ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s Guide Safety
Statement 28:
CAUTION:
The battery is a lithium ion battery. To avoid possible explosion, do not burn the
battery. Exchange it only with the approved part. Recycle or discard the battery
as instructed by local regulations.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideTable of Contents
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
ServeRAID M1215 Controller Description
Chapter 1: Overview
1.1ServeRAID M1215 Controller Description
The ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller is a PCI Express 3.0, low-profile, low-height RAID controller based on the
LSISAS3008 PCI Express-SAS/SATA I/O Processor chip.
The controller brings 12.0 Gb/s SAS and 6.0 Gb/s SATA performance to host controller, workstation, and ser ver designs.
The controller supports internal storage devices, which allows you to use a system that supports enterprise-class SAS
drives, and desktop-class SATA drives. The controller can connect to drives directly. Simplified cabling between
devices is an additional benefit.
The controller supports eight internal SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8643 4i internal mini-SAS HD connectors. The
controller integrates eight high-performance SAS/SATA PHYs and a PCI Express bus master DMA core. Each of the
eight PHYs is capable of 12.0 Gb/s SAS link rates and 6.0 Gb/s SATA III link rates.
The LSISAS3008 device increases system performance and provides fault-tolerant data storage. The LSISAS3008 ROC
device supports data striping across multiple disks, which reduces disk access time because multiple disks
simultaneously read or write data. In addition, the device backs up data with either data mirroring or a parity block.
Either backup method enables you to recover lost data in the event of a disk failure. You can select the data backup
method that best suits your needs.
The controller supports the SAS protocol as described in the Serial Attached SCSI Standard, version 3.0, and the SATA III
protocol defined by the Serial ATA Revision 3.0 Specification.
NOTE You cannot mix SAS drives and SATA drives within the same virtual drive.
Each port on the controller supports SAS devices and/or SATA devices using the following:
SAS Serial SCSI Protocol (SSP), which enables communication with other SAS devices
SATA, which enables communication with other SATA devices
Serial Management Protocol (SMP), which communicates topology management information directly with an
attached SAS expander device
Serial Tunneling Protocol (STP), which enables communication with a SATA device through an attached expander
1.1.1Controller Guidelines
Before you install the controller, read the following guidelines:
You can connect only one device per SAS PHY unless you use an expander
Cables have to meet the SAS specification
You cannot mix SAS drives and SATA drives in the same virtual drive
You cannot mix SAS Solid State Drives (SSDs) or SATA SSDs and existing mechanical drives (SAS or SATA) in the
same virtual drive
You cannot mix Solid State SAS drives and Solid State SATA drives in the same virtual drive
See Section 3.2.4, “Power Supply Requirements for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller” for information about
the power requirements, and Section 3.2.5, “Operating and Non-operating Conditions”for information about the
minimum and the maximum temperature ranges.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Integrated MegaRAID
1.2Integrated MegaRAID
The ServeRAID M1215 controller runs in integrated MegaRAID (iMR) mode natively. iMR technology is a highly
integrated, low-cost RAID solution made possible by Fusion-MPT architecture. iMR mode is a processor-based,
hardware RAID solution designed for system environments requiring redundancy and high availability where a
full-featured RAID implementation is not required or might be cost prohibitive.
The major advantage of iMR is that it provides RAID at the processor level, so it does not burden the CPU, which allows
for more efficient operation. iMR mode is native to the ServeRAID M1215 controller and does not require a
transportable memory module.
NOTE Support for RAID 5 and RAID 50 requires purchase of the Feature on Demand upgrade.
1.2.1Summary of RAID Levels
RAID levels describe a system for ensuring the availability and redundancy of data stored on large disk subsystems.
Tab le 1 describes the RAID levels supported by the ServeRAID M1215 controller.
NOTE Refer to the ServeRAID-M Software User’s Guide for more information about RAID levels.
Table 1 Summary of RAID Levels
Raid LevelDescriptionComments
0RAID 0 uses striping to provide high data throughputRAID 0 is well suited for large files in an environment
that does not require fault tolerance.
1RAID 1 uses mirroring so that data written to one drive
is simultaneously written to another drive.
5RAID 5 uses disk striping and parity data across all
drives (distributed parity) to provide high data
throughput, especially for small random access.
10RAID 10, a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, consists
of striped data across mirrored spans. A RAID 10 drive
group is a spanned drive group that creates a striped
set from a series of mirrored drives.
50RAID 50, a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 5, uses dis-
tributed parity and disk striping. A RAID 50 drive group
is a spanned drive group in which data is striped
across multiple RAID 5 drive groups.
RAID 1 is good for small databases or other applica-
tions that require small capacity but complete data
redundancy.
RAID 5 is best suited for networks that perform a lot of
small input/output (I/O) transactions simultaneously.
NOTE RAID 5 requires purchase of the Feature on
Demand upgrade.
RAID 10 allows a maximum of eight spans. You must
use an even number of drives, and the total number of
drives must be divisible by 4 in each RAID 10 drive
group in the span. The RAID 1 virtual drives must have
the same stripe size. RAID 10 provides high data
throughput and complete data redundancy but uses a
larger number of spans.
RAID 50 works best with data that requires high reli-
ability, high request rates, high data transfers, and
medium-to-large capacity.
NOTE RAID 50 requires purchase of the Feature on
Demand upgrade.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
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NOTE MegaRAID does not allow virtual drives of different RAID levels, such as RAID 0 and RAID 5, in the same
array. For example, if an existing RAID 5 virtual drive is created out of partial space in an array, the next virtual
drive in the array has to be RAID 5 only.
1.3Configuration Scenarios
There are two main scenarios in which you can use this ServeRAID controller:
Low-end, internal SATA configuration: In this configuration, use the ServeRAID controller as a high-end SATA
compatible controller that connects to several SATA disks. This type of configuration is mostly for low-end or entry
level servers. Enclosure management is provided through out-of-band I2C bus. Side bands of both types of
internal SAS connectors support the SFF-8485 and SFF-8448 (SGPIO) interface.
Midrange, internal SAS configuration: This configuration is like the internal SATA configuration, but with high-end
disks. This type of configuration is more suitable for low-range to midrange servers.
The following figure shows a direct-connect configuration. The Inter-IC (I2C) interface communicates with peripherals.
The external memory bus provides a 16-bit memory bus, parity checking, and chip select signals for pipelined
synchronous burst static random access memory (PSBRAM), nonvolatile static random access memory (NVSRAM), and
Flash ROM.
Figure 1 Example of a SAS Direct Connect Application
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
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Configuration Scenarios
The following figure shows an example of a ServeRAID controller configured with an expander that is connected to
SAS disks, SATA disks, or both.
Figure 2 Example of a ServeRAID Controller Configured with an Expander
1.3.1Number of Physical Disks Supported
Your configuration planning for your ServeRAID controller depends in part on the number of physical disks that you
want to use in a RAID array. The number of drives in an array determines the RAID levels that can be supported by this
controller. Only one RAID level can be assigned to each virtual disk. Tabl e 2 shows the minimum number and the
maximum number of drives required for each RAID level.
Table 2 Physical Devices Required for each RAID Level
Raid Level
Minimum # of
Physical Devices
Maximum # of
Physical Devices
0132
122
5332
10432
50632
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the SAS Interface
1.4Benefits of the SAS Interface
SAS is a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level device interface that leverages the proven SCSI protocol set. SAS
combines the advantages of SATA, SCSI, and Fibre Channel, and is the future mainstay of the enterprise and high-end
workstation storage markets. SAS offers a higher bandwidth per pin than parallel SCSI, and it improves signal and data
integrity.
The SAS interface uses the proven SCSI command set to ensure reliable data transfers, while providing the
connectivity and flexibility of point-to-point serial data transfers. The serial transmission of SCSI commands eliminates
clock-skew challenges. The SAS interface provides improved performance, simplified cabling, smaller connectors,
lower pin count, and lower power requirements when compared to parallel SCSI.
The ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller leverages a common electrical and physical connection interface that is
compatible with Serial ATA technology. The SAS protocols and SATA protocols use a thin, 7-wire connector instead of
the 68-wire SCSI cable or 26-wire ATA cable. The SAS/SATA III connector and cable are easier to manipulate, allow
connections to smaller devices, and do not inhibit airflow. The point-to-point SATA III architecture eliminates inherent
difficulties created by the legacy ATA master-slave architecture, while maintaining compatibility with existing ATA
firmware.
1.4.1PCI Express Architecture
PCI Express is a local bus system designed to increase data transfers without slowing down the central processing unit
(CPU). You can install your ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller in PCI Express computer systems with a standard
bracket type. With this controller in your system, you can connect SCSI devices and SATA devices over the bus.
PCI Express goes beyond the PCI specification in that it is intended as a unifying I/O architecture for various systems:
desktops, workstations, mobile, server, communications, and embedded devices.
1.4.2Operating System Support
To check for the latest list of supported operating systems and to download the device drivers for those operating
systems, see http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.
The ServeRAID M1215 controller uses Fusion-MPT architecture for all major operating systems, thinner device drivers,
and better performance.
1.5Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
This section provides a summary of the features and the benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller. It
contains information on SAS features, SATA features, PCI performance, integration, usability, and flexibility.
The controller offers the following features:
PCI Express x8 lane width
PCI Express performance up to 8 GT/s (1 GB/s) per lane
Two internal connectors
Support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50
NOTE Support for RAID 5 and RAID 50 requires purchase of the Feature on Demand upgrade.
Advanced array configuration and management utilities
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Online RAID level migration
Drive migration
Drive roaming
Media scan
No reboot necessary after expansion
More than 200 Qtags per array
User-specified rebuild rate
32-Kbyte nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM) for storing RAID system configuration information; the
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
iMR firmware is stored in flash ROM for easy upgrade.
1.5.1SAS Features
The following list describes the SAS features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Provides eight fully independent PHYs
Supports 12.0 Gb/s SAS data transfers per PHY
Supports SSP to enable communication with other SAS devices
Supports SMP to communicate topology management information
Provides a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level storage interface
Simplifies cabling between devices
Supports wide ports consisting of 2, 3, or 4 PHYs within a single quad port
Supports narrow ports consisting of a single PHY
Transfers data using SCSI information units
1.5.2SAS Array Limitations
This section describes the array limitations of the controller. These include limitations such as the number of physical
disks supported, the maximum number of disks per controller, and the maximum number of virtual disks allowed per
controller.
Tab le 3 lists the array limitations for the ServeRAID M1215 controller.
NOTE This controller can
support up to 64 devices, but
only 32 devices can be used in
a RAID configuration.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
The controller supports 64-bit logical block addressing (LBA), which makes it possible to connect a large number of
drives to the RAID controller, directly and through expanders. However, the actual number of drives that you can
attach depends on the limits listed in Tabl e 2 rather than by the actual RAID volume capacity.
The maximum drive numbers in Table 3 depend on how many physical devices you have connected to the controller.
For example, the maximum number of arrays per controller is equal to the number of physical disks supported by the
controller up to the limit of 32 arrays per controller. In addition, though you can have up to 16 virtual disks per array,
and up to 32 arrays per controller, the controller supports a limit of 32 virtual disks.
1.5.3SATA III Features
The following list describes the SATA III features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Supports SATA III data transfers of 6.0 Gb/s
Supports STP data transfers of 3.0 Gb/s
Provides a serial, point-to-point storage interface
Simplifies cabling between devices
Eliminates the master-slave construction used in parallel ATA
Allows addressing of multiple SATA III targets through an expander
Displays activity and fault indicators for each PHY
Supports Port Selector (for dual-port drives)
Each port on the controller supports SAS devices, SATA de v i c e s , o r b ot h u si ng SS P, S MP, ST P, a nd SATA .
Enables the controller to communicate with other SATA devices.
Supports staggered spin-up
Supports hot plug
1.5.4PCI Express Performance
The following list describes the PCI Express performance features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Provides a PCI Express 3.0 interface that:
— Supports a dedicated PCI Express bus
— Supports x8 lane configuration
— Supports transfer rates of up to 8 GT/s (1 GB/s) per lane
— Complies with the PCI Express Specification, Revision 3.0
Provides unequaled performance through the Fusion-MPT architecture
Provides high throughput and low CPU utilization to offload the host processor
1.5.5Usability Features
The following list describes the usability features of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Simplifies cabling with point-to-point, serial architecture
Supports smaller, thinner cables that do not restrict airflow
Provides drive spin-up sequencing control
Provides up to two LED signals for each PHY to indicate link activity and faults
Provides an I2C interface for enclosure management
Supports the external SAS Sideband signal SFF-8485 and SFF-8448 (SGPIO) standards.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
1.5.6Flexibility Features
These features increase the flexibility of the ServeRAID M1215 controller:
Supports a Flash ROM interface, a nonvolatile static RAM (NVSRAM) interface, and a pipelined synchronous burst
SRAM (PSBRAM) interface
Offers a flexible programming interface to tune I/O performance
Allows mixed connections to SAS targets or SATA III targets
Leverages compatible connectors for SAS connections and SATA III connections
Allows grouping of up to four PHYs in a single quad port to form a wide port
Allows programming of the World Wide Name
1.5.7Protection Information (T10-DIF)
The T10 Technical Committee of the INCITS standardized the basic requirements to implement a data protection
model for end-to-end data protection. This model protects your data within a storage system from various sources of
corruption that historically have gone undetected. Examples of corruption sources include hardware datapath errors
(such as FIFO overruns and underruns), firmware errors (such as arithmetic overflow or incorrect pointer usage), and
external agents overwriting the data in memory.
A fundamental component of the T10 data protection model is the addition of 8 bytes of extra protection information
transferred with each block of user data in the storage system, as shown in the following figure. Although not
specifically named in the T10 standards, this collection of 8 bytes is commonly referred to as the DIF. The DIF contains
three distinct values: a 2-byte logical block guard, a 2-byte logical block application tag, and a 4-byte logical block
reference tag. The T10 specification defines four types of usage models of data protection: Type 0, Type 1, Type 2, and
Type 3 (refer to the most current revision of INCITS T10/1799-D for further information)
Figure 3 T10 Data Integrity Field for MegaRAID Protection Information
1.5.8Drive Roaming
Drive roaming occurs when the physical disks are changed to different ports on the same controller. When the drives
are placed on different channels, the controller detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the
drives.
NOTE In a clustering environment, drive roaming is supported within the same channel only.
Configuration data is saved in both the NVRAM on the RAID controller and on the drives attached to the controller.
This action maintains the integrity of the data on each drive, even if the drives have changed their target ID.
NOTE If you move a drive that is being rebuilt, the rebuild operation restarts; it does not resume from where
the rebuild operation stopped.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
Perform the following steps to use drive roaming:
1.Turn off the power to the server and all physical disks, enclosures, and system components. Disconnect the power
cords from the system.
2.Remove the server cover by following the instructions in the host system technical documentation.
3.Move the drives to different positions on the backplane to change the targets.
4.Determine the SAS target requirements.
5.Perform a safety check.
6.Make sure that the drives are inserted correctly.
7.Reinstall the server cover.
8.Reconnect the power cords to the system.
9.Turn on the power to the system.
10. The controller then detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the drives.
1.5.9Drive Migration
Drive migration is the transfer of a set of drives in an existing configuration from one controller to another. The drives
must remain on the same channel and must be reinstalled in the same order as in the original configuration. The
controller to which you migrate the drives cannot have an existing configuration.
NOTE Only whole virtual disks can be migrated automatically; partial virtual disks can be migrated manually.
NOTE Drive roaming and drive migration cannot be supported at the same time.
Perform the following steps to migrate drives:
1.Make sure that you clear the configuration on the system to which you migrate the drives, to prevent a
configuration data mismatch between the drives and the NVRAM.
NOTE Whe n you migrate drives, m ove only the disks that make up the virtual di sk (not all of the physical disks
in an array), so that you do not have an NVRAM mismatch error (providing a configuration is on the
destination controller). The NVRAM mismatch error appears only if you move all of the drives to the other
controller.
2.Turn off the power to the server and all physical disks, enclosures, and system components. Disconnect the power
cords from the systems.
3.Open the host system, following the instructions in the host system technical documentation.
4.Remove the SAS cable connectors from the internal drives that you want to migrate.
5.Make sure that pin 1 on the cable matches pin 1 on the connector.
6.Make sure that the SAS cables conform to all SAS specifications.
7.Remove the physical disks from the first system, and insert them into drive bays on the second system.
8.Connect the SAS cables to the physical disks in the second system.
9.Determine the SAS target requirements.
10. Perform a safety check.
11. Make sure that all of the cables are attached correctly.
12. Make sure that the RAID controller is installed correctly.
13. Reinstall the server cover.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Benefits of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
14. Reconnect the power cords to the system.
15. Turn on the power to the system.
16. The controller detects the RAID configuration from the configuration data on the drives.
1.5.10New Drives Attached to a ServeRAID Controller
In the Integrated RAID mode, when you insert a new drive with valid metadata into a ServeRAID system, the drive
state of the new drive is either foreign or unconfigured bad.
The specific drive state depends on the Maintain PD Fail History setting, and whether the drive had been inserted in
the system before. The Maintain PD Fail History setting, when enabled, maintains the history of all drive failures.
A foreign configuration is a storage configuration that already exists on the new drive that you install in the system.
The configuration utilities allow you to import the foreign configuration to the controller, or to clear the configuration
so you can create a new configuration using the new drive.
NOTE See the ServeRAID-M Software User’s Guide for the procedures used to import a foreign configuration or
change a drive state from unconfigured bad to unconfigured good.
1.5.11Automatic Rebuilds on New Drives
Automatic rebuilds occur when the drive slot status changes. For example, an automatic rebuild occurs when you
insert a new drive or when you remove a drive and a hot spare replaces the removed drive.
1.5.12System (JBOD) Drives
The iMR mode supports drives in pass-through mode, which are identified as "system" drives. These drives are also
known as JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) drives. When a drive without valid metadata is inserted in a system, if the drive
has a drive state of unconfigured good, it is identified as unconfigured good; otherwise, the drive is marked as a
system drive.
System drives are exposed directly to the operating system. The host system can read data from and write data to the
system drives; however, you cannot use system drives in a RAID configuration.
You can change system drives into unconfigured good drives (you can also change unconfigured good drives into
system drives). When a system drive is changed to an unconfigured good drive, the unconfigured good drive state of
the drive is maintained after reboot, drive removal, or drive insertion.
You can use system drives as bootable drives. iMR supports up to 63 system drives and up to 16 unconfigured good
drives.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 1: Overview
Hardware Specifications
1.6Hardware Specifications
You can install your ServeRAID M1215 controller in a computer with a mainboard that has a PCI Express slot. Tab le 4
describes the hardware configuration features of the controller.
Table 4 ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
FeatureDescription
RAID Levels0, 1, 5, 10, and 50
NOTE Support for RAID 5 and RAID 50 requires purchase of the
Feature on Demand upgrade.
Devices Supported per PortUp to 8 SAS devices or 8 SATA devices (such as drives and
expanders)
PortsEight Internal
Data Transfer RateUp to 12Gb/s per phy
BusPCI Express 3.0
Cache FunctionNo. See the note at the bottom of this table
Multiple Virtual Disks per ControllerYes. Up to 64 virtual disks per controller
Multiple Arrays per ControllerYes. Up to 64 virtual disks per controller
Online Capacity ExpansionYes
Dedicated and Global Hot SparesYes
Hot Swap Devices SupportedYes
Non-Disk Devices SupportedYes
Mixed Capacity Physical Disks SupportedYes
Number of Internal ConnectorsTwo SFF-8643 4i internal mini-SAS HD connectors
Direct I/ONo
ArchitectureFusion-MPT
NOTE The ServeRAID M1215 SAS\SATA controller does not support cache policy, which includes write-back,
write-through, adaptive read ahead, non-read ahead, read ahead, cache I/O, and direct I/O settings.
1.7Technical Support
For information about the technical support available for this product, see Appendix A:
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 2: ServeRAID M1215 Controller Hardware Installation
The following items are required for installation:
A ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller
A host system with an available PCI Express expansion slot
The ServeRAID M Documentation CD containing the documentation
The necessary internal cables
SAS physical disks or SATA physical disks (disk drives or Solid State Devices, SSDs)
NOTE For optimal performance, use an un-interruptible power supply.
2.2Hardware installation
This section provides detailed instructions for installing a ServeRAID M1215 controller.
1. Unpack the Controller
Unpack and remove the controller. Inspect it for damage. If it appears damaged, or if any of the following items
are missing, contact your place of purchase. The controller is shipped with the following items:
A CD containing an electronic version of this User’s Guide and other related documentation
IBM Warranty Information
2. Turn off the Power to the System
Review all safety information provided with the server; then, turn off the power to the server, unplug the power
cords from the power supplies, disconnect the server from the network, and remove the server cover. See the
documentation provided with the server for instructions. Before you install the controller, make sure that the
server is disconnected from the power and from any networks.
3. Review the Controller Connectors
See Chapter 3:ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics" for a diagram of the ServeRAID M1215
controller with its connectors.
4. Review the Controller Limitations
Review Section 1.1.1, “Controller Guidelines,” before you install the controller in the system.
5. Install the Controller
Select a PCI Express slot and align the controller’s PCI Express bus connector to the slot. Press down gently but
firmly to ensure that the controller is correctly seated in the slot. Secure the bracket to the server chassis.
Figure1 shows the installation of the ServeRAID M1215 controller in a PCI Express slot.
NOTE Some PCI Express slots support PCI Express graphics cards only. A RAID controller installed in one of those slots
will not function.
ATTENTION To avoid damage to the server, it is best to remove the controller from the PCI Express slot before you
relocate or ship the server.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 2: ServeRAID M1215 Controller Hardware Installation
32-Bit Slots
(3.3 V Only)
PCI Express
x8 Slot
64-Bit Slot
(3.3 V Only)
Bracket
Screw
3_01759-02
Press
Here
SFF-8643
Mini-SAS HD
Connector
Press
Here
Hardware installation
Figure 1 ServeRAID M1215 Controller Installation in a PCI Express Slot
6. Connect SAS cables between the controller and the SAS backplane or any other SATA or SAS devices (if applicable)
Connect serial cables between the controller and a drive backplane or any other SATA or SAS devices. The preceding figure
shows the locations of the controller connectors. The controller uses two internal x4 mini-SAS HD (SFF-8643) connectors to
connect to internal devices. You may use other cables appropriate for your configuration as long as they conform to the
controller specifications and limitations as outlined in this guide.
Refer to Section 2.3, “Connecting a ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller to a Drive Backplane,” for details about
connecting the controller to a drive backplane.
Replace the cover and any power cords, and power up the system
7.
Reinstall the server cover and reconnect the AC power cords; then, turn on the power to the server.
Make sure that the power is turned on to the SAS devices and the SATA III devices before or at the same time as
the host server. If the power is turned on to the server before it is turned on to the devices, the server might not
recognize the devices.
For the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), no BIOS message displays. Press F1 to enter System Setup.
Refer to your system user’s guide for specific configuration information.
Under other interfaces or operating systems, a BIOS message appears during boot. The firmware takes several
seconds to initialize. The configuration utility prompt times out after several seconds. The second portion of the
BIOS message displays the controller number, firmware version, and cache SDRAM size. The numbering of the
controller follows the PCI slot scanning order used by the host system board.
8. Run the WebBIOS Configuration Utility
Run the WebBIOS Configuration Utility to configure the physical arrays and the logical drives. When the message
Press <Ctrl><H>. When WebBIOS appears on the screen, press CTRL+H immediately to run the utility.
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Connecting a ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller to a Drive Backplane
9. Install the Operating System Device Driver
The controller can operate under various operating systems. To operate under these operating systems, you must
install the software device drivers. You can find and download the latest device drivers at
http://www.ibm.com/support/. For updates, click Downloads and device drivers.
Device driver updates are made available periodically. To ensure that you have the current version of the device
driver, download the latest device driver at http://www.ibm.com/support/. Refer to the readme file that
accompanies the device driver for any updated information.
For details on installing the device driver, refer to the ServeRAID-M Device Driver Installation User’s Guide on the
ServeRAID matrix website at this link http://www.ibm.com/support/. Be sure to use the latest Service Packs
provided by the operating system manufacturer and to review the readme file that accompanies the device
driver.
2.3Connecting a ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller to a Drive Backplane
This section describes how to connect the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller by cable to the drive backplane. The
backplane can contain SAS drives and SATA drives.
Both the SAS protocols and the SATA protocols use a thin, 7-wire connector instead of the 68-wire SCSI cable or
26-wire ATA cable. You can use an iPass™ cable with an internal x4 mini-SAS HD 4i (SFF-8643) connector at each end to
connect the controller to the drive backplane.
NOTE Use only straight SAS cables, not cross-over SAS cables. Refer to your system documentation for
information about the specific cables used in your system
Follow these steps to connect the internal x4 mini-SAS HD 4i (SFF-8643) connector on the cable to the controller and
the drive backplane:
1.Read the safety information that comes with the controller.
2.Turn off the server and peripheral devices and disconnect the power cords.
3.Slide the server out of the server rack (if applicable).
4.Remove the server cover.
5.Plug the internal x4 mini-SAS HD 4i (SFF-8643) connector on one end of the cable into the x4 SAS port 0-3
connector on the controller, as shown in the following figure.
6.Plug the internal x4 mini-SAS HD 4i (SFF-8643) connector on the other end of the cable into the port connector on
the drive backplane.
You can use another cable to connect the other internal x4 mini-SAS HD 4i (SFF-8643) connector on the controller
to the other port connector on the drive backplane.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 2: ServeRAID M1215 Controller Hardware Installation
PCI Express
x8 Slot
64-Bit Slot
(3.3 V Only)
3_02321-01
SFF-8643
Mini-SAS HD
Connector
After Installing the Controller
Figure 2 Connecting a ServeRAID M1215 Controller Internal Connector to a Drive Backplane
7.Replace the server cover.
8.Slide the server into the rack.
9.Reconnect the power cords and any cables that you removed.
10. Turn on the peripheral devices and the server.
2.4After Installing the Controller
After you install the controller, you must configure it and install the operating system device driver. The ServeRAID-M
Software User’s Guide instructs you on the configuration options and how to set them on your controller. The
ServeRAID-M Device Driver Installation User’s Guide provides detailed installation instructions for operating system
device drivers.
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 3: ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics
This subsection provides the board layout and connector information for the controller. The following subsections
provide graphics and connector information for the controller.
The following figure displays the connectors on the controller, which are described on Ta ble 1 .
Figure 1 Card Layout for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
Table 1 Controller Connectors
ConnectorDescriptionComments
CR1Heartbeat LEDA connected LED blink to indicate activity occurring in any
The controller ensures data integrity by intelligently validating the compatibility of the SAS domain. The controller
Fusion-MPT architecture allows for thinner device drivers and better performance.
3.2.1Controller Specifications
Tab le 3 lists the specifications for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller.
Table 3 Controller Specifications
SpecificationServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA
Processor
(PCI Express Host Controller to
PCI Secondary I/O Controller)
Operating Voltage+3.3 V, +12 V
Card SizePCI Express controller card size (68.90 mm × 167.64 mm)
Array Interface to HostPCI Express Rev 3.0
Type of Drives SupportedSerial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA (SATA)
PCI Express Bus Data Transfer
Rate
Serial Port3-pin RS232-compatible connector (for manufacturing
SAS Controller(s)One LSISAS3008 Single SAS controller
SAS Bus Speed12 Gb/s
SAS PortsTwo SAS connectors with four SAS ports each
Size of Flash ROM for FirmwareMinimum 16 Mbytes
Nonvolatile Random Access
· Up to 2 GB/s per direction for SAS x4 cards (4 GB/s total)
use only)
64 Kbytes for storing RAID configuration
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ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 3: ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics
Characteristics of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
3.2.2Array Performance Features
Tab le 4 shows the array performance features for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller.
Table 4 Array Performance Features
SpecificationServeRAID M1215 AS/SATA Controller
PCI Express Host Data Transfer
Rate
Drive Data Transfer Rate12.0 Gb/s per lane
Maximum Scatter/Gathers26 elements
Maximum Size of I/O Requests6.4 Mbytes in 64 Kbyte stripes
Maximum Queue Tags per Drive As many as the drive can accept
Stripe Sizes64 Kbyte
Maximum Number of Concurrent
Commands
8 GT/s (1 GB/s) per lane
255
3.2.3Fault Tolerance
Tab le 5 lists the fault tolerance features for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller.
Table 5 Fault Tolerance Features
SpecificationServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
Support for SMARTYes
Drive Failure DetectionAutomatic
Drive Rebuild Using Hot SparesAutomatic
Parity Generation and Checking Yes
3.2.4Power Supply Requirements for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
All power is supplied to the controller through the PCI Express 3.3V rails and the 12V rail. Onboard switching regulator
circuitry operating from the 3.3V rails and the 12V rail provide the necessary voltages. The following states determine
the typical current consumption of the controller:
1.During a hard reset
2.During a disk stress test
3.While sitting idle at the DOS prompt
4.During a disk stress test and deeply discharged Supercap pack.
The supply voltages are 12V ± 8 percent (from PCI edge connector only) and 3.3V ± - 9 percent (from PCI edge
connector only). Ta bl e 6 lists the power supply for the controller for each of the three states at the different voltages.
Table 6 Power Supply
PCI Edge ConnectorState1State 2State 3State 4
3.3V Supply0.540A1.080.960A1.08A
+12V Supply0.780A1.28A1.06A1.78A
3.3V Auxiliary Supply 0.010A0.010A0.010A0.010A
- 26 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideChapter 3: ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics
Characteristics of the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller
3.2.5Operating and Non-operating Conditions
The operating (thermal and atmospheric) conditions for the ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller are:
Relative humidity range is 5 percent to 90 percent noncondensing
Airflow must be at least 200 linear feet per minute (LFPM) to avoid operating the Intel IOP333 processor above the
maximum ambient temperature
Temperature range: 0 °C to +55 °C
The parameters for the non-operating (such as storage and transit) environment for the controller are:
Relative humidity range is 5 percent to 90 percent noncondensing
Temperature range: -45 °C to +105 °C
3.2.6Safety Characteristics
The ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA controller meets or exceeds the requirements of UL flammability rating 94 V0. Each
bare board is also marked with the supplier name or trademark, type, and UL flammability rating. The board is
installed in a PCI Express bus slot, so all voltages are lower than the SELV 42.4 V limit.
- 27 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix A: Getting Help and Technical Assistance
Before You Call
Appendix A: Getting Help and Technical Assistance
A.1Before You Call
A.2Using the Documentation
- 28 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix A: Getting Help and Technical Assistance
Getting Help and Information from the World Wide Web
A.3Getting Help and Information from the World Wide Web
A.4Software Service and Support
A.5Hardware Service and Support
A.6IBM Taiwan Product Service
- 29 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix B: Notices
Appendix B: Notices
- 30 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix B: Notices
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks of International
Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.
Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other
companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the web at
"Copyright and trademark information"
at http://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml
Adobe and PostScript are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
Cell Broadband Engine is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., in the
United States, other countries, or both and is used under license
therefrom.
Intel, Intel Xeon, Itanium, and Pentium are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries
in the United States and other countries.
Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus
Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States, other countries, or both.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
This product is not intended to be connected directly or indirectly by any means
whatsoever to interfaces of public telecommunications networks, nor is it intended
to be used in a public services network.
Trademarks
B.1Trademarks
B.2Important Notes
- 31 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix B: Notices
Documentation Format
B.3Documentation Format
B.4Electronic Emission Notices
- 32 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix B: Notices
IBM Deutschland GmbH
IBM Technical Regulations, Department M372
IBM-Allee 1,71139 Ehningen, Germany
Telephone: +49 7032 15 2941
Email: lugi@de.ibm.com
European Community contact:
Electronic Emission Notices
- 33 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix B: Notices
GmbH
Abteilung M372
39
41
lugi
Electronic Emission Notices
- 34 -
ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller for IBM System x User’s GuideAppendix B: Notices
This is electromagnetic wave compatibility equipment
for business (Type A). Sellers and users need to pay
attention to it. This is for any areas other than home.
Electronic Emission Notices
- 35 -
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