Support for SMART

• Support for Patrol Read

• Redundant path support (for PERC H800 only)

• Physical disk failure detection

• Physical disk rebuild using hot spares

• Parity generation and checking (for RAID 5, 50, 6, and 60 only)

Storage Controller Features 33

• Battery and optional Non-Volatile Cache backup of controller cache to protect data

• Detection of batteries with low charge after boot up

The next sections describe some methods to achieve fault tolerance.

Using Persistent Hot Spare Slots

The H700 and H800 cards can be configured so that system backplane or storage enclosure disk slots are dedicated as hot spare slots. This feature can be enabled using the Dell OpenManage storage management application.

Once enabled, any slots with hot spares configured automatically become persistent hot spare slots. If a hot spare disk fails or is removed, a replacement disk that is inserted into the same slot automatically becomes a hot spare with the same properties as the one it is replacing. If the replacement disk does not match the disk protocol and technology, it does not become a hot spare.

NOTE: Any hot spares assigned to an encrypted Virtual Disk must also be capable

of encryption (SED).

Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Hot swapping is the manual replacement of a disk while the H700 and H800 cards are online and performing their normal functions.

The following requirements must be met before hot swapping a physical disk:

• The system backplane or enclosure must support hot swapping for the PERC H700 and H800 cards to support hot swapping.

• The replacement disk must be of the same protocol and disk technology. For example, only a SAS hard drive can replace a SAS hard drive; only a SATA SSD can replace a SATA SSD.

• The replacement disk must be of equal or greater capacity than the one it is replacing.

Failed Physical Disk Detection

Failed physical disks are detected and rebuilds automatically start to new disks that are inserted into the same slot. Automatic rebuilds can also happen transparently with hot spares. If you have configured hot spares, the controllers automatically try to use them to rebuild failed physical disks.

34 Storage Controller Features

Redundant Path With Load Balancing Support

The PERC H800 adapter can detect and use redundant paths to disks contained in enclosures. This provides the ability to connect two SAS cables between a controller and an enclosure for path redundancy. The controller is able to tolerate the failure of a cable or Enclosure Management Module (EMM) by utilizing the remaining path.

When redundant paths exist, the controller automatically balances I/O load through both paths to each disk. Load balancing increases throughput to virtual disks in storage enclosures and is automatically turned on when redundant paths are detected. The ability to load balance I/O can be disabled using the Dell OpenManage storage management application. To set up your hardware to support redundant paths, see "Setting up Redundant Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter" on page 64.

NOTE: The hardware support for redundant paths refer to path-redundancy only

and not to controller-redundancy.

Using Replace Member and Revertible Hot Spares

The Replace Member functionality allows a previously commissioned hot spare to be reverted to a usable hot spare. When a disk failure occurs within a virtual disk, an assigned hot spare (dedicated or global) is commissioned and begins rebuilding until the virtual disk is optimal. After the failed disk is replaced (in the same slot) and the rebuild to the hot spare is complete, the controller automatically starts to copy data from the commissioned hot spare to the newly-inserted disk. After the data is copied, the new disk is a part of the virtual disk and the hot spare is reverted to being a ready hot spare. This allows hot spares to remain in specific enclosure slots. While the controller is reverting the hot spare, the virtual disk remains optimal.

NOTE: The controller automatically reverts a hot spare only if the failed disk is

replaced with a new disk in the same slot. If the new disk is not placed in the same slot, a manual Replace Member operation can be used to revert a previously commissioned hot spare.

Storage Controller Features 35

Automatic Replace Member with Predicted Failure

A Replace Member operation can occur when there is a SMART predictive failure reporting on a physical disk in a virtual disk. The automatic Replace Member is initiated when the first SMART error occurs on a physical disk that is part of a virtual disk. The target disk needs to be a hot spare that qualifies as a rebuild disk. The physical disk with the SMART error is marked as failed only after the successful completion of the Replace Member. This avoids putting the array in degraded status.

If an automatic Replace Member occurs using a source disk that was originally a hot spare (that was used in a rebuild), and a new disk added for the Replace Member operation as the target disk, the hot spare reverts to the hot spare state after a successful Replace Member operation.

NOTE: To enable the automatic Replace Member, use the Dell OpenManage

storage management application. For more information on automatic Replace Member, see "Dell OpenManage Storage Management" on page 81.

NOTE: For information on manual Replace Member, see "Replacing an Online

Physical Disk" on page 110.

Controller Cache Preservation

The controller is capable of preserving its cache in the event of a system power outage or improper system shutdown. The PERC H700 controllers are attached to a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) that provides backup power during system power loss to preserve the controller's cache data. The PERC H800 has a transportable version of the BBU attached to it called the Transportable Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) which enables the entire cache module to be transported to a new controller if necessary. If the card has the optional nonvolatile cache (NVC) or transportable non-volatile cache (TNVC) module, the cache data is preserved using flash storage instead of battery power.

36 Storage Controller Features

Cache Preservation With Battery

The lithium-ion battery included in the BBU/TBBU of the controller is an inexpensive way to protect data in cache memory. If the controller has data in cache memory during a power outage or improper system shutdown, battery power is used to preserve cache data until power is restored or the battery is depleted. Under the 1-year limited warranty, the battery provides at least 24 hours of backup power coverage in normal operating conditions during the warranty period. To prolong battery life, do not store or operate the battery in temperatures that exceed 60 degrees C.

Cache Preservation With Non-Volatile Cache (NVC)

The NVC module allows controller cache data to be stored indefinitely, an advantage over the 24 hours that battery backup provides. If the controller has data in cache memory during a power outage or improper system shutdown, a small amount of power from a battery is used to transfer cache data to non-volatile flash storage where it remains until power is restored and the system is booted.

Cache Data Recovery

The dirty cache LED that is located on the H700 and H800 cards cannot be used to determine if cache data is being preserved. If a system power loss or improper system shutdown has occurred, restore system power and boot the system. During the boot, enter the controller's BIOS Configuration Utility (<Ctrl><R>) to ensure that there is no cache data being preserved. This can be done by entering into the controller menu and selecting Managed Preserved Cache. If there are no virtual disks listed here, all preserved cache data has been written to disk successfully.

In the event of a PERC H800 card failure, the entire TBBU/TNVC module can be safely transferred to a new PERC H800 card without putting preserved cache data at risk. See the applicable sections in "Installing and Configuring Hardware" on page 41 for instructions on removing and installing the TBBU/TNVC, then follow the instructions above on recovering cache data.

Storage Controller Features 37

Battery Learn Cycle

Learn cycle is a battery calibration operation performed by the controller periodically to determine the condition of the battery. This operation cannot be disabled.

NOTE: Virtual disks automatically switch to Write-Through mode when the battery

charge is low because of a learn cycle.

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 H700 or H800 cards, the expected time frame for completion of a learn cycle is approximately seven hours and consists of the following parts:

• Learn cycle discharge: approximately three hours

• Learn cycle charge: approximately four hours

NOTE: For additional information, see the Dell OpenManage storage management

application.

During the discharge phase of a learn cycle, the PERC H700 or H800 battery charger is disabled and remains disabled until the battery is discharged. After the battery is discharged, the charger is re-enabled.

Patrol Read

The Patrol Read feature is designed as a preventative measure to ensure physical disk health and data integrity. Patrol Read scans for and resolves potential problems on configured physical disks. The Dell OpenManage storage management application can be used to start Patr ol Read and change its behavior.

The following is an overview of Patrol Read behavior:

•

Patrol Re a d

part of a virtual disk, including hot spares.

•

Patrol Re a d

or are in

38 Storage Controller Features

runs on all disks on the controller that are configured as

does not run on physical disks that are not part of a virtual disk

Ready

state.

•

Pat rol Read Pat rol Re ad

if the system is busy processing I/O operation, then

adjusts the amount of controller resources dedicated to operations based on outstanding disk I/O. For example,

Patrol Re a d

uses

fewer resources to allow the I/O to take a higher priority.

•

Pat rol Read

does not run on any disks involved in any of the

following operations:

–Rebuild

– Replace Member

– Full or Background Initialization

–CC

–RLM or OCE

NOTE: By default, Patrol Read automatically runs every seven days on configured

SAS and SATA hard drives. Patrol Read is not necessary on SSD and is disabled by default.

Storage Controller Features 39

40 Storage Controller Features

Installing and Configuring Hardware

WARNING: 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.

CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.

You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product.

NOTE: For complete information on 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, see the

End User License Agreement

that shipped with your system.

Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Information

(EULA), and

Warranty and Support Information

(SERI),

(WSI)

Installing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters

Unpack the Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) 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. For more information on preparing your system for hardware changes, see the your system or at:

Disconnect all attached devices and remove the system cover. For more information on opening the system, see your system’s

Hardware Owner’s Manual

Select an empty PCI-E slot. Remove the blank filler bracket on the back of the system aligned with the PCI-E slot you have selected.

support.dell.com/manuals

Hardware Owner’s Manual

Installing and Configuring Hardware 41

shipped with

NOTE: The PERC H700 Integrated and H700 Modular cards have a dedicated

storage slot. For details on the correct PCI-E location, see the

Owner's Manual

documentation available at support.dell.com/manuals.

Align the PERC H700 or H800 card to the PCI-E slot you have selected.

CAUTION: Never apply pressure to the adapter module while inserting it in the

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

Insert the controller gently, but firmly, until the controller is firmly seated

that shipped with your system or see the appropriate

Hardware

in the PCI-E slot. For more information on installing the PERC H800 adapter, see Figure 4-1. For more information on installing the PERC H700 adapter, see Figure 4-2.

Figure 4-1. Installing a PERC H800 Adapter

1 PCI-e slot 2 PERC H800 adapter

3 filler bracket 4 bracket screw

42 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-2. Installing a PERC H700 Adapter

1 PCI-e slot 2 PERC H700 adapter

3 filler brackets 4 bracket screw

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. For more information on closing the system, see the

support.dell.com/manuals

For the PERC H800 adapter, connect the cable from the external enclosure

Hardware Owner’s Manual

shipped with your system or at

to the controller. For more information, see Figure 4-3.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 43

Figure 4-3. Connecting the Cable From the External Enclosure

1 connector on the controller 2 cable from the external enclosure

3system

For the PERC H700 adapter, connect the cables from the backplane of the system to the controller. The primary SAS connector is labeled the secondary SAS connector is labeled

SAS_B

. For more information, see

SAS_A

Figure 4-4.

and

44 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-4. Connecting Cables to the Controller

1 cable 2 Port B

3 Port A 4 PERC H700 adapter

5 connector

Replace the cover of the system. For more information on closing the system, see the

support.dell.com/manuals

Reconnect the power and network cables, and turn on the system.

Hardware Owner’s Manual

shipped with your system or at

Installing and Configuring Hardware 45

Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters

NOTE: In the event that the SAS cable is accidentally pulled out when the

system is operational, reconnect the cable and see the online help of your Dell OpenManage storage management application for the required recovery steps.

NOTE: Before beginning with the procedure, press <Ctrl><R> when the system is

booting to verify that no cache is preserved.

Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the

Configuration Utility

to ensure that there is no data present in cache. See the "Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later, perform a controller shutdown of the system as well as any attached storage controllers.

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 peripherals installed in the system’s

PCI-E slots, see the support.dell.com/manuals.

Hardware Owner’s Manual

shipped with your system or at

For instructions on removing a PERC H800 adapter, go to step 3. For instructions on removing a PERC H700 adapter, go to step 5.

Locate the PERC H800 adapter in the system and disconnect the external cables from the adapter.

Remove any retention mechanism, such as a bracket screw, that may be holding the PERC H800 in the system and gently lift the controller from the system’s PCI-E slot. For more information, see Figure 4-5.

PERC BIOS

46 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-5. Removing the PERC H800 Adapter

1 bracket screw 2 memory module

3 battery 4 Dirty Cache LED

5 PERC H800 Adapter

Disconnect the data cables and battery cable from the PERC H700. Remove any retention mechanism, such as a bracket screw, that might be holding the PERC H700 in the system, and gently lift the controller from the system’s PCI-E slot.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 47

Figure 4-6. Removing the PERC H700 Adapter

1 bracket screw 2 Dirty Cache LED

3 PERC H700 controller

48 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Removing and Installing the PERC H700 Modular Card in Dell Blade Systems

NOTE: For more information on removing and installing blade system parts, see

your system’s website at support.dell.com.

The storage controller card is located below the disk bays of the Dell Blade system.

To remove the storage controller card:

Remove the Dell Blade system from the Blade system chassis.

Remove the system cover of the Blade system.

Remove the system board and place it on a stable and flat surface.

Determine whether the dirty cache LED on the controller is illuminated. For location of the LED, see Figure 4-7.

If the LED is illuminated, re-insert the system board, replace the system cover, reconnect the system to power, turn on the system, and repeat step 1 through step 3. If the LED is not illuminated, continue with the next step.

Open the release lever to disconnect the storage controller card edge connector from the system board connector as illustrated in Figure 4-7.

Lift the storage controller card straight up from the system board as illustrated in Figure 4-7.

Hardware Owner’s Manual

or the

User’s Guide

from the Dell Support

Installing and Configuring Hardware 49

Figure 4-7. Removing and Installing the Storage Controller Card

1 battery cable connector 2 storage controller card

3 release lever 4 dirty cache LED

To install your new storage controller card:

Unpack the new storage controller card and check for damage.

NOTE: If the card is damaged, contact Dell technical support.

Place the storage controller card onto the system board. Align the storage controller card such that the tabs on the system board tray fit through the notches on the edges of the storage controller card.

Slide the storage controller card towards the connector on the system board until the storage controller clicks in place.

Reinstall the system board. For more information on reinstalling the system board, see your system’s the

User’s Guide

50 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Hardware Owner’s Manual

Close the top cover of the Blade system. For more information on closing the top cover of the Modular Blade system, see your system’s

Owner’s Manual

Reinstall the Blade system in the Blade system chassis. For more

or the

User’s Guide

Hardware

information on reinstalling the Blade system in the Blade system chassis, see your system’s

NOTE: For the latest list of firmware and installation instructions, see the

Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Hardware Owner’s Manual

or the

User’s Guide

Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700

CAUTION: PERC H700 Modular cards, shipped in PowerEdge blade systems,

have an integrated DIMM module which cannot be removed. Do not attempt the following procedure on a PERC H700 Modular controller card.

Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the

BIOS Configuration Utility

to ensure that there is no data present in cache. See the "Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later, shut down the system.

WARNING: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause

damage due to improper cooling.

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

NOTE: The location of the PERC H700 controller varies from system to system.

For more information on PERC H700 location, see the

Manual

that shipped with your system or see the appropriate documentation

available at support.dell.com/manuals.

Remove the PERC H700 from the system. See "Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters" on page 46.

Remove the DIMM

DIMM

by pressing down on the tabs at each edge of the

connector and lift the

DIMM

off the controller. See Figure 4-8.

PERC H700

Hardware Owner's

NOTE: Do not exert excessive pressure on the connector of the DIMM while

removing the DIMM.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 51

Figure 4-8. Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700

1 DIMM support 2 dirty cache LED

3 DIMM 4 tab

5 PERC H700 Adapter

52 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Installing the DIMM on a PERC H700

CAUTION: PERC H700 Modular cards, shipped in PowerEdge blade systems,

have an integrated DIMM module which cannot be removed. Do not attempt the following procedure on a PERC H700 Modular controller card.

Unpack the DIMM and follow all antistatic procedures.

NOTE: Do not use excessive pressure on the connector on the DIMM while

installing the DIMM.

If the DIMM support is not mounted onto the DIMM, perform the following steps to replace the DIMM support before mounting on a PERC H700:

With the old DIMM removed from the controller, press out on the DIMM support clips inserted through the DIMM rotating the DIMM support out of the DIMM. See Figure 4-9.

Figure 4-9. Removing the DIMM Support From the DIMM

1 DIMM 2 DIMM support

To mount, place the top edge of the DIMM support over the top edge

of the DIMM so that the arms on the side of the DIMM support fit into their sockets on the DIMM. See Figure 4-10.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 53

Figure 4-10. Mounting the DIMM Support onto the DIMM

1 DIMM 2 DIMM support

Align the keyed edge of the

DIMM

to the physical divider on the memory

socket to avoid damage to the module.

Insert the DIMM in the memory socket. Apply a constant, downward pressure on both ends or the middle of the DIMM until the retention clips fall in the allotted slots on either side of the DIMM. See Figure 4-11.

54 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-11. Installing a DIMM on a PERC H700

1 PERC H700 2 retention clip

3 memory socket 4 DIMM

5 dirty cache LED

Installing and Configuring Hardware 55

Replacing the BBU on a PERC H700

Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the

BIOS Configuration Utility

to ensure that there is no data present in cache. See the "Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later, shut down the system.

WARNING: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause

damage due to improper cooling.

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

NOTE: The locations of the PERC H700 and BBU vary from system to system.

For more information on PERC H700 card and BBU locations, see the

Hardware Owner’s Manual

documentation available at support.dell.com/manuals.

Figure 4-12. Dirty Cache LED and Battery Cable Connector

shipped with your system or see the appropriate

PERC H700

1 battery cable connector 2 PERC H700 Adapter

3 dirty cache LED

56 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-13. PERC H700 (Modular) Dirty Cache LED Location

1 battery cable connector 2 dirty cache LED

3 PERC H700 Modular Adapter

Locate the battery cable connection near the edge of the controller, and disconnect the battery. For the location of the battery cable connector, see Figure 4-12 and Figure 4-13.

Remove the battery from the plastic mounting shroud in your system and disconnect the battery cable. For more information on the location of the BBU in your system and instructions on how to replace the BBU, see the

Hardware Owner’s Manual

NOTE: Connect the battery cable to the new BBU before mounting it to the

plastic shroud in your system.

Re-connect the battery to the controller by inserting the end of the battery

that shipped with the system.

cable into the connector on the controller.

NOTE: Do not exert excessive pressure connecting the cable. It is a keyed

connector and it fits only one way.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 57

Removing the TBBU or TNVC From a PERC H800 Adapter

NOTE: Both the TBBU and TNVC on the PERC H800 Adapter consists of the DIMM

and a battery.

Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the

Configuration Utility

"Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later, perform a controller shutdown of the system as well as any attached storage controllers.

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

Remove the see "Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters" on page 46.

Press down on the tabs at each edge of the DIMM slot and lift the TBBU or TNVC assembly off the PERC H800 Adapter. See Figure 4-14.

PERC H800

to ensure that there is no data present in cache. See

Adapter from the system. For more information,

PERC BIOS

58 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-14. Removing the TBBU From a PERC H800 Adapter

1 battery 2 dirty cache LED

3 DIMM 4 PERC H800 Adapter

Installing and Configuring Hardware 59

Replacing the Battery and Battery Cable Onto the

DIMM of a PERC H800 Adapter

With the old TBBU or TNVC removed from the controller, disconnect the battery cable from both ends and press out on the battery clips inserted through the DIMM rotating the battery out of the DIMM. See Figure 4-15.

Figure 4-15. Removing the Battery and Battery Cable From a PERC H800 Adapter

1 DIMM 2 battery

Unpack the new TBBU or TNVC and follow all antistatic procedures.

Insert one end of the battery cable into the connector on the the other end into the connector on the new battery.

NOTE: Do not exert excessive pressure connecting the cable. It is a keyed

connector and it fits only one way.

Place the top edge of the battery over the top edge of the the arms on the side of the battery fit into their sockets on the See Figure 4-16.

60 Installing and Configuring Hardware

DIMM

so that

DIMM

and

Figure 4-16. Installing the Battery and Battery Cable onto the DIMM

1 connector on the DIMM 2 DIMM

3 battery 4 connector on the battery

5 battery cable

Installing the TBBU or TNVC on a PERC H800 Adapter

NOTE: Both the TBBU and TNVC on the PERC H800 Adapter consists of the DIMM

and a battery.

Check the battery attachment to the DIMM and battery cable connection. For more information, see "Replacing the Battery and Battery Cable Onto the DIMM of a PERC H800 Adapter" on page 60.

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

Installing and Configuring Hardware 61

Align the keyed edge of the

DIMM

to the physical divider on the memory

socket to avoid damage to the module.

Insert the pressure on both ends or the middle of the fall in the allotted slots on either side of the

Figure 4-17. Installing the TBBU on a PERC H800 Adapter

DIMM

in the memory socket. Apply a constant, downward

DIMM

until the retention clips

. See Figure 4-17.

1 PERC H800 2 retention clip

3 memory socket 4 DIMM

62 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Transferring a TBBU or TNVC Between PERC H800 Cards

The TBBU or TNVC provides uninterrupted power supply for up to 48 hours to a cache memory module. If the controller fails as a result of a power failure, you can move the TBBU or TNVC to a new controller and recover the data. The controller that replaces the failed controller should not have any prior configuration.

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

Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC H800 is installed, as well as any attached storage enclosures.

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

Remove the controller that has the TBBU or TNVC.

Remove the TBBU or TNVC from the controller.

Insert the TBBU or TNVC in the new controller.

For more information on installing the TBBU or TNVC, see "Installing the TBBU or TNVC on a PERC H800 Adapter" on page 61.

Insert the replacement controller in the system.

See the relevant sections on installing controllers under "Installing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters" on page 41.

Reconnect all external storage enclosures as they were originally connected and turn on the enclosures.

Replace the system cover, re-connect the system to the electrical outlet and turn on the system.

The controller flushes the cache data to the virtual disks.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 63

Setting up Redundant Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter

The PERC H800 adapter can detect and use redundant paths to disks contained in enclosures. With redundant paths to the same device, if one path fails, another path can be used to communicate between the controller and the device. For more information about redundant paths, see "Redundant Path With Load Balancing Support" on page 35.

To set up a configuration with redundant paths, both ports on a controller must be cabled to the In ports of a single enclosure.

To add multiple enclosures, both Out ports of the first enclosure must be cabled to the In ports of the next enclosure.

If the connection between an Out port on the controller and an In port on an enclosure fails, an alternate path exists through the second Out port on the controller and the second In port on the enclosure. For more information, seeFigure4-18 to Figure4-21.

NOTE: The PERC H800 adapter supports redundant paths when used with

Dell PowerVault MD1200 and Dell PowerVault MD1220 disk storage enclosures.

Perform the following steps to configure the hardware to utilize redundant paths on the PERC H800 adapter:

Set up an enclosure on the PERC H800 adapter.

Connect two SAS cables from the to the

ports of the external enclosure. For more information,

see

Figure 4-18

Out

ports on your PERC H800 adapter

NOTE: For information on Unified Mode, see the enclosure documentation

that was shipped with the enclosure.

To add multiple enclosures, cable both both

ports of the next enclosure.

After you set up the hardware, the controller detects the redundant paths and automatically utilizes them to balance the I/O load.

64 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Out

ports of the first enclosure to

Figure 4-18 displays redundant path storage configuration with one enclosure.

Storage

Server

Storage

Server Server

Figure 4-18. Redundant Path Support Configuration With One Enclosure

Figure 4-19 displays redundant path storage configuration with two enclosures.

Figure 4-19. Redundant Path Support Configuration With Two Enclosures

Installing and Configuring Hardware 65

Figure 4-20 displays redundant path storage configuration with

Storage

Server Server

three enclosures.

Figure 4-20. Redundant Path Support Configuration With Three Enclosures

Figure 4-21 displays redundant path storage configuration with four enclosures. A single PERC H800 adapter can support up to four disk storage enclosures in a redundant path configuration.

66 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Figure 4-21. Redundant Path Support Configuration With Four Enclosures

Server Server

Storage

StorageStorage

Storage

NOTE: Ensure that the latest firmware version is installed on your storage

controller. You can find the latest firmware and installation instructions on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Reverting From Redundant Path Support to Single Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter

If you need to revert from redundant path support to single path support, shut down the system and remove the exact same cables that were added to support redundant path support, leaving only one connection between the controller and enclosures. After you remove the cable and power up the system, ensure that there are no warning messages during boot, and that all virtual disks are online and optimal. If you are using Dell OpenManage, see the Dell OpenManage documentation at support.dell.com/manuals for additional instructions.

CAUTION: If you remove any cables other than the ones added to enable

redundant path support, the enclosure and disks can get disconnected, and virtual disk may fail.

Installing and Configuring Hardware 67

68 Installing and Configuring Hardware

Driver Installation

The Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 cards require software drivers to operate with the supported operating systems.

This chapter contains the procedures for installing the drivers for the PERC H700 and H800 cards.

NOTE: For more information on VMware ESX drivers, see the VMware ESX

documentation at support.dell.com/manuals.

NOTE: To check operating system compatibility, see the Dell Support website

at support.dell.com/manuals.

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

•

Installing a driver during operating system installation

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

•

Updating existing drivers

PERC H700 and PERC H800 family of controllers are already installed and you want to update to the latest drivers.

— Use this method if the operating system and

Installing Windows Drivers

— Use this

Creating the Driver Media

Perform the following steps to create the driver media:

Browse to the download section for the system at

Locate and download the latest PERC H700 or H800 driver to the system.

Follow the instructions for extracting the driver to the media.

support.dell.com

Driver Installation 69

Pre-Installation Requirements

Before you install the operating system:

• Read the Microsoft operating system.

• Ensure that your system has the latest BIOS, firmware, and driver updates. If required, download the latest BIOS, firmware, and driver updates from the Dell Support website at

• Create a device driver media (diskette, USB drive, CD, or DVD).

Creating the Device Driver Media

Use one of the following two methods to create the device driver media.

Downloading Drivers From the Dell Systems Service and Diagnostic Tools Media

Insert the

The

Select your system model and operating system (Microsoft Windows

Dell Systems Service and Diagnostics Tools

Welcome to Dell Service and Diagnostic Utilities

Server 2008).

Click

Continue

From the list of drivers displayed, select the driver you require. Select the self-extracting zip file and click CD, DVD, or USB drive. Repeat this step for all the drivers you require.

During the operating system installation, use the media that you created with the

Load Driver

information on reinstalling the operating system, see the relevant section for your operating system below.

Getting Started

document that shipped with your

support.dell.com

media in a system.

Run

. Copy the driver to a diskette drive,

option to load mass storage drivers. For more

screen is displayed.

Downloading Drivers From the Dell Support Website

Go to

support.dell.com

Select your line of business.

Click

Drivers and Downloads

Enter the service tag of your system in the

select your system’s model.

70 Driver Installation

Choose by Service Tag

field or

Select the

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2003 Operating System Installation

Boot the system using the Windows Server 2003 media.

When the message

RAID driver

immediately.

Within a few minutes, a screen is displayed asking for additional controllers in the system.

Press the <S> key.

The system prompts for the driver media to be inserted.

NOTE: The driver can be provided using a properly formatted USB key.

For additional details on the driver, go the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

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

A list of PERC H700 and H800 cards is displayed.

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

is displayed in the bottom of the screen, press the <F6> key

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 media.

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

Driver Installation 71

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 Installation

Boot the system using the Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 Server or Windows Server 2008 R2 media.

Follow the on-screen instructions until you reach

install Vista/2008/7

The system prompts you to insert the media. Insert the installation media

window and then select

Where do you want to

Load driver

and browse to the proper location.

Select the appropriate PERC H700 or H800 card from the list, click

and continue installation.

NOTE: The Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system includes native drivers

for the PERC H700 and H800 cards. For driver updates, see the Drivers and Downloads section at support.dell.com.

Installing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2003 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:

Turn off the system.

Install the new RAID controller in the system.

For detailed instructions on installing and cabling the RAID controller in the system, see "Installing and Configuring Hardware" on page 41.

Turn on the system.

The

Found New Hardware Wizard

device.

NOTE: Windows Server 2008 R2 has native drivers for the PERC adapters. The

system automatically detects the controller and installs the drivers. Check the version of the driver and update if required.

Click

On the

my device

Browse and select the drivers from the

Click

Locate device driver

and click

72 Driver Installation

screen, select

screen displays the detected hardware

Search for a suitable driver for

Locate Driver Files

screen.

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

Click

Finish

to complete the installation.

Reboot the system when prompted.

Updating Existing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2003

NOTE: Close all applications on your system before you update the driver.

Insert the media (CD, DVD, or USB drive) containing the driver.

Select

Start

The

System Properties

NOTE: The path to System might vary depending on the operating system family.

Click on the

Click

Device Manager

The

Device Manager

NOTE: The path to Device Manager might vary depending on the operating

system family.

Expand clicking on the plus symbol next to

NOTE: In Windows 2008 and Windows Vista, the PERC adapter is listed under

Storage Controllers.

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

Click the

The screen to update the device driver wizard is displayed.

Settings

Control Panel System

screen is displayed.

Hardware

tab.

screen is displayed.

SCSI and RAID Controllers

SCSI and RAID Controller

Driver

tab and click

Update Driver

by double-clicking the entry or by

Select

Install from a list or specific location

Click

Next.

Follow the steps in the wizard and browse to the location of the driver files.

Select the INF file from the driver media (CD, DVD, or other media).

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 73

NOTE: Dell provides the Dell Update Package (DUP) to update drivers on systems

running Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. DUP is an executable application that updates drivers for specific devices. DUP supports command line interface and silent execution. For more information, see support.dell.com.

Installing Linux Driver

NOTE: PERC H700/H800 cards and both the PERC 5 and PERC 6 family of controllers

use the same driver and do not require separate driver installations.

Use the procedures in this section to install the driver for Linux. The driver is updated frequently. To ensure that you have the current version of the driver, download the updated Linux driver from the Dell Support website at

support.dell.com

NOTE: The driver update disk (DUD) images are created only for those operating

system releases in which the native (in-box) driver is insufficient for installation. In the event that an operating system is being installed with a corresponding DUD image, follow the instructions below. If not, proceed with using the native device driver and then skip to "Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support" on page 78.

Creating a DUD

Before beginning the installation, copy the drivers from the Service and Diagnostic Utilities media or download the driver appropriate for Linux from

support.dell.com. The driver package includes driver RPM (Red Hat Package Managers) file, the DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) RPM file, driver source code, and release notes.

For more information on DKMS, go to support.dell.com/manuals.

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

Unzip the package using

Untar the file using

The Driver Update Disk (DUD) image can be transferred to a USB flash key, a system floppy disk slot, or a USB floppy device depending upon availability and operating system.

gunzip

tar -xvf

74 Driver Installation

USB key method

(Red Hat Enterprise Linux only): Transfer the

appropriate .img file to a USB key.

System Floppy Disk slot method

: Use the dd command to create a driver

update disk. Use the appropriate image for the purpose.

Insert a floppy disk into the system floppy disk slot.

At a terminal prompt, do the following:

# dd if=

<image_file_name> of=/dev/fd0

USB Floppy device method

: Use the dd command to create a driver

update disk. Use the appropriate image for the purpose.

Put a floppy disk into a USB floppy device and plug the device into a USB slot of the system under test. Use device this USB floppy is enumerated to (for example,

dmesg

to find out which

sdb, sdc

on).

Transfer the driver image to the floppy:

# dd if=

<image_file_name> of=/dev/sdx

NOTE: You can create a driver update disk on a Windows system using the

program dcopynt.

Use the diskette for operating system installation. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux, see "Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Using the DUD" on page 76. For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, see "Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette" on page 77.

, and so

Driver Installation 75

Creating a Driver Update Diskette Using DKMS

Perform the following steps to create the Driver Update Diskette (DUD) using the DKMS tool:

NOTE: The driver must be installed on the system where this procedure is performed.

Install the DKMS-enabled

Type the following command in any directory:

megaraid_sas

driver rpm package.

dkms mkdriverdisk –m megaraid_sas –v <driver version> -k <kernel version> -d <distro>

NOTE: The values for the –d option are suse for Suse Linux Enterprise

Server diskettes and redhat for RHEL diskettes.

NOTE: For more information on usage of DKMS, see the DKMS main page.

This starts the process to create the

megaraid_sas

DUD image. After the

DUD image has been built, you can find it in the DKMS tree for the

megaraid_sas

driver. See the output of the

dkms mkdriverdisk

command for the exact path.

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Using the DUD

Perform the following steps to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux (versions 4 and 5) and the appropriate driver:

Boot normally from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation media.

At the command prompt, type:

When the install prompts for additional drivers, insert the diskette or USB key and press <Enter>.

For information about creating a driver diskette, see "Creating a DUD" on page 74.

linux expert dd

Complete the installation as directed by the installation program.

76 Driver Installation

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette

NOTE: For information about creating a driver diskette, see "Creating a DUD" on

page 74.

To install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server using the DUD:

Insert the appropriate SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Service Pack media in the system.

For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, select <F5> for the DUD. For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, select <F6>.

The system displays three options: the driver.

Select

Installation

Press <Enter> to load the Linux kernel.

At the prompt click

from the menu.

Please insert the driver update floppy

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

Ye s, No

, and

File

. Choose

Yes

to install

DRIVER UPDATE ADDED

Click OK.

with the description of the driver module.

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

The system displays the message

MEDIUM

Select the appropriate driver update medium.

PLEASE CHOOSE DRIVER UPDATE

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

Driver Installation 77

Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support

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

Uncompress the gzipped tarball driver release package.

Install the DKMS package using the command:

<version>.noarch.rpm

Install the driver package using the command:

megaraid_sas-<version>.noarch.rpm

rpm –ihv dkms-

rpm –ihv

NOTE: Use rpm -Uvh

If the previous device driver is in use, you must reboot the system for the

when updating an existing package.

updated driver to take effect.

Verify that the driver has been loaded with the following system commands:

Upgrading the Kernel

modinfo megaraid_sas

and

dkms status

When upgrading to a new kernel, you must reinstall the DKMS-enabled driver packages. Perform the following steps to update or install the driver for the new 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 see a message similar to the following one:

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

If the previous device driver is in use, you must reboot the system for the updated driver to take effect.

78 Driver Installation

Installing Solaris Driver

NOTE: The DUD images are created only for those operating system releases in

which the native (in-box) driver is insufficient for installation. In the event that an operating system is being installed with a corresponding DUD image, follow the instructions below. If not, proceed with the operating system installation using the native device driver and then skip to "Adding or Updating the Driver to an Existing System" on page 80.

Use the procedures in this section to install the driver for Solaris 10. To ensure that you have the current version of the driver, download the updated Solaris driver from the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

The package is a gzipped .tar file. Download the package to a Solaris system, and perform the following steps:

Extract the package contents:

c <driver_package.tgz> | tar xvf –

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

/<diskette drive device node> bs=32k

NOTE: If you are uncertain which device node corresponds to your diskette

drive, execute the rmformat command and search for the correct Logical Node.

NOTE: You can create a DUD on a system running the Windows operating

system using the program dcopynt.

If you prefer, you may use the cdrecord command to create a CDROM instead of a floppy image. Type:

<bus>,<target>,<lun> mega_sas_cd.iso

gunzip -

dd if=./mega_sas.img of=

cdrecord dev=

NOTE: To identify the correct location of the bus, target, and logical unit

number (LUN) combination, execute the following command:

cdrecord --scanbus

Driver Installation 79

Installing Solaris 10 on a PowerEdge System Booting From a PERC H700 or H800 Card

To install the driver during Solaris 10 operating system installation:

Boot the system from the Solaris installation media and select the preferred console.

After Solaris finishes configuring devices, a menu is displayed. Select

Apply Driver Updates

Select [1] if you created a CD from the

Select [2] if you created a diskette from the using a traditional diskette drive.

Select [3] if you created a diskette from the using a removable (USB) diskette drive.

Follow instructions presented by

The following message is displayed:

was successful

Select [e] to end

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete installation.

mega_sas_cd.iso

mega_sas.img

Driver Update

Installation of <megasas>

installer.

file.

file and you are

Adding or Updating the Driver to an Existing System

To ad d t he version of the driver, you must unarchive the driver package and execute the installation script:

tar xvf x86_64.tar

mega_sas

driver to an existing system, or to upgrade to a newer

cd x86_64

./install.sh

Restart your Solaris system to start using the new driver. To confirm the

mega_sas

modinfo | grep mega_sas

Ensure that the driver version is correct.

80 Driver Installation

driver is loaded, run the following command:

Configuring and Managing RAID

Dell OpenManage 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 management applications for PERC H700 and H800 include:

• Dell OpenManage Storage Management

• BIOS Configuration Utility (<Ctrl><R>)

NOTE: Dell Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) RAID Storage Manager is not supported for

SED management.

Dell OpenManage Storage Management

The Dell OpenManage Storage Management is a storage management application for Dell systems that provides enhanced features for configuring a system's locally-attached RAID and non-RAID disk storage. The Dell OpenManage storage management application enables you to perform controller and enclosure functions for all supported 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. Using the Dell OpenManage storage management application, you can protect your data by configuring data-redundancy, assigning hot spares, or rebuilding failed physical disks. The command line interface available on selected operating systems to perform RAID management tasks is fully featured and scriptable. For more information, see the Dell OpenManage Storage Management User's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

Configuring and Managing RAID 81

BIOS Configuration Utility

The BIOS Configuration Utility, also known as

, is a storage management application embedded on the PERC H700 or PERC H800 cards that configures and maintains RAID disk groups and virtual disks. <Ctrl><R>

NOTE: Use the BIOS Configuration Utility for initial setup and disaster recovery.

You can use advanced features through Dell OpenManage storage management application and Dell SAS RAID storage manager.

is independent of the operating system.

The following sections provide information about using the BIOS Configuration Utility. For more information, see the online help option by pressing <F1>.

NOTE: The PERC H700 or PERC H800 card configuration utility refreshes the screen

to show changes to information. The refresh occurs when you press <F5> or every 15 seconds.

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility

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

Turn on the system.

A BIOS screen displays information about the controller and configuration.

During startup, press <Ctrl><R> when prompted by the BIOS screen.

After you press <Ctrl><R>, if there is only one controller, the

Disk Management

screen for that controller is displayed. If there are more than one controllers, the main menu screen is displayed. The screen lists the RAID controllers. Use the arrow keys to select the RAID controller you want to configure, and press <Enter> to access the management menus for the controller.

Virtual

NOTE: You can access multiple controllers through the BIOS Configuration Utility

by pressing <F12>.

NOTE: You can access PERC 6, and PERC H700 or H800 cards from the same BIOS if

the PERC 6 firmware is 6.2.0-0013 or later.

82 Configuring and Managing RAID

Exiting the Configuration Utility

To ex it th e BIOS Configuration Utility, press <Esc> at any menu screen. If there is only one controller, then a dialog box is displayed to confirm your choice. Select OK to exit and press <Enter>.

f multiple controllers are present, then the <Esc> key brings you to the Controller Selection screen. Press <Esc> again to reach the exit screen. A

dialog box is displayed to confirm your choice. Select OK to exit

and press

<Enter>.

Menu Navigation Controls

Table 6-1 displays the menu keys you can use to move between the different screens in the BIOS Configuration Utility.

Table 6-1. Menu Navigation Keys

Notation Meaning and Use Example

right-arrow key

left-arrow key

up-arrow key

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 expands. 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 collapses. 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.

Start

Programs

Controller 0

Disk Group 1

Virtual Disk 1

Virtual Disk 4

Configuring and Managing RAID 83

Table 6-1. Menu Navigation Keys

Notation Meaning and Use Example

down-arrow key

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

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

<Tab> Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the next control

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.

select that item. An options menu for the menu item opens. It 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 Wri te-Throu gh, and press <Enter> to select it.

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

on a dialog box or page.

Press <Shift><Tab> to move the cursor to the previous control on a dialog or page.

Press <Ctrl><N> to move to the next menu screen among the main menu screens: VD Mgmt, PD Mgmt, Ctrl Mgmt, and Foreign View.

(continued)

Virtual Disk 1

Virtual Disk 4

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

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

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

Press <Shift><Tab> to move the cursor from Sort By to the previously selected PD in the PD Mgmt screen

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

84 Configuring and Managing RAID

Table 6-1. Menu Navigation Keys

Notation Meaning and Use Example

<F1> Press <F1> to access Help information. The Help

<F2> Press <F2> to access the context menu, which

<F5> Press <F5> to refresh the information on the

<F11> Switch between two controllers. <F11>

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

Spacebar Press the spacebar to select an item. Press the

Press <Ctrl><P> to move to the previous menu screen among the main menu screens: VD Mgmt, PD Mgmt, Ctrl Mgmt, and Foreign View.

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

displays the list of options.

screen.

(continued)

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

<F1>

<F2>

<F5>

<spacebar> to select or deselect a controller setting in the Ctrl Mgmt View.

Setting Up Virtual Disks

You can set up a disk group and create virtual disks using the procedures contained in this section. 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).

For more information, see "Managing Dedicated Hot Spares" on page 97.

Initialize the virtual disks.

NOTE: When you use one physical disk group to create multiple virtual disks,

all the virtual disks must be configured with the same RAID level.

Configuring and Managing RAID 85

When you define the virtual disks, you can set the following virtual disk parameters:

•RAID level

• Stripe element size

•Read policy

•Write policy

• Type of initialization

• Hot spare configuration

NOTE: The default hard drive cache policy for a virtual disk composed with SAS

disabled

hard drives is parameter can not be changed in the BIOS configuration Utility.

and with SATA hard drives is

enabled

. The Virtual Disk

Table 6-2 shows the parameters that you can configure when defining virtual disks.

Table 6-2. Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions

Parameter Description

RAID Level RAID Level specifies whether the virtual disk is RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10,

50, or 60. The number of disks, disk capacity, the requirements for fault tolerance, performance, and capacity should be considered when selecting the RAID level. For more information, see "Summary of RAID Levels" on page 17.

Stripe Element Size

Stripe Element Size specifies the size of the segments written to each

physical disk in a RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60 virtual disk. You can set the stripe element size to 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB, or 1024 KB. The default and recommended stripe element size is 64 KB.

A larger stripe element size provides better read performance if your system mostly does sequential reads.

86 Configuring and Managing RAID

Table 6-2. Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions

Parameter Description

Write Policy Write Policy specifies the controller write policy. You can set the write

policy to Write- Bac k or Wri te-Thr ough .

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

(continued)

NOTE: If a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) is present, the default cache

setting is Write-Back. If no BBU is present, the default cache policy default setting is Write-Through.

NOTE: 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 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.

Read Policy Read-Ahead enables the read ahead feature for the virtual disk.

You can set the parameter to Read-Ahead, No-Read-Ahead, or Adaptive. The default is Adaptive-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 is required soon.

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

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.

Configuring and Managing RAID 87

Virtual Disk Management

Creating Virtual Disks

NOTE: Combining SAS and SATA hard drives within a virtual disk is not supported.

Also, combining hard drives and SSDs within a virtual disk is not supported.

NOTE: To create secured virtual disks, see "Security Key and RAID Management"

on page 121.

Perform the following steps to create a virtual disk:

During host system bootup, press <Ctrl><R> when the BIOS screen is displayed.

The

Virtual Disk Management

one controller, the main menu screen is displayed. Select a controller, and press <Enter>. The selected controller.

Use the arrow keys to highlight

Press <F2>

The list of available actions is displayed.

Select

Create New VD

The

Create New VD

option.

Virtual Disk Management

and press <Enter>.

screen is displayed. The cursor is on the

screen is displayed. If there is more than

screen is displayed for the

Controller #

Disk Group #

RAID Levels

When adding a virtual disk to a Disk Group, the screen is displayed. Skip to step 11 to change the basic settings of the virtual disk.

Press <Enter> to display the possible RAID levels, based on the physical disks available.

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

When creating a spanned virtual disk (RAID 10, 50 or 60), enter the number of physical disks per span in the <Enter>.

NOTE: Creating a 22 physical disk RAID 10 virtual disk is possible by selecting

RAID 10 and populating the PD per Span field with

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

88 Configuring and Managing RAID

PD per Span

Add VD in Disk Group

field and press

22.

Use the arrow key to highlight a physical disk and press the spacebar, <Alt>, or <Enter> to select the disk.

Select additional disks, if required.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to the

Set the virtual disk size in the

VD Size

Basic Settings

field.

box.

The virtual disk size is displayed in GB format.

NOTE: 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 access the

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

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

VD Size

field, and type a virtual disk name.

Advanced Settings

them.

An X is displayed beside

element size

read policy, and write policy

options such as forcing the cache policy to

Advanced Settings

. The settings are the

. You can also choose advanced

Write-Back

, initializing the

virtual disk, and configuring a dedicated hot spare.

The defaults parameters are displayed. You can accept the defaults or change them. For detailed information about the virtual disk parameters, see "Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions" on page 86.

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

Element Size

Press <Enter> to display the list of stripe element sizes (

32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB

8 KB, 16 KB

, and

1024 KB

). Press the down-arrow key to highlight the desired option and press <Enter>. The default is

If you need to change the read policy, press <Tab> to move the cursor to

Read Policy

64 KB

stripe

Stripe

Configuring and Managing RAID 89

Press <Enter> to display the options ( or

Adaptive Read Ahead

). Press the down-arrow key to highlight the

No Read Ahead, Read Ahead,

desired option and press <Enter>.

If you need to change the write policy, press <Tab> to move the cursor to

Press <Enter> to display the options (

Write Policy

Wri te-Through, Wri te Back

Press the down-arrow key to highlight an option and press <Enter>.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to press <Enter>. If you chose

Force WB with no battery

Wri te-Through

as the write policy, then

and

the option is not available.

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

CAUTION: Do not initialize virtual disks when attempting to recreate an existing

configuration.

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

Press <Tab> to move the cursor to

Initialize

and press <Enter>.

Configure HotSpare

and press

<Enter>.

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

If you have chosen to create hot spares in the earlier steps, a pop-up window is displayed where disks with appropriate sizes are displayed. Press the spacebar to select the disk size.

After you select the disk 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 the window or select

Cancel

and press <Enter> to exit if you do not want

to change any virtual disk parameters.

90 Configuring and Managing RAID

Initializing Virtual Disks

CAUTION: A Full Initialization permanently destroys any existing data on that

virtual disk.

Perform the following steps to initialize virtual disks:

On the

VD Mgmt

screen, select

Virtual Disk #

and press <F2> to display

the menu of available actions.

Select

Initialization

Select

Initialization

Start Init.

and press the right-arrow key to display the

submenu options.

to begin a regular initialization or select

Fast Init.

to begin a fast initialization.

A pop-up windows is displayed indicating that the virtual disk has been initialized.

Repeat the procedures from step 1 to step 4 to configure another virtual disk.

The PERC H700 or PERC H800 cards support up to 64 virtual disks per controller. The currently configured virtual disks display on the screen.

Checking Data Consistency

Select the Consistency Check (CC) option in the configuration utility to verify the redundancy data in virtual disks that use RAID levels 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60. (RAID 0 does not provide data redundancy.)

If you attempt to run a Consistency Check on a virtual disk that has not been initialized, the following error message is displayed:

The virtual disk has not been initialized. Running a consistency check may result in inconsistent messages in the log. Are you sure you want to continue?

You can select Ye s or No. If you select Ye s, the CC operation continues. If you select No, the operation ends.

Perform the following steps to run a Consistency Check:

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Press the down-arrow key to highlight

VD Mgmt

Configuring and Managing RAID 91

menu screen.

Virtual Disk #

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

Press the down-arrow key to select

Press the right-arrow key to display the available actions (

Select

Start

and press <Enter> to run a

The

Consistency Check

runs and checks the redundancy data in the

Consistency Check.

Consistency Check

Start, Stop

virtual disks.

After you start the

Consistency Check

, press <Esc> to display the

previous menu if needed.

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the VD Mgmt Menu

When a foreign configuration exists, the BIOS screen displays the message Foreign configuration(s) found on adapter. In addition, a foreign configuration is displayed on the right side of the Ctrl Mgmt screen.

You can use the VD Mgmt menu to import the existing configuration to the RAID controller or clear the existing configuration. In addition, you can view the foreign configuration from the Foreign View tab without importing the configuration.

NOTE: The controller does not allow an import of configurations that results in

more than 64 virtual disks.

NOTE: To import a secured foreign configuration, see "Security Key and RAID

Management" on page 121.

Perform the following steps to import or clear foreign configurations:

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

The

VD Mgmt

screen is displayed by default.

On the

Press <F2> to display the available actions.

VD Mgmt

screen, highlight the

92 Configuring and Managing RAID

Controller #

Navigate to the 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

Foreign Config

option and press the right arrow key to

Import

and

Clear

to import the foreign configuration or

Clear

to delete the

foreign configuration and then press <Enter>.

If you import the configuration, the

VD Mgmt

screen displays detailed configuration information. It includes information about the disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares.

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen

NOTE: To import a secured foreign configuration, see "Security Key and RAID

Management" on page 121.

If one or more physical disks are removed from a configuration, the configuration on those disks is considered a foreign configuration by the RAID controller.

You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to view information about the foreign configuration, such as disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares. The foreign configuration data is displayed in the same format as configurations on the Yo u c an u s e t h e importing.

VD Mgmt

screen to view the foreign configuration before

After you view the foreign configuration, you can either clear or

import to the RAID controller.

VD Mgmt

screen.

NOTE: Before you import the foreign configuration, review the configuration on the

screen to ensure that it is the end result that you require.

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.

Configuring and Managing RAID 93

The following constraints apply to the physical disks that are considered for import:

• The disk state of a physical disk can change from the time the foreign configuration is scanned to when the actual import occurs. The foreign import occurs only on disks that are in the

Unconfigured Good

state.

• Disks in the failed or offline state cannot be imported.

• The firmware does not allow you to import more than eight foreign configurations.

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 reinserted, the controller considers the disks to have foreign configurations. Perform the following steps:

Select

Foreign Configuration View to

foreign configuration information on the

display the

Foreign Configuration

View screen.

Press <F2> to display the options (

NOTE: You must have all the disks in the system before you perform the

import operation.

Select

Import

select

Clear

to import the foreign configuration to the controller or

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

Import, Clear

disk(s).

In the

Preview Configuration Data

disk that needs to be rebuilt is displayed as

window, the status of a physical

Rebuild

NOTE: When you import a foreign configuration, the dedicated hot spares in

the configuration are imported as dedicated hot spares on two conditions — the associated virtual disk is already present or the associated virtual disk is also imported along with the configuration.

NOTE: Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is complete to

ensure data integrity for the virtual disks. For more information about checking data consistency, see "Checking Data Consistency" on page 91.

94 Configuring and Managing RAID

If all the physical disks in a virtual disk are removed at different times and re-inserted, the controller considers the disks 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.

Press <F2> to display the options

NOTE: You must have all the drives in the system before you perform

the import operation.

Select

Import

to merge the foreign configurations with the existing

configuration on the controller or

Import

and

Clear

to delete the foreign

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

If you select

Import

, all drives that were pulled before the virtual disk

became offline are imported, and then automatically rebuilt.

NOTE: Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is

complete to ensure data integrity for the virtual disks. For more information about checking data consistency, see "Checking Data Consistency" on page 91.

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

Select

Foreign Configuration View to

display the complete foreign configuration information.

Press <F2> to display the options

Select

Import

to import the foreign configuration to the virtual disk or

Clear

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

Import

and

Clear

disk(s).

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

Configuring and Managing RAID 95

Managing Preserved Cache

If a virtual disk becomes offline or is deleted because of missing physical disks, the controller preserves the dirty cache from the virtual disk. The preserved dirty cache, known as pinned cache, is preserved until you import the virtual disk or discard the cache.

NOTE: Certain operations, such as creating a new virtual disk, cannot be

performed if preserved cache exists. You have to enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to resolve the situation before you boot to the operating system. Messages are displayed notifying you that you must enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to discard the preserved cache or import the virtual disks with the preserved cache.

CAUTION: If there are any foreign configurations, it is strongly advised that you

import the foreign configuration before you discard the preserved cache. Otherwise, you might lose data that belongs with the foreign configuration.

Perform the following steps to select whether to import the virtual disk or discard the preserved cache:

On the

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

Select

A message is displayed advising you to import the foreign configuration before you discard the preserved cache to avoid losing data belonging to the foreign configuration. Confirm whether you want to continue. The

Manage Preserved Cache

VD Mgmt

screen, click on a controller icon.

Manage Preserved Cache

screen displays the affected virtual disks.

You can choose to discard the cache on the screen. If you press

Cache Retained

Cancel

, the process is cancelled and the

dialog box is displayed.

Manage Preserved Cache

If you choose to discard the cache, you are prompted to confirm your choice. If you choose to retain the cache, a message is displayed to notify you that you cannot perform certain operations while the cache exists. Click

to continue.

96 Configuring and Managing RAID

Preserved

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 a global hot spare is used. You can create dedicated hot spares or delete them on the VD Mgmt screen. Perform the following steps to create or delete dedicated hot spares:

On the

VD Mgmt

the menu of available actions.

The available menu options appear.

Select

Manage Ded. HS

A screen displays a list of the current dedicated hot spares with an them and the physical disks that are available to create dedicated hot spares.

NOTE: The utility allows only disks of the same disk technology and of equal

or greater size to be selected as dedicated hot spare.

Use the following instructions to create or delete a dedicated hot spare:

•

Creating a dedicated hot spare

Press the down-arrow key to highlight an available physical disk.

Press the spacebar to select the disk.

Repeat step a to step b for each dedicated hot spare that you want to create.

is displayed beside the selected physical disk(s).

screen, select

and press <Enter>.

Disk Group #

and press <F2> to display

beside

•

Deleting a dedicated hot spare

Use the down-arrow key to highlight a current hot spare.

Press the spacebar to de-select the disk.

Repeat step a to step b for each dedicated hot spare that you want to delete.

Press <Enter> to confirm the changes.

The

VD Mgmt

Hot spares

NOTE: If a global hot spare or dedicated hot spare is removed, reinserted and

imported, it regains its status as a hot spare. A dedicated hot spare becomes a global hot spare when the disk group it was assigned to protect is no longer present during import.

screen displays the updated list of hot spares under the

heading.

Configuring and Managing RAID 97

Deleting Virtual Disks

NOTE: You cannot delete a virtual disk during an initialization.

NOTE: Warning messages appear stating the effect of deleting a virtual disk.

Click OK twice to complete the virtual disk deletion.

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

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the

Press <F2>.

VD Mgmt

screen.

Virtual Disks

heading.

The action menu is displayed.

Select

Delete VD

If there are multiple virtual disks in a

Capacity

for the Disk Group in the

The total amount of free space available in the

and press <Enter>.

VD Mgmt

Disk Group

screen.

Disk Group

, select

Total Free

is displayed.

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

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the

Press <F2>.

The action menu is displayed.

VD Mgmt

screen.

Virtual Disks

heading.

Select

Delete Disk Group

and press <Enter>.

The disk group is deleted.

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

98 Configuring and Managing RAID

Clearing the Configuration

You can delete all virtual disks on the RAID controller by performing the operation.

To clear the configuration, perform the following steps in the BIOS Configuration Utility:

Press <Ctrl><N> to access the

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the

Press <F2>. The action menu is displayed.

Select

Clear Config

A pop-up window is displayed prompting for confirmation to delete all virtual disks.

Select NO to delete the virtual disks or configuration.

VD Mgmt

YES

screen.

Controller

to retain the existing

heading.

BIOS Configuration Utility Menu Options

The first menu that is displayed when you access the BIOS Configuration Utility is the main menu screen. It lists the controller, controller number, and

other information, such as the slot number. On the screen, you can use the arrow keys to select the RAID controller you want to configure. Press <Enter> to access the controller.

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

Configuration

View (Foreign View)

Configuring and Managing RAID 99

Most menus consist of two panels:

• A left panel with the menu options

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

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

Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt)

The Virtual Disk Management screen, VD Mgmt, is the first screen that is displayed when you access a RAID controller from the main menu screen on the BIOS Configuration Utility. The left panel displays the menus for the virtual disk management, which are:

•

Controller #

•

Disk Group #

•

Virtual Disks

•

Physical Disks

•

Total Free Capacity

(virtual disk size and free space you can use

to create a virtual disk)

•

Hot Spares

(global and dedicated)

The right panel displays detailed information for the selected controllers, disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, total free capacity, and hot spares, as shown in Table 6-3.

Table 6-3. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen

Menu Item Selected in Left Panel

Controller Controller Properties:

Information Displayed in Right Panel

• Number of disk groups (DG)

• Number of virtuals disks (VD)

• Number of physical disks (PD)

100 Configuring and Managing RAID

Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller H800 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Safety Instructions

General Safety Instructions

When Working Inside Your System

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Battery Disposal

Overview

PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions

PCI Architecture

Operating System Support

RAID Description

Summary of RAID Levels

RAID Terminology

Storage Controller Features

Physical Disk Power Management

Using the SMART Feature

Initializing Virtual Disks

Background Initialization of Virtual Disks

Full Initialization of Virtual Disks

Fast Initialization of Virtual Disks

Consistency Checks

Disk Roaming

Disk Migration

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created on PERC 6 and H200 Cards

Migrating Virtual Disks From PERC 6 or H200 to PERC H700 and H800

Virtual Disk Write Cache Policies

Write-Back and Write-Through

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

Virtual Disk Read Cache Policies

Reconfiguring Virtual Disks

Fault Tolerance Features

Using Persistent Hot Spare Slots

Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Failed Physical Disk Detection

Redundant Path With Load Balancing Support

Using Replace Member and Revertible Hot Spares

Controller Cache Preservation

Cache Preservation With Battery

Cache Preservation With Non-Volatile Cache (NVC)

Cache Data Recovery

Battery Learn Cycle

Patrol Read

Installing and Configuring Hardware

Installing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters

Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters

Removing and Installing the PERC H700 Modular Card in Dell Blade Systems

Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700

Installing the DIMM on a PERC H700

Replacing the BBU on a PERC H700

Removing the TBBU or TNVC From a PERC H800 Adapter

Installing the TBBU or TNVC on a PERC H800 Adapter

Transferring a TBBU or TNVC Between PERC H800 Cards

Setting up Redundant Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter

Reverting From Redundant Path Support to Single Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter

Driver Installation

Installing Windows Drivers

Creating the Driver Media

Pre-Installation Requirements

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2003 Operating System Installation

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 Installation

Installing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2003 for a New RAID Controller

Updating Existing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2003

Installing Linux Driver

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Using the DUD

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette

Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support

Installing Solaris Driver

Installing Solaris 10 on a PowerEdge System Booting From a PERC H700 or H800 Card

Adding or Updating the Driver to an Existing System

Configuring and Managing RAID

Dell OpenManage Storage Management

BIOS Configuration Utility

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility

Exiting the Configuration Utility

Menu Navigation Controls