easyRAID S8A2 User Manual

PCIe to Serial ATA II

Disk Array System

Version 1.1

easyRAID S8A2

(PCIe Host Interface)

42-30000-5106

PCIe to Serial ATA II

Disk Array System

easyRAID S8A2 Software Manual

Preface

1

Preface

Notice

Product features and specifications described in this manual are subject to change
without notice.

The manufacturer shall not be liable for any damage, or for the loss of information
resulting from the performance or use of the information contained herein.

Trademarks

The names of products and logos referenced herein are trademarks and/or service
marks or registered trademarks and/or service marks.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows XP,
Windows Vista and MS-DOS are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Mac, Mac OS, and Macintosh are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or
service marks of their respective owners.

All contents of this manual are copyrighted
The information contained herein is the exclusive property and shall not be copied,
transferred, photocopied, translated on paper, film, electronic media, or computer­readable form, or otherwise reproduced in any way, without the express written
permission

Manual version 1.1
© Copyright 2007

All rights reserved.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

2

About this manual

Thank you for choosing an RAID storage solution. This manual takes you step by step
through the installation and configuration of the RAIDGuard X software.

PART ONE: Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction provides an overview of the software and its features.

PART TWO: Software Installation

Chapter 2: Installing RAIDGuard X on Windows
Chapter 3: Installing RAIDGuard X on Mac OS
Chapter 4: Installing RAIDGuard X on Linux

PART THREE: Basic RAID Configuration

Chapter 5: RAIDGuard X Server
Chapter 6: Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

PART FOUR: Advanced RAID Configuration

Chapter 7: Advanced Configuration

PART FIVE: Appendices

Appendix A: Glossary – defines relevant technical terms used in this manual.
Appendix B: RAIDGuard X GUI Icons – lists the icons and their functions used in

the application.

Appendix C: Introduction to RAID Levels – describes all available RAID levels

available from this software.

Appendix D: Contact Us – lists contact details of business units a ro und the world.

Guide to conventions

Important information that users should be aware of is indicated with the following icons:

This icon indicates the existence of a potential hazard that could result in
personal injury, damage to your equipment or loss of data if the safety
instruction is not observed.

This icon indicates useful tips on getting the most from your software.

Important terms, commands and programs are put in Boldface font.

Table of Contents

3

Table of Contents

PREFACE

.........................................................................................................................1

NOTICE ...........................................................................................................................1

TRADEMARKS.................................................................................................................1

ABOUT THIS MANUAL .....................................................................................................2

GUIDE TO CONVENTIONS ................................................................................................2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

............................................................................................ 3

USING THIS SECTION .......................................................................................................5

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................6

OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................6

KEY FEATURES...............................................................................................................6

RAIDGUARD X CLIENT GUI .............................................................................6

EVENT NOTIFICATION......................................................................................7

Remote Monitoring ...............................................................................................7

OPERATING SYSTEMS SUPPORTED...................................................................................7

Windows...............................................................................................................7

Mac OS X .............................................................................................................7

Linux.....................................................................................................................7

INSTALLATION PREREQUISITES .......................................................................................8

Hardware requirements........................................................................................8

Software requirements..........................................................................................8

INSTALLATION FLOWCHART .........................................................................................10

CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE DRIVER AND RAIDGUARD X ON WINDOWS.11

CHAPTER 3 INSTALLING THE DRIVER AND RAIDGUARD X ON MAC OS.....12

CHAPTER 4 INSTALLING THE DRIVER AND RAIDGUARDX ON LINUX.........13

CHAPTER 5 RAIDGUARD X SERVER .........................................................................15

Windows.............................................................................................................15

Mac Users ..........................................................................................................15

CHAPTER 6 BASIC CONFIGURATION USING RAIDGUAR D X CL IENT............16

STARTING .....................................................................................................................16

ADDING AND REMOVING CONTROLLERS......................................................................19

CREATING AND DELETING ARRAYS..............................................................................26

EMAIL...........................................................................................................................29

CHAPTER 7 ADVANCED CONFIGURATION.............................................................31

PREFERENCES ...............................................................................................................31

OPTIONS .......................................................................................................................34

SLICING ........................................................................................................................35

LUN MAP.....................................................................................................................37

EXPANSION...................................................................................................................38

MIGRATION ..................................................................................................................39

SNAPSHOT ....................................................................................................................40

HEALTH CENTER ..........................................................................................................43

UNLOCK DRIVES ...........................................................................................................44

APPENDIX A GLOSSARY.................................................................................................46

APPENDIX B RAIDGUARD X ICONS.............................................................................48

APPENDIX C INTRODUCTION TO RAID LEVELS.....................................................50

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Introduction

Chapter 1 – Introduction

5

Using this section

Part 1: The RAIDGuard X User Manual supplements the user’s manuals supplie d with
easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID S8A2-PER2. It is intended to be read in a linear
manner. Users may prefer to skip more familiar sections, but each of the steps below
must be completed.

Install:

Install RAIDGuard X client and server on your system.

Configure:

Configure the RAIDGuard X Client to manage the RAID
Arrays.

Manage:

Manage the RAID Arrays, fix problems and be alerted to
any problems.

The set-up procedures in Windows versions, MAC and Linux environments

are different although the steps above are the same for both.

Ö Windows users should refer to Chapter 2.
Ö Apple Mac users should refer to Chapter 3.
Ö Linux users should refer to Chapter 4.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Chapter 1

Introduction

This chapter introduces the features and capabilities of the
RAIDGuard X software. You will find:

Ö A full introduction to your RAID system
Ö Details of key features

Overview

RAIDGuard X is a powerful tool which supports remote monitoring of multiple RAID
system that are connected to the same network.

The software comes with 2 components: Server and Client.
Server - Enables the server to recognize the RAID system.
Client - The client software can be installed on any computer that needs to administer

the RAID system.
The client software works on any computer running Java 1.5.09 or above and is used to

administer RAID system. It contains all the functionality needed to configure and
administer RAID arrays. Use the software to:

z add and delete arrays
z fix problems with disks
z manage the arrays and disks
z set audio and e-mail alert s
z monitor the status of multiple system

Key Features

RAIDGuard X is designed to be used in conjunction with easyRAID S8A2-PETT /
easyRAID S8A2-PER2:

z Supports mult iple easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID S8A2-PER2 per host
z Java Based Graphical User Interface (GUI)
z Multi-platform and Ope rating System support
z Remote monitoring
z Event notification
z Snapshot function

RAIDGUARD X CLIENT GUI

The graphical user interface enables easy monitoring of the status of a RAID in an
intuitive format.

Chapter 1 – Introduction

7

EVENT NOTIFICATION

Email event notification keeps the administrator informed of the status of the RAID
system.

Remote Monitoring

The RAIDGuard X client must be installed on a Java-based computer in order to view
the details of the RAID system away from the server.

Operating systems supported

Windows

Windows 2000

Professional
(SP4)

Server (SP4) Advance

Server (SP4)

Windows 2003

Server
Enterprise
Edition (SP1)
(32/64 bits)

Server R2
Enterprise
Edition(32/64
bits)

Enterprise
Edition (SP1)
(32/64 bits)

Server Edition

Others
Windows XP

Professional
(SP2)

Windows Vista
(32/64 bits)

Mac OS X

OSX 10.4.7+ for Intel Xeon OSX 10.4.7 + for PPC

Linux

Fedora

core 5 for SMP
platform

core 5 for none
SMP platform

core 6 for SMP
platform

core 6 for none
SMP platform

Red Hat

Enterprise 4 for
SMP platform

Enterprise 4 for
none SMP platform

SUSE

10.1 for SMP
Platform
(2.6.16.13-4
default)

SUSE 10.1 for
none SMP Platform
(2.6.16.13-4
default)

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Installation prerequisites

RAIDGuard X is designed to be used in conjunction with easyRAID S8A2-PETT /
easyRAID S8A2-PER2 RAID system. Users require the following:

Hardware requirements

z CD-ROM drive
z Ethernet Connection (for remote monitoring)
z easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID S8A2-PER2 (inst alled)

Software requirements

z RAIDGuard X GUI (follow the instructions in the relevant Setup section to

download from the website http://www.easyRAID.com

z Supported operating system
z Java-based application environment

9

Software Installation

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Installation flowchart

The set up process follows these steps:

z Install the appropriate driver.

z Install RAIDGuard X (Server or/and Client) on your

host machine.

z Install RAIDGuard X (Client) on your workstation(s) for

the remote connection.

z Launch RAIDGuard X Client on your host or

workstation(s).

z Choose a target controller to configure.
z Configure controller settings, disk arrays preferences,

email notifications, etc…

z RAIDGuard X (Client) can also be installed on

workstations to remotely access this controller through
the same network.

Configure

RAIDGuard X

Administer the

RAID Array

Install

RAIDGuard X

Install

Drivers

Chapter 2 – Installing the driver and RAIDGuard X on Windows

11

Chapter 2

Installing the driver and

RAIDGuard X on Windows

This chapter details the installation, setup and configuration
process for RAIDGuard X on a Windows operating system.
RAIDGuard X client must be installed on each computer that
will monitor or administer the RAID system.

Driver Installation

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the server or PC.

2. Execute “CD-ROM / Windows installer / Driver / (IA64.x32 and x64) /
(2000, XP, 2003 and vista) / easyRAID_DR_Win_xxxxport_xx
xx_1.5.0.0.msi”.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

4. Click Finish to complete the installation.

RAIDGuard X Installation

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the server or PC.

2. Execute “CD-ROM/Windows installer/GUI/ easyRAID_IP_Win_

1.5.exe”.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

4. Select complete to install the server and client.

5. Select custom to choose which applications (client or server) to
install when installing on a remote computer.

6. Click Finish to complete the installation.

7. Restart the computers.

Storport and miniport are new storage drivers created by Microsoft for

Windows Server 2003 and future Windows

®

operating systems.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Chapter 3

Installing the driver and

RAIDGuard X on MAC OS

This chapter details the installation, setup and configuration
process for RAIDGuard X on the Mac operating system.
RAIDGuard X client must be installed on each computer that
will monitor or administer the RAID system.

Driver Installation

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the server or PC.

2. Execute “CD-ROM/MAC Driver/ easyRAID_DR_MAC_1.5.0 /
easyRAID_DR_ MAC_1.5.0.pkg”.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

4. Click Finish to complete the installation.

RAIDGuard X Installation

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the MAC.

2. Execute “CD-ROM/MAC Installation/ easyRAID_IO_MAC_1_5_0.
mpkg”.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

4. Select complete to install the server and client, when the controller
is installed in this computer.

5. Select custom to choose which applications (client or server) to
install when installing on a remote computer.

6. Click Finish to complete the installation.

7. Restart the computers.

Chapter 4 – Installing the driver and RAIDGuardX on Linux

13

Chapter 4

Installing the driver and

RAIDGuardX on Linux

This chapter details the installation process for RAID Guide X
Server and Client on a Linux operating system. RAIDGuard X
client must be installed on each computer that will monitor or
administer the RAID system.

Driver Installation

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the server or PC.

2. Open CD-ROM/Linux Installation folder.

3. Select your OS description .txt file, and follow the instructions.

RAIDGuard X Installation

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of the server or PC.

2. Open CD-ROM/Linux Installation folder.

3. Select readme_GUI.txt description txt file, and follow the instructions.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Basic RAID Configuration

Chapter 5 – RAIDGuard X Server

15

Chapter 5

RAIDGuard X Server

The RAIDGuard X Server is responsible for communicating with the RAID system, its
purpose is to identify that the RAID system is connected to the server.

Windows

Once installed the RAID Server will look for available
RAID Cards and display the following message. Click OK
to clear it.

An icon will be added to the windows notification area.
Right click on the icon to display the following options:

1. Run at Windows Startup – Uncheck to prevent
RAIDGuard X Server from starting when Windows
starts. (Default)

2. Remove from Windows Startup – Check to remove
RAIDGuard X Server from the Windows startup menu.

3. Exit – Close RAIDGuard X Server.

If the server icon is not displayed go to Start > Programs > easyRAID >

RAIDGuard X > RAIDGuard X Server. If the server isn’t visible then

reinstall the software.

If a RAID card cannot be found the following message will
be displayed. Click OK to clear it.

Mac Users

RAIDGuard X server will automatically load itself and run as a daemon program during
Mac OS system startup.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Chapter 6

Basic Configuration using

RAIDGuard X Client

This chapter details the basic usage of the RAIDGuard X
Client. Use this application to administer RAID system. It
covers such functionality as adding and removing systems and
arrays and e-mailing alerts to administrators.

Starting

Before starting ensure that the RAID controller has been configured in the BIOS of
the controller card. To start RAIDGuard X Client either click the desktop icon or go to
Start > Programs > easyRAID > RAIDGuard X > RAIDGuard X Client.

The menu bar across the top contains the following functions:
File –

Exit – Closes the program
Clear Log – Clear the event log

These events are automatically saved in RAIDGuard X\Application\Log

as .txt files.

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

17

Controller –

Update

Update Firmware – Click to update the firmware of the controller card.
Update Boot Code – Click to update the boot code of the controller card.
Update BIOS & EFI – Click to update the BIOS and EFI of the controller

card.

Before updating the firmware, Boot code or BIOS check the “Remove from

Windows Startup” label under the windows server icon on the windows
notification area.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Do NOT unzip the gzip file before installation.

Help –

About RAIDGuard X RAID – Displays information about the RAIDGuard X
version.

Help Center – Displays the help for RAIDGuard X.

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

19

/

Adding and Removing Controllers

In order to administer a controller it first needs to be added to the network. Once
added the administrator is given full control over the controller.

Adding

Click the Add Controller button to display a list of available controllers on the
network. Click on the one to administer, enter the password (the default password
for the easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID S8A2-PER2 is 00000000 (8 zeros)) and
click Add.

Controller Name

A Controller’s nick name. You can assign a name to the controller.

The maximum number of controllers that can be displayed is 100.

Once the controller has been added the following screen is displayed the 5 tabs:
Controller Info, Array, Drives, Snapshot and Events are populated.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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RAID System Info

The controller info tab provides details on the Vendor, Model Name and Serial No. It
also has 3 tabs: Firmware, Hardware and Power.

The Firmware tab details the System
Version, Boot version, Bios version and
EFI Version

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

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The Hardware tab details the Controller
Temperature and fan speed.

The Power tab details battery status and
power status.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Array

The Array & Drives tab provides details on the status of the drives, eg which array
they are assigned to. It also has 2 radio buttons: Array and Drives.

The image opposite will change
depending on whether the
easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID
S8A2-PER2 is installed. The number
above the drive displays the array
number.

Clicking the Array radio button
displays information about the array:
The Array No., Status, RAID Type,
Stripe Size, RAID Level, Capacity
and Slice.

Clicking the Drives radio button
displays information about individual
drives. Click on each drive image to
see its details: Disk No., Status (OK
or Failed), Type (RAID or Spare),
Model, Revision and Capacity.

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

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Drive

Display the overview of all disks.

Snapshot

The progress of the snapshot is displayed in the snapshot tab. To enable the snapshot
function see Options > Snapshot.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Events

Displays a list of the most recent events. These events are automatically saved in
C:\ Program Files\ easyRAID\ RAIDGuard X\ Client\ Log as .txt files.

To clear the log click File > Clear Log.

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

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Removing

To remove a controller, select a controller and then click the Remove Controller
button to remove the controller from the table.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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/

Creating and Deleting Arrays

Administrators can choose how best to distribute the disks available. Once an array
has been created it can be further administered in the Options section.

Creating and Array

When the RAID system is first configured an Array needs to be setup. This array
tells the RAID system how many disks to use and what their function should be. The
easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID S8A2-PER2 support the following RAID levels 0,
1, 5, 6, 0+1 and JBOD.

Follow the steps below to create an array:
Step 1: Select the RAID level fro m the drop down menu. Available levels are: 0, 1,

5, 6, 0+1 and JBOD. Each level has a minimum disk requirement and this
is shown in the information to the right of the drop down list.

Details on the RAID levels are in Appendix C Introduction to RAID Levels.

Step 2: Select the stripe size from the drop down menu. Available stripe sizes are:

4-256KB. The greater the stripe size the faster the I/O output for each
drive. This speeds up disk access.

For an explanation of Stripe Sizes see Appendix A Glossary.

Step 3: Click the drives to be added to the array.

The image displayed will vary depending on which controller is being used.

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

27

Optional: From the drop down menu select either On The Fly Initialization or
Performance Evaluation.

On the Fly Initialization – The default setting is for normal use. The data
and parity will be initialized automatically. The performance will degrade to
some degree during the initialization process.

Performance Evaluation – Choose to evaluate the performance of the
target array. Data and parity are not initialized. (No data protection when

this mode is on)
To automatically assign a LUN check the box.
Summary: Informs on the Array to be created.
Click Create Array to complete the process.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Delete an Array

Deleting an array removes the selected array and allows the drives to be used in
another array or reconfigured for a new array. Follow the steps to delete an array.

Step 1: Click on the disks containing the array to be deleted.
Step 2: Check the Confirm box when you understand that all the data on the disks

will be lost. Click Delete Array to complete the process.

Chapter 6 – Basic Configuration using RAIDGuard X Client

29

Email

It maybe necessary for network administrators to be send e-mails in the event of
errors, alerts and changes to the RAID array. These alerts can be e-mailed to a
maximum of 20 e-mail addresses.

Mailing List

Enter the e-mail address (es) of people to receive controller errors.
Click Remove to delete e-mail addresses from the list.
Click Send Test Email to check that the e-mail is working.

SMTP Setting

Mail Server Name - Enter the address of the mail server.
From E-Mail Addre s s – Enter the e-mail address of the mail server.

SMTP Server Requires authentication…

Check this box if your mail server requires a username and password.

Ask your systems administer for SMTP Server details.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Advanced RAID Configuration

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

31

Chapter 7

Advanced Configuration

This chapter details the advanced usage of the RAIDGuard X
Client. It covers such functionality as alarms and modes,
slicing and expansion.

Preferences

The preferences button allows administrators to set the conditions of the controller
such as performance modes, caching and miscellaneous functions.

There are 3 tabs under Preferences: Mode, Cache and Misc..

Mode:
Disk Lag Proof Mode – Check this box to activate Disk Lag Proof Mode. A disk I/O

lag on a single drive of a RAID set introduces delays in delivering data from an
entire RAID set. Disk Lag Proof Mode limits these delays by regenerating data from
parity and returns data to the host on time. In return for limiting the delays there is a
minor performance loss when this mode is enabled.

This function does not support JBOD and NRAID.

NCQ – Check this box to activate Native Command Queuing. It allows several
outstanding commands to be given to the drives at one time, therefore increasing
the performance of the hard dives.

For an explanation of NCQ see Appendix A Glossary.

SMART Mode – Check this box to activate SMART Mode. Choose from 1 minute to
8 hours the number of minutes for SMART Mode to be active. SMART Mode
monitors the performance of the hard drives to predict hard drive failure.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

32

For an explanation of SMART Mode see Appendix A Glossary.

Beeper – Sound an audible alarm on the controller in the event of an error.
Equalization Mode – Check this box to smooth the performance of sequential I/Os

and reduce fluctuation (peak performance will be reduced). For video editing, enable
equalization to prevent video frame drops.

Cache:
Controller Cache – Check this box to enable the system cache. This speeds up the

data transfer to and from the disks.
Synchronize Cache – Check this box to enable cache synchronization. When

Synchronize Cache mode is disabled, the RAID system works correctly but does not
actually perform any cache flushing. For video capture, disable synchronization
because the video capture needs to be able to constantly write data to the RAID
system without long SYNCHRONIZE_CACHE latency.

Read Pre-fetch – Identifies sequential access patterns and aggressively pre­fetches patterns into cache. From the drop down list choose the number of stripes to
pre-fetch. The default is 32, this is the recommended number.

Drive Cache – Choose which drives to cache. When more than one application
accesses the database the first applications cache needs to synchronize with the
second. Each drive contains a built in write cache, checking these boxes chooses
which drives to enable the caching on. Caching improves the efficiency and speed
of data transfer.

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

33

MISC:
Controller Time – Click this button to see a calendar and to change the time of the

controller.
Password – Enter the new controller password. The default password is 00000000

(8 zeros). Type another 8 characters.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Options

The Options menu provides the methods for changing the details of and fixing
problems with the array. Click the required option and then click Next to proceed.

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

35

Slicing

Hard drive slicing, partitions the drives of an array so that it appears as a separate
volume without reducing the speed.

Follow the steps below to select an array to slice or merge.
Step 1: Select the array to slice or merge by clicking on a disk with an array

number.

Step 2: Click the slice to create and use the slider bar or buttons to adjust the size.

Click OK to complete.

Slices must be adjusted in order ie Slice 0, Slice1, Slice 2 etc.

Each array supports a maximum of 8 slices.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Step 3: Check the Confirm box and then the OK.

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

37

LUN Map

A LUN is a unique identifier used on a SCSI bus that enables it to differentiate
between up to eight separate devices. Use the LUN map to attach a unique
identifier to a slice.

Follow the steps below to map a LUN.

Step 1: Select the Array to map.
Step 2: Choose a LUN and from the drop down list select a series to map to.
Step 3: Check the Confirm box and then OK.

For an explanation of LUNs see Appendix A Glossary.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Expansion

Expansion allows the adding of extra drives to an array with the need to rebuild the
array. This is carried out online without the need to stop data transfer.

Follow the steps below to select an array to expand.
Step 1: Select the array to add additional disks to and select the number of disks

to be added. A “+” sign is added above the disk(s) to be added.

Step 2: Check the Confirm box and then Expand Array .

It is only the number of drives that can be chosen, not the specific disk.

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

39

Migration

Migration allows RAID types to be changed without the need to delete the array and
rebuild. This can be useful when new disks have been added and a new array type
needs to be created.

Follow the steps below to select an array to migrate. This changes the RAID type eg
from RAID 1 to RAID 5.

Step 1: Select the Array to migrate. From the drop down menu select the RAID

Level to Migrate to then select the Tot al D ri ve s to include in the array. A
“+” sign is added above the disk(s) to be added and a “-“sign above the
disk(s) to be removed.

Step 2: Check the Confirm box and then Migrate.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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Snapshot

The snapshot function mirrors the data from one slice onto another thereby backing
up the data. From the drop down menu select Create Shot, Delete Shot and Split
Shot.

Create Shot

Creates a snapshot of the selected slice. A maximum of 8 shots can be created.
Once all shots have been used, older shots must be deleted before new ones can
be taken.

Step 1: Select the Create Shot function from the drop down menu.
Step 2: Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the

respective drop down menus select the Source Slice and Destination
Slice. Unavailable shots are greyed out.

Step 3: Check the Confirm box and then OK to take a snapshot.

Delete Shot

Deletes the selected shot.

Step 1: Select the Delete Shot function from the drop down menu.
Step 2: Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the

respective drop down menus select the Source Slice and Destination
Slice. Unavailable shots are greyed out.

Step 3: Check the Confirm box and then OK to delete a snapshot.

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

41

Split Shot

Split Now—
Splits the selected shot. The shot is split and read as two separate shots; therefore it

becomes two separate slices after being split.

Step 1: Select the Split Shot function from the drop down me nu.
Step 2: Select the Split Now radio button.
Step 3: Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the

respective drop down menus select the Source Slice and Destination
Slice. Unavailable shots are greyed out.

Step 4: Check the Check the Confirm box and then OK to split the snapshot.

Split Scheduling—
It can set any time to split shot.

Step 1: Select the Split Shot function from the drop down me nu.
Step 2: Select the Split Scheduling radio button.
Step 3: Set split time.
Step 4: Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the

respective drop down menus select the Source Slice and Destination
Slice. Unavailable shots are greyed out.

Step 5: Check the Check the Confirm box and then OK to split the snapshot.

Cancel Scheduling—
Cancel the split shot scheduling.

Step 1: Select the Split Shot function from the drop down me nu.
Step 2: Select the Cancel Scheduling radio button.
Step 3: Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. From the

respective drop down menus select the Source Slice and Destination
Slice. Unavailable shots are greyed out.

Step 4: Check the Check the Confirm box and then OK to split the snapshot.

Resynchronize shot

Resynchronize the selected shot. This function can speed up mirror for previously
snap shot.

Step 1: Select the Resynchronize shot function from the drop down menu.
Step 2: Select the required shot by clicking on the Shot No. radio button. You only

can select splitting shot for resynchronize.

Step 3: Check the Check the Confirm box and then OK to split the snapshot.

RAIDGuard X User’s Manual

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1. The destination slice must be larger than the source slice.

2. The Source Slice and the Destination Slice can be on different arrays.

3. The Destination Slice must NOT be mapped to a LUN.

4. A shot will not be deleted if the details of the array change. The only way to

delete a shot is using the delete function under Snapshot.

The progress of the snapshot is displayed in the snapshot tab of the front window.

Chapter 7 – Advanced Con f iguration

43

Health Center

If there are problems with the array then the health center can help to resolve them.
Follow the steps below to select an array to verify, rebuild or condition.

Step 1: Select the Array to verify, rebuild or condition.
Step 2: Click the radio button to:

Rebuild parity data – Rebuilding parity on an array uses the data on the

array to create new parity data not repair problems with the data.

Verify parity data – verification that the data is free of errors.
Refresh array data and parity. – If choosing Refresh array data choose

the priority between Low, Med or High. It Scans, rewrites and scrubs bad
data conditions caused by excessive vibration during disk I/Os or Adjacent
Track Interference (ATI) that causes data degradatio n.

Step 3: Click OK to start the operation.

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Unlock drives

Locked drives are drives that for one reason or another have stopped being
recognized by the controller.

Follow the steps below to select a drive to unlock or change the ID.
Locked drives prevent the accidental loss of user data when disk drives are installed

one at a time, or a RAID member is accidentally removed while the system is
powered-on. The meta-data and user data on the locked drives are preserved for
online/offline recovery. If users don’t need the data of the locked drive any longer,
the locked drive can be changed into a spare drive by the command of Unlock
Drive.

Step 1

: Select the drive with the

icon. It will change to the icon.

Step 2: Check the Confirm box and then Unlock Drive.

During rebuilding the following screen will be displayed.

45

Appendices

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Appendix A

Glossary

Array

See Disk Array.

Cache

Controller memory used to speed up data transfer to and from a disk.

Disk Array

A collection of disks from one or more commonly accessible disk controllers, combined
with a body of Array Management Software. Array Management Software controls the
disks and presents them to the array operating environment as one or more virtual
disks.

Firmware

See Array Management Software.

Host Computer

Any computer system to which disks are directly attached and accessible for I/O.
Mainframes, and servers, as well as workstations and personal computers, can all be
considered host computers in the context of this manual, as long as they have disks
attached to them.

LUN

A LUN (Logical Unit Number) is a unique identifier used on a SCSI bus that enables it
to differentiate between up to eight separate devices (or logical unit). Each LUN is a
unique number that identifies a specific logical unit, which may be an end user, a file, or
an application.

Native Command Queuing (NCQ)

NCQ allows several outstanding commands to be given to the drives at one time. The
commands are carried out in sequence instead of the order they are given. Rather like
pressing buttons in a lift, the lift goes to the next floor in the list not the order that the
buttons are pressed. This speeds up the disk access and reduces the load on the
drives.

Parity

Parity information is redundancy information calculated from actual data values. If any
single piece of data is lost, the remaining data and the parity information can be used
together to calculate the lost data. Parity information can either be stored on a separate,
dedicated drive, or be mixed with the data across all the drives in the array.

Appendix A – Glossary

47

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent / Inexpensive Disks)

A disk array in which part of the storage capacity is used to store redundant information
about user data stored on the remainder of the storage capacity. The redundant
information enables regeneration of user data in the event that one of the array
member disks or the access path to it fails. See Parity. Different RAID levels offer
different data throughput speeds and fault tolerance (data redundancy). RAID 0 does
not feature redundant information but is nonetheless considered a type of RAID.

SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) Mode

SMART Mode monitors the performance of the hard drives to predict hard drive failure.

Stripe Size

Stripe size is the maximum number of sectors the RAID system can access without
accessing another disk. The stripe size is also the size of the cache for the RAID. A
larger stripe is preferable since it reduces the number of I/O requests made to a
physical disk and lets the buffer ca che work more efficiently.

Slicing

Unlike striping, slicing allows the creation of arrays from a single disk without a loss of
speed as the disk fills up. This is because when striping across disks the center of the
disk fills up and when it’s being written to it slows down. Slicing creates new disk
partitions with similar characteristics, therefore keeping the speed the same.

EFI

EFI is a replacement for the original BIOS firmware. Originally developed by Intel it
redefines how firmware communicates with the operating system. It contains such
information as: platform-related details, boot and runtime service calls.

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Appendix B

RAIDGuard X Icons

This chapter details the icons used in this application and their use.

ICON Description

Main Menu Icons

RAIDGuard X Server icon – The icon that is on the desktop
and notification area.

Add / Delete a controller – Select the controller to administer.
Create / Delete an Array – Change the arrays within the

RAID.
Preferences for additional functions for Array operation –

Activate, alarms, mode settings, cache settings, password
and controller card time.

Email – Set the addresses to send e-mail alerts to.
Option – Set the Slice, expansion, migration, health, disk

locking, LUNs and take a snapshot of the array.

Option Menu Icons

Slicing an array into several parts

LUN Map – Assign a LUN to a slice

Expand an array to larger capacity by adding disks

Migrate from one RAID level to target RAID level

Snapshot - Create a backup of a slice

Health Center - Repair/Maintain Arrays

Unlock – Fix locked drives

Appendix B – RAIDGuard X Icons

49

ICON Description

Application Icons

A drive

A drive belongs to Array 1, 2, 3, 4

A drive being deleted in Array 1, 2, 3, 4

A JBOD drive being selected

JBOD being deleted
A drive being selected
An offline drive
A locked drive

A drive being selected for expansion / migration / rebuilding

A transition drive state during the array 1, 2, 3, 4 migration

A transition drive state during the array 1, 2, 3, 4 migration

A transition drive state during the array 1, 2, 3, 4 auto-rebuild

RAID Levels

easyRAID S8A2-PER2.

easyRAID S8A2-PETT.

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Appendix C

Introduction to RAID levels

The easyRAID S8A2-PETT / easyRAID S8A2-PER2 can support the following
RAID levels: 0, 1, 0+1, 5, 6 and JBOD.

Which is the right level for you? The answer depends on the application you use
your RAID for.

RAID Level 0 offers high transfer rates, and is ideal for large blocks of data where

speed is of importance. Computer Aided Design, Graphics, Scientific Computin g, Image
and Multimedia applications are all good examples. If one drive in a RAID 0 array fails
however, the dat a on the whole array is lost.

RAID Level 1 may be an appropriate choice if cost and performance are of significantly
less importance than fault tolerance and reliability.

RAID Level 0+1 offers a compromise between the reliability and tolerance of level 1
and the high transfer rates provided by level 0.

RAID Level 5 arrays offer high I/O transaction rates, and are the ideal choice when
used with on-line transaction processing applications, such as those used in banks,
insurance companies, hospitals, and all manner of office environments. These
applications typically perform large numbers of concurrent requests, each of which
makes a small number of disk accesses. If one drive in a RAID 5 array fails, the lost
data can be rebuilt from data on the functioning disks.

RAID Level 6 is similar to RAID level 5. A second set of parity information is written
across all the drives. This is equivalent to double mirroring. This level may be more
fault tolerant than necessary and has poor performance.

JBOD is a method of arranging multiple disks that is not technically a RAID at all.
Under JBOD (“Just a Bunch of Disks”) all disks are treated as a single volume and data
is “spanned” across them. JBOD provides no fault tolerance, or performance
improvements over the independent use of its constituent drives.

This appendix provides a summary of the features of each RAID level to enable users
with differing requirements to make the best choice.

Appendix D – Contact Us

51

RAID 0

RAID 0 links each drive in the array as one huge drive. Storage capacity is determined
by the smallest drive in the array. That capacity is then applied to format all other drives
in the array. If using a 40 GB, 60 GB, and 50 GB drive in a RAID 0 array, your system
will see one huge drive of 120 GB (40 GB×3).

RAID 0 offers double or more performance under sustained data transfers when one
drive per ATA port is used. In such a configuration, unlike Fibre, ATA drives are always
available to the system. Fibre requires more management of the Fibre bus.

RAID 0: Striped disk array without fault tolerance
Characteristics: Recommended use:

 RAID 0 implements a striped disk array, the data

is broken down into blocks and each block is
written to a separate disk drive.

 I/O performance is greatly improved by spreading

the I/O load across many channels and drives.

 Fastest and most efficient array type but offers no

fault-tolerance.

 Storage capacity = (No. of disks) × (capacity of

smallest disk)

 Video production and

editing

 Image editing
 Pre-press applications
 Any application requiring

high bandwidth

The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 0 array composed of four
HDDS connected to the controller. Data blocks are distributed across all disks in the
array.

Arrangement of data blocks saved on a Level 0 RAID

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RAID 1

RAID 1 is commonly referred to as Disk Mirroring, Disk Shadowing or Disk Duplexing
as all data is duplicated across both disks. RAID 1 can only be performed with two hard
drives (with four drives, RAID 0+1 is configured automatically). As data is identical on
both disks, storage capacity is that of the smaller disk. RAID 1 has poor performance
for write operations but very high performance for read intensive operations.

RAID 1: Mirroring
Characteristics: Recommended use:

 Better Read transaction rate then single disks,

same Write transaction rate as single disks.

 100% redundancy of data means no rebuild of

data is necessary in case of disk failure, just a
copy to the replacement disk.

 All the disks have the same data.
 RAID level 1 requires two drives.
 Storage capacity = Cap acity of smaller disk

 Accounting
 Payroll
 Financial
 Any application requiring

high availability

Arrangement of data blocks saved on a Level 1 array

Appendix D – Contact Us

53

RAID 0+1

RAID 0+1 combines mirroring and striping functions on a minimum of four hard disks.
Mirroring provides full redundancy and protects data in case of multiple drive failure
(providing that data on one of each mirrored pair of drives is intact).

RAID 0+1: Combination of striping and mirroring
Characteristics:

 This configuration provides optimal speed and reliability.
 Requires even number of disks (minimum 4 disks).

The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 0+1 array composed of
four HDDS connected to the controller. The controller creates a RAID 0 array from two
RAID 1 sub-arrays.

Arrangement of data blocks saved on a Level 0+1 array

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RAID 5

RAID 5 uses a mathematical expression that compares data from two drives and
calculates a third piece of data called “parity”. Should one of the drives fail, parity data
can be used to rebuild the failed data. Under RAID 5, parity data is stored across all
drives in the array. This maximizes the amount of storage capacity available from all
drives in the array while still providing data redundancy. Data on RAID 5 is block­interleaved.

RAID 5: Independent data disks with distributed parity blocks
Characteristics: Recommended use:

 Each entire data block is written on a data disk.

Parity for blocks in the same rank is generated
on Writes, recorded in a distributed location and
checked on Reads.

 Highest Read data transaction, medium Write

data transaction rate.

 Relatively low ratio of ECC (Parity) disks to data

disks means high efficiency (compared to other
RAID levels).

 Good aggregate transfer rate.
 Storage capacity = (No. of disks – 1) × (cap acity

of smallest disk)

 File and application

servers

 Database servers
 WWW, E-mail and News

servers

 Intranet servers
 Most versatile RAID level

The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 5 array composed of four
HDDS connected to the controller . Parity blocks are represented by the letter P.

Arrangement of data and parity blocks saved on a Level 5 RAID

Appendix D – Contact Us

55

RAID 6

RAID 6 is stripes blocks of data and parity across an array of drives like RAID 5, except
that is calculates two sets of parity information for each parcel of data. The goal of this
duplication is solely to improve fault tolerance; RAID 6 can handle at most one fault.
Performance-wise, RAID 6 is generally slightly worse than RAID 5 in terms of writes
due to the added overhead of more parity calculations, but may be slightly faster in
random reads due to spreading of data over one more disk. As with RAID levels 4 and
5, performance can be adjusted by experimenting with different stripe size.

RAID 6: Independent data disks with double p arity blocks
Characteristics: Recommended use:

 Array Capacity: (size of smallest drive) x

(number of drives-2).

 Storage Efficiency: If all drives are the same

sizes, then ((number of drives –2) / number of
drives).

 Fault Tolerance: very good to excellent.
 Requires a minimum of four drives.

 File and application

servers

 Database servers
 WWW, E-mail and News

servers

 Intranet servers
 Apply to high reliability

servers environment

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JBOD

JBOD (“Just a Bunch of Disks”) reports the individual drives. The operating system will
see each drive in the JBOD mode as a individual drive. There is no RAID protection in
the JBOD mode. The JBOD mode allows the user to connect more hard drives without
taking up IDE connections on the motherboard.

JBOD: Spanned disk array without fault tolerance
Characteristics: Recommended use:

 JBOD reports individual disks.
 No fault-tolerance.
 Poorer I/O performance than RAID 0
 Storage capacity = Sum of constituent drive

capacities

 For most uses not

requiring fault tolerance,
RAID 0 is better. JBOD
has the advantage if you
are using several drives
of different capacities.

PCI-e

RAID Controller

40G

30G

20G

40G

30G

20G

Disk 1

Disk 2

Disk N

Logical Volumes

Host

Physical Drive

Disk 1

Disk 2

Disk N

Arrangement of data saved on a JBOD array