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Document 41450-02 Rev. B, November 2009. This document describes the
current versions of the LSI Corporation MegaRAID® SAS RAID controllers and
will remain the official reference source for all revisions/releases of these
products until rescinded by an update.
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TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENT
LSI, the LSI logo design, Fusion-MPT, and MegaRAID are trademarks or
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This document is the primary reference and user’s guide for the LSI
MegaRAID
6Gb/s SAS/SATA RAID On-a-Chip devices. This document contains
complete installation instructions for these RAID controllers and includes
specifications for them.
The MegaRAID 6Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) RAID controller family
consists of the following controllers:
•MegaRAID SAS 9240-4i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with an Internal
Connector
•MegaRAID SAS 9240-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with Internal
Connectors
•MegaRAID SAS 9260-4i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile Serial-
Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with an Internal
Connector
•MegaRAID SAS 9260-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with Internal
Connectors
•MegaRAID SAS 9260DE-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with Internal
Connectors
®
Serial Attached SCSI/SATA II RAID controllers based on the
•MegaRAID SAS 9261-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with Internal
Connectors
•MegaRAID SAS 9280-4i/4e PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with an Internal
Connector and an External Connector
MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controllers User’s Guideiii
•MegaRAID SAS 9280-8e PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile Serial-
Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with External
Connectors
•MegaRAID SAS 9280DE-8e PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller with External
Connectors
For information about how to configure the RAID controllers, refer to the
MegaRAID SAS Software User’s Guide. For information about the
operating system drivers, refer to the MegaRAID SAS Device Driver Installation User’s Guide.
This document assumes that you have some familiarity with RAID
controllers and related support devices. The people who benefit from this
document are:
•Engineers who are designing a system that will include a MegaRAID
6Gb/s SAS RAID controller
•Anyone who is installing a MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controller in
a system
Organization
This document contains the following chapters and appendix:
•Chapter 1, Overview, provides an overview of the MegaRAID 6Gb/s
SAS RAID controllers.
•Chapter 2, MegaRAID SAS Hardware Installation, describes the
procedures for installing the MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers.
•Chapter 3, MegaRAID SAS RAID Controller Characteristics,
provides the characteristics and technical specifications for the
MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers.
•Appendix A, Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations, lists and
defines the terms and abbreviations used in this document.
MegaRAID SAS Device Driver Installation User’s Guide
Document Number: 80-00163-01 Rev. D
This document describes how to install the MegaRAID device driver for
your operating system. The information in this document is independent
of the back-end bus and applies to the MegaRAID SAS RAID controllers.
MegaRAID SAS Software User’s Guide
Document Number: 80-00156-01 Rev. H
This document describes how to use the MegaRAID Storage Manager,
WebBIOS, and command line interface (CLI) utilities to configure,
monitor, and maintain MegaRAID SAS RAID controllers and the
storage-related devices connected to them.
MegaRAID iBBU07 Intelligent Battery Backup Unit Quick Installation
Guide
Document Number: 34231-00 Rev. C
This quick installation guide explains how to install the LSIiBBU07
intelligent Battery Backup Unit 07 directly and remotely on your
MegaRAID controller. The LSIiBBU07 is used with the MegaRAID SAS
9260 RAID controller and the MegaRAID SAS 9280 RAID controller. The
LSIiBBU07 protects the integrity of the cached data on a MegaRAID
controller for up to 72 hours in case of a complete AC power failure or a
brief power outage.
The following table describes how the user interacts with the product.
NotationExampleMeaning and Use
Courier typeface.nwk fileNames of commands, files, and directories, as well as
Bold typefacefd1spIn a command line, keywords are shown in bold, non-italic
ItalicsmoduleIn command lines and names, italics indicate user vari-
Initial capital lettersUndo
Edit
Apply
Semicolon, and other
punctuation
Notes contain supplementary information that can affect
system performance.
Caution:
Revision History
Cautions are notifications that an action has the potential to
adversely affect equipment operation, system performance,
or data integrity.
code and screen messages, are shown in Courier.
typeface. Enter them exactly as shown.
ables. Replace italicized text with appropriate userspecified items. Enter items of the type called for, using
lowercase.
Names of menu commands, options, check buttons, text
buttons, options buttons, text boxes, list boxes, and so on,
are shown in text with initial capital lettering to avoid misreading. These elements might appear on your screen in
all lowercase.
Use as shown in the text.
Document Number Date/VersionRemarks
41450-02 Rev. BNovember 2009Added the SAS 9240-4i, SAS 9240-8i, and SAS 9280-4i/4e
41450-02 Rev. AJuly 2009Added the SAS 9260-4i, SAS 9260DE-8i, SAS 9280-8e,
41450-01 Rev. AJune 2009Documented the SAS 9260-8i RAID controller.
41450-00 Rev. AMarch 2009Initial release of this document.
•Make sure that equipment does not rest on your computer system
cables and that the cables are not located where they can be
stepped on or tripped over.
•Do not spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets
wet, consult the documentation that came with it.
•Do not push any objects into the openings of your computer. Doing so
can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
•Keep your computer away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do
not block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath your
computer; do not place your computer in a closed-in wall unit or on
a rug.
When Working Inside Your Computer –
Caution:
1. Turn off your computer and any peripherals.
2. Disconnect your computer and peripherals from their power sources.
Also disconnect any telephone or telecommunications lines from
the computer.
Performing these actions reduces the potential for personal injury or
shock. Also note these safety guidelines:
–When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its
–Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the
Do not attempt to service the computer system yourself,
except as explained in this document and elsewhere in LSI
documentation. Always follow installation and service
instructions closely.
strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a
connector with locking tabs. If you are disconnecting this type of
cable, press in on the locking tabs before you disconnect the
cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to
avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a
cable, make sure that both connectors are correctly oriented and
aligned.
components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or
by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component, such as a
microprocessor chip, by its edges, not by its pins.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge – Static electricity can
harm delicate components inside your computer. To prevent static
damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any
of your computer’s electronic components, such as the microprocessor.
To discharge static electricity, touch an unpainted metal surface, such as
the metal around the card-slot openings at the back of the computer.
As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an
unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge that your body
might have accumulated. In addition to the preceding precautions, you
also can take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic
discharge:
•When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping
carton, do not remove the component from the antistatic packing
material until you are ready to install the component in your
computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, be sure
to discharge static electricity from your body.
•When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an
antistatic container or packaging.
•Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use
2.5.2Connecting the SAS RAID Controller with External
Connectors to a Drive Enclosure2-10
Chapter 3
MegaRAID SAS RAID Controller Characteristics
3.1MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controller Family3-1
3.1.1MegaRAID SAS 9240 RAID Controllers3-1
3.1.2MegaRAID SAS 9260 RAID Controllers3-3
3.1.3MegaRAID SAS 9261 RAID Controller3-6
3.1.4MegaRAID SAS 9280 RAID Controllers3-8
3.2MegaRAID SAS 6Gb/s RAID Controller Characteristics3-13
3.3Technical Specifications3-14
3.3.1RAID Controller Specifications3-15
3.3.2Array Performance Features3-16
3.3.3Fault Tolerance3-17
3.3.4Electrical Characteristics3-17
Power Supply Requirements for SAS 9240 RAID
Controllers3-17
Operating and Non-operating Conditionsfor the
SAS 9240 RAID Controllers3-18
Power Supply Requirements for SAS 9260 RAID
Controllers3-18
Operating and Non-operating Conditions for SAS
9260 RAID Controllers3-19
Power Supply Requirements for the SAS 9261
RAID Controller3-20
Operating and Non-operating Conditions for the
SAS 9261 RAID Controller3-21
3.3.5Power Supply Requirements for SAS 9280 RAID
Controllers3-21
Operating and Non-operating Conditions for SAS
9280 RAID Controllers3-22
This chapter provides an overview of the MegaRAID 6Gb/s Serial
Attached SCSI/Serial ATA II controllers with RAID control capability.
It consists of the following sections:
•Section 1.1, “Overview”
•Section 1.2, “SAS Controller Descriptions”
•Section 1.3, “General Description”
•Section 1.4, “Configuration Scenarios”
•Section 1.5, “Benefits of the SAS Interface”
•Section 1.6, “Summary of SAS RAID Controller Characteristics”
•Section 1.7, “Hardware Specifications”
•Section 1.8, “Technical Support”
1.1Overview
The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers are high-performance
intelligent PCI Express-to-SCSI/Serial ATA II adapters with RAID control
capability. MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers provide reliability, high
performance, and fault-tolerant drive subsystem management. They are
an ideal RAID solution for the internal storage of workgroup,
departmental, and enterprise systems. MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID
controllers offer a cost-effective way to implement RAID in a server.
SAS technology brings a wealth of options and flexibility with the use of
SAS and Serial ATA (SATA) II devices within the same storage
infrastructure. However, SAS and SATA devices bring individual
characteristics that make each one a more suitable choice depending on
your storage needs. MegaRAID gives you the flexibility to combine these
MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controllers User’s Guide1-1
two similar technologies on the same controller, within the same
enclosure, and in the same virtual drive.
Note:
LSI offers a family of MegaRAID SAS RAID controllers addressing the
needs for both internal and external solutions. The MegaRAID 6Gb/s
SAS RAID controllers are based on the LSI first-to-market SAS IC
technology and proven MegaRAID technology. As second-generation
PCI Express RAID controllers, these controllers address the growing
demand for increased data throughput and scalability requirements
across midrange and enterprise-class server platforms. These controllers
provide:
LSI recommends that you carefully assess any decision to
mix SAS drives and SATA drives within the same virtual drives. Although you can mix drives, LSI strongly
discourages the practice.
•6.0 Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI performance
•3.0 Gb/s SATA II performance
•Eight-lane, 5-Gb/s PCI Express host interface
The SAS 9260DE-8i RAID controller and the SAS 9280DE-8i RAID
controller offer data security using disk encryption. This feature offers the
ability to encrypt data on drives and use disk-based key management to
provide data security. This solution provides data protection in the event
of theft or loss of physical drives. With self-encrypting drives, if you
remove a drive from its storage system or the server it is housed in, the
data on that drive is encrypted and useless to anyone who attempts to
access without the the appropriate security authorization.
For more information about self-encrypting drives, refer to the MegaRAID SAS Software User’s Guide.
The SAS 9260 RAID controllers, the SAS 9261 RAID controller, and the
SAS 9280 RAID controllers use the LSI intelligent Battery Backup Unit
07 (LSIiBBU-07) to provide cached data protection and allow system
builders to protect cached data even during the most catastrophic system
failures.
Refer to the battery backup documentation on the MegaRAID Universal
Software Suite CD for more information about this battery backup unit.
The SAS controllers support the ANSI Serial Attached SCSI standard,
version 2.0. In addition, the controller supports the SATA II protocol
defined by the Serial ATA specification, version 1.0a. Supporting both the
SAS interface and the SATA II interface, the SAS controller is a versatile
controller that provides the backbone of both server and high-end
workstation environments.
Each port on the SAS RAID controller supports SAS devices, SATA II
devices, or both, using the following protocols:
•SAS Serial SCSI Protocol (SSP), which enables communication with
other SAS devices
•SATA II, which enables communication with other SATA II 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 II device through an attached expander
1.2SAS Controller Descriptions
The 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers are described as follows:
•The MegaRAID SAS 9240-4i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller is a PCI-Express
2.0, half-size, full-height RAID controller based on the LSISAS2008
PCI Express-SAS/SATA I/O Processor chip. The MegaRAID SAS
9240-4i controls four internal 6-Gb/s SAS/SATA ports through one
SFF-8087 x4 internal mini SAS connector.
•The MegaRAID SAS 9240-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller is a PCI-Express
2.0, half-size, full-height RAID controller based on the LSISAS2008
PCI Express-SAS/SATA I/O Processor chip. The MegaRAID SAS
9240-8i controls eight internal 6-Gb/s SAS/SATA ports through two
SFF-8087 x4 internal mini SAS connectors.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9260-4i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls four
internal SAS/SATA ports through one SFF-8087 x4 internal mini
SAS connector.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9260-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls eight
internal SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8087 x4 internal mini SAS
connectors.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9260DE-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls eight
internal SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8087 x4 internal mini SAS
connectors and offers data security using disk encryption.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9261-8i PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls eight
internal SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8087 mini-SAS 4i
connectors.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9280-4i/4e PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls four
internal SAS/SATA ports through one SFF-8087 x4 internal mini SAS
connector and four external SAS/SATA ports through one SFF-8088
x4 external mini SAS connector.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9280-8e PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls eight
external SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8088 x4 external mini
SAS connectors.
•The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS 9280DE-8e PCI Express 2.0 Low-Profile
Serial-Attached SCSI/SATA II Disk Array Controller controls eight
external SAS/SATA ports through two SFF-8088 x4 external mini
SAS connectors and offers data security using disk encryption.
1.3General Description
The MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers bring 6.0 Gb/s Serial
Attached SCSI and 3.0 Gb/s SATA II performance to host adapter,
workstation, and server designs. The controllers support internal storage
devices and external storage devices, which allow you to use a system
that supports enterprise-class SAS drives and desktop-class SATA II
drives. Each MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controller can connect to
drives directly and can use expanders to connect to additional drives.
Simplified cabling between devices is an additional benefit.
These SAS controllers are based on the LSISAS2108 RAID On-a-Chip
(ROC) device or the LSISAS2008 PCI Express-SAS/SATA I/O Processor
chip. These devices are compliant with the Fusion-MPT™ architecture
and provides a PCI Express x8 interface.
Note:
The LSISAS2108 ROC device provides an eight-lane, 5-Gb/s PCI
Express host interface, eight 6.0 Gb/s SAS ports or eight 3.0 Gb/s SATA
ports, and a full-featured, hardware-based RAID implementation. In
addition, it integrates a high-speed DDR/DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM
interface with a hardware RAID assist engine for parity calculations. The
LSISAS2108 ROC device provides the maximum benefits of a RAID
system and enables you to configure the system to satisfy your system
requirements.
The LSISAS2108 ROC device increases system performance and
provides fault-tolerant data storage. The LSISAS2108 supports data
striping across multiple drives, which reduces drive access time because
multiple drives simultaneously read or write data. The LSISAS2108 ROC
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 drive
failure. You can select the data backup method that best suits your
needs. A hardware RAID assist exclusive-OR (XOR) engine speeds
parity generation and checking and reduces system-access times.
The SAS RAID controllers integrate eight high-performance SAS/SATA II
PHYs and a PCI Express bus master DMA core. Each of the eight PHYs
is capable of 6.0 Gb/s SAS link rates and 3.0 Gb/s SATA II link rates.
All of these RAID controllers provide an x8 PCI Express 2.0
interface.
These devices adhere to the PCI Express Specification, Revision 2.0.
The PCI Express software is backward compatible with previous
revisions of the PCI bus and PCI-X bus.
The SAS RAID controllers support the SAS protocol as described in the
Serial Attached SCSI Standard, version 2.0. The controllers also support
the Serial ATA II (SATA II) protocol defined by the Serial ATA
Specification, Version 1.0a and the Serial ATAII; Extension to the Serial
ATA Specification, Version 1.1. SATA II is an extension to SATA 1.0a.
In addition, the SAS RAID controllers support the following SATA II
features:
Each port on the SAS controllers supports SAS devices, SATA II devices,
or both using SSP, SMP, STP, and SATA II. SSP enables communication
with other SAS devices. SATA II enables the SAS controllers to
communicate with other SATA II devices.
1.4Configuration Scenarios
There are three main scenarios in which you can use the SAS RAID
controllers:
•Low-end, internal SATA II configurations: In this configuration, use
the RAID controller as a high-end SATA II compatible controller that
connects up to eight drives either directly or through a port expander.
This configuration is mostly for low-end or entry servers. Enclosure
management is provided through out-of-band I
both types of internal SAS connectors support the SFF-8485
(SGPIO) interface.
2
C bus. Side bands of
•Midrange internal SAS configurations: This is like the internal
SATA II configurations, but with high-end SAS drives. This is more
suitable for low-range to midrange servers.
•High-end external SAS/SATA II configurations: This configuration
is for external connectivity using SATA II drives, SAS drives, or both.
External enclosure management is supported through in-band,
SCSI-enclosed storage. The configuration must support STP and
SMP.
Figure 1.1 shows a direct-connect configuration. The Inter-IC (I
interface communicates with peripherals. The external memory bus
provides a 32-bit memory bus, parity checking, and chip select signals
for pipelined synchronous burst static random access memory