Digital Equipment ESE50 SDI User Manual

ESE50SDISolidStateDisk
UserGuide

Order Number: EK–ESE50–UG. B01

June 1993

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed
as a commitment by Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital Equipment Corporation assumes no
responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.

The software described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied
only in accordance with the terms of such licence.

© Digital Equipment Corporation 1992, 1993.
All Rights Reserved.
Printed in U.S.A.
The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: Digital, HSC40, HSC60, HSC70,

HSC90, KDM, OpenVMS, RA, SA, SDI, VMS, and the DIGITAL logo.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

This document was prepared using VAX DOCUMENT, Version 2.1.

Contents

Preface ............................................................ v

1 Introduction

1.1 General Information. . ........................................ 1–1

1.1.1 Media Type, Model Byte, and Capacity . ....................... 1–3

1.2 Hardware Maintainability ..................................... 1–4

1.3 Dual-Port Capability . ........................................ 1–4

1.4 Drive-Resident Diagnostics Overview ............................ 1–5

1.5 User Precautions/Recommendations.............................. 1–5

1.5.1 Data Retention. . . ........................................ 1–5

1.5.2 Orderly Shutdown ........................................ 1–6

1.5.3 Recommended Operating Temperature . ....................... 1–7

1.5.4 Electrostatic Discharge Protection ............................ 1–7

1.6 ESE50 SSD Maintenance Strategy .............................. 1–9

1.7 ESE50 SSD Specifications ..................................... 1–9

2 Installation

2.1 Introduction ................................................ 2–1

2.2 Site Preparation and Planning. . ................................ 2–1

2.3 Unpacking ESE50 Add-Ons .................................... 2–2

2.4 Installing SDI Cables and Power Cords ........................... 2–4

2.4.1 Installing Internal SDI Cables ............................... 2–4

2.4.2 Installing Internal Power Cords.............................. 2–4

2.4.3 Installing External SDI Cables .............................. 2–4

2.5 Power and Safety Precautions . . ................................ 2–5

2.6 AC Power Wiring ............................................ 2–7

3 Operating Instructions

3.1 Introduction ................................................ 3–1

3.2 OCP Functions, Switches, and Indicators . . ....................... 3–1

3.3 Powerup Diagnostics . ........................................ 3–2

3.3.1 Problems at Powerup ...................................... 3–2

3.3.2 Operator Control Panel Lamp Testing . . ....................... 3–2

3.3.3 Testing Spin-Up Drive ..................................... 3–3

3.4 Programming the Drive Unit Address ............................ 3–4

3.5 ESE50 Operating Modes ...................................... 3–6

3.5.1 Normal Mode Setup ....................................... 3–6

3.5.2 Fault Display Mode Setup . . ................................ 3–6

3.5.3 Test Mode Setup . ........................................ 3–8

iii

4 Diagnostics

4.1 General Information. . ........................................ 4–1

4.2 Drive-Resident Diagnostics .................................... 4–1

4.2.1 Powerup Resident Diagnostics ............................... 4–2

4.3 Test Selection from the OCP . . . ................................ 4–2

A Customer Equipment Maintenance

A.1 Customer Responsibilities ..................................... A–1

A.1.1 Cleaning Supplies ........................................ A–1

A.1.2 Ongoing Equipment Care . . . ................................ A–2

A.1.3 Monthly Equipment Maintenance ............................ A–2

A.1.4 Maintenance Records ...................................... A–2

Index

Figures

1–1 ESE50 Solid State Disk .................................... 1–2

1–2 Typical ESE50 SSD Subsystem Configuration ................... 1–4

1–3 ESE50 Dual-Port Configuration .............................. 1–5

1–4 ESD Wrist Strap . ........................................ 1–8

2–1 ESE50 Disk Drive Packaging ................................ 2–3

2–2 881 Power Controller (Example) ............................. 2–6

2–3 Electrical Plug Configurations ............................... 2–8

3–1 ESE50 OCP ............................................. 3–2

3–2 Unit Address Programming Flowchart. . ....................... 3–5

3–3 Fault Display Example .................................... 3–7

3–4 Fault Mode Flowchart ..................................... 3–7

3–5 ESE50 Test Display ....................................... 3–8

3–6 Running Test OCP Display . ................................ 3–8

4–1 Test Selection Flowchart . . . ................................ 4–3

A–1 Customer Equipment Maintenance Log . ....................... A–3

Tables

1–1 SDI SSD Capacity ........................................ 1–3

1–2 Summary of Data Retention Times ........................... 1–6

1–3 Specifications for the ESE50 SSD ............................ 1–9

1–4 Additional Electrical Specifications by Model for the ESE50 SSD .... 1–10

iv

Preface

This manual contains the following information:

• ESE50 solid state disk specifications

• Environmental considerations

• Installation information and references

• Start-up procedures

• Acceptance testing criteria

• Troubleshooting procedures
Although this manual is written primarily for ESE50 solid state disk customers,

installation procedures described or referenced in this manual are intended for
Digital Customer Services engineers performing original installation of the ESE50
solid state disk. Qualified Customer Services engineers must be trained in the
following:

• ESE50 solid state disk

• DSA concepts

• ESD procedures
This manual does not cover cabinet cable routing and connections. Specific

information concerning subsystem cabinet-related procedures can be found in
product-specific manuals. A list of related documentation follows:

Document Title Order Number

SA300/SA350 Storage Array Family Configuration Guide EK–SA300–CG
SA600/SA800 Storage Array Family Configuration Guide EK–SA600–CG
SA650/SA850 Storage Array Family Configuration Guide EK–SA650–CG
SAxxx Storage Array Family Configuration Guide EK–SAxxx–CG

Conventions Used in This Guide

The following conventions are used in this guide:

Note — Notes provide general information on the current topic.
Caution — Cautions provide information to prevent damage to equipment or

software. Read these carefully.
Warning — Warnings contain information to prevent personal injury. Read these

carefully.

v

1.1 General Information

The ESE50 solid state disk (SSD) is a member of the Digital Storage
Architecture/Standard Disk Interconnect (DSA/SDI) family, and is plug­compatible with all DSA/SDI controllers.

The ESE50 solid state disk is a random access low latency mass storage device
that uses DRAM semiconductor technology for fast response time. The ESE50 is
Digital’s fastest disk drive and is used when I/O response time is a key metric.
The ESE50 is contained in a half rack (RA92 style) enclosure with its own power
and data retention capabilities. It connects and operates on the standard disk
interface (SDI) and may be used with controllers implementing this bus. The
operator control panel (OCP) from the RA9x disk drive is also used on the ESE50
SSD. The ESE50 can also be packaged in any SA3xx, SA6xx, SA8xx, or SA9xx
storage array cabinet.

The following controllers support the ESE50:

• HSC (40/60/65/70/90/95)

• KDM70

1

Introduction

The ESE50 has been tested under OpenVMS Versions 5.4 and 5.5. Under these
versions, the ESE50 is identified as a DU device (rather than by the ESE50
name). Identification as a DU device does not impact any standard Digital disk
functionality. Shadowing, failover, dual porting, bound volumes, and so forth are
supported.

However, when running the ESE50 under OpenVMS Versions 5.4-n, 5.5, or 5.5-1,
key things to be aware of are:

• All shadow sets must be comprised of the same capacity ESE50 units.

• Controller-based volume shadow sets require manual verification that all
members of the shadow set are on the same controller.

The ESE50 is fully supported under OpenVMS Version 5.5-2 and OpenVMS AXP
Version 1.5 (and all subsequent releases).

Figure 1–1 shows an ESE50 solid state disk.

Introduction 1–1

Introduction

1.1 General Information

Figure 1–1 ESE50 Solid State Disk

1–2 Introduction

1.1.1 Media Type, Model Byte, and Capacity

The ESE50 has a unique media type and model byte depending on the capacity.
This is done for operating system compatibility.

Option Media Type Model Byte Capacity (LBNs)

ESE50–AA,AB ESE52 31 238080
ESE50–BA,BB ESE56 48 1196544
ESE50–DA,DB ESE58 49 1915392

The storage medium for the ESE50 SSD are 4M bit DRAMs and the data is
accessed in 512-byte blocks. The formatted capacity of the ESE50 option is shown
in Table 1–1.

Table 1–1 SDI SSD Capacity

1

Option

ESE50–Ax 2 128.0 MB 121.9 MB 465 238080
ESE50–Bx 10 640.0 MB 612.6 MB 2337 1196544
ESE50–Dx 16 1024.0 MB 980.6 MB 3741 1915392

No. of
Arrays

Unformatted
Capacity

Formatted
Capacity

Introduction

1.1 General Information

No. of
LBN Cyl’s

No. of
Logical
Blocks

1

"x" equals "A" for 120 Vac or "B" for 240 Vac.

The ESE50 has the following common characteristics:

• 20.0 megabits/second transfer rate

• Full data retention

• Extensive resident microcode diagnostics

• Internal error log capabilities

• Multifunction OCP

Figure 1–2 represents a typical ESE50 SSD subsystem configuration including an
SDI controller.

Introduction 1–3

Introduction

1.1 General Information

Figure 1–2 Typical ESE50 SSD Subsystem Configuration

DRIVE CABINET DRIVE CABINET

ESE50

CONTROLLER A

SDI CONTROLLER A

ESE50

I/O BULKHEAD

SDI CABLES

1.2 Hardware Maintainability

The ESE50 SSD uses modular field replaceable units (FRUs) for easy access
and servicing. An extensive set of drive-resident microcode diagnostics and a
drive-resident error log help simplify problem isolation.

1.3 Dual-Port Capability

Ports are enabled by the port select switches (A or B) on the front of the OCP.
With both port switches selected, the ESE50 operates in a static dual-port mode.
Static dual porting means that an SSD is shared between two controllers but is
on line to only one controller at a time for data transfers. The second controller
must wait until the drive is available before placing the drive on line.

An additional SDI cable is required for dual porting. Figure 1–3 shows an ESE50
dual-port configuration.

I/O BULKHEAD

1–4 Introduction

Figure 1–3 ESE50 Dual-Port Configuration

DRIVE CABINET

ESE50

PORT

CONTROLLER A

A
B

Introduction

1.3 Dual-Port Capability

CONTROLLER B

SDI CONTROLLER A

I/O BULKHEAD

SDI CABLES

I/O BULKHEAD

SDI CONTROLLER B

1.4 Drive-Resident Diagnostics Overview

Drive-resident diagnostics run during powerup and spin-up cycles to test basic
drive functions.

Patrol diagnostics run periodically during normal operations.
Drive-resident diagnostics can be run from the OCP while the drive is off line.

See Chapter 4 for a list of drive-resident diagnostics.

1.5 User Precautions/Recommendations

Digital recommends that certain precautions be taken to protect equipment
and user data. These precautions involve data backup methods, recommended
operating temperatures, and electrostatic discharge protection, and are described
in this section.

1.5.1 Data Retention

The ESE50 provides data nonvolatility through the use of an integrated data
retention system. This data retention system is comprised of a controller, an
SCSI magnetic Winchester disk drive, and batteries. Data retention is invoked
only when ac power is lost to the ESE50 unit during normal operation. In this
situation, the batteries will power the unit while all data in the memory arrays
is transferred to the Winchester disk drive. If ac power is restored any time
during the transfer process, then the ESE50 unit is instantly available. On Rev.
A and B ESE50 units, the ESE50–AA/AB (120 MB) and ESE50–BA/BB (600 MB)
options contain the complete data retention system. On Rev. C ESE50 units, the

Introduction 1–5

Introduction

1.5 User Precautions/Recommendations

ESE50–AA/AB (120 MB), ESE50–BA/BB (600 MB), and ESE50–DA/DB (1 GB)
options options contain the complete data retention system.

Table 1–2 lists the data retention times.

Table 1–2 Summary of Data Retention Times

Data

ESE50 Option Revision

ESE50_AA/AB A or B 120 MB 90 seconds 120 seconds 8
ESE50_BA/BB A or B 600 MB 360 seconds 390 seconds 2
ESE50_AA/AB C 120 MB 60 seconds 90 seconds 16
ESE50_BA/BB C 600 MB 300 seconds 360 seconds 4
ESE50_DA/DB C 1 GB 480 seconds 540 seconds 3

†A two-hour battery recharge period is required afterward. Power failure exceeding this duty cycle
may result in data loss.

Although the ESE50 provides nonvolatile features, it is the user’s responsibility
to protect data by using proper backup procedures similar to backup of magnetic
disks. The following backup methods are recommended for an ESE50:

Retention
Time

Backup
Time Start Time

Maximum Number of
Complete Backups
(Within Two-Hour
Period)†

• File duplication
This method normally involves copying the data onto removable media, such

as magnetic tape.

• Journaling
This method is recommened for files up to the last checkpoint or backup.

A data retention operation does not occur when the ESE50 main ac power
switch, located on the rear panel, is turned off. A data retention operation
is invoked automatically only when ac power is lost to the input power
cord. Refer to Section 1.5.2 for the orderly shutdown procedures.

1.5.2 Orderly Shutdown

To shut down an ESE50–AA/AB, –BA/BB (Rev. A, B, or C) , or –DA/DB (Rev. C)
system and to preserve data within the data retention system, the following
procedures are recommended:

1. Dismount the ESE50 unit from the OpenVMS operating system without
using the /NOUNLOAD qualifier. Wait for the RUN indicator to extinguish
(approximately six minutes) while data is transferred to the ESE50 internal
Winchester disk.

Caution

2. Press the RUN/STOP button out, and wait for the RUN indicator to
extinguish (approximately six minutes) while data is transferred to the
ESE50 internal Winchester disk.

1–6 Introduction

1.5 User Precautions/Recommendations

Caution

The ESE50 data retention system should never be considered a substitute
for a site-specific data backup policy. The ESE50 should be treated as any
other master media in this regard.

1.5.3 Recommended Operating Temperature

The ESE50 SSD is designed to operate in a Class A environment.

1.5.4 Electrostatic Discharge Protection

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is caused by the buildup and release of static
electricity. An electrical charge from a person or object can damage hardware
components and result in premature device or option failure.

Caution

To avoid product damage, always use ESD grounding straps when
handling static-sensitive modules and components.

Introduction

Use the following guidelines when handling static-sensitive components and
modules:

• Read all instructions and installation procedures included with the static
control materials and kits.

• Wear a properly grounded ESD wrist strap when handling modules,
components, or static-sensitive devices. Figure 1–4 shows an ESD wrist
strap in use.

When using an ESD wrist strap:

Ensure that the wrist strap fits snugly for proper conductivity.
Attach the alligator clip securely to a clean, unpainted, grounded metal

surface, such as the drive or cabinet chassis.
Do not overextend the grounding cord.

• Use static-protective containers to transfer modules and components
(including bags and tote boxes).

Introduction 1–7