OWC OWMRPM3F8Q16.0T User manual
User Guide &
Owners Manual
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1.1.1 Mac Requirements
1.1.2 PC Requirements
1.1.3 Supported Drives
1.2 PACKAGE CONTENTS
1.3 ABOUT THIS MANUAL
1.4 FRONT VIEW
1.4.1 Buttons
1.4.2 LED Drive Bay Indicators
1.5 REAR VIEW
1.5.1 Connections
1.5.2 Fan Alarm Mute Button
1.5.3 RAID Selector Switches
1.6 RAID SETTINGS
1.6.1 Changing the RAID mode
1.6.2 RAID Modes
2 SYSTEM SETUP
2.1 DRIVE INSTALLATION
2.2 REPLACING DRIVES
2.3 CONNECTIONS TO COMPUTER
2.4 CONVERTING TO DESKTOP UNIT
3 FORMATTING
3.1 MACINTOSH FORMATTING
3.2 REMOVING AN EXISTING GUID PARTITION (PRECONFIGURED SOLUTIONS)
3.3 WINDOWS FORMATTING
4 TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS
4.1 TROUBLESHOOTING
4.2 USAGE TIPS
5 APPENDIX
5.1 FAQ
5.2 ABOUT DATA BACKUP
6 CUSTOMER SERVICE
6.1 BEFORE CONTACTING CUSTOMER SERVICE
6.2 CUSTOMER SERVICE HOURS OF OPERATION
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Chapter 1 - Introduction
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 System Requirements
1.1.1 Mac Requirements
• Minimum PowerPC G4 CPU, 128MB RAM
• eSATA interface, Mac OS X 10.3 or later (OR)
• FireWire interface, Mac OS X 10.2 or later (OR)
• USB 3.0 interface (backwards compatible to USB 2.0), Mac OS X 10.2 or later
1.1.2 PC Requirements
• Minimum 500MHz Intel Pentium 3 CPU, 128MB RAM
• eSATA interface, Windows XP / Vista (OR)
• FireWire interface, Windows 2000 / XP / Vista (OR)
• USB 3.0 interface (backwards compatible to USB 2.0), Windows 2000 / XP / Vista /
Windows 7
1.1.3 Supported Drives
• Up to four 3.5” SATA drives (1.5Gb/s, 3.0Gb/s, or 6.0Gb/s)
• Drives of identical capacity / model are recommended for RAID congurations
See Section 1.6 for more infomation about RAID congurations and compatibility.
1.2 Package Contents
➀ ➁ ➄
Item
➀ eSATA cable
➁ FireWire 400 (1394A) cable
➂ USB 3.0 (A-B) cable
➂ ➃
➃ FireWire 800 (1394B) cable
➄ Power cable
➅ Rack Mounting Handles
➆ Desktop Mounting Feet
➇ Screws for Rack / Desktop Conversion
➅
➆
➈
➈ Software CD Bundle (solutions only)
➉ User Guide & Owner’s Manual
➇
1.3 About This Manual
Firmware, images, and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the
unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the rmware version.
Please visit the product webpage for the most recent specications.
➉
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.4 Front View
1.4.1 Buttons
Power On/O and SET/MUTE button are
inside the front door on the left side.
The SET/MUTE button is used for setting
the RAID modes (covered in section 1.6
RAID Settings) and disabling the audible
alarm when there is a drive failure.
1.4.2 LED Drive Bay Indicators
Each drive bay has a multicolor LED indicator.
Power:
• O = Power o
• Blue = Power on (all 4 drive bays)
Access:
• Flashing Purple = Drive being accessed
Rebuild:
• Slow Blinking red = Rebuilding RAID array
• Solid Red = Faulty drive
1.5 Rear View
1.5.1 Connections
Power Input
Voltage Switch*
Cable Connections:
eSATA
USB 3.0
FW400
FW800
➀ Verify the voltage switch is set properly, to 115V or 230V.*
➁ Plug the power cable into the wall and into the OWC Mercury Rack Pro.
➂ Connect the eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, or USB 3.0 cable - appropriate for the
interface that your computer supports - into the drive and computer. (eSATA or USB 3.0
interfaces are recommended for maximum performance)
* The majority of North America uses 115V. If you are outside of North America or have adapted the
power plug in any way, confirm which voltage is appropriate for your use before powering on.
If sold as a precongured solution, your OWC Mercury Rack Pro is preset as a RAID 5,
using the “Mac OS Extended” format and is ready to use. If you want to change this
conguration, please follow the instructions in Chapter 3 to do so.
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.5.2 Fan Alarm Mute Button
In the event one of the fans within the OWC Mercury Rack Pro fails, an alarm will
sound. The “Fan Alarm Mute” button located on the rear panel of the unit, will mute
the alarm. It is recommended to replace the failed fan as soon as possible in order to
adequately cool the unit, prevent damage to components, and avoid data loss.
1.5.3 RAID Selector Switches
To adjust your RAID settings, there are 3 switches on the back of the OWC Mercury
Rack Pro.
Use the silkscreened settings as a guide when adjusting the switches to the desired
RAID setting. Proceed to section “1.6 RAID Settings” for instructions on changing the
RAID levels on the OWC Mercury Rack Pro.
1.6 RAID Settings
1.6.1 Changing the RAID Mode
IMPORTANT NOTE: Drives of identical model are required for all RAID types other
than Clear & JBOD (Independent Drive) Mode and JBOD (SPAN) “Combine” Mode.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Changing the RAID setup will require you to reformat the drives.
Reformatting deletes all of the existing data on the drives!
Make sure that you have backed up your data before proceeding!
To switch or clear RAID modes, follow these steps:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Changing the RAID settings requires you to set the
!
Rack Pro to “Clear RAID” mode between each mode change.
➀ With the OWC Mercury Rack Pro turned OFF, adjust the switches on the back of the
unit to the desired setting (either to “Clear RAID” mode or to a RAID level).
➁ While holding down the SET button, power ON the OWC Mercury Rack Pro. Keep
holding the SET button until you hear a full beep (you may hear shorter chirps or
beeps while the unit is setting itself into the RAID mode). The lights on the Rack Pro
will also ash during this process and will stop ashing when complete.
➂ The OWC Mercury Rack Pro is now set to the newly selected mode. If the Rack Pro
has just been set to “Clear RAID” mode, you can now repeat steps ➀ and ➁ to apply a
RAID setting. If the Rack Pro has just been set to a RAID mode, it is now ready to be
formatted. Instructions for formatting can be found in Chapter 3 of this manual.
!
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.6.2 RAID Modes
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Drives of identical size and model are required for all RAID types
other than Clear & JBOD (Independent Drive) Mode and JBOD
(SPAN) “Combine” Mode.
! !
Changing the RAID mode will require you to reformat the drives.
Be sure to back up your data first!
Clear & JBOD (Independent Drive) Mode
Switch setting: DOWN-DOWN-DOWN
Each drive will appear as a single volume. If you wish to use a mixed variety of capac-
ity and model drives, this is the mode to use. To swap or replace drives, dismount all
drives and power the OWC Mercury Rack Pro o.
JBOD (SPAN) “Combine” Mode
Switch setting: UP-DOWN-UP
The drives show up as one large single volume. The total size will depend on the
drives installed, you can use drives of dierent capacities. JBOD (SPAN) is an array (not
RAID) in which the data is written across drives sequentially. This is done to combine
the capacities of the drives, but it does not provide any performance or redundancy
benets.
Storage Capacity
Data Safety
Performance
RAID 0 “Drive Striping” Mode
Switch setting: UP-UP-UP
The drives show up as one large single volume. RAID 0 is used when speed is the primary objective, but does not have any redundancy for protection. Data is alternated
very quickly across two or more drives to gain speed by essentially distributing the
workload. Since data is written without parity data-checking, it allows for the fastest
data transfer rates, but if one drive fails, the whole array can become corrupted and
data will be lost. Always maintain a backup of your data!
Storage Capacity
Data Safety
Performance
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Chapter 1 - Introduction
RAID 1 “Drive Mirroring” Mode (2 drives installed only)
Switch setting: UP-UP-DOWN
The drives show up as one volume, but only 50% of the total capacity can be used. It is
highly recommended to use identical drives for this RAID method. However, while you
can utilize drives of dierent capacity, the RAID size will be based on the smallest capacity total of the drives used in the RAID set. RAID 1 creates an exact copy (or “mirror”)
of a set of data on the second drive. This is useful when reliability and backup are more
important than capacity. When one drive fails, it can be replaced and the data rebuilt.
Storage Capacity
Data Safety
Performance
RAID 10 “Drive Mirroring with Striping” Mode
Switch setting: UP-UP-DOWN
The drives show up as one volume, but only 50% of the total capacity can be used,
depending on the drive with the smallest capacity. RAID 10 creates an exact copy (or
“mirror”) of a set of data but also uses a RAID 0 Stripe for speed. When one drive fails, it
can be replaced and the data rebuilt automatically.
Storage Capacity
Data Safety
Performance
RAID 3 “Drive Striping with Dedicated Parity” Mode
Switch setting: UP-DOWN-DOWN
The drives show up as one volume, but the total capacity, depending on the drive with
the smallest capacity, is the combined size minus the size of one drive. RAID 3 uses
byte level striping with parity data located on 1 drive. Very fast performance can be
achieved with RAID 3 while also maintaining fault protection, so if one drive fails, it can
be replaced and the data rebuilt automatically.
Storage Capacity
Data Safety
Performance
RAID 5 “Drive Striping with Distributed Parity” Mode
Switch setting: DOWN-UP-DOWN
The drives show up as one volume, but the total capacity, depending on the drive with
the smallest capacity, is the combined size minus the size of one drive. RAID 5 uses
block level striping with parity data distributed across all member disks and therefore
provides the perfect balance between high performance and data integrity. When one
drive fails, it can be replaced and the data rebuilt automatically.
Storage Capacity
Data Safety
Performance
OWC Mercury Rack Pro Chapter 2 - System Setup
2 SYSTEM SETUP
2.1 Drive Installation
NOTE: If you purchased a precongured solution with drives included, each drive has a
dierent colored dot on it. Use these 4 dierent colored dots to match the drive to the
appropriate drive bay.
To install your own drive mechanisms:
➀ Open the front door on the
OWC Mercury Rack Pro.
➁ Install the drive as shown to
the left, with the SATA connector
facing away from you.
➂ Slide the drive all the way into
the drive bay. It will t ush with
the aluminum frame.
➃ Repeat the previous steps for
each drive you are installing.
NOTE: Be careful to not damage any components, and do not force the drives into
place. If they don’t slide in easily, make sure there are no obstructions.
IMPORTANT - ADDING DRIVES TO AN EXISTING RAID SET:
It is not possible to add more drives to an existing RAID array or change the RAID
conguration without reformatting. To add additional drives at a later point, with the
OWC Mercury Rack Pro turned OFF, adjust the switches on the back of the unit to the
Clear RAID setting (down-down-down). Power the OWC Mercury Rack Pro ON while
holding down the SET button right next to it. This will clear the existing RAID settings
out. Once the unit has beeped and the drive access lights stop ashing, you can
release the buttons and press the power button again to turn the enclosure o. You are
now able to change the switches to whichever RAID setting you wish to use.
IMPORTANT - ADDING DRIVES TO AN INDEPENDENT (CLEAR RAID) SET:
You can remove any drive from a Clear RAID set and replace it with another drive by
powering the OWC Mercury Rack Pro o, and replacing the drive. NOTE: To avoid
corruption it is essential to eject (unmount) all drives and power the unit o.
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