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RocketStor 6418AS
User Manual
January 15th, 2016
Revision 1.1
HighPoint Technologies, Inc.
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Copyright
Copyright © 2016 HighPoint Technologies, Inc. This document contains materials protected by
International Copyright Laws. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced,
transmitted or transcribed in any form and for any purpose without the express written
permission of HighPoint Technologies, Inc.
Trademarks
Companies and products mentioned in this manual are for identification purpose only. Product
names or brand names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective owners. Backup your important data before using HighPoint's
products and use at your own risk. In no event shall HighPoint be liable for any loss of profits,
or for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages arising from any defect or
error in HighPoint's products or manuals. Information in this manual is subject to change
without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of HighPoint.
Notice
Reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate.
HighPoint assumes no liability for technical inaccuracies, typographical, or other errors
contained herein.
FCC Part 15 Class B Radio Frequency Interference statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment under FCC rules.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
European Union Compliance Statement
This Information Technologies Equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
following European directives:
European Standard EN55022 (1998) Class B
European Standard EN55024 (1998)
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Table of Contents
Product Overview ................................................................................................................. 5
Kit Contents............................................................................................................................ 5
RS6418S Enclosure Overview ................................................................................................7
RocketRAID 4522 Overview ..................................................................................................8
Getting Started ....................................................................................................................... 9
Step 1: Setting Up the Hardware ..........................................................................................9
Step 2: Install/Update Drivers ........................................................................................... 11
Step 3: Install HighPoint RAID Management (WebGUI) ................................................ 16
Step 4A: Create RAID Arrays using WebGUI ................................................................... 19
Step 4B: Create RAID Array using RocketRAID BIOS (PC only) .................................. 23
Step 4C: Create RAID Arrays using CLI (Windows / Linux / FreeBSD) ..................... 29
Step 5: Initialize and format the RAID Array ................................................................. 30
Manage your RAID array ................................................................................................... 35
RAID Spare Pool .................................................................................................................... 35
Email Notifications ............................................................................................................... 36
WebGUI Remote Login ......................................................................................................... 37
Storage Health Inspection (SHI) ......................................................................................... 38
Utilizing the Health Inspector Scheduler ........................................................................ 40
RAID Expansion (OCE/ORLM) .......................................................................................... 41
Updating RocketRAID HBA BIOS/Firmware ................................................................. 42
Updating BIOS/Firmware using WebGUI ......................................................................... 43
Updating BIOS/Firmware using a bootable USB ............................................................ 43
Troubleshooting – Hardware ............................................................................................ 44
Enclosure Mute Button ........................................................................................................ 44
LED Activity ............................................................................................................................ 45
PC hangs during Boot Up .................................................................................................... 47
Troubleshooting - Software .............................................................................................. 47
WebGUI – Connection cannot be established ................................................................. 48
Troubleshooting – RAID .................................................................................................... 48
Critical Arrays ........................................................................................................................ 48
Disabled Arrays ..................................................................................................................... 50
Setting up a Bootable RAID ............................................................................................... 50
Battery Backup Unit (BBU, sold separately) .................................................................. 52
Online Array Roaming ....................................................................................................... 52
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Tape Drive Module ............................................................................................................. 52
SAS Expander Compatibility ............................................................................................. 53
Port Multiplier (PM) Compatibility .................................................................................. 55
Appendix A: Navigating RocketRAID 4522 BIOS Utility (PC only) .......................... 56
Appendix A-1: System Tab ................................................................................................. 58
Appendix A-2: Disk Tab ...................................................................................................... 58
Appendix A-3: Array Tab .................................................................................................... 60
Appendix A-4: Controller Tab ............................................................................................ 63
Appendix A-5: Window Tab ................................................................................................ 65
Appendix B: Navigating the HighPoint WebGUI ........................................................... 65
How to Login HighPoint WebGUI ....................................................................................... 66
Appendix B-1: Global Tab ................................................................................................... 67
Appendix B-2: Physical Tab ................................................................................................ 68
Appendix B-3: Logical Tab .................................................................................................. 71
Appendix B-4: Setting Tab .................................................................................................. 79
Appendix B-5: Recover Tab................................................................................................. 80
Appendix B-6: Event Tab ..................................................................................................... 82
Appendix B-7: SHI (Storage Health Inspector) ................................................................ 83
Appendix C: WebGUI Icon Guide ..................................................................................... 84
Appendix D: RAID Level Reference Guide .................................................................... 86
Help ........................................................................................................................................ 87
HighPoint List of Recommended Hard Drives ............................................................... 87
Contacting Technical Support ........................................................................................... 87
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Product Overview
Item
Count
8-Bay Tower Enclosure
1
8-Port SAS 6Gb/s Hardware RAID
PCIe2.0 x8 Host Adapter
1
Low Profile Bracket
1
Disk Trays
8
SFF-8088(Mini-SAS) Cables
2
UL Power Cord
1
3.5” HDD mounting screws
32
2.5” SSD mounting screws
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Quick Installation Guide
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The RocketStor 6418AS bundle package includes an enclosure for housing your
physical drives and a RAID Controller to manage and create RAID arrays of different
levels.
RocketStor 6418S Enclosure
HighPoint RocketRAID 4522 Controller
Kit Contents
Before getting started, check to see if any items are missing, damaged, or incorrect. For
any discrepancy contact your reseller or go to www.highpoint-tech.com for online
support.
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Feature
Specifications
RocketStor 6418AS
Form Factor
External Mini-SAS (SFF-8088)
Host Port
2x Mini-SAS (SFF-8088)
RAID Controller /Bus
Interface
RocketRAID 4522 / PCIe 2.0 x8
I/O Storage Processor
RAID-On-Chip Onboard
Onboard Cache
512MB DDR 3 Cache Memory with ECC Protection
RAID Level
0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, JBOD
Max. Capacity
Up to 64 TB
Number Of drives
Up to 8
Drive Interface
SAS, SATA
Drive Form Factor
3.5" & 2.5"
Chassis Material
Brushed Aluminum Housing
Dimension
9.37" (D) x 5.67" (W) x 12.80" (H)
Weight
14.39 lbs.
Warranty
1 Year
Advanced RAID Features
Configurable RAID Block Size up to 1MB
Flash ROM for Upgradeable Firmware
DV Mode Technology
Storage Health Inspector
Redundant RAID Configurations
Multiple RAID Partitions supported
Online Array Roaming
Online RAID Level Migration (ORLM)
Online Capacity Expansion (OCE)
RAID Initialization Background/Foreground/Quick
Global Hot Spare Disk support
Automatic and configurable RAID Rebuilding Priority
NVRAM with Write Journaling enhances RAID integrity
Disk Format compatible: 512, 512e, 4Kn
Larger than 2 TB Drive and RAID Array support
Spin down Massive Arrays of Idle Disks support
Native Command Queuing
Stagger Drive Spin Up
Write Back and Write Through
Configurable RAID Block Size up to 1MB
Storage Monitoring and Management Suite
RAID Management Suites:
BIOS/Firmware configuration tool, Browser-Based management
tool
CLI (Command Line Interface) - scriptable configuration tool, API
package
SMTP
Email Alert notification
Alarm Buzzer
Buzzer beeping for Fan Failure or Temperature exceeds 50°C
Operating System Support
Windows
Window 2008 and Window 7 and later
Linux
Linux: RedHat Enterprise, Open SuSE, Fedora Core, Debian,
Ubuntu / Linux Driver embedded into Kernel 3.9.4 and later
FreeBSD
Yes (Driver embedded in FreeBSD 9.0 and later)
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Mac OS X
Mac OS X 10.6 and later (Driver embedded into Mac OS X 10.9
and later)
Operating Environment
Temperature
(operating) 5°C – 45°C
(non-operating) -40°C – 65°C
Relative Humidity
(operating) 8% – 90% RH (Non-condensing)
(non-operating) 5% – 95% RH (Non-condensing)
Certification
CE, FCC, RoHS
Front Panel
RS6418S Enclosure Overview
Figure 1. Front Panel Overview
Figure 2. Back Panel Overview
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Disk Present LED
Indicates disk is present and available
Disk Status LED
Indicates disk is performing I/O
operations
Enclosure Power LED
Indicated enclosure is properly powered
Back Panel
External Mini-SAS connector
SFF-8088 port
Mute Button
Mutes enclosure alarm only. Alarm
sounds off only when FAN and
TEMPERATURE fail.
AC Power Input
Connect power cord here
Power Switch
O – Off / I – On
Kensington Lock Slot
Enclosure security slot
RocketRAID 4522 Key
PORT1
mini-SAS (SFF-8088) Connection
Corresponds to channel 1-4
PORT2
mini-SAS (SFF-8088) Connection
Corresponds to channel 5-8
RocketRAID 4522 Overview
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BEEP
Alarm/Beeper
J9
I2C Bus
J6
Battery Backup Unit (BBU) Connector
Getting Started
Thank you for purchasing HighPoint Technologies RocketStor 6418AS. You are only a
few steps away from utilizing RAID storage using the industry’s most affordable
hardware RAID solution.
To start using your RocketStor 6418AS take the following steps:
1. Setting up the Hardware (pg. 9)
2. Install/Update drivers (pg. 11)
3. Install HighPoint RAID Management (WebGUI) (pg. 16)
4. Create RAID Arrays (pg. 19)
5. Initialize and format RAID Volumes (pg. 30)
Step 1: Setting Up the Hardware
Ensure all items listed under Kit Contents are included in your package. For any
discrepancy contact your reseller or submit a support ticket online at www.highpoint-
tech.com/websupport.
Preparing the Enclosure
1. Press then pull the blue tab on the disk tray to unlock and slide the disk tray out.
Then mount your hard drives onto the tray using the provided screws. Repeat for
up to four hard drives.
Figure 3. 3.5" HDD mount points
2. Place the enclosure upright on a stable, flat surface
Figure 4. 2.5" SSD mount points
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3. Connect the enclosure to a power source with the AC Power Cord
4. Connect the enclosure to the included RocketRAID 4522 using the mini-SAS to
mini-SAS cable (SFF-8088)
Figure 5. Mini-SAS connection on RS6418S enclosure back panel
Preparing the RocketRAID HBA (Host Bus Adapter)
The following instructions describe how to prepare your RocketRAID 4522 HBA for use.
To install your RocketRAID 4522:
Important: Before installing the RocketRAID 4522 Controller, ensure that your system
is powered OFF.
1. Locate a PCI Express 2.0 x8 slot (or compatible slot) on your PC motherboard.
Note 1: Refer to your PC manual for instructions on how to access your
motherboard.
Note 2: Refer to your motherboard manual for instructions on how to locate
your PCI Express slot.
2. Align the RocketRAID 4522 with the PCI Express slot and push straight down until
the card is fully seated.
3. Tighten the connection by fastening the RocketRAID bracket and enclosure
together with a screw.
4. Continue to Step 2: Install/Update Drivers
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A PCI-Express 2.0 x8 card is compatible with PCI-Express 2.0 x16 and PCI-Express 3.0
x16 slots.
Step 2: Install/Update Drivers
Installing Drivers on an Existing Operating System
Drivers provide a way for your operating system to communicate with your new
hardware. Updating to the latest drivers ensures your product has the latest
performance, stability, and compatibility improvements. Drivers are updated regularly
at www.highpoint-tech.com.
For Windows Users:
1. Download the latest driver files from our website www.highpoint-tech.com >
Support > Documents and Downloads > RocketStor 6418AS.
2. Extract the downloaded files onto your PC and note the location of the files.
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3. Open Windows Device Manager (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices
and Printers > Device Manager).
4. Under Other devices, right-click RAID Controller.
5. Click Update Driver Software.
6. Click Browse my computer for driver software.
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7. Navigate to where you saved the driver files.
8. Click OK.
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9. Click Next, Windows security will prompt to ask if you are sure you want to install
HighPoint Software.
10. After clicking Install, driver will be installed.
11. Reboot for changes to take effect.
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For Mac Users:
1. Obtain latest driver online at www.hptmac.com
2. Click the downloaded file.
3. A mounted volume will appear on the desktop. Click the icon to open the volume.
4. Click the driver package to start installation (.pkg file)
5. Follow the on-screen instructions of the installer.
6. Reboot computer for changes to take effect.
7. Make sure Driver Installed is Yes
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Click Apple Icon > About this Mac> System Report > PCI
Step 3: Install HighPoint RAID Management (WebGUI)
The HighPoint RAID Management (WebGUI) software is a useful tool used to create,
maintain, and view your RAID arrays.
For Windows Users:
1. Download the latest WebGUI from our website at www.highpoint-tech.com >
Support > Documents and Downloads > RocketStor 6418AS > Windows WebGUI.
2. Extract and open the contents of the downloaded file.
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3. Double-click HighPoint RAID Management.exe.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the WebGUI installation
5. Double-click the HighPoint RAID Management desktop icon to start the WebGUI.
Alternatively, type http://localhost:7402 in your browser address bar.
6. Your default web browser will open and prompt for a username and password
(Default username: RAID / password: hpt). Username and password are casesensitive.
For Mac Users:
1. Download the latest WebGUI from our website www.highpoint-tech.com > Support >
Documents and Downloads > RocketStor 6418AS > Mac WebGUI
2. Double Click the downloaded Mac WebGUI file.
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3. Double click the HighPointWebGUI.pkg to start the WebGUI installer.
4. Follow the installer on-screen instructions to complete the WebGUI installation.
5. Double-click the HighPoint RAID Management desktop icon to start the WebGUI.
6. Your default web browser will open and prompt for username and password
(Default username: RAID / password: hpt). Username and password are casesensitive.
Uninstalling HighPoint RAID Management (WebGUI)
For Windows Users:
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click Uninstall a program.
3. Select HighPoint RAID Management to uninstall.
For Mac Users:
1. Navigate to /Applications/HPTWEBGUI/uninstall.
2. Click on the uninstall script.
3. Type in the Administrator password when prompted.
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Step 4A: Create RAID Arrays using WebGUI
For Mac and Windows users:
1. Login to WebGUI (Default username: RAID / password: hpt).
2. Once logged in, click the Logical tab.
3. Click Create Array:
Figure 6. Click Logical to go to create array page.
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4. The RAID creation page provides many features, options, and settings. Detailed
descriptions are provided on pg. 60.
5. Select RAID 5 for Array Type. (RAID Quick Reference on pg. 86)
6. Set array name as “Tutorial_Array”.
7. Select Quick Init as the initialization method. (Note: Quick Init gives immediate
access to the array by skipping parity synchronization. Recommended for
testing/verification purposes or when new disks are used.)
8. Select Write Back as the Cache Policy for better disk write performance.
9. Select 64K as the Block Size.
10. Select all 4 available disks.
11. Leave the Capacity, Sector Size, DV mode, and Disk Cache Policy settings at their
default values.
12. Click Create.
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Figure 7. Create Array page.
13. Once created, the WebGUI will acknowledge the array has been created and the
system will prompt you to initialize the new volume.
Figure 8. (Mac OS X) Array successfully created.
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Figure 9. New volume needs to be initialized before use.
Figure 10. (Windows) Array successfully created.
Figure 11. (Windows) For Windows platforms, user will be prompted to initialize disks in Disk
Management.
14. Tutorial_Array can now be seen under Logical Device Information. (Take note that
the OS name is HPT DISK 0_0; this will help identify which volume to initialize)
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Figure 12. Tutorial_Array is now created and can be seen in Logical tab.
Step 4B: Create RAID Array using RocketRAID BIOS (PC only)
RAID arrays can also be created using the RocketRAI BIOS. To enter the RocketRAID
BIOS press CTRL + H during PC boot up.
Legacy disks, or disks that contain previous partitions, have to be initialized before
they can be used for RAID.
Figure 13. 4 Legacy disks are shown here.
Initializing Disks
Before initializing, you must make sure you have the disk panel selected. The gold
frame represents your current selection. By default, you start on the disk panel.
1. Press ALT + W to access Window tab.
2. Select disk(s).
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3. Use keyboard arrow keys to navigate and press Enter to select desired disk(s).
4. Once disks are selected, press ALT + D to activate disk tab.
5. Select Initialize.
Figure 14. Four disks are selected and about to be initialized.
6. Press Enter.
7. A prompt will warn you that data will be erased.
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8. Select Yes.
9. Once initialized, you can proceed to create an array.
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Create Arrays
1. Navigate to the disk panel (ALT + W, then press 1)
2. Select each disk you wish to include in your array
Figure 15. Each selected disk has (#) symbol on the left.
3. Press ALT + A to open array panel
4. Press Create:
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Figure 16. Press ALT+A to open menu, then select create.
5. Press Spacebar to navigate and make selections (TAB also navigates between
windows)
Figure 17. RocketRAID BIOS create array option menu.
6. Press Create (ALT + E)
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7. A prompt about sector size will pop up, select a sector size (irrelevant for Windows
XP 64-bit and later.)
8. Your created array will show up in the Array Window.
Figure 18. Array RAID5_00 has been created.
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9. Exit the BIOS (ALT + X). Alternatively, ALT + S to open System Tab, then select Exit.
Step 4C: Create RAID Arrays using CLI (Windows / Linux / FreeBSD)
Start your operating systems console such as command prompt (Windows). On the
command line, type hptraidconf to start HighPoint CLI. Enter your login credentials
when prompted (default username: RAID / password: hpt).
In order to see the devices connected to the controller, type querydevices.
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The device ID gives the position of each drive and is needed to select which drive will
be included in the array.
To create a 4 disk RAID 5 array named Tutorial_Array input the following command:
HPT CLI > create RAID5 name=Tutorial_Array disks=1/1,1/2,1/3,1/4
To view the created array, type query arrays.
For more HighPoint CLI information type help in the command line or refer to the
documentation included in the software package.
Step 5: Initialize and format the RAID Array
Before using the newly created RAID array, you must initialize and format the new
volume.
For Windows Users:
1. After creating the RAID array, open Windows Disk Management.
2. Disk Management will ask to initialize unknown disks either in MBR format or GPT.
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Figure 19. (Windows) Disk Management asks to initialize the disks before use. As a general rule,
select MBR for disks less than 2TB and GPT for disks greater than 2TB.
3. Right click the new disk, and click properties.
4. In properties, check and make sure it is a HPT VD (HighPoint Virtual Disk).
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Figure 20. Disk properties show HPT VD 0-0.
5. Once the disk has been confirmed, right click the unallocated space and click New
Simple Volume.
Figure 21. Right Click unallocated space, then click New Simple Volume.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure and format the drive.
7. Once finished, the new volume will receive a drive letter and be available for use.
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Figure 22. RAID array is now formatted as NTFS and drive letter E:
For Mac Users:
1. After creating a RAID array, click Initialize when prompted. (Note: If you ignored
the prompt, simply open Disk Utility).
Figure 23. Disk Utility for Mac.
2. In Disk Utility, select the Volume you created on the right, then click the Erase tab.
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3. Select the desired disk format and disk name then click Erase. (Note: All previous
data on disks will be erased.)
4. When finished, your new RAID volume will be available for use.
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Figure 24. (Mac) Tutorial_Array volume created and mounted on desktop.
Manage your RAID array
The following features allow you to monitor and maintain your arrays to prevent any
critical failures from occurring:
Spare Pool (pg. 35)
Email Notifications (pg. 36)
SMART Monitoring (pg. 38)
Health Inspector Scheduling (pg. 40)
RAID Spare Pool
Physical drives marked as a spare will automatically be added to a redundant RAID
array (RAID levels 1, 10, 5, and 6) whenever there is a disk failure. Enabling this feature
minimizes the chances of data loss since it reduces the time an array is in critical
status.
Add/Remove Spare
Using WebGUI:
1. Log in WebGUI
2. Click Logical
3. Click Spare Pool
4. Check the box for the disk you want as a spare from Available Disks
5. Click Add Spare
Disks added to the spare pool will show under Spare Pool and can be removed by
checking the disk checkbox from Spare Pool > Click Remove Spare.
Using RocketRAID BIOS:
1. Navigate to the disk panel (Press ALT + W, then press 1)
2. Use keyboard arrow keys to select desired disk
3. Press enter to confirm each selection
4. Press ALT + D to open disk tab
5. Select Toggle Spare
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Disks added to the spare pool will show under Spare Pool and can be removed by
checking the disk checkbox from Spare Pool > Click Remove Spare.
Email Notifications
When enabled, all added recipients will receive an email notification for any event log
entries. (More information about events refer to pg. )
To set up email alerts:
1. Check the Enable Event Notification box.
2. Enter the ISP server address name or SMTP name.
3. Type in the email address of the sender (email account that is going to send the
alert).
4. Type in the account name and password of the sender.
5. Type in the SMTP port (default: 25).
6. Check support SSL box if SSL is supported by your ISP (port value will change to
465, refer to your ISP if you have a specific SMTP port.
Note: After you click ‘Change Setting’ the password box will become blank.
Adding Email Recipients
You can add multiple email addresses as receivers of a notice.
1. Type the email of the recipient in the E-mail text box.
2. Type the name of the recipient in the Name text box.
3. Check which type(s) of events will trigger an email in the respective Event Level
check boxes.
4. (Optional) Click test to confirm settings are correct by sending out a test email.
5. Click add to add the recipient to recipient list.
6. The added recipient will display in under Recipients.
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The email will send to your recipients the output recorded in the event log.
Figure 25. Example event log email message.
WebGUI Remote Login
A user connected to a local network can remotely access the WebGUI using the IP
address of the host device.
To obtain your IP address
For Windows Users:
1. Open a command prompt window on the host computer.
2. Type ipconfig.
3. Look for the section that contains your network adapter information.
4. Note the IP address.
Figure 26. Example: The IPv4 address is under Ethernet adapter Ethernet 4 and is 192.168.1.143
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Note: Make sure Restrict to localhost access is disabled in WebGUI Setting (Refer to
setting)
You can then remotely access the WebGUI using any other computer that is in your
local network by opening any web browser and typing http://{IP address of host
computer}:7402 (default port is 7402).
For Mac Users:
1. Open a terminal window on the host computer (computer that is connected to the
RS6414VS enclosure.)
2. Type ifconfig.
3. Look for the connection that has status: active
4. Write the IP address located after inet:
Figure 27. Example: en2 has active status, the IP is 192.168.1.254
Storage Health Inspection (SHI)
The Storage Health Inspector (SHI) monitors each individual disk’s health. Monitoring
disk SMART attributes can prevent critical RAID failures from occurring.
This section covers the following:
Enabling SMART Monitoring
Disabling SMART Monitoring
Changing HDD Temperature Threshold
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Enabling SMART Monitoring
To access the SMART attributes of an individual disk:
1. Log in to WebGUI (default user: RAID password: hpt).
2. Select the proper controller using the drop down menu on the top left.
3. Click the SHI tab.
4. Click SMART on the desired disk.
5. Click Enable to enable SMART monitoring.
Disabling SMART monitoring
You have the option to disable SMART monitoring on each individual disk:
1. Select the proper controller using the drop down menu on the top left.
2. Click the SHI tab.
3. Click SMART on desired disk.
4. Click Disable.
Note: Disabling SMART will prompt the Storage Health Inspector to change the disk
status to ‘Failed’. The RocketRAID alarm will not alert you when this setting is disabled.
Any potential warnings related to S.M.A.R.T attribute technology will not trigger.
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Changing HDD Temperature Threshold
To ensure hard disk temperatures remain cool, enable SMART to monitor disk
temperatures. In SHI, you can set a threshold so that the WebGUI or controller alarm (if
enabled) can warn you when physical disks get too hot.
1. Log in to WebGUI.
2. Select the controller from the drop down on the top left.
3. Click SHI.
4. Type the desired harddisk temperature threshold (°𝐹).
5. Click Set.
Utilizing the Health Inspector Scheduler
The Health Inspector Scheduler (HIS) enables you to periodically check your
disk/arrays to ensure they are functioning optimally.
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Creating a New Verify Task
All arrays will appear under New Verify Task
1. Log in to WebGUI.
2. Select the proper controller from the top left drop down.
3. Click SHI.
4. Click Schedule.
5. Select the array you want to schedule the verify task.
6. Type the name in Task Name entry box.
7. Choose whether you want to schedule.
One time verify task on specific date (YYYY-MM-DD) at (HH:MM:SS, 24-hr clock).
Or a specific schedule you can adjust based on Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
options.
8. Click Submit.
9. Your entry will appear under Tasks List.
Note: New Verify Task box only appears if you have normal status arrays. If you have a
critical array, New Rebuild Task will replace New Verify Task.
RAID Expansion (OCE/ORLM)
Important: It is recommended to Verify/Rebuild your array before Expanding or
Migrating. Once you start an OCE/ORLM procedure, you can stop the process but it
must be resumed until completion.
To add more capacity to your current configuration follow these steps:
1. Log in WebGUI
2. Select desired controller from drop down menu on top left
3. Click Logical
4. Click Maintenance for the array you want to change
Select a different RAID level to Migrate
Select the same RAID level to Expand
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BIOS resource issue
Inefficient BIOS code may cause your
boot-up to hang during POST.
5. Important: Record all the physical drives currently in array.
6. Click ORLM
7. Select the physical drives you recorded earlier and the drives you want to add
8. Click Submit
Upon submission, you will receive a prompt stating ORLM created successfully.
The Logical Device Information for the migrating/expanding array will change status
to migrating/expanding.
Updating RocketRAID HBA BIOS/Firmware
Having the latest BIOS ensures you have the latest firmware stability and performance
improvements. Updating the BIOS may fix boot up or system resource issues; make
sure to read the README before making any changes.
A few reasons as to why update BIOS/Firmware:
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Compatibility fixes
Updating firmware may fix issues that
occur when using new hardware
Bug fixes
Bugs that are discovered post release are
fixed in subsequent updates.
Updating BIOS/Firmware using WebGUI
Keeping the firmware up to date ensures that your RAID controller the latest
compatibility and performance updates.
1. Locate the latest firmware on our webpage at www.highpoint-tech.com.
2. Extract the contents of the file.
3. Refer to the readme (if included) to make sure you have the correct firmware for
your HBA Note: Your HBA name and properties can be found in the WebGUI >
Physical Tab.
4. Locate the proper firmware file
5. Login to WebGUI, then click the Physical tab.
6. Under Update Firmware, click Browse and browse to your firmware file.
7. Click Submit.
8. Reboot for changes to take effect.
Updating BIOS/Firmware using a bootable USB
Create a bootable USB using a utility such as Rufus. Caution: Creating a bootable USB
will erase all previous data stored on it.
1. Download the latest BIOS/Firmware file found at www.highpoint-tech.com
2. Extract the file contents onto the bootable USB
3. Read the README for instructions on how to flash the BIOS onto your hardware.
4. Reboot your computer into DOS mode by:
Setting boot priority to the bootable USB
Removing all bootable drives (OS, CD Drives) from motherboard and leaving
only the bootable USB and RocketRAID card plugged in
5. Once in DOS mode, you should see a command line interface
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Figure 28. Bootable USB formatted with Rufus Utility, FreeDOS CLI (Command Line Interface)
6. Type in the command you found in the README (ex. load.exe <filename>
7. Reboot
Troubleshooting – Hardware
If you face any hardware related issues involving the RS6418S enclosure, disk drives or
RAID controller, refer to the following sections for troubleshooting tips. For all other
problems, submit a support ticket at www.highpoint-tech.com/websupport.
Enclosure Mute Button
The mute button on the back will mute the alarm for enclosure related issues such as
enclosure FAN or TEMPERATURE failures. Failures associated with the RAID controller
will trigger the RAID card alarm, and cannot be muted with the enclosure mute button.
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LED Activity
LED Status
Interpretation
STABLE GREEN
Disk is detected and connection has
been made
BLINKING BLUE
Disk is in use and performing I/O
activity such as:
Rebuilding an array
Verifying data integrity
Transferring data
STABLE BLUE
Enclosure is properly powered on
The following information tells you how to interpret LED activity seen on the enclosure
and disk trays.
Table 1. LED Status Information
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UNLIT
Unit is powered OFF
Disk tray is empty
LED Location
Icon
Normal
Faulty
Disk Tray Top
LED
When
powered on,
the top LED
will be a
STABLE
GREEN
Disk Tray
Bottom LED
When I/O
operations
are running
normally,
LED will be
BLINKING
BLUE.
Power LED
When
enclosure is
powered on
LED will be
SOLID BLUE
Power LED
will be
UNLIT if not
connected to
a running
host system
Table 2. LED Diagrams
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Table 3. LED Reference Chart
Present
Active
Failed
Identify
Disk Tray
GREEN
BLUE
N/A
N/A
Enclosure
LEDs
BLUE
N/A
N/A
Present – Indicates that the disk is present and available.
Active – Indicates the disk is performing disk I/O
Failed – Indicates disk failure (Not Applicable for RS6418X Series)
Identify – Identify LED is a setting that can be enabled in Physical > devices. This
setting will bring up a RED LED for the drive that is enabled for easy identification.
(Not Applicable for RS6418X Series)
PC hangs during Boot Up
The most commons symptom for this problem is the lack of resources.
There are two methods to fix this problem:
1. Update your motherboard BIOS
2. Update your RAID Controller BIOS
Update Motherboard BIOS
To update your motherboard BIOS, refer to your motherboard manufacturer’s user
manual or website.
Update RocketRAID BIOS
To update RocketRAID BIOS refer to either of these sections:
Using a Bootable USB to update BIOS.
Updating the BIOS through WebGUI Note: Press END to bypass the RocketRAID BIOS
splash screen so you can boot up windows and access WebGUI.
Troubleshooting - Software
If you face any software related issues involving the HighPoint RAID Management
(WebGUI), refer to the following sections for troubleshooting tips. For all other
problems, submit a support ticket at www.highpoint-tech.com/websupport.
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WebGUI – Connection cannot be established
Common scenarios for critical
array status
Unplugging disk that is part of an array
Bad sector detected on a disk part of the
array
Unrecoverable data during rebuilding
Defective port or cable interrupts rebuilding
process
1. Check the connection of the card with its PCI Express slot. (PCIe 2.0 x8 for RR4522)
2. Check and make sure the cables are not faulty.
3. Check Device Manager (Windows) or System Report (Mac) to verify the device and
drivers are installed and detected by the OS
a. For Windows Users:
i. Open Device Manager.
ii. Click on the Storage Controller tab.
iii. Check to see if RocketRAID 4522 SAS Controller is listed.
iv. If RocketRAID 4522 SAS Controller is not listed, check to see if RAID
Controller is under Unknown devices.
v. If RAID Controller is under Unknown Devices, re-install RocketRAID
drivers.
vi. If RAID Controller is not present, recheck your hardware and cables.
b. For Mac Users:
i. Click the Apple Icon on the menu bar.
ii. Click About this Mac > System Report.
iii. Click PCI.
iv. Check to see the Type: RAID Controller and Driver Installed: Yes.
v. If Driver Installed is No, re-install the drivers.
vi. If RAID Controller is not present, recheck your hardware and cables.
Troubleshooting – RAID
If you face any RAID related issues involving your RAID array, refer to the following
sections for troubleshooting tips. For all other problems, submit a support ticket at
www.highpoint-tech.com/websupport.
Critical Arrays
When your disk is critical, that means your array as a whole is still accessible, but a
disk or two is faulty (depending on your RAID level) is in danger of failing.
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To recover from this situation,
1. Backup your existing data.
2. Identify which disk is faulty.
You can refer to the LED lights on the enclosure.
Refer to the WebGUI Logical tab and Event tab.
3. Re-insert the faulty disk or replace with a new disk.
Array will rebuild automatically if you enable auto-rebuild setting and you
simply reseated the faulty disk. Note: Click Rescan if array still does not rebuild
automatically.
4. Once a new disk is added, add the new disk into the critical array.
Log in to WebGUI.
Click Logical Tab.
Click Maintenance > Add disk > select the appropriate disk.
5. Rebuild should start automatically.
If rebuild does not start, click ‘Rescan’ on the left hand panel.
Note: Rebuilding an array takes on average 2 hours per 1 Terabyte of disk capacity.
The process will scan through the entire disk, even if you have very little used disk
space.
Rebuild failed
If rebuilding fails to complete due to bad disk sector errors (check in the Event Log),
there is an option to continue rebuilding on error in HighPoint WebGUI.
1. Log in to WebGUI.
2. Click Setting tab.
3. Under System Setting, change Enable Continue Rebuilding on Error to Enabled.
This option will enable rebuilding to ignore bad sectors and attempt to make your data
accessible. It is important to backup immediately after backup is complete and replace
or repair any disk(s) with bad sectors.
Critical array becomes disabled when faulty disk was removed
If this is the case, check to make sure you removed the correct disk. When you remove
the wrong disk from a critical array, the array status may become disabled. Data is
inaccessible for disabled arrays. Follow these steps to restore the previous state:
1. Shut down your PC.
2. Shut down the RS6418S Enclosure.
3. Place all disks, including the removed disks, back to original array configuration.
4. Boot up PC.
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5. Once array is back to critical status, identify the correct disk (using the event log)
and replace it.
Disabled Arrays
If two or more disks in your array go offline due to an error or physical disconnection
your array will become disabled.
To recover a disabled array, using the ‘Recover Tab’ will yield the best results. To
utilize the Recover tab, you will need to insert the exact physical drives that are listed
on the recover list. The goal of using recover is to get the RAID status back to
critical/normal, allowing you to access and back up your data.
Example: RAID 5 Disabled Array:
Recover with RAID Maintenance
1. Log in to WebGUI.
2. Click Maintenance for the array that is disabled.
3. Click Recover.
Recover RAID with Recover Tab
Before using the Recover tab to recover your array, check to see if the RAID array is
listed in your Recover List. Once you have confirmed the RAID array is there, proceed
to delete the disabled array.
1. Log in to WebGUI.
2. Click Maintenance for the array that is disabled.
3. Click delete, to delete the disabled array.
4. Click Recover Tab.
5. Select the RAID configuration you just deleted.
6. Click Recover Array.
Setting up a Bootable RAID
For Windows Users:
Creating an array and then installing Windows OS onto the RAID configuration is a
bootable array. Since you cannot use the conventional method of installing drivers, the
drive must be loaded during installation.
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Prepare the following items for installation:
Operating System Install CD
Driver files for RocketRAID 4522
USB thumb drive
Instructions:
1. On first boot-up, press CTRL + H during the HighPoint RocketRAID splash screen
to enter the BIOS RAID creation utility.
2. Create the array you want to install your Windows Operating System onto
3. With the array created, download the RS6418AS drivers from www.highpoint-
tech.com and load them onto a USB. You will need to locate the files when
prompted to load drivers during Windows Installation
4. Start Windows Installation.
5. When prompted Where do you want to install Windows? Click Load Driver
6. When prompted, click Browse
7. Browse to your connected USB and driver files you downloaded
8. Click OK, and once loaded, you will see a list of drivers detected.
9. Select the HighPoint driver file
10. Click Next, and you should see the RAID arrays you created
11. Select the RAID array and click Next
12. Follow the Windows installation instructions to complete your installation
Set Array as Boot Device
1. Enter RocketRAID BIOS during boot up (CTRL+H).
2. Navigate to settings using arrow keys.
3. Press Enter.
4. Press Enter again.
5. Select the desired RAID array.
6. You will return to the main screen once flag is set.
For Mac Users:
1. You must have an existing installation of the Mac operating system installed.
2. Set up the RS6418AS by following the steps outlined in Getting Started.
3. Once an array is created, the logical volume can be seen by your operating system
4. Use a 3
drive onto the logical drive you just created.
rd
party disk cloning tool (eg. Carbon Copy Cloner) to copy your bootable
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Battery Backup Unit (BBU, sold separately)
When you set your RAID array or HDD to utilize write back cache, you sacrifice
reliability for performance. Utilizing Write Through cache allows you to safe guard
your data from power related failures, but it will be much slower.
A BBU is primarily used to safe guard arrays utilizing write back cache. When a power
failure occurs, the battery will provide enough power to maintain the data in the cache
for however long the battery capacity is.
Attaching the BBU
The connection will be made directly on the RAID controller J6 pins.
Checking the Battery Status
1. Log into WebGUI
2. Select the Controller the BBU is connected to
3. Select the Physical Tab
4. Charge status should be listed under Extended Information
5. For CLI, type query controllers
Online Array Roaming
One of the features of all HighPoint RAID controllers is online array roaming.
Information about the RAID configuration is stored on the physical drives. So if the
RS6314A fails or you wish to use another RAID controller, the RAID configuration data
can still be read by another HighPoint card.
Tape Drive Module
The 4522 supports LTO Tape storage solutions.
1. Download the latest driver, BIOS, and WebGUI version for the RocketRAID 4522
from our website www.highpoint-tech.com
2. Direct Link: http://highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series_rr4520-Download.htm
3. Download your preferred tape management software, such as P5 Archiware,
PrerollPost, LTFS, Yoyota, etc. The tape drive will be detected in the
HighPointWebGUI but managing the drive must be done using tape management
software.
Login to HighPointWebGUI and check if the tape drive is detected.
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1. Login to WebGUI
2. Select the controller tape is connected to
3. Click Logical tab
LTO-6 tape shows up in logical tab.
SAS Expander Compatibility
HighPointRocketRAID 4522 supports SAS Expanders which enables connectivity up to
128 hard drives.
Example:
WebGUI Physical Tab shows RocketRAID 4522 connected to an Areca 8026 SAS
Expander.
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As a result, the Controller is able to detect 16 drives using only 1 Mini-SAS port on the
RocketRAID HBA. Under Physical Device Information (Location), the 1 represents the
RR4522 port, E1 represents the SAS Expander unit, and 2…17 represents the additional
channels connected to the SAS Expander.
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Port Multiplier (PM) Compatibility
HighPointRocketRAID 4522 support port multipliers (PM) which enables connectivity
of up to 40 hard drives.
Example:
Connected to 1 port on the RocketRAID 4522, the port multiplier split the signal to 4
other targets. Under Physical Device Information (Location), the 1 represents the
RR4522 port, E1 represents the port multiplier, and 2…5 represents the additional
channels connected to the PM.
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Appendix A: Navigating RocketRAID 4522 BIOS Utility (PC only)
HighPoint RocketRAID BIOS utility allows you to create, manage, and maintain
your RAID arrays without the need to install HighPoint WebGUI application.
During boot up, you will see a RocketRAID splash screen prompting you to
press CTRL + H to enter the BIOS. The following keys will help you navigate
through the menus, find information, and make adjustments to your RAID
arrays.
Figure 29. RocketRAID Splash Screen. Press CTRL + H to enter BIOS
Figure 30. Default Screen upon entering BIOS.
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Table 4. Navigating the BIOS
Keyboard Arrow Keys
Navigate the menu bar
F10
Accesses the menu bar
TAB
Switches between windows
Enter
Make a selection
ALT + <highlighted key>
Selects Menu Item (Ex. System can be accessed with ALT + S
Spacebar
Make certain selections (eg. creating arrays)
ESC
Exits a selection menu
System
Exits the BIOS (ALT + X)
Disk
Displays disk Information
Initialize disks
Add disks to spare pool
Unplugs disks
Array
Displays array information
Create/delete/unplug arrays
Verify array integrity
Set boot flag
Controller
Displays RAID controller information
Adjust controller settings
Window
View BIOS window panels
Help
www.highpoint-tech.com
Figure 31. Snapshot of RocketRAID BIOS menu bar
Table 5. Menu Bar Key
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Appendix A-1: System Tab
Press ALT + X to exit the BIOS.
Appendix A-2: Disk Tab
Access disk tab by navigating to disk and pressing enter, or press ALT + D.
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Information
Provides physical disk information:
Device Type: SATA or SAS
Model Number
Serial Number
Firmware Revision
Capacity (in sectors)
Read Ahead (on/off)
Write Cache (on/off)
TCQ
NCQ (on/off)
Spin up mode
Initialize
Initializes selected disks
Toggle Spare
Adds selected disks to spare pool
Unplug
Ejects selected disks
Turn on/off write cache
Toggles disk write cache ability
Rescan
Triggers HBA to rescan
Identify Disk
If applicable, will light up identify LED.
Initializing Disks
First you must navigate to the disk panel. By default, you start on the disk panel.
1. Press ALT + W to access Window tab.
2. Select disk(s).
3. Use keyboard arrow keys to navigate and press enter to select desired disk(s).
4. Press ALT + D to activate disk tab.
5. Select Initialize.
Figure 32. Four disks are selected and about to be initialized.
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Array Information
Will disk the following information on
selected array:
Array name
RAID type
Cache Policy
Block Size
Sector Size
Disk Members
Create/Delete/Unplug
Selected action will be performed on array
Verify
Initiates verifying array integrity
6. Press Enter.
7. A prompt will warn you that data will be erased.
8. Select Yes.
9. Once initialized, you can proceed to create an array.
Adding Disks to Spare Pool
1. Navigate to the disk panel (Press ALT + W, then press 1).
2. Use keyboard arrow keys to select desired disk.
3. Press enter to confirm each selection.
4. Press ALT + D to open disk tab.
5. Select Toggle Spare.
Unplugging Disks
1. Navigate to the disk panel ( Press ALT + W, then press 1).
2. Use the keyboard arrow keys and Enter to select desired disks.
3. Press ALT + D to open disk tab.
4. Select Unplug.
Turn On/Off Disk Write Cache
1. Navigate to the disk panel (Press ALT + W, then press 1).
2. Select desired disks.
3. Press ALT + D to open disk tab.
4. Select Turn on/off write cache.
Rescan
Triggers motherboard to rescan the connection
Identify Disk (Not Applicable for RS6418X series)
Each selected disk will light the identify LED.
Appendix A-3: Array Tab
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Start/Stop Task
Starts or stops the verifying/rebuilding
process
Set boot
Sets boot flag on array
Array Type
Refer to RAID Level Reference Guide for
information about different levels.
RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and JBOD
Cache Policy
Write-back - Any data written to the array
will be stored as cache, resulting in better
I/O performance at the risk of data
Creating an Array
1. Navigate to the disk panel (ALT + W, then press 1.)
2. Select each disk you wish to include in your array.
3. Press ALT + A to open array panel.
4. Press Create:
5. Press Spacebar to navigate and make selections (TAB also navigates.)
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failures due to power outages. Data will be
stored as cache before it is physically
written to the disk; when a power outage
occurs, any data in the cache will be lost.
Write-through - Data written to an array is
directly written onto the disk, meaning
lower write performance for higher data
availability. Without cache acting as a
buffer, write performance will be
noticeably slower but data loss due to
power outages or other failures is
significantly minimized.
Init Method
Quick Init- This option grants
immediate access to the RAID array by
skipping the initialization process, but
it will delete all data. Note: Skipping
initialization is generally not
recommended since residual data on
disks may interfere with new data in
the future.
Foreground- The array initialization
process will be set at high priority.
During this time array will be nonaccessible, but initialization
completion time will be shorter.
Background- The array initialization
process will have a lower priority.
During this time array will be
accessible, but initialization
completion time will be longer.
Keep Old Data - This option skips the
initialization process and all data on
each physical disk of the array will be
untouched.
Name
Create array name
Capacity
Designate array capacity
6. Press Create (ALT + E)
7. A prompt about sector size will pop up, select a sector size
8. Array will show up in the Array Window
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Figure 33. Array RAID0_00 has been created.
Information
Provides certain controller information:
Product ID
PCI Location
IOP Model
SDRAM Size
Firmware Version
Battery Installed
Battery MB Installed
Serial Number
CPU Temperatures (Celcius)
Board Temperature (Celcius)
Controller voltage levels
Setting…
Configures certain settings:
Enable audible alarm
Verifying your array
1. Navigate to the array panel (Press ALT + W, then press 2).
2. Select desired array to verify (only if you have more than 1 array. If you only have 1
array, verify will automatically start).
3. Press ALT + A to open array tab.
4. Select Verify.
5. You can Start/Stop the process by selecting start/stop task.
Setting Boot Array
1. Navigate to the array panel (Press ALT + W, then press 2).
2. Select desired array.
3. Press ALT + A to open array tab.
4. Press Set Boot.
5. Window will close, reboot to confirm.
Appendix A-4: Controller Tab
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Enable Staggered spin up
Spin down idle disk (minutes)
Enable automatic rebuild
Continue Rebuilding on error
INT13 support
Use single BCV entry
Stop on error
Enable Audible Alarm
Enables/Disables the RocketRAID
controller alarm
Enable Staggered Spin up
(Default: Disabled) Enabling this setting
will force the card to power on each hard
disk sequentially (2 seconds between
disks). Check with your disk manufacturer
if your drive supports this feature.
Number of drives per spin up:
Select the number of disks per spin up
(eg. 2 drives powered on every 2 seconds.)
Delay between spin up (seconds):
Time interval between spin ups.
Spin down idle disk (minutes)
Hard drives can be instructed to spin
down when there is no disk activity for set
period of time.
Enable automatic rebuild
When enabled, any new disk attached to
the controller will automatically be used
to rebuild a critical RAID array
Continue Rebuilding on error
Disk bad sectors can interrupt the RAID
rebuild process. Enabling this option will
allow rebuilding to continue, ignoring bad
sectors.
Rebuild Priority:
This setting determines how HBA
Controller > Setting Information
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resources should be directed towards
repairing broken RAID arrays.
Provide INT13 support
INT13 is the HBA’s boot function
Use single BCV entry
When enabled (and if HBA hosts several
logical disks) only the first disk will be
reported to the motherboard BIOS.
This setting could be useful when bottom
from a disk or array attached to your
RocketRAID HBA.
Stop on error
(Default: Enabled) If disabled, the host
adapter BIOS menu will bypass array or
device errors when booting the system
Appendix A-5: Window Tab
Maximize
Makes Selected Panel (Disk or Array)
fullscreen. You can press TAB to toggle
between disks and array panels.
Restore
Restores default panel configuration
1. Disk
2. Array
Selects the panel you want to work with
Refresh
Refreshes panels
The Window is the default screen you see upon entering the BIOS. The Top panel
shows all the physical drives detected, and the bottom panel shows all arrays created.
Appendix B: Navigating the HighPoint WebGUI
The HighPoint WebGUI management utility allows you to do several key things:
View general system overview (see pg. 67)
Update firmware and BIOS (see pg. 43)
Create and remove arrays (see pg. 60)
Change enclosure settings (see pg. 79)
Troubleshoot faulty drives (see pg. 82)
Monitor disk health (see pg. 83)
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Tab Name
Function
Global View
View HBA (Host Bus Adapter) and
Storage Properties
Physical
View Additional Controller properties
Update BIOS/Firmware
View disk properties
Adjust selected disk behaviors
Logical
Manage and create RAID arrays
Setting
Adjust WebGUI controls settings
Event
Show WebGUI Event Log
SHI (Storage Health Inspector)
View and schedule S.M.A.R.T monitoring
Recover
Revert to previously created arrays
Logout
Logout of WebGUI
Help
Additional WebGUI documentation
Online Web Support
How to Login HighPoint WebGUI
You can reach the HighPoint WebGUI log in page either by:
Double clicking on the HighPoint RAID Management icon created on your desktop
Opening your preferred web browser and typing http://localhost:7402 in the
address bar.
The default username and password to login is
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Username and Password are Case-Sensitive (Username is not changeable)
Appendix B-1: Global Tab
Username: RAID
Password: hpt
The WebGUI Global view provides an overview of what each HighPoint controller card
connected to your computer detects. It is also the first page you see when logging in.
Host Bus Adapter Properties
Storage Properties
On the top left of the page is a drop down menu that allows you to select which
controller you want to manage (if you have multiple HighPoint controllers connected).
HBA Properties
Host Adapter model: the model name of the controller
Enclosure Count: number of external enclosures detected
Physical drives: number of drives seen by the controller
Legacy Disks: number of Legacy disks connected. Legacy disks are physical drives
that have previous partitions stored on them.
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Storage Properties
Total capacity: the combined capacity of each physical disk connected to controller
Configured capacity: the amount of space used for creating arrays
Free Capacity: total amount of space unused
Appendix B-2: Physical Tab
The physical tab shows general and extended information about the controller you are
using. Information about the firmware, BIOS, and operating temperatures are all
located here. This information is useful for identifying what RAID controller model you
have and to make sure you have the most updated version available.
The physical tab contains the following information:
Controller Information
Extended Information
Update Firmware
Physical Devices Information
Controller Information: Lists the controller model name, BIOS version, and vendor.
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Model Name: RocketRAID 4522 SAS Controller
BIOS Version: v1.12 (as of 5/5/2015)
Vendor: HighPoint Technologies, Inc.
Extended Information: Gives you additional information concerning the HBA (Host
Bus Adapter) in the enclosure
IOP Model: IOP chip model number
CPU Temperature: Displays computer temperature in Celcius (°C).
Board Temperature: Displays the board temperature in Celcius (°C).
SDRAM Size: SDRAM size of the HighPoint controller card
Battery Installed: Battery Backup Unit information
Firmware Version: Firmware version of the HBA
SAS address: the SAS address
Update Firmware: Allows you to update the controller BIOS through the WebGUI.
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The following properties are part of the Physical Devices Information box under the
Read Ahead
Enabling disk read ahead will speed up read operations by pre-fetching data and
loading it into RAM.
Write Cache
Enabling write cache will speed up write operations.
NCQ (Native Command Queuing)
A setting that allows disks to queue up and reorder I/O commands for maximum
efficiency.
Identify LED
The Disk tray LED lights on the front panel can be toggled ON or OFF.
Rescan
Clicking rescan will immediately signal the controller to scan for any changes in the
connection. Clicking this button will also stop any alarm if currently ringing.
physical tab.
Model – Model number of the physical drive
Capacity – Total capacity of the physical drive
Revision – HDD device firmware revision number
Read Ahead* - (Enable/Disable) Disk read ahead.
Location – Device location (example: 1/2 states controller 1, slot 2)
Write Cache* – (Enable/Disable) the disk write cache
Max Free – space on disk that is not configured in an array
Status – (Normal, disabled, critical) status of the disk
NCQ* – (Enable/Disable) Native Command Queuing
Serial Number – serial number of the physical disk
Identify LED* – On/Off – toggle the IDENTIFY (RED) on the front panel
Unplug – Safely ejects selected disk. Other methods of disk removal will trigger
alarm if enabled.
* Disk properties that can be adjusted.
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Appendix B-3: Logical Tab
The Logical tab is where you are edit, delete, and maintain your RAID configurations,
as well as, adding drives to your spare pool. The logical tab has the following settings:
Create Array
Spare Pool
Logical Device
Rescan
Beeper Mute
An array is a collection of physical disks that will be seen as one virtual drive by your
Operating System (OS). The RS6418AS has a RocketRAID 4522 controller capable of
creating the following array types
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Array Type:
JBOD – Just a Bunch of Disks
RAID 0 - Striping
RAID 1 - Mirroring
RAID 5 – Rotating Parity bit
RAID 1/0 – Striping of Mirrored Drives
RAID 5/0 – Striping of Distributed Parity
RAID 6 – Double Parity Bit
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Each RAID level has its pros and cons based on the application you use it for (Note:
Refer to RAID level Quick Reference)
Array Name: the name that will be displayed in Logical Device Information (Default:
RAID_<level>_<array number>)
Initialization Method:
Keep Old Data: Opts to keep all the data on each drive untouched. Best for users
that already have HighPoint RAID data on the selected drives.
Quick Init: Grants immediate access to the array volume. This option will delete
previous user data, but will not build parity. Recommended for testing purposes
only or when new disks are used. Not recommended for RAID 5, RAID 50, and
RAID 6.
Foreground: The array initialization process will be set at high priority. During
this time array will be non-accessible, but initialization completion time will be
shorter.
Background: The array initialization process will have a lower priority. During
this time array will be accessible, but initialization completion time will be
longer.
Note 1: Initialization takes a significant amount of time (approximately 2 hours per 1
TB).
Cache Policy (Default: Write Back)
Write Back – Any data written to the array will be stored as cache, resulting in better
I/O performance at the risk of data failures due to power outages. Data will be stored as
cache before it is physically written to the disk; when a power outage occurs, any data
in the cache will be lost.
Write Through – Data written to an array is directly written onto the disk, meaning
lower write performance for higher data availability. Without cache acting as a buffer,
write performance will be noticeably slower but data loss due to power outages or other
failures is significantly minimized.
Block Size (default: 64K)
[16K, 32K, 64K, 128K, 256K, 512K, 1024K are the supported block sizes]
This option allows you to specify the block size (also known as “stripe size”) for specific
array types (RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, and 50). Adjusting the block size allows you to tailor the
array performance towards specific application. Consider the sizes of disk I/O data you
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are dealing with; as a general rule larger disk I/O may benefit from smaller block sizes,
and smaller disk I/O may benefit from larger block sizes. A block size of 64 KB is
recommended since it gives balanced performance for most applications.
Capacity (Default: Maximum)
The total amount of space you want the RAID array to take up. When creating RAID
levels, disk capacities are limited by the smallest disk.
Example Capacity calculation:
A RAID 5 organizes data in the manner shown below. All parity data will become
unusable for the user and not included in the total disk capacity.
Disk 1
Disk 2
Disk 3
Disk 4
Data 1
Data 2
Data 3
Parity
Data 4
Data 5
Parity
Data 6
Data 7
Parity
Data 8
Data 9
Parity
Data 10
Data 11
Data 12
Therefore, RAID 5 capacity will be [SMALLEST DISK CAPACITY] * (number of disks – 1).
Sector Size (Default: 512B)
This option is irrelevant for Windows XP 64 and later. Current OS already support
larger volumes, and introduce a partitioning method known as GPT (GUID partition
table). This option, also known as VSS (Variable Sector Size) allows you to specify the
sector size of the array, for use with older Windows Operating Systems.
DV Mode
This mode is specifically designed for video applications. The default firmware cache
policy provides balanced performance for standard applications such as workstations,
file servers, and web servers. But for DV mode, a special cache firmware is implemented
specifically for large sequential writing (large I/O requests such as video files). Enabling
DV mode will maintain the performance and consistency of transferring and processing
video files.
There are several factors concerning DV mode to take note:
DV mode only available for RAID 0, 5, and 6
Only 1 RAID array you created can enable DV mode
DV mode only works when array status is normal
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Margin
[5% - 25%]
When DV mode is enabled, you have the option to set the margin.
This percentage represents the amount of space the designated cache will hold before
flushing the data onto the drive. Increasing the margin % will result in more stable
performance, but decrease the maximum write performance.
Alternatively, you can change the margin anytime in Logical > Maintenance for DV
enabled array.
Logical Device Information
Logical device tab is the default page upon clicking the Logical tab of the WebGUI. This
page contains information about your RAID arrays and individual disks your system
detects.
Logical Device Information
Arrays you create and the properties associated with them will appear here.
Maintenance
Once an array has been created, click maintenance for options to manage your array.
Array Information
Clicking on the maintenance button will show you the Array information box. Different
array statuses (Normal, critical, disabled) will have different maintenance options.
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Normal Status
A Normal Status Array has the following options:
Delete – deletes the selected RAID array
Unplug – powers off the selected RAID array
Verify – verifies the integrity of the RAID array
Change Cache Policy – Toggles between Write through and Write back cache
Change Margin – Adjust margin when DV mode is enabled
Rename – renames the RAID array
OCE/ORLM – Online Capacity Expansion / Online RAID Level Migration
Critical Status
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A critical status array has all the normal status options except the following:
The Array can no longer be renamed
Add disk replaces the verify disk option
Once array status changes to critical, the faulty disk will be taken offline and you can
either:
Reinsert the same disk
Insert new disk
Reinserting the same disk should trigger rebuilding status, since data on the disk
would be recognized.
If you insert a new disk, clicking add disk will give you the option to select that disk
and add it to the array.
Disabled Status
A disabled status array means that your RAID level does not have enough disks to
function.
Your data will be inaccessible.
Rebuilding will not trigger, since RAID does not have enough parity data to rebuild
upon.
Your options in Maintenance are:
Delete – will delete the array
Unplug – will take array offline, making it safe to remove
Recover – will attempt to recover the array using the list from the recover tab
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Physical Device Information
Location – which controller and port the drive is located in
Model – model number of the drive connected
Capacity – total capacity of the drive
Max Free – total capacity that is not configured
Rescan
Clicking rescan will force drivers to report array status. For any disk(s) you hot plug
into the device, do not click rescan until all physical drives are detected and appear
under Logical Device Information.
Beeper Mute
The controller emits a beeping sound whenever an
Array falls into critical status
Array falls into disabled status
You unplug a disk
Your disk fails due to bad sectors
SMART sensors anticipate drive failure
If device is currently beeping, clicking Beeper Mute will mute the sound immediately.
Note: This button does not permanently mute the alarm. To permanently mute the
alarm go to Setting > Enable audible alarm > Disabled.
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Appendix B-4: Setting Tab
Enable auto rebuild (default: Enabled)
When a physical drive fails, the controller will take the drive offline. Once you reinsert or replace the disk, the controller will not automatically rebuild the array
unless this option is enabled.
Enable continue rebuilding on error (default: Enabled)
When enabled, the rebuilding process will ignore bad disk sectors and continue
rebuilding until completion. When rebuild is finished, the data may be accessible but
data inconsistency due to ignored bad sectors may cause problems in the future. If
this option is enabled, HighPoint recommends user to check the event log for bad
sectors.
Enable audible alarm (default: Enabled)
When a physical disk fails, the controller will emit an audible sound signaling failure.
This option mutes the alarm.
System Settings
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Set Spindown Idle Disk (minutes) (default: Disabled)
When set, physical drives will spindown a certain amount of time after disk activity
ceases. Only 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 minutes setting are available.
Restrict to localhost access (default: Enabled)
Remote access to the controller will be restricted when enabled, other users in your
network will be unable to remotely log in to the WebGUI.
Rebuild Priority (default: Medium)
You can specify the amount of system resources you want to dedicate to rebuilding
the array. There are 5 levels of priority [Lowest, Low, Medium, High, Highest]
Port Number (default: 7402)
The default port that the HighPoint WebGUI listens on is 7402. You may change it to
any open port.
Password Setting
Changing your WebGUI password
Under Password Setting type your new password and confirm it, then click submit.
Email Setting
You can set the controller to send an email out to recipients of your choosing when
certain events (refer to Event Tab) trigger.
Appendix B-5: Recover Tab
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Previously created arrays will be stored under this tab. Recovering an array from here
will attempt to recover a ‘disabled’ array and make it ‘normal’.
The Recover List will list all your previous and current created arrays. Each entry will
list the following properties:
Array name
RAID level
Array Capacity
Time created ( YYYY/MM/DD, HH/MM/SS, 24 hr clock format)
Location of physical drives
Model of physical drives
Important: When recovering an array it is important to note the location and model of
each physical drive because you can only recover using those exact positions and drive
model.
How to Backup your Recover List
The recover list is a record of your previously created arrays containing the model and
location information of your physical drives. Recovering from the list could help bring
a disabled array back to normal status for emergency data retrieval.
To backup your recover list:
1. Log in to WebGUI
2. Click Recover Tab
3. Click Backup to File
Note: The file will be saved as hptrec.rec
How to Reload your Backup Recover List
In the case that you cleared the recover list or it does not appear for any reason, you
can recover it if you saved the list beforehand.
To reload your recover list
1. Log in to WebGUI
2. Click Recover Tab
3. Under Update Recover List click Browse…
4. Locate your previously saved hptrec.rec file and select it
Note: loading a back up recover list will completely replace the current recover list.
5. Click Submit
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Appendix B-6: Event Tab
Icon
Name
Definition
Information
Includes general
administrative tasks:
Create/delete arrays
Configuring spares
Rebuilding arrays
Configuring event
notifications
Configuring
maintenance
Warning
Alerts issued by the Host
Adapter:
High temperatures
Sector errors
Communication
errors
Verification errors
Error
Hardware related
problems
Hard disk failure
Broken errors
Memory failure
In the event tab, you can see log entries associated with the HighPoint device. The
event log provides useful information when troubleshooting your set up.
In the event tab, there are four options available:
Download – Save the log file on your computer
Clear – Clears all log entries
Prev – View previous log page
Next – View next log page
Table 6. Event Log Icon Guide
The event view is a basic error logging tool built into the HighPoint WebGUI.
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Appendix B-7: SHI (Storage Health Inspector)
S.M.A.R.T Attributes
HDD Temperature Threshold
Storage Health Inspector Scheduling
The SHI outputs information collected using SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and
Reporting Technology) Hard Drive Technology. The data provided on this tab helps you
to anticipate any disk failures based on a variety of monitored hard disk properties.
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Appendix C: WebGUI Icon Guide
Critical – missing disk
A disk is missing from the array bringing it to ‘critical’ status. The array is
still accessible but another disk failure could result in data loss.
Verifying
The array is currently running a disk integrity check.
Rebuilding
The array is currently rebuilding meaning you replaced a failed disk or
added a new disk to a ‘critical’ state array.
Critical – rebuild required
The array has all disks, but one disk requires rebuilding.
Disabled
The icon represents a disabled array, meaning more than one disk failed
and the array is no longer accessible
Initializing
The array is initializing. The two types of initialization is Foreground and
Background. (See Initialization)
Uninitialized
The array initialization process has been interrupted, and the process is
incomplete.
Not Initialized
Disk is not initialized yet, and needs to be initialized before use
OCE/ORLM
Array is performing a OCE/ORLM operation
OCE/ORLM has stopped
The array expansion process has been stopped.
Legacy
An existing file system has been detected on the disk. These disk are
classified as legacy drives.
Spare
The device is a spare drive, it will automatically replace any failed drive part
of an array.
Normal
The array status is normal
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Initializing
The array is initializing, either foreground or background initialization
Initialization Stopped
The initialization has been stopped. Current status is uninitialized.
Critical – Inconsistency
Data in the array is inconsistent and needs to be rebuilt.
Critical – missing disk
A disk has been removed or experienced failure, and user needs to reinsert
disk or add a new disk.
Rebuilding
The array is currently rebuilding.
Verifying
The array is performing a data consistency check. Array status will show
‘verifying’.
Disabled
The array does not have enough disks to maintain the RAID level. A
disabled array is not accessible.
OCE/ORLM
Array is expanding its capacity or migrating to a different raid level. Status
will display ‘Expanding/Migrating’
OCE/ORLM stopped
The ‘Expansion/Migrating’ process has been stopped. The status will
display ‘Need Expanding/Migrating’
Critical – OCE/ORLM
A disk member is lost during the OCE/ORLM process.
Critical – OCE/ORLM - rebuild
The expanding/migrating array requires a rebuild.
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Appendix D: RAID Level Reference Guide1
Type
Description
Min.
disks
Usable
space
Advantage
Disadvantage
Application
JBOD
Just a bunch of
disk
1
100%
Each drive can be
accessed as a single
volume
No fault tolerance - failure
of one drive results in
complete data loss
Backup
RAID
0
Disk Striping
2
100%
Offers the highest
performance
No fault tolerance – failure
of one drive in the array
results in complete data
lose
Temporary file,
performance driven
application.
RAID
1
Disk Mirroring
2
50%
Provides convenient lowcost data redundancy for
smaller systems and
servers
Useable storage space is
50% of total available
capacity. Can handle 1 disk
failure.
Operating system,
backup, and
transaction database.
RAID
10
Disk Mirroring
followed by
stripe
4
50%
High read performance
and medium write
performance with data
protection for up to 2drive failures
Useable storage capacity
equals total capacity of all
drives in the array minus
two
Fast database and
application servers
which need
performance and
data protection
RAID
5
Disk Striping
with Rotating
parity
3
67-94%
High read performance,
and medium write
performance with data
protection with a single
drive failure
Not recommended for
database applications that
require frequent/heavy
write sessions. Can handle
1 disk failure.
Data archives, and
ideal for application
that require data
protection
RAID
6
Disk Striping
with dual
rotating parity
4
50-88%
High read performance,
and medium write
performance with data
protection in case of up
to two drives failure
Not recommended for
applications that require
frequent/heavy write
sessions.
Data archives and
ideal for application
that requires data
protection
1
Refer to the RAID controller product specifications for supported RAID levels.
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Help
Online Help redirects you to additional documentation concerning the HighPoint
WebGUI.
Register Product takes you to HighPoint’s web support. On this page you can create a
new customer profile where you can register your product or post an online support
ticket.
HighPoint List of Recommended Hard Drives
HighPoint maintains a list of tested hard drives suitable for RAID applications. Since
not every hard drive in the market can be tested, this list is meant to be a general
guideline for selecting hard drives operating in a RAID environment. Regular, desktop
grade drives are highly not recommended for RAID use.
http://highpointtech.com/PDF/Compatibility_List/RocketRAID_600_2700_3600_and_4500_Series_RAID
_HBA_Hard_Drive_Compatiblity_List.pdf
Contacting Technical Support
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) can be found on the online knowledge base:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/websupport/kbn.php
For any help and support, submit a support ticket online at http://www.highpoint-
tech.com/websupport/ .
You may also call us during our regular business hours:
Monday – Friday (Excluding Holidays), 9 AM to 6 PM
Phone: (408) 240-6108
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