LSI MegaRAID 6Gb-s SAS User Manual

USER’S
GUIDE
MegaRAID® 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controllers
41450-02 Rev. B
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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SAS RAID controllers and will remain the official reference source for all revisions/releases of these products until rescinded by an update.
LSI Corporation reserves the right to make changes to any products herein at any time without notice. LSI does not assume any responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any product described herein, except as expressly agreed to in writing by LSI; nor does the purchase or use of a product from LSI convey a license under any patent rights, copyrights, trademark rights, or any other of the intellectual property rights of LSI or third parties.
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TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENT LSI, the LSI logo design, Fusion-MPT, and MegaRAID are trademarks or registered trademarks of LSI Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. SUSE is a trademark and NetWare is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. UnixWare is a registered trademark of The Open Group. OpenServer is a trademark of Caldera International, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other brand and product names may be trademarks of their respective companies.
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Preface
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 Guide iii
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Audience
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.
iv Preface
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Related Publications
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.
Preface v
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Conventions
The following table describes how the user interacts with the product.
Notation Example Meaning and Use
Courier typeface .nwk file Names of commands, files, and directories, as well as
Bold typeface fd1sp In a command line, keywords are shown in bold, non-italic
Italics module In command lines and names, italics indicate user vari-
Initial capital letters Undo
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/Version Remarks
41450-02 Rev. B November 2009 Added the SAS 9240-4i, SAS 9240-8i, and SAS 9280-4i/4e
41450-02 Rev. A July 2009 Added the SAS 9260-4i, SAS 9260DE-8i, SAS 9280-8e,
41450-01 Rev. A June 2009 Documented the SAS 9260-8i RAID controller.
41450-00 Rev. A March 2009 Initial release of this document.
vi Preface
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
RAID controllers; added the SAS 9261-8i RAID controller
and SAS 9280DE-8e RAID controllers.
Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer system from potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety.
Note:
When Using Your Computer System – As you use your computer system, observe the following safety guidelines:
Caution:
Use the MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID controllers with UL-listed Information Technology Equipment (ITE) products only.
Do not operate your computer system with any covers (such as computer covers, bezels, filler brackets, and front-panel inserts) removed.
To avoid damaging your computer, make sure that the voltage
selection switch on the power supply is set to match the alternating current (AC) power available at your location:
115 volts (V)/60 hertz (Hz) in most of North American and South
American countries, and some Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Also
make sure that your monitor and attached peripherals are electrically rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.
To avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after
you turn off the system before you remove a component from the system board or disconnect a peripheral device from the computer.
To prevent electric shock, connect the computer and peripheral
power cords into correctly grounded power sources. These cords are equipped with three-prong plugs to ensure correct grounding.
Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a
cable. If you must use an extension cable, use a three-wire cable with correctly grounded plugs.
To protect your computer system from sudden, transient increases
and decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Preface vii
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
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.
viii Preface
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
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
antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.
Preface ix
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xPreface
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Chapter 1 Overview

Contents

1.1 Overview 1-1
1.2 SAS Controller Descriptions 1-3
1.3 General Description 1-4
1.4 Configuration Scenarios 1-6
1.5 Benefits of the SAS Interface 1-8
1.5.1 PCI Express Architecture 1-8
1.5.2 Operating System Support 1-9
1.6 Summary of SAS RAID Controller Characteristics 1-9
1.6.1 SAS Features 1-10
1.6.2 SAS Array Limitations 1-11
1.6.3 SATA II Features 1-13
1.6.4 PCI Express Performance 1-13
1.6.5 Usability Features 1-13
1.6.6 Flexibility Features 1-14
1.6.7 Drive Roaming 1-14
1.6.8 Drive Migration 1-15
1.7 Hardware Specifications 1-17
1.8 Technical Support 1-19
Chapter 2 MegaRAID SAS Hardware Installation
2.1 Requirements 2-1
2.2 Quick Installation 2-2
2.3 Detailed Installation 2-3
2.4 After Installing the RAID Controller 2-6
2.5 SAS Device Cables and Connectors 2-6
2.5.1 Connecting a SAS RAID Controller with Internal
MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controllers User’s Guide xi
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Connectors to Drives 2-9
2.5.2 Connecting the SAS RAID Controller with External Connectors to a Drive Enclosure 2-10
Chapter 3 MegaRAID SAS RAID Controller Characteristics
3.1 MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controller Family 3-1
3.1.1 MegaRAID SAS 9240 RAID Controllers 3-1
3.1.2 MegaRAID SAS 9260 RAID Controllers 3-3
3.1.3 MegaRAID SAS 9261 RAID Controller 3-6
3.1.4 MegaRAID SAS 9280 RAID Controllers 3-8
3.2 MegaRAID SAS 6Gb/s RAID Controller Characteristics 3-13
3.3 Technical Specifications 3-14
3.3.1 RAID Controller Specifications 3-15
3.3.2 Array Performance Features 3-16
3.3.3 Fault Tolerance 3-17
3.3.4 Electrical Characteristics 3-17 Power Supply Requirements for SAS 9240 RAID Controllers 3-17 Operating and Non-operating Conditionsfor the SAS 9240 RAID Controllers 3-18 Power Supply Requirements for SAS 9260 RAID Controllers 3-18 Operating and Non-operating Conditions for SAS 9260 RAID Controllers 3-19 Power Supply Requirements for the SAS 9261 RAID Controller 3-20 Operating and Non-operating Conditions for the SAS 9261 RAID Controller 3-21
3.3.5 Power Supply Requirements for SAS 9280 RAID Controllers 3-21 Operating and Non-operating Conditions for SAS 9280 RAID Controllers 3-22
3.3.6 Safety Characteristics 3-22
Appendix A Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
xii Contents
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Customer Feedback
Contents xiii
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xiv Contents
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Figures
1.1 Example of an LSI SAS Direct-Connect Application 1-7
1.2 Example of an LSI SAS RAID Controller Configured with an LSISASx12 Expander 1-7
2.1 Example of the MegaRAID SAS 9260-8i Board Installation in a PCI Express Slot 2-4
2.2 Internal SAS Cable for Connection to SAS Drives, SATA II Drives, or Both 2-7
2.3 SATA II Connectors 2-8
2.4 SAS Plugs and SATA II Plugs and SAS Backplane Receptacle Connector 2-9
2.5 Connecting the SAS 9260-8i RAID Controller to a Drive 2-10
2.6 Connecting the SAS 9280-8e RAID Controller to a Drive Enclosure 2-11
3.1 Card Layout for the MegaRAID SAS 9240-8i RAID Controller 3-2
3.2 Card Layout for the MegaRAID SAS 9260-8i RAID Controller 3-4
3.3 Card Layout for the MegaRAID SAS 9261-8i RAID Controller 3-7
3.4 Card Layout for the MegaRAID SAS 9280-8e RAID Controller 3-9
3.5 Card Layout for the MegaRAID SAS 9280-4i/4e RAID Controller 3-11
Contents xv
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xvi Contents
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Tabl es
1.1 SAS RAID Controller Array Limitations 1-11
1.2 MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controller Features 1-17
3.1 SAS 9240-4i/SAS 9240-8i RAID Controller – Jumpers and Connectors 3-3
3.2 SAS 9260-8i/SAS 9260DE-8i RAID Controller – Jumpers and Connectors 3-5
3.3 SAS 9261-8i RAID Controller – Jumpers and Connectors 3-7
3.4 SAS 9280-8e and SAS 9280DE-8e RAID Controllers – Connectors 3-9
3.5 SAS 9280-4i/4e RAID Controller – Connectors 3-11
3.6 MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controller Characteristics 3-13
3.7 RAID Controller Specifications 3-15
3.8 Array Performance Features 3-16
3.9 Fault Tolerance Features 3-17
3.10 Power Supply for SAS 9240 RAID Controllers 3-18
3.11 Power Supply for SAS 9260 RAID Controllers 3-19
3.12 Power Supply for SAS 9261 RAID Controllers 3-20
3.13 Power Supply for SAS 9280 RAID Controllers 3-22
Contents xvii
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xviii Contents
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Chapter 1 Overview

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”

1.1 Overview

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 Guide 1-1
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
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.
1-2 Overview
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
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

1.2 SAS 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.
SAS Controller Descriptions 1-3
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
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.

1.3 General 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.
1-4 Overview
Copyright © 2009 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
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:
General Description 1-5
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3Gb/s SATA II
Staggered spin-up
Hot plug
Native command queuing
Activity and fault indicators for each PHY
Port selector (for dual-port drives)
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.

1.4 Configuration 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
2
C)
1-6 Overview
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