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Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware
User’s Guide
Intel Order Number: E54443-002
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DISCLAIMER
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL(R) PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR SUCH PRODUCTS, INTEL
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applications.
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Intel is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United
States and other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Copyright © 2008 by Intel Corporation. Portions Copyright 2005-2007 by LSI Logic Corporation.
All rights reserved.
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Preface
This is the primary reference and user’s guide for the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I,
which can be used to manage SAS and SATA II disk drives. It contains installation
instructions and specifications.
For details on how to configure the storage adapters, and for an overview of the software
drivers, see the Intel
Audience
This document assumes that you have some familiarity with storage disk controllers,
RAID technology, and related support devices. The people who benefit from this book
are:
• Engineers who are designing an Intel
• Anyone installing an Intel
Organization
This document includes the following chapters and appendixes:
• Chapter 1 provides a general overview of the Intel
• Chapter 2 describes the procedures for installing the Intel
SASUC8I.
• Chapter 3 provides the characteristics and technical specifications for the Intel
RAID Controller SASUC8I.
®
IT/IR RAID Software User’s Guide on the Resource CD.
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I for a system.
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I in a RAID system.
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I.
®
RAID Controller
®
• Appendix A lists and explains the terms and abbreviations used in this manual.
Related Publication
The Intel® IT/IR RAID Software User’s Guide on the Resource CD that is included with
the RAID controller.
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide iii
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iv Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
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Table of Contents
Preface ........................................................................................................................iii
Audience ............................................................................................................................... iii
Organization ......................................................................................................................... iii
Related Publication ............................................................................................................... iii
Chapter 1: Overview ................................................................................................... 1
Summary of SAS RAID Controller Features ..........................................................................1
Usability .........................................................................................................................2
Redundancy and Error Handling ...................................................................................2
SAS and SATA Features ...............................................................................................3
Operating System Support ............................................................................................3
Benefits of Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) ................................................................................4
Chapter 2: Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware Installation ....................... 5
Requirements ........................................................................................................................5
Installing the RAID Controller ................................................................................................6
Connecting the Cables ..........................................................................................................8
Configuring the Storage Adapter ...........................................................................................9
Replacing a Controller ...........................................................................................................9
Chapter 3: Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Characteristics ................................ 11
Technical Specifications ......................................................................................................12
LEDs ..........................................................................................................................12
Array Performance Features .......................................................................................13
Fault Tolerance ............................................................................................................13
Electrical Characteristics .............................................................................................13
Thermal and Atmospheric Characteristics ...................................................................14
Safety Characteristics ..................................................................................................14
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations ............................................. 15
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide v
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vi Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
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List of Figures
Figure 1. Inserting the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I into a
PCI Express* Slot...................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 2. Attaching cables to the Intel
Figure 3. SAS and SATA Plugs and SAS Backplane Connector.............................................. 8
Figure 4. Card Layouts............................................................................................................ 11
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I .......................................... 7
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viii Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
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List of Tables
Table 1. Jumper Descriptions ..................................................................................................11
Table 2. Specifications ............................................................................................................12
Table 3. Array Performance Features .....................................................................................13
Table 4. Fault Tolerance Features ..........................................................................................13
Table 5. Electrical Characteristics ...........................................................................................13
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x Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
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1 Overview
This chapter provides a general overview of the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I. It
consists of the following sections:
• Summary of SAS RAID Controller Features
• Benefits of Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)
®
The Intel
provides reliable and fault-tolerant disk subsystem management. This is an ideal RAID
solution for the internal large capacity storage needs of mid to low-end servers and
workstations for use by workgroups and departmental-sized organizations or individuals.
The Intel
a server for internal storage.
The SAS controller allows you to use SATA II and SAS hard disk drives in the same
system, so you can take advantage of the benefits of each type of drive; however, Intel
does not recommend mixing SAS and SATA II drives in the same enclosure.. The
controller supports up to 14 physical devices in IR mode and up to 122 devices, including
expander devices, in IT (non-RAID) mode. For more information about the use of
expanders, see the ANSI SAS Standard Specification, Version 1.0.
As the second generation PCI Express* storage adapter, the Intel
SASUC8I addresses the growing demand for increased data throughput and scalability
requirements across mid to low-end servers and workstations. Simplified cabling between
drives is an additional benefit.
RAID Controller SASUC8I is a PCI Express* SAS RAID controller. It
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I offers a cost-effective way to implement RAID in
®
RAID Controller
Summary of SAS RAID Controller Features
Note: In this document, the term low-profile refers to the height, not the length, of a PCI add-in
card.
®
The Intel
• An LSI* 1068E SAS (including SATA) controller.
• Eight independent internal ports provided via two SFF8087 connectors.
• Support for both enterprise-class SAS devices and enterprise-class SATA II drives.
• Support for up to 14 SAS or SATA II drives and 2 logical drives in IR mode.
• PCI Express* connector that fits into a x8 PCI Express* (or larger) slot capable of
• 3.0 Gbps point-to-point transfer rate.
• Both a standard and a low-profile bracket.
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 1
RAID Controller SASUC8I is a low-profile SAS RAID adapter with:
2.5 Gbps per lane over PCI Express* x1, x4, or x8.
Page 12
Usability
The SAS controller supports the ANSI Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) Standard, Version 1.0.
In addition, the controller supports the Serial ATA (SATA) protocol defined by the Serial
ATA Specification, Version 1.0a. The SAS controller is a versatile controller that
supporting both the SAS and SATA interfaces and provides the backbone of both server
and workstation environments.
Protocols supported include:
• Serial SCSI Protocol (SSP): Communication with other SAS devices.
• SATA II Protocol: Communication with SATA II devices.
• Serial Management Protocol (SMP): Topology management information sharing
with expanders.
• Serial Tunneling Protocol (STP): Support for SATA II through expander interfaces.
• Smaller, thinner cabling with serial point-to-point 3.0 Gbps data transfer rates.
• Allows mixed connections to SAS or SATA II targets.
• Support for non-disk devices and mixed capacity drives.
• Support for RAID levels 0, 1, 1E, and 10E.
• Hot spare with auto rebuild if an array drive fails.
• Fixed RAID stripe size of 64 KB.
• Advanced array configuration and management utilities that provide drive roaming.
• An upgradeable Flash ROM interface.
• Allows for staggered spin-up, hot plug, lower power consumption.
Redundancy and Error Handling
• In-band SES enclosure management support, including fault LEDs (Expander
backplane must be used in order to support fault LED. No fault LED option is
possible or expected in direct HDD connect mode).
• Activity and fault indicators per drive, port selector (dual-port drives).
• Auto-detection of failed drives with transparent rebuild.
• Commands are retried up to four times.
• SMART technology predicts failures of drives and electronic components for drives
in IR mode.
• Firmware provides best effort to recognize an error and recover from it if possible.
• Failures are logged from controller and drive firmware.
• Failures are logged in Intel
®
RAID Web Console 2, CIM, and LEDs.
• Multiple cache options provide choice of speed and redundancy:
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— Disk Write Cache: The data written / (done) signal is returned when data is
written to the drive or only to the drive’s cache.
✧ On (default): Write-back mode enabled. Faster, because it does not wait for
the disk, but data will be lost if power is lost.
✧ Off: Write-through mode enabled. Slower, but ensures data is on the disk.
• Redundancy through:
— Configuration stored in non-volatile RAM and on the drives (COD).
— Hot-swap support.
SAS and SATA Features
• Provides eight independent PHY, each supporting 3.0 Gbps and 1.5 Gbps SAS and
SATA data transfers.
• Scalable interface that supports up to 14 physical devices and 2 logical devices in IR
mode, or up to 122 physical devices in IT mode.
• Transfers data using SCSI information units.
• Supports SSP to enable communication with other SAS devices.
• Supports SMP to communicate topology management information.
• Supports either single PHY or wide ports consisting of 2, 3, or 4 PHY within a
single quad port.
• Allows addressing of multiple SATA targets through an expander if using SATA 2.0-
compliant hard disk drives.
Operating System Support
The Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I supports major operating systems, including:
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008*, Microsoft Windows Server 2003*, and Microsoft
Windows XP*
• Red Hat* Enterprise Linux 4.0 and 5.0
• SuSe* Linux Enterprise Server 9 and 10
Note: The operating systems supported by this controller may not be supported by your server
board. See the tested operating system list for your server board at
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/. See also the tested hardware and
operating system list for the Intel
system you are using with the controller is supported.
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I to make sure the operating
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 3
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Benefits of Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)
SAS is a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level device interface that leverages the proven
SCSI protocol set. SAS is a convergence of the advantages of SATA, SCSI, and FC, 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 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.
SAS controllers leverage a common electrical and physical connection interface that is
compatible with Serial ATA technology. The SAS and SATA protocols use a thin, 7-wire
connector instead of the 68-wire SCSI cable or 40-wire ATA cable. The SAS/SATA
connector and cable are easier to manipulate, allow connections to smaller devices, and do
not inhibit airflow. The point-to-point SATA architecture eliminates inherent difficulties
created by the legacy ATA master-slave architecture, while maintaining compatibility with
existing ATA firmware.
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2 Intel
®
Hardware Installation
This chapter describes the procedures used to install the Intel® RAID Controller
SASUC8I with internal connectors.
Requirements
The following items are required to install a Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I:
• An Intel
• A host system with an available x8 bi-directional PCI Express* slot.
• The Resource CD, which contains drivers and documentation.
• Cables that are compatible with the RAID controller.
• SAS or SATA II hard disk drives.
RAID Controller SASUC8I
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I.
Note: Intel Corporation strongly recommends using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 5
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Installing the RAID Controller
To install the RAID Controller, follow these steps:
1. Power off the computer, all drives, enclosures, and system components. Remove
the power cord from the computer.
2. Remove the chassis cover and access the PCI Express* add-in card slots. For
instructions, see your server chassis documentation.
3. Align the controller’s connector with a x8 PCI Express* slot on the server board.
4. Press down gently but firmly to ensure that the card is properly seated in the slot, as
shown in Figure 1. Secure the bracket to the computer chassis.
Figure 1. Inserting the Intel
6 Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I into a
PCI Express* Slot
Page 17
5. Connect the SAS/SATA cables from the backplane (or hard drives) to the RAID
Controller (see Figure 2). Make sure the cables are properly connected to the
controller.
®
Figure 2. Attaching cables to the Intel
RAID Controller SASUC8I
Note: System throughput problems can occur if non-standard SAS cables are used.
To minimize the potential for problems:
✧ Use cables no longer than ten meters for SAS and one meter for SATA. It is
better to use the shortest possible cables. The cable length should be reduced
by about one foot (.33 meters) if using a backplane.
✧ You may connect one device per SATA/SAS cable either as a device or as an
expander.
✧ Route SAS cables carefully.
✧ Use only “straight” SAS cables, not “cross-over” SAS cables.
6. Replace components you needed to remove to access the PCI Express* add-in card
slot. For instructions, see your server chassis documentation.
7. Reinstall the chassis cover and reconnect the power cord(s). For instructions, see
your server chassis documentation.
8. Reconnect any peripheral items you needed to disconnect.
9. Turn the power on to the server and hard drives. As the server powers up, listen to
be sure that the SAS and SATA devices are powered up before or at the same time
as the computer boots.
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10. Watch the boot process until you see a BIOS message informing you of the key
combination that you need to press to enter the LSI Corporation MPT SAS BIOS
Configuration Utility*. A message similar to the following appears:
Press <CTRL> + <C> to start the LSI SAS Configuration Utility
This message times out after several seconds. If you miss it, you will pass the option to get
into the LSI Corporation MPT SAS BIOS Configuration Utility*.
The firmware takes several seconds to initialize and then displays the Intel
Controller SASUC8I number and firmware version. The numbering of the controllers
follows the PCI slot scanning order used by the server board.
Connecting the Cables
This section describes the cables used on the SAS controller and provides instructions for
connecting SAS and SATA hard disk drives to the SAS RAID controller.
Note: Use only “straight” SAS cables, not “cross-over” SAS cables.
A SATA connector consists of a signal connector and a power connector. The SAS
connector adds a bridge (primary physical link) between the signal connector and the
power connector. This means SAS backplane connectors can accept either drive type, but
SATA backplane connectors can ONLY accept SATA drives. Figure 3 shows these
connectors.
®
RAID
Figure 3. SAS and SATA Plugs and SAS Backplane Connector
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Configuring the Storage Adapter
After performing the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I installation, you must configure
the storage adapter and install the operating system driver. The Intel
Software User’s Guide provides configuration options and instructions for the Intel
RAID Controller SASUC8I, as well as detailed installation instructions for operating
system drivers.
Replacing a Controller
To replace a failed controller, follow these steps .
1. Power off the computer and all drives, enclosures, and system components.
Remove the power cord.
2. Remove the chassis cover and access the PCI Express* add-in card slots. See your
server documentation for instructions.
3. Disconnect the cable(s) from the RAID controller.
4. Remove the failed controller from the system.
5. Insert the replacement controller into the system. Follow the instructions under
“Installing the RAID Controller”.
®
IT/IR RAID
®
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 9
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3 Intel
Characteristics
This chapter describes the characteristics of the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I.
Figure 4 displays the connectors and headers on the controller and Ta ble 1 describes them.
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I
Figure 4. Card Layout
Table 1. Jumper Descriptions
Jumper Description Type Comments
J1 PCI Express* x8
lane board edge
connector
J2 Internal SAS/SATA
port connector,
ports 4-7
J5 Internal SAS/SATA
port connector,
ports 0-3
J6 Right angle, 0.1-
inch pitch, pin
header
SFF8087 Connection to SAS/SATA devices
SFF8087 Connection to SAS/SATA devices
4-pin
header
For driving external activity LEDs
s
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 11
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Technical Specifications
The design and implementation of the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I minimizes
electromagnetic emissions, susceptibility to radio frequency energy, and the effects of
electrostatic discharge.
Table 2 lists the specifications for the Intel
Table 2. Specifications
Specification Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I
Operating Voltage +3.3 V, +12 V
Card Size Low-profile MD2 PCI Express* adapter card size (6.600 inches by 2.713
inches)
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I.
LEDs
Array Interface to
Host
SAS Bus Speed 3 GBps per port, point-to-point
SAS Controller One LSI* SAS 1068E controller
SAS / SATA Ports 2x4 internal ports
Firmware 2 MB in reflashable flash ROM
Compatible Devices Mixed capacity, mixed SATA II and SAS in different enclosures; non-disk
Cabling • Small, thin cables that do not restrict airflow
PCI Express* Rev 1.0A, x8 lane width 2.5 Gbps
devices, including expanders
• Shared connectors for multiple drive types
Redundant
Configuration
Enclosure
Management
The host adapters have eight LEDs, labeled A0–A7, that turn green to indicate an activity
condition on any of the eight phys. There are eight Link Not Present LEDs, labeled
LNP0–LNP7, that turn yellow to indicate a fault condition on any of the eight phys. See
Figure 4 for LED locations.
RAID configuration is stored and config on disk (COD)
In-band SES enclosure management support, including fault LEDs
(Expander backplane must be used in order to support fault LED. No fault
LED option is possible or expected in direct HDD connect mode).
The host adapters have two light pipes routed through the PCI bracket. One light pipe
turns green to indicate activity on any phy. The other light pipe is bi-color. It flashes green
to indicate the adapter heartbeat, or it turns yellow when the adapter firmware detects a
fault condition.
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Array Performance Features
Table 3 lists the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I array performance features.
Table 3. Array Performance Features
Specification Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I
PCI Express* Host
Data Transfer Rate
Drive Data Transfer
Rate
Maximum Queue
Tags per Drive
Stripe Sizes 64 Kbyte
Background Services Rebuild
Cache Options Disk cache enabled/disabled
Fault Tolerance
Table 4 lists the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I fault tolerance features.
Specification Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I
Drive Replacement Auto detection of hard drive failure; hot-plug, hot-swap.
Drive Rebuild Using
Hot Spares
2.5 Gigabit/s per lane
3 Gigabit/s per lane
As many as the drive can accept
Table 4. Fault Tolerance Features
Automatic at drive failure; auto-resume of initialization or rebuild on
reboot
Error Checking and
Indication
Power Conservation Staggered spin-up, lower power requirements.
Parity generation and checking, activity and fault LEDs
Electrical Characteristics
This section provides the power requirements for the Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I.
Table 5 lists the maximum power requirements.
Table 5. Electrical Characteristics
PCI / PCI Express* /
Express +12 V
0.5A 6 W 0° C to 60° C
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 13
PCI PRSNT1# / 2#
Power
Operating Range
Temperature
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Thermal and Atmospheric Characteristics
The thermal and atmospheric characteristics are:
• Temperature range from 0°C to 60°C (dry bulb).
• Relative humidity range: 5% to 90% non-condensing
• Maximum dew point temperature: 32°C
The storage and transit environment conditions are:
• Temperature range from -45°C to 105°C (dry bulb).
• Relative humidity range: 5% to 90% non-condensing
Safety Characteristics
The Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I 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. For the boards installed in a PCI Express*
bus slot, all voltages are lower than the SELV 42.4 V limit.
The design and implementation minimize electromagnetic emissions, susceptibility to
radio frequency energy, and the effects of electrostatic discharge. The board carries the CE
mark, C-Tick mark, Canadian Compliance Statement, Korean MIC, Taiwan BSMI, Japan
VCCI, FCC Class B and is marked with the FCC Self-Certification logo. The board also
meets the requirements of CISPR Class B.
14 Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
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Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and
Abbreviations
BIOS Basic Input/Output System. Software that provides basic read/write capability.
Usually kept as firmware (ROM based). The system BIOS on a server board is used
to boot and control the system. The BIOS on your host adapter acts as an extension
of the system BIOS.
Configuration The way a computer is set up; the combined hardware components (computer,
monitor, keyboard, and peripheral devices) that make up a computer system, and the
software settings that allow the hardware components to communicate with each
other.
Device Driver A program that allows a microprocessor (through the operating system) to direct the
operation of a peripheral device.
Domain
Validation
EEPROM Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. A memory chip
External SAS
Device
Host The computer system in which a storage adapter is installed. It uses the storage
Host Adapter
Board (HAB)
Internal SAS
Device
Main Memory The part of a computer’s memory that is directly accessible by the CPU (usually
NVRAM Non-volatile Random Access Memory. An EEPROM (Electronically Erasable
Peripheral
Devices
A software procedure in which a host queries a device to determine its ability to
communicate at the negotiated data rate.
typically used to store configuration information. It provides stable storage for long
periods without electricity and can be reprogrammed. See NVRAM.
A SAS device installed outside the computer cabinet. These devices are connected
together using specific types of shielded cables.
adapter to transfer information to and from devices attached to the SCSI bus.
A circuit board or integrated circuit that provides a device connection to the
computer system.
A SAS device installed inside the computer cabinet. These devices are connected
together using an unshielded ribbon cable.
synonymous with RAM).
Read-Only Memory chip) used to store configuration information. See EEPROM.
A piece of hardware (such as a video monitor, disk drive, printer, or CD-ROM) used
with a computer and under the computer’s control. SCSI peripherals are controlled
through a SAS Intel
®
RAID Controller SASUC8I.
Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide 15
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SAS Serial-attached SCSI. A serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level device interface that
leverages the proven SCSI protocol set. The SAS interface provides improved
performance, simplified cabling, smaller connections, lower pin count, and lower
power requirements when compared to parallel SCSI. SAS controllers leverage a
common electrical and physical connection interface that is compatible with Serial
ATA. The SAS controllers support the ANSI Serial Attached SCSI standard, version
1.0. In addition, the controller supports the Serial ATA (SATA) protocol defined by
the Serial ATA specification, version 1.0a. Each port on the SAS RAID controller
supports SAS and SATA devices.
SAS Device Any device that conforms to the SAS standard and is attached to the SAS bus by a
SAS cable. This includes SAS storage adapters (host adapters) and SAS peripherals.
16 Intel® RAID Controller SASUC8I Hardware User’s Guide
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