Highpoint ROCKETRAID 404, ROCKETRAID 454 User Manual

RocketRAID 404/454

User's Manual

Revision: 1.0 Date: Jan. 2004 HighPoint Technologies, Inc.

Copyright © 2004 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.

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.

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. Backup your important data before using HighPoint's products and use at your own risks. 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.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

RAID Basics .............................................................................................. 1-1

IDE RAID .................................................................................................. 1-2

RocketRAID 404/454 ................................................................................. 1-3

Chapter 2 Adapter Installation

Adapter Layout ......................................................................................... 2-1

Hard Disk Connection ............................................................................... 2-1

Adapter Installation .................................................................................. 2-2

Verifying the Adapter's Installation ........................................................... 2-3

Driver Installation ...................................................................................... 2-4

Chapter 3 BIOS Configuration

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility .................................................... 3-1

Creating a Disk Array ................................................................................ 3-2

Deleting Disk Arrays ................................................................................. 3-5

Add/Remove Spare ................................................................................... 3-6

Settings ..................................................................................................... 3-7

View ........................................................................................................... 3-8

Duplicate Critical RAID 1 array ................................................................. 3-9

Rebuilding a Broken RAID ........................................................................ 3-10

Chapter 4 RAID Administrator

Introduction .............................................................................................. 4-1

Installation ................................................................................................ 4-1

Getting Started .......................................................................................... 4-2

Using the Software .................................................................................... 4-4

Table of Contents

Chapter 5 Trouble Shooting

Appendix A Glossary

Appendix B Contact Technical Support

Chapter 1

Introduction

This chapter will discuss the RAID-related background knowledge, as well as the RocketRAID 404/454 ATA RAID solution.

Contents of this Chapter:

1.1 RAID Basics

1.2 IDE RAID

1.3 RocketRAID 404/454

Introduction

1.1 RAID Basics

The term RAID is an acronym, and stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. RAID is a method of combining several hard disk drives (physical disks) into one logical unit (logical disk). This logical unit is referred to as the RAID array. Arrays offer several advantages over standard, single-disk configurations - fault tolerance and/or higher data throughput (improved security and/or performance).

Hard disk drives can be combined into several different types of RAID arrays. These different combinations are referred to as RAID levels. Different RAID levels offer different advantages, depending upon the number of hard disks used, and the security, cost, and performance requirements.

The most common types of RAID arrays include RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 5. RAID 5 is a popular choice: it is a very cost-effective solution, and provides both improved performance, and data security. It requires a minimum of three hard disk drives. RAID 5 includes a rotating parity array, thus, all read and write operations can be overlapped. RAID 5 arrays store parity information, but not redundant data.

There are also several types of combined-RAID levels, or hybrid arrays, such as RAID 1/0 (also known as RAID 10).

The table displayed below describes some of the more common types of RAID arrays, the minimum number of hard drives required, and the benefits offered by each type RAID level.

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Introduction

1.2 IDE RAID

RAID has long been associated with the SCSI hard disk bus interface, and was designed for use with high-end application systems. PC systems, and low-end business applications were traditionally excluded from the benefits of RAID, do to the high cost, and exclusivity associated with the SCSI interface.

IDE is an inexpensive and widely used hard disk bus interface, most commonly utilized by PCs. Due to the explosion of the PC market in recent years, the IDE interface has seen marked improvements in both performance and reliability, especially with the emergence of the ATA100 and ATA133 standards. This dramatic evolution of the IDE interface led to the development of IDE RAID (also known as ATA RAID) technology.

IDE RAID is now widely available - many people can now take advantage of the benefits of RAID, at a fraction of the cost of traditional SCSI systems.

The chart below compares IDE RAID to SCSI RAID, and provides the performance and implementation costs of each interface:

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Note: The price may vary depending on different period and different market.

Due to the ideal combination of high-performance, security and affordability, IDE RAID has been widely accepted by the market as a cost-effective RAID solution. The HighPoint RocketRAID 404/454 is one of the best 4-channel ATA RAID solutions available.

1-2

Introduction

1.3 RocketRAID 404/454 Introduction to RocketRAID 404/454

As a four channel ATA133 RAID 5 adapter, the RocketRAID 404/454 supports up to 8 IDE hard disk drives, and provides multi level RAID support including RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 and JBOD. The RocketRAID 404/454 is a high quality, cost-effective solution for all your storage needs.

Below are the main features and benefits of RocketRAID 404/454:

1. Supports four ATA channels and up to 8 hard disks

2. Supports up to ATA133 hard disks

3. Supports RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 and JBOD

4. Supports hot spare and hot swap

5.Bootable disk or disk array support

6. Error alarm and notification mechanism

7. Supports OSs like: Windows 9x/ME/NT4.0/2K/XP, Linux (Red Hat, SuSE, Turbo, Caldera), and FreeBSD

8. Windows-based RAID configuration & management software tool (compatible with BIOS)

9. Supports hard disk capacity over 137GB

High Performance and Data Security

The RocketRAID 404/454 can support multiple RAID arrays and provide parallel disk/array access. With the RocketRAID 404/454 adapter's RAID 0 and 10 capabilities, data storage and retrieval is dramatically faster than single drive systems. For RAID 1 and 10, the RocketRAID 404/454 provides disk mirroring. Hot spare supports automatic array rebuild; and hot swap support swapping failed disks on the fly and disk failure notification. These features provide a high level of security and data protection against hard disk failures.

Expand the Computer's Data Storage with RocketRAID 404/454 adapter's mass storage capabilities

The RocketRAID 404/454 has four independent ATA channels and supports up to eight IDE hard disk drives. It imposes no restrictions on hard disk capacity, and will satisfy most of the business and personal applications.

1-3

Chapter 2

Adapter Installation

This chapter will describe how to install the RocketRAID 404/454 adapter into a computer, and how to properly attach hard drives to the adapter. Please make sure to read through this chapter carefully before installing the adapter.

Contents of this Chapter:

2.1 Adapter Layout

2.2 Hard Disk Connection

2.3 Adapter Installation

2.4 Verifying the Adapter's Installation

2.5 Driver Installation

If you have any questions about the installation process, please contact our technical support department.

Adapter Installation

2.1 Adapter Layout

Adapter

Setting of JP1:

1-2 short connected : Disable loading configuration from adapter's BIOS, and

use the default on-chip configuration instead.

2-3 short connected: Enable loading configuration from adapter's BIOS.

The default setting of JP1 is 1-2 short connected. No need to change JP1 setting after you got the adapter.

Note:

1. JP1's setting has nothing to do with updating BIOS. Either the JP1 is 1-2 shortconnected or 2-3 short-connected, user can update the BIOS by running the program: LOAD.EXE contained in the driver diskette.

LEDs Connection:

The 8-pin LED is for LED connections. From top to bottom, there are 8 pins: 1-2 for IDE1, 3-4 for ID 2, 5-6 for IDE3, and 7-8 for IDE4.

2.2 Hard Disk Connection

The following chart displays recommended drive configurations, based on the number of drives and the type of RAID array being created.

Note:

1. "v" means it is better to connect hard disk at this position.

2. When connecting hard disk, pay much attention to its Master -Slave jumper setting: if two hard disks are connected onto one IDE cable, then one disk must be set as master while the other as slave. Note: Some hard disks may work best if the jumpers are set to cable select, rather than master/slave. Consult the drive's documentation for the manufacturer's recommended settings.

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Adapter Installation

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2.3 Adapter Installation

Follow these steps to install and connect hard disks to the host adapter.

1. Shut down the computer and unplug the power supply.

2. Please discharge static electricity from your body by touching a conductor.

3. Remove the corresponding card bracket from the back of the computer chassis.

4. Insert the RocketRAID 404/454 adapter steadily into a PCI slot on motherboard and then settle it with screw.

Card Bracket

Adapter Installation

5. Set jumper of hard disks and settle them inside the computer chassis.

6. Connect hard disks to RAID adapter with IDE cables.

2-2

Adapter Installation

Blue Connector

Cable Connection

7. Connect power supply connector to hard disk.

8. Replace the cover of computer chassis.

Note:

If multiple hard disks are attached to the host adapter, a powerful power supply is needed in order to provide enough electricity for the system.

2.4 Verifying the Adapter's Installation

After installing the RocketRAID 404/454 host adapter, and connecting the hard disks as required, the computer can be turned on. Please pay close attention to the information displayed on the screen while starting the computer. If the following information is displayed (see the picture below), the RocketRAID 404/454 host adapter has been successfully installed and recognized by the computer.

2-3

Adapter Installation

Note:

1. If all of the connected hard disks are displayed on the screen, the disks have been properly installed and recognized by the computer.

2.5 Driver Installation

After the RocketRAID 404/454 host adapter is installed and recognized by the computer, allow the operating system to boot. The host adapter's device driver must be installed.

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Windows 98/Me

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Installation

After the operating system has booted, Windows will automatically detect the newly installed adapter, and prompt the user to install it's driver. Follow these steps to install the driver.

1. After the Add New Hardware Wizard window is displayed, press the Next button

until the following window appears:

2-4

Adapter Installation

2. Insert the driver diskette, then select the Specify a location item, and type in the driver location: A:\Win98_ME, then click on the Next button to continue. (If the driver is located on a CD, make sure to input the correct path. For example: D:\Driver\Win98_ME)

3. Confirm the following dialogue windows. Windows will then display a prompt to restart the system. Select NO - do not restart the computer at this time.

4. Windows will then find a second device. Repeat steps 1 and 2, then click YES to restart the computer.

Verify Installation

After installing the driver, and after Windows reboots:

1. Right-click on My Computer icon on desktop, and then select Properties item

from the popup menu.

2. From the popup window, activate Device Manager item, see next page.

2-5

Adapter Installation

Double click the SCSI controllers entry. Four items should be displayed - two entries for the HPT374 controller, and two entries for the RCM device. If any of these items is not displayed, or any "?" or "!" marks are displayed near the device icons, the driver had not been correctly installed. Delete these items, and reinstall the driver. If all four items are properly displayed, the driver has been installed correctly.

Note:

1. If the system is not restarted after installing the driver, "!" marks may displayed

near the device entries.

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Windows NT4.0

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Installing the RocketRAID 404/454 driver for an existing Windows NT 4.0 system

1. Click Start-->Settings-->Control Panel, then double-click on the SCSI Adapters

icon.

2. A new window should be displayed - click on the Driver tab, then click on the Add

button.

3. In the following window, click on the Have Disk...button. The following window

will appear (see the picture next page).

2-6

Adapter Installation

4. Insert the driver diskette, and type in the path of driver location:

A :\Win_NT in the above window, then click OK. (If users install driver from CD make sure input the correct path, for example D:\Driver\Win_NT)

5. Within the following window, select HPT374 UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller item, then click OK.

6. Confirm the following system prompts to finish the driver installation. When installation is complete, restart the computer.

Installing the RocketRAID 404/454 driver during Windows NT 4.0 installation

1. Press F6 key when the installation program prompts Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration.

2. NT setup will then proceed normally. Later, NT setup will display a new window with an option to press the "S" key to specify other devices. Please press the "S" key.

3. In the following window, select Other, then press the ENTER key to confirm.

4. Setup will then prompt you to insert the driver diskette. Insert the driver diskette, and press ENTER to continue.

5. Next, select HPT374 UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller for WinNT4.0, and press ENTER to continue.

6. The following window will list the devices that will be installed. The HPT374 UDMA/ ATA133 RAID Controller should be included. (If other devices need to be installed, please install them at this time. If all of the devices have been installed, please proceed to the next step.)

7. Press ENTER to confirm the devices to be installed and continue the installation of Windows NT4.0.

Verify Installation

After the driver has been installed and the computer is restarted:

1. Click Start-->Settings-->Control Panel, and then double-click on SCSI Adapters

icon.

2. Within the SCSI Adapters window, see next page.

2-7

Adapter Installation

Make sure the HPT374 UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller entries are displayed. This indicates that the driver has been successfully installed. If these entries are not displayed, or any "?" or "!" marks are displayed near the device entries, the driver had not been correctly installed. Delete these items, and reinstall the driver.

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Windows 2000

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Installing the RocketRAID 404/454 driver for an existing Windows 2000 system

After the operating system has booted, Windows 2000 will automatically detect the newly installed adapter, and prompt the user to install it's driver. Follow these steps to install the driver.

1. When the Found New Hardware Wizard window appears, click Next button to continue, in the following window, please select Display a list ... and then click Next to continue.

2. In the following window, select SCSI and RAID Controllers and then click Next to continue.

3. In the following window, click Have Disk..., then Insert the driver diskette and type in the driver location: A:\Win_2000, then click OK to continue. (If users

install driver from CD make sure input the correct path, for example D:\Driver\Win_2000)

2-8

Adapter Installation

4. In the following window, select HPT374 UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller,

then click Next to continue.

5. Confirm the followup windows and click the Finish button to continue.

6. Next, Windows will find the HighPoint RCM device. Please confirm the Digital

Signature Not Found window when it appears, and restart the computer when prompted.

Installing the RocketRAID 404/454 driver during Windows 2000 installation

(Recommend users copy the driver to a floppy diskette's root directory)

1. Booting from the CD-ROM - when the Windows 2000 Setup blue screen appears,

look towards the bottom of the screen. Windows will prompt you to press the F6 key if you want to install a third part SCSI or RAID driver. Please press the F6 key at this time.

2. The setup procedure will continue, and will later instruct you to press the "S" key to

specify additional adapters. Please press the "S" key at this time.

3. Then the setup program will prompt user to insert the driver diskette. Please

insert the driver diskette, then press ENTER to continue.

4. The following window will display several driver options. Please select the HPT374

UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller for Windows 2000 option, and press ENTER to continue.

5. The following window will list the devices that will be installed. The HPT374 UDMA/

ATA133 RAID Controller should be included. (If other devices need to be installed, please install them at this time. If all of the devices have been installed, please proceed to the next step.)

6. Press ENTER to continue Windows 2000 setup.

Verify Installation

After the driver has been installed, and the computer has been restarted:

1. Right-click My Computer icon, then select Properties item from the popup

menu.

2. In the popup window, select the Hardware item, then click on the Device Manager

button.

2-9

Adapter Installation

Make sure the correct HPT374 UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller entries are displayed (see the image above) . Four items should be displayed - two entries for the HPT374 controller, and two entries for the RCM device. If any of these items is not displayed, or any "?" or "!" marks are displayed near the device icons, the driver had not been correctly installed. Delete these items, and reinstall the driver. If all four items are properly displayed, the driver has been installed correctly.

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Windows XP

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Installing the RocketRAID 404/454 driver for an existing Windows XP system

After the operating system has booted, Windows XP will automatically detect the newly installed adapter, and prompt the user to install it's driver. Follow these steps to install the driver.

1. When the Found New Hardware Wizard window appears, select Install from a list or specify location(Advanced), and click Next to continue.

2. In the following window, please select Don' t search, I will choose the driver to install, then click Next to continue.

3. In the following window of device list, please select SCSI and RAID controllers, and then click Next to continue.

4. In the next window, click on Have Disk..., then type in the driver location:

A:\Win_XP into the following window, then click OK to continue.(If users install driver from CD make sure input the correct path, for example D:\Driver\Win_XP)

2-10

Adapter Installation

5. In the following window, select HPT374 UDMA/ATA133 RAID Controller, then click Next to continue.

6. In the following window, click on Continue Anyway, then click Finish in the following window.

7. Next, Windows will find the HighPoint RCM device. Please confirm the Digital Signature Not Found window when it appears. Windows will then display a prompt to restart the system. Select NO - do not restart the computer at this time. Windows will then find a second device. Repeat steps 5 and 6, then click YES to restart the computer.

Installing the RocketRAID 404/454 driver during Windows XP installation

(Recommend users copy the driver to a floppy diskette's root directory)

1. Booting from the CD-ROM - when the Windows XP Setup blue screen appears, look towards the bottom of the screen. Windows will prompt you to press the F6 key if you want to install a third part SCSI or RAID driver. Please press the F6 key at this time.

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