Promise Technology ultratrak SX4000, ultratrak RM8000, ultratrak SX8000 User Manual

UltraTrak

SX4000, SX8000, RM8000

User Manual

Version 8.0 Rev. A

ii

iii

Copyright

© 2002, Promise Technology, Inc.

Copyright by Promise Technology, Inc. (Promise Technology). No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed,
written permission of Promise Technology.

Trademarks

Promise, and the Promise logo are registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office.

All other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.

Important data protection information

You should back up all data before installing any drive controller or storage
peripheral. Promise Technology is not responsible for any loss of data resulting
from the use, disuse or misuse of this or any other Promise Technology product.

Notice

Although Promise Technology has attempted to ensure the accuracy of the
content of this manual, it is possible that this document may contain technical
inaccuracies, typographical, or other errors. Promise Technology assumes no
liability for any error in this publication, and for damages, whether direct, indirect,
incidental, consequential or otherwise, that may result from such error, including,
but not limited to loss of data or profits.

Promise Technology provides this publication “as is” without warranty of any kind,
either express or implied, including, but not limited to implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

The published information in the manual is subject to change without notice.
Promise Technology reserves the right to make changes in the product design,
layout, and driver revisions without notification to its users.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

iv

Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy, and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged
to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which

the receiver is connected.

• Consult Promise Technology, Inc. or an experienced radio/TV technician for

help.

This device complies with Part 5 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.

Caution

Only digital device equipment CERTIFIED CLASS B should be attached
to this equipment and that must have shielded cables.

v

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction............................................................................................... 1

Architectural Description....................................................................................... 1

Chapter 2: Getting Started.......................................................................................... 3

Unpack UltraTrak.................................................................................................. 3

Mount UtraTrak RM8000 in Rack ......................................................................... 4

Install Hard Drives ................................................................................................ 6

Connecting the Null Modem Cable ....................................................................... 8

SCSI Termination on UltraTrak............................................................................. 9

Connecting the SCSI Cables .............................................................................. 10

SCSI Cable Connection and Termination ........................................................ 10

Daisy Chaining Multiple Arrays ........................................................................ 12

Daisy Chaining with Other SCSI Devices ........................................................ 13

Connect Power Cable and Switch Power On...................................................... 14

Main Power Switch .......................................................................................... 14

Enter or Change the Password........................................................................... 15

Enter Password................................................................................................ 15

Change Password............................................................................................ 15

Reset to Default Password .............................................................................. 15

Assign a SCSI ID................................................................................................ 16

Configure the UltraTrak ...................................................................................... 17

How to Automatically Create an Array ............................................................. 17

How to Manually Create an Array .................................................................... 18

Gigabyte Boundary .......................................................................................... 20

Choosing Stripe Block Size.............................................................................. 20

Choosing a RAID Level.................................................................................... 21

Expanding an Array ......................................................................................... 24

RAID Conversion ............................................................................................. 25

Hot Spare Drive(s) ........................................................................................... 28

Partition and Format the Array............................................................................ 28

Chapter 3: Array Maintenance.................................................................................. 29

Drive Status Indicators........................................................................................ 29

Meaning of Status Indicators ........................................................................... 29

Critical & Offline Arrays....................................................................................... 30

Rebuilding/Synchronizing Fault Tolerant Arrays................................................. 30

When a Disk Drive Fails ..................................................................................... 30

Replacing a Disk Drive Module........................................................................ 31

Drive Replacement ............................................................................................. 32

Replacing a Power Supply Module (–8000 series only)...................................... 33

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

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Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface .............................................................................. 35

The LCD Messages............................................................................................ 36

Idle Mode......................................................................................................... 36

Initial Mode Menu............................................................................................. 38

Configuration Menu.......................................................................................... 39

View Status Menu............................................................................................ 41

Configure Array................................................................................................ 45

Configure Cache.............................................................................................. 59

Configure SCSI................................................................................................ 60

Chapter 5: Support ................................................................................................... 63

Contacting Technical Support............................................................................. 63

Technical Support Services ................................................................................ 63

Limited Warranty................................................................................................. 65

Disclaimer of other warranties ............................................................................ 65

Returning Product For Repair............................................................................. 67

Your Responsibilities .......................................................................................... 68

Appendix A: Technical Specifications....................................................................... 69

Appendix B: Technology Background....................................................................... 71

Introduction to RAID ........................................................................................... 71

RAID 0: Striping.................................................................................................. 71

RAID 1: Mirroring................................................................................................ 72

RAID 0+1: Striping/Mirroring............................................................................... 73

RAID 3: Block Striping with Parity Drive ............................................................. 74

RAID 5: Block and Parity Striping ....................................................................... 75

RAID 30: Striping of Dedicated Parity Arrays...................................................... 76

RAID 50: Striping of Distributed Parity Arrays..................................................... 77

JBOD: Single Drive............................................................................................. 78

Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions................................................................ 79

Appendix D: Update UltraTrak Firmware.................................................................. 81

Appendix E: Replacing the Controller Card.............................................................. 83

Appendix F: Configuration Console Software........................................................... 85

1

Chapter 1: Introduction

Thank you for purchasing Promise Technology’s UltraTrak SX4000, UltraTrak
SX8000 or UltraTrak RM8000 external disk array system.

UltraTrak provides data storage solutions for applications where fault tolerance
and data redundancy are required. The failure of any single drive will not affect
data integrity or accessibility of the data. A defective drive may be replaced
without interruption of data availability to the host computer. A hot spare drive will
automatically replace a failed drive, securing the fault tolerant integrity of the
array. The self-contained hardware-based array provides maximum performance
in a compact external chassis.

The UltraTrak SX4000 is an external disk array with an expandable capacity of
up to four individual disk drives. The UltraTrak SX8000 and RM8000 are external
disk arrays with an expandable capacity of up to eight individual disk drives.

The standard LVD SCSI interface provides compatibility with any system that
utilizes a SCSI interface.

Architectural Description

The UltraTrak disk array consists of either four (SX4000) or eight
(SX8000/RM8000) disk drive bays, an enclosure with back plane, and the array
controller. Multiple fans provide redundancy to ensure continued usage should a
component fail. The array controller is hardware based and controls all array
functions transparently to the host system. It appears to the system as a standard
SCSI drive, and therefore does not require any special software drivers.

Warning

The electronic components within the UltraTrak disk array are sensitive
to damage from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge). Appropriate precautions
should be observed at all times when handling the array or its
subassemblies.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

2

Features and Benefits

Feature Benefit

Maximum fault tolerance Ensures uninterrupted data availability.

Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 3, 5,
0+1, 30, 50 and JBOD

Allows system to be tuned for maximum performance.
RAID 30 and 50 are only supported on the SX8000 and
RM8000.

S.M.A.R.T Warns of disk drive degradation and potential failure.

Emulates standard SCSI-3 drive
to host

Compatible with all SCSI-3 or SCSI-2/LVD host adapters.
No special operating system drivers used.

Front panel LCD and LED
indicators

Easy setup and quick response to problems, ensuring
maximum up time and manageability.

Hot swap feature

Allows a defective drive to be replaced without
interrupting data accessibility to the host system.

Hot-spare drive

Maintains full fault tolerant integrity by automatically
rebuilding the data from a failed drive to an installed hot
spare drive.

Automatic background data
reconstruction when a drive is
replaced

Array is quickly back on-line with minimal user
intervention.

Redundant fans Load sharing and full operation even with a failed fan

Redundant Power Supply
(SX/RM8000 only)

Load sharing and uninterrupted operation with failure of
one power supply.

3

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Warning

To prevent serious damage to the UltraTrak storage
subsystem, be sure that the voltage-select switch on the
back of the power supply is set to your local voltage (see
Figure 10 on page 14).

Getting started with the UltraTrak consists of the following steps:

1. Unpack the UltraTrak storage subsystem (this page).

2. Mount UltraTrak RM8000 in a rack (page 4).

3. Install Hard Drives (page 6)

4. Connect the Null Modem Cable (page 8).

5. Connect the SCSI Cables (page 10).

6. Connect the Power Cable (page 14).

7. Enter the Password (page 15).

8. Assign a SCSI ID (page 16).

9. Configuring the UltraTrak (page 17).

10. Partition and Format the Array (page 28).

Unpack UltraTrak

Open the UltraTrak box and carefully remove the UltraTrak unit and accessories
from the box. Be sure to remove the packing foam from within the UltraTrak door.
The UltraTrak and accessories include the following items:

• UltraTrak unit • External LVD SCSI cable

• Quick Start Guide • Power cord

• Two drive-carrier keys • Screw sets for hard drives

• Null Modem Cable

• SCSI Terminator

(included when there is no
internal SCSI termination)

• CD with PAM Utility and User

Manual, UltraTrak User Manual

• (4) Rubber Feet (RM8000 only)

• (2) Rackmount Ears (RM8000 only)

Note

The Promise Array Management (PAM) utility provides monitoring and
maintenance of your RAID through a graphic user interface (GUI) on
your PC. Install PAM from the CD that comes with UltraTrak. You can
also download it from the Promise website (www.promise.com)

.

PAM will manage one UltraTrak system per PC.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

4

Mount UtraTrak RM8000 in Rack

The UltraTrak may be installed in any convenient location within the LVD SCSI
cable length distance of the next SCSI device. The UltraTrak RM8000 is
designed specifically for rack mount installation but may also serve on a bench
top as well.

The UltraTrak RM8000 installs on a customer supplied standard 19-inch wide
rack mount tray. Assemble the Mounting Brackets on each side of the RM8000
and set the unit onto an already installed rack mount tray and then secure it to
the rack with four screws.

Assemble the Mounting Bracket and Handle before installing the UltraTrak
RM8000 into a rack (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Mounting Bracket Assembly (only one of two sides shown)

Chapter 2: Getting Started

5

Figure 2. Rack Mounted RM8000

Front Door Release Screws, 2 plc.

Part of Rack

(Vertical Mounting Rail)

Rack Mounting Tray or Shelf

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

6

Install Hard Drives

Before using, the UltraTrak must first be populated with ATA hard drives. The
UltraTrak can support hard drives in the configurations listed below.

Number of Hard Drives

RAID

Configuration

Minimum

Max

(SX4000)

Max

(SX/RM8000)

RAID 0 2 4 8

RAID 1 2 2 2

RAID 3 3 4 8

RAID 5 3 4 8

RAID 0+1 4 4 8

RAID 30 6 – 8

RAID 50 6 – 8

JBOD (Single Drive) 1 4 8

You may mix manufacturer type and drive size – however, best performance is
achieved when you populate the array with identical models.

Before installing a new hard drive, be sure the jumpers on the new hard drives
are set for single or master operation. Consult the drive manual for the proper
settings.

Install new hard drives into the UltraTrak by doing the following:

1. Open the Front Panel Door on the UltraTrak.

2. Unlock the Drive Carrier Latching Mechanism and remove an unused Drive
Carrier on the UltraTrak. Begin at the top and work down (see Figure 3).

3. Attach the Drive Carrier power cable to the hard drive (see Figure 14 on
page 33).

4. Attach the Drive Carrier ATA data cable to the hard drive (see Figure 14 on
page 33).

5. Lower the hard drive into the Drive Carrier so that the screw holes on the
bottom line up.

6. Insert screws through the holes in the Drive Carrier and into the bottom of
the hard drive. Tighten each screw; be careful not to over tighten (see
Figure 13 on page 32).

7. Slide the assembled Drive Carrier back into the UltraTrak and lock the Drive
Carrier lock.

8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 until all of the new hard drives are installed.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

7

Caution

If you plan to operate your UltraTrak SX4000 with less than four hard
disk drives or your UltraTrak SX/RM8000 with less than eight hard disk
drives, be sure to install all of the Drive Carriers into the Chassis, even if
they are not holding a drive.

Front Panel Door

Drive Carrier Lock

Drive Carrier Latching Mechanism

Hinges out toward Front Panel Door

Drive Carrier Assembly

Pulled part way out

Figure 3. UltraTrak Disk Drive Access (SX4000 Shown)

Note

The Drive Carrier Latching Mechanism must be locked or the disk drive
will not power up.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

8

Figure 4. UltraTrak Drive Carrier

Connecting the Null Modem Cable

Attach one end of the Null Modem Cable to a COM Port on your PC or
Workstation. Attach the other end to the COM Port on the UltraTrak.

Figure 5. COM Port Connector on SX4000/8000. RM8000 similar.

Insert the carrier into the
chassis this way.

COM Port Connector

Chapter 2: Getting Started

9

SCSI Termination on UltraTrak

Your UltraTrak unit may have internal or external SCSI termination. Either
method is equally effective. But you enable each one differently. Therefore, you
must know which method your system has.

An UltraTrak with internal SCSI termination:

• Did not come with an external terminator.

• Has a SCSI Terminator function in the LCD menu.

To access the internal SCSI Termination:

1. Switch the power on and wait for the UltraTrak to initialize.

2. Press the SEL button on the front panel.

3. Press

button to select Configuration mode, then press SEL.

4. Enter the correct password (see page 15), then press SEL.

5. Press

button to select Configure SCSI, then press SEL.

6. Press button to select SCSI Terminator, then press SEL to toggle

between Enabled and Disabled.

7. Press the EXIT button until you return to the Idle mode.

When the SCSI Terminator is enabled, UltraTrak will terminate itself
automatically.

An UltraTrak with external SCSI termination:

• Comes with an external terminator (right).

• Does not have a SCSI Terminator function in the

LCD menu.

• Has a sticker on the back of the chassis (below).

The external SCSI terminator attaches to the SCSI output connector of the last
device in the SCSI chain, as explained on the following pages.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

10

Connecting the SCSI Cables

Installation of the UltraTrak disk array is very similar to the installation of a
standard SCSI drive. The SCSI connector accepts the standard 68-pin LVD SCSI
connector used on most LVD SCSI devices. Refer to your system and/or SCSI
host adapter manual for additional installation procedures that may apply to your
system or host adapter.

Figure 6. SCSI Connectors on SX4000/8000. RM8000 similar.

Caution

To prevent possible damage to the array or system, ensure that system
power is OFF before connecting the cables.

SCSI Cable Connection and Termination

Two 68-pin wide SCSI connectors are provided on the back of the enclosure for
connecting the array to the system. These connectors are used in one of two
ways:

• If the UltraTrak disk array is the only external SCSI device, or is the last

external device in a daisy-chained configuration, connect the incoming cable
(the one attached to the PC’s SCSI adapter) to the SCSI Input Connector.

If the UltraTrak has internal SCSI termination, and this feature has been

enabled, it will terminate itself automatically.

If the UltraTrak has external SCSI termination, attach the external terminator

to the SCSI Output Connector.

• If the array is to be placed in the middle of a daisy-chained configuration,

attach the incoming cable (the one which is attached to the SCSI adapter) to
the SCSI Input Connector and attach the outgoing cable (the one which
continues on to other devices) to the SCSI Output Connector.

No terminator is required at the UltraTrak. However, the last device in the

daisy chain must be terminated, either internally or by attaching an external
terminator.

SCSI Output
Connector

SCSI Input
Connector

Chapter 2: Getting Started

11

Correct SCSI termination procedures require that the first and last devices on the
SCSI bus be terminated. If the first or last device is not terminated, or if devices
other than the first and last are terminated, erratic SCSI bus performance may
occur.

Typically, the system or host adapter is the first device and is already terminated.
When installing the UltraTrak disk array on a SCSI bus with other devices, make
sure the above rules are observed with all devices on the SCSI bus. Consult your
system and/or host adapter manual for additional information on correct
termination procedure.

SCSI-IN

SCSI-OUT/TERM

Figure 7. SCSI Terminator attaches to the SCSI Output Connector.

Caution

Improper system operation may occur if the SCSI termination is
incorrect. Proper termination and SCSI-3 compliant cables must be used.
A SCSI-3 compliant cable is included with the UltraTrak.

Terminator

SCSI Output
Connector

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

12

Daisy Chaining Multiple Arrays

Use a standard 68-pin SCSI-3 cable assembly to attach the array to the SCSI
chain. Attach each cable to the individual units to be connected on the SCSI bus.
Ensure that each device has a unique SCSI ID and that only the first and last
devices are terminated.

If the last UltraTrak in the chain has internal SCSI termination (see page 9), be
sure the termination feature is enabled.

If the last UltraTrak in the chain has external SCSI termination (see page 9),
attach the external terminator to the SCSI Output Connector as shown in
Figure 8.

Figure 8. Daisy Chaining Several UltraTraks Together with an external

terminator on the last unit.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

13

Daisy Chaining with Other SCSI Devices

This procedure is essentially the same as the procedure outlined above for
multiple arrays. Refer to the manual associated with the other device or devices
for additional information that may be pertinent to that unit. Ensure that each
device has a unique SCSI ID and that only the first and last devices are
terminated.

If the last device in the chain has internal SCSI termination, be sure the
termination feature is enabled. See the device’s user manual to learn how it
terminates the SCSI chain.

If the last device in the chain has external SCSI termination, attach an external
terminator to the SCSI Output Connector as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Daisy Chaining UltraTrak with Other SCSI Devices with an external

terminator on last device.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

14

Connect Power Cable and Switch Power On

The UltraTrak SX4000 disk array includes a single power supply; The UltraTrak
SX8000 and RM8000 include two replaceable power supply modules.

Both systems will operate on either 115 volts AC or 230 volts AC. Ensure that the
voltage switch on the back of each power supply is set to your local voltage. See
Figure10.

Warning

To prevent serious damage to the UltraTrak, be sure that the voltage­select switch on the back of the power supply is set to your local voltage.

Figure 10. Voltage Switches on SX4000 (left) and RM/SX8000 (right).

Main Power Switch

The power switch is located on the back of cabinet (right).
Switch the UltraTrak power on by pressing the portion of this
switch marked “I”. Switch the power off by pressing the portion
of this switch marked “O”.

Voltage
Switch

Voltage
Switch

Main Power
Switch

Chapter 2: Getting Started

15

Enter or Change the Password

You are prompted for a password each time you access the UltraTrak
Configuration Mode. A password consists of four digits. The default password is

0000.

Enter Password

You are prompted to enter the correct password each time you access the
UltraTrak Configuration mode.

Please Enter Password:
0 0 0 0

The active password digit is marked by an
underscore.

Password entry begins with the left-most digit. You must enter the proper value before
proceeding to the next digit. You change the value of the active password digit by pressing

either the

button or the button. The button increments the digit downward (as, 0,

9, 8, 7 …). The

button increments the digit upward (as, 0, 1, 2, 3 …).

Press the SEL button to proceed to the next digit or to submit the password if you
have just entered the last digit. You are given access to the Configuration menu
if you entered the password correctly.

Change Password

You may change the password by doing the following procedure:

1. From the Idle mode display, use the

button to select Change Password.

2. Press the SEL button.

3. Enter Old Password.

4. Enter New Password.

5. Press Exit at the New password saved prompt.

Reset to Default Password

You can reset the password back to its default value of 0000 by momentarily
shorting pins 1 and 2 of the Password Reset Jumper located on the controller
board. See Appendix E: Replacing the Controller Card at the end of this manual
for information about accessing the controller board.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

16

Figure 11. Location of Password Reset Jumper on Controller Board

Assign a SCSI ID

Each device on a SCSI chain must have a unique ID. The default SCSI ID setting
of the UltraTrak is 0. If you need to change the SCSI ID setting of the UltraTrak,
do the following:

1. From the Idle mode display, press the SEL button on the front panel.

2. Press

button once to select Configuration, then press SEL button.

3. Enter the password at the prompt (see Enter Password on page 15).

4. At the Configuration menu, use the

button to select Configure SCSI,

and then press the SEL button. (See page 60 for more details.)

5. At the Configure SCSI menu, use the button to select the SCSI ID, and
then press the SEL button. (See page 62 for more details.)

6. At the SCSI ID menu, use the and button to select the SCSI ID
number, and then press the SEL button. (See page 62 for more details.)

7. Press the EXIT button until you return to the Idle mode. (See page 36 for
more details.)

Chapter 2: Getting Started

17

Configure the UltraTrak

The configuration procedures for the UltraTrak SX4000, UltraTrak SX8000 and
UltraTrak RM8000 are exactly the same. The following procedures provide the
basic steps needed to create an array and get your UltraTrak running quickly.
Before beginning, you need to decide if you will create an array using the
automatic setup features or if you will create the array manually. Both procedures
are provided, but you can only use one of them.

You may want UltraTrak to create the array for you if you do not have a good
technical understanding of various RAID technologies.

How to Automatically Create an Array

1. Ensure that the UltraTrak power is off.

2. Install the disk drives into the UltraTrak and lock the Drive Carrier lever.

3. Switch the power on and wait for the UltraTrak to initialize.

4. Press the SEL button on the front panel.

5. Press

button once to select Configuration, then press SEL button.

6. Enter the password at the prompt (see Enter Password on page 15).

7. At Configure Array, press SEL.

8. Array Setup should be selected, press SEL.
If the message “*No Free Disk” appears, it means that an array has already
been configured. If you wish to re-create a new array, then you need to first
delete the existing array before you can proceed. (See page 50, “Delete
Array”, for more details.)

9. With RAID Level selected, press SEL.

10. Use the

and button to select the proper RAID level for your array,
press SEL to choose the selected RAID level. See Choosing a RAID level
on page 21 for help in choosing the proper RAID level.

11. Press SEL to create the array or press EXIT to cancel.

12. If you elected to create the array then you should see the message “Array
has been created.”

13. Switch the UltraTrak power off – wait a few seconds and switch the power
back on.

You have successfully created an array automatically. If you haven’t already
done so, you need to select a SCSI ID before you can begin using the UltraTrak.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

18

How to Manually Create an Array

1. Ensure that the UltraTrak power is off.

2. Install the disk drives into the UltraTrak and lock the Drive Carrier lever.

3. Switch the power on and wait about one minute for the UltraTrak to
initialize.

4. Press the SEL button on the front panel.

5. Press

button once to select Configuration, then press SEL button.

6. Enter the password at the prompt (see Enter Password on page 15).

7. At Configure Array, press SEL.

8. Press button twice to select Define Array, then press SEL.

9. With RAID Level selected, press SEL.

10. Use the

and button to select the proper RAID level for your array,
press SEL to choose the selected RAID level. See Choosing a RAID level
on page 21 for help in choosing the proper RAID level.

Note

If you wish to make a RAID 0+1 array using 4, 6, or 8 drives you need to
choose RAID 1 (mirroring) and then follow the steps below to create the
array.

11. Press SEL to assign Stripe Block Size. 64KB is the default value and is
optimum for most applications. Choosing the proper Stripe Block Size
facilitates efficient data flow. You might want to choose a different value if
you know the size of the cache buffer in your hard drives or the average
data block size of the data you retrieve. See Choosing Stripe Block Size on
page 20 for more information.

12. Press

button to choose the Gigabyte Boundary feature. Press SEL to
toggle between Gigabyte Boundary ON and Gigabyte Boundary OFF.
The size of the array is always restricted by the size of the lowest capacity
disk drive. Gigabyte Boundary ON (recommended) causes the size of the
array to be rounded down to the nearest whole gigabyte. Gigabyte
Boundary OFF does not round off the size of the array. (For example:
Enabled—1.6GB = 1GB; Disabled—1.6GB = 1.6GB.) See Gigabyte
boundary on page 20 for more information.

Note

The Gigabyte Boundary feature is only available for RAID levels 1, 0+1,
3, 5, 30 and 50.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

19

13. Press button to choose the Add/Remove Drives feature then press
SEL.

14. Use the

and button to select each drive. Press SEL to toggle between

adding or removing a drive. Press EXIT when done.

15. Press SEL to Save Changes

16. Press SEL to create the array or press EXIT to cancel.

17. If you pressed SEL to create the array then you should see the message
“Array has been created.”

18. Switch the UltraTrak power off – wait 5 seconds and switch the power back
on.

You have successfully created an array manually. If haven’t already done so, you
need to select a SCSI ID before you can begin using the UltraTrak.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

20

Gigabyte Boundary

The Gigabyte Boundary feature is designed for fault tolerant arrays (RAID 1, 0+1,
3, 5, 30, and 50) in which a drive has failed and the user cannot replace the drive
with the same capacity or larger. Instead, the Gigabyte Boundary feature permits
the installation of a replacement drive that is slightly smaller (within 1 gigabyte)
than the remaining working drive (for example, a 20.5GB drive would be rounded
down to 20GB). This can be helpful in the event that a drive fails and an exact
replacement model is no longer available. Without this feature enabled, UltraTrak
will NOT permit the use of a replacement drive that is slightly smaller than the
remaining working drive.

For the Gigabyte Boundary feature to work, the Gigabyte Boundary feature must
be set to ON when the original array is created. When enabled, the Gigabyte
Boundary feature rounds the drive capacity of all drives to the common whole GB
drive size. For example, with the Gigabyte Boundary feature enabled, the
remaining working drives can be 20.5GB and the replacement drive can be 20.3,
since all are rounded down to 20GB. This permits the smaller drive to be used.
Please note that users will lose a small amount of available storage capacity from
each drives in order to arrive at a common drive size.

Choosing Stripe Block Size

There are two issues to consider when selecting the Stripe Block Size.

First, you should choose a Stripe Block Size equal-to or smaller than the smallest
cache buffer found on any array disk drive. Selecting a larger value slows the
array down because disk drives with smaller cache buffers need more time for
multiple accesses to fill their buffers.

Secondly, if your data retrieval consists of fixed data blocks, such as with some
database or video applications – then you should choose that size as your Stripe
Block Size.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

21

Choosing a RAID Level

There are several issues to consider when choosing the RAID Level for your
UltraTrak array. Appendix B: Technology Background on page 71 gives some
technical insight regarding each RAID choice and the following discussion
summarizes some advantages, disadvantages and applications for each choice.

RAID 0

Advantages Disadvantages

Implements a striped disk array, the data is
broken down into blocks and each block is
written to a separate disk drive

I/O performance is greatly improved by
spreading the I/O load across many
channels and drives

No parity calculation overhead is involved

Not a true RAID because it is not fault­tolerant

The failure of just one drive will result in all
data in an array being lost

Should not be used in mission critical
environments

Recommended Applications for RAID 0

• Image Editing

• Pre-Press Applications

• Any application requiring high bandwidth

RAID 1

Advantages Disadvantages

Simplest RAID storage subsystem design

Can increase read performance by
processing data requests in parallel since
the same data resides on two different
drives

High disk overhead - uses only 50% of
total capacity

Recommended Applications for RAID 1

• Accounting

• Payroll

• Financial

• Any application requiring very high availability

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RAID 3

Advantages Disadvantages

High Read data transfer rate

Disk failure has an insignificant impact on
throughput

Parity drive can become bottleneck if a lot
of data is being written to the array

Recommended Applications for RAID 3

• Image Editing

• Prepress Applications

• Any application requiring high throughput

RAID 5

Characteristics/Advantages Disadvantages

High Read data transaction rate

Medium Write data transaction rate

Good aggregate transfer rate

Disk failure has a medium impact on
throughput

Recommended Applications for RAID 5

• File and Application servers

• WWW, E-mail, and News servers

• Intranet servers

• Most versatile RAID level

RAID 0+1

Characteristics/Advantages Disadvantages

Implemented as a mirrored array whose
segments are RAID 0 arrays

High I/O rates are achieved thanks to
multiple stripe segments

High disk overhead - uses only 50% of
total capacity

Recommended Applications for RAID 0+1

• Imaging applications

• Database servers

• General fileserver

Chapter 2: Getting Started

23

RAID 30

Advantages Disadvantages

High Read data transfer rate

High reliability

Supports large volume sizes

Higher disk overhead than RAID 3

Recommended Applications for RAID 30

• Image Editing

• Video streaming

• Any application requiring high availability and high speed

RAID 50

Characteristics/Advantages Disadvantages

High Read data transaction rate

Medium Write data transaction rate

Good aggregate transfer rate

High reliability

Supports large volume sizes

Higher disk overhead than RAID 5

Recommended Applications for RAID 50

• File and Application servers

• Transaction processing

• Office application with many users accessing small files

JBOD

Characteristics/Advantages Disadvantages

Uses 100% capacity of all hard drives

The failure of one drive will result in all data
on that drive being lost

Should not be used in mission critical
environments

Recommended Applications for JBOD

• File archiving

• General fileserver

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24

Expanding an Array

Expanding an array increases the array capacity without affecting data
availability. You can expand an existing array by adding one or more free disk
drives to the array using the Expand Array function.

Follow these steps to add a disk drive to the UltraTrak enclosure:

1. Ensure that the UltraTrak power is off.

2. Install the disk drives into the UltraTrak and lock the Drive Carrier lever.

3. Switch the power on and wait about one minute for the UltraTrak to
initialize.

When the new disk drive is already installed in the UltraTrak cabinet, follow these
steps to add the drive to an existing array:

1. Press the SEL button on the front panel.

2. Press

button once to select Configuration, then press SEL.

3. Enter the password at the prompt (see Enter Password on page 15).

4. At Configure Array, press SEL.

5. Press

button a few times to select Expand Array then press SEL.

6. At Source Array ID, press SEL.
Choose the array you wish to expand and press SEL.

7. Press the

button to select Add New Drives then press SEL.

Choose the drive you wish to add then pres SEL.

8. Press the button twice to select Save Changes then press SEL.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

25

RAID Conversion

Existing arrays can be converted to a different RAID level of equal or greater
capacity to add flexibility, redundancy or for tuning an array for a different storage
application. UltraTrak supports the following conversions:

From To Comments

RAID 30 Retains the same capacity but allows parity to be written

to separate drives.

RAID 5 Some reduction in performance, lower disk overhead.

RAID 3 Some reduction in performance, lower disk overhead.

RAID 0+1 Full redundancy instead of parity. 8 drives required.

RAID 50

RAID 0 Increases capacity and performance but loses data

redundancy.

RAID 50 Retains the same capacity but stripes parity all drives.

RAID 5 Some reduction in performance, lower disk overhead.

RAID 3 Some reduction in performance, lower disk overhead.

RAID 0+1 Full redundancy instead of parity. 8 drives required.

RAID 30

RAID 0 Increases capacity and performance but loses data

redundancy.

RAID 50

RAID 30

Increases performance. 6 or 8 drives required.

RAID 3 Retains the same capacity but allows parity to be written

to only one drive.

RAID 0+1 Full redundancy instead of parity. 4, 6 or 8 drives

required.

RAID 5

RAID 0 Increases the capacity and performance but loses the

data redundancy.

RAID 50

RAID 30

Increases performance. 6 or 8 drives required.

RAID 5 Retains the same capacity but stripes parity all drives.

RAID 0+1 Full redundancy instead of parity. 4, 6 or 8 drives

required.

RAID 3

RAID 0 Increases capacity and performance but loses data

redundancy.

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From To Comments

RAID 50

RAID 30

Increases performance. 6 or 8 drives required.

RAID 5

RAID 3

Adds performance, capacity and redundancy. 3 or more
drives required.

RAID 0+1 Adds performance and capacity. 4, 6 or 8 drives

required.

RAID 1

RAID 0 Increases capacity and performance but loses data

redundancy.

RAID 50

RAID 30

Increases performance. 6 or 8 drives required

RAID 5

RAID 3

Adds performance, capacity and redundancy. 3 or more
drives required.

RAID 0+1 Adds performance and capacity. 4, 6 or 8 drives

required.

RAID 0

RAID 1 Halves capacity but adds data redundancy. 2 drives

required. Only single-drive arrays can be converted to
RAID 1.

Important

• The Target array may require more disk drives than the Source array.

• If the Target array requires an even number of disk drives but the

Source array has an odd number, add a disk drive as part of the
conversion process.

• You cannot reduce the number of disk drives in your array, even if

the Target array requires fewer disk drives than the Source array.

Note

RAID 1 (mirroring) works with two drives only. Only a single-drive RAID 0
or single-drive JBOD array can be converted to RAID 1. Other RAID
Levels use too many drives.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

27

You may need to add one or more drives to the array before you can perform a
conversion. To add drives, see Expanding an Array, above.

Do the following steps to convert an array:

1. Press the SEL button on the front panel.

2. Press button once to select Configuration, then press SEL.

3. Enter the password at the prompt (see Enter Password on page 15).

4. At Configure Array, press SEL.

5. Press button a few times to select RAID Conversion then press SEL.

6. At Source Array ID, press SEL.
Choose the array you wish to convert and press SEL.

7. Press the

button to select Target RAID Level then press SEL.

Choose the RAID level you wish to convert to, then pres SEL.

8. Press the button three times to select Save Changes then press SEL.

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Hot Spare Drive(s)

A good precaution to protecting your array integrity in the event of drive failure is
maintaining a hot spare drive. A hot spare is a drive that is connected to the array
system, but is not assigned as a member of the array. In the event of the failure
of a drive within a functioning fault tolerant array, the hot spare is activated as a
member of the array. The spare drive effectively takes the place of the failed
drive and the RAID system immediately begins to rebuild data on the drive. When
the rebuild is complete, the array is returned to fault tolerant status. Once the
failed drive is replaced, the new drive is automatically recognized as a hot spare
in the event of a subsequent drive fault.

Partition and Format the Array

Like any other type of fixed disk media in your system, a RAID array must also be
partitioned and formatted before use. Use the same method of partitioning and
formatting on an array as you would any other fixed disk drive.

Depending on the operating system you use, there may or may not be various
capacity limitations applicable for the different types of partitions.

29

Chapter 3: Array Maintenance

Drive Status Indicators

As shown in the figure below, each drive has three status LEDs.

Figure 12. Location of Drive Status Indicators (SX4000 shown)

Meaning of Status Indicators

Indicator Color Meaning

Power Off No disk drive power – power off or no disk installed.

Green Disk power on.

Status Green Normal

Amber Data is being rebuilt to this drive

Red Failed

Disk Off No drive installed or the drive has failed

Green This will blink on and off to indicate disk activity

Note

See Chapter 4 for a discussion of the Front Panel Interface.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

30

Critical & Offline Arrays

A fault tolerant array goes “critical” when a drive is removed or fails. Due to the
fault tolerance of the array, the data is still available and online. However, once
the array goes critical, the array has lost its fault tolerance, and performance may
be adversely affected. If the fault was caused by a drive that was removed, the
drive should be replaced by another drive, either identical or larger, in order for
the RAID system to rebuild and restore optimal configuration.

A non-fault tolerant array goes “offline” when a drive is removed or fails. Since
the array is not fault tolerant, the data stored in the array is no longer accessible.
If the drive was removed, then it should be replaced to restore accessibility to the
array. If the drive failed, then the entire array must be deleted and re-initialized
since all data is considered lost.

Rebuilding/Synchronizing Fault Tolerant Arrays

Though a critical array can continue storage operations, it no longer offers fault
tolerance and should be addressed as soon as possible by replacing the missing
or failed drive(s).

Rebuild takes a replacement drive, assigns it to the array, and then writes the
redundancy data to it. Once the rebuild process is complete, the array status is
upgraded from “critical” to “functional” and fault tolerance is restored.

Synchronization is a preventative maintenance measure used to avoid problems
with data integrity. Synchronizing simply recalculates redundant data (similar to
the rebuild process) and matches the data on the drive(s).

To synchronize the array, go to the Configuration menu and select Configure

Array; then select Advance Features and choose Synchronize Array.

When a Disk Drive Fails

The UltraTrak provides both audible and visual indicators alerting you of a drive
failure. The following occur when a disk drive fails or goes offline:

• Continuously produces short beeps every two seconds when a drive fails.

• Continuously produces long beeps every 15 seconds when a drive is offline.

• The Status LED on the front panel is yellow.

• The disk drive Status LED (inside front panel door) is red.

• The LCD displays a status message about the failure.

A fault tolerant array goes “offline” when two disk drives fail or are removed. It will
also go “offline” when it encounters a bad sector on a disk drive while rebuilding
(see page 58). The data stored in the array is intact but it is no longer accessible.
At this point, you must determine the cause of the problem and take corrective
action. Once the array is restored to “critical” condition, you can access your
data. When restored to “functional” condition, fault tolerance is restored.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

31

Replacing a Disk Drive Module

UltraTrak disk drive modules should not be removed unless it has been
determined that a drive in the array has failed.

Generally, a disk drive that is a member of a fault tolerant array may be replaced
at any time without affecting the availability of data to the system. Depending on
the RAID type, drive removed, and type of access, performance may be reduced
until the drive is replaced.

Disk drives may be replaced while UltraTrak is running; special circuitry is
designed into the UltraTrak that protects the components and notifies the
processor.

Only a failed drive should be removed from the array. Removing any other drive
may cause the array to become unavailable. The replacement drive must be of
equal capacity or larger than the failed drive.

In arrays where a hot spare is already installed, the hot spare automatically
replaces the failed drive. When the failed drive is replaced, the new drive
becomes the new hot spare.

Reconstruction begins automatically as soon as a replacement drive becomes
available to the array. However, if the replacement drive was formerly part of
another array, then the previous array information must be deleted (from the
replacement drive – see page 50, “Delete Array”, for more details) before
reconstruction begins.

Warning

The electronic components within the UltraTrak disk array are sensitive
to damage from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge). Appropriate precautions
should be observed at all times when handling the array or its
subassemblies.

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32

Drive Replacement

4 screws

The bottom of the disk drive sets
into the mounting assembly.
Secure the disk drive in place
with four screws.

Drive Carrier Latching Mechanism

Drive Carrier Lock

Figure 13. Drive Carrier

Caution

Do not replace the bad drive while reconstruction of the hot spare drive is
in progress. Wait until the System LED and all the drive LEDs (except
the failed drive) are green before replacing the failed drive.

Do the following to replace an ATA hard drive:

1. Open the Front Panel Door on the UltraTrak.

2. Remove the hard drive you wish to replace from the UltraTrak by unlocking
the Drive Carrier lock and sliding out the Drive Carrier.

3. Unplug the power cable and the ATA data cable from the old hard drive.

4. Remove the four screws that secure the hard drive to the Drive Carrier and
remove the old hard drive from the Drive Carrier.

5. Prepare to install the new hard drive by ensuring that the jumpers on the
new hard drive are set for single or master operation. Consult the drive
manual for the proper settings.

6. Attach the Drive Carrier power cable to the new hard drive.

7. Attach the Drive Carrier ATA data cable to the new hard drive.

8. Lower the new hard drive into the Drive Carrier so that the screw holes on
the bottom line up.

9. Insert screws through the holes in the Drive Carrier and into the bottom of
the new hard drive. Tighten each screw; be careful not to over tighten.

10. Slide the assembled Drive Carrier back into the UltraTrak and lock the Drive
Carrier lock.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

33

Connect Power Cable to
the Disk Drive

Connect Drive Data Cable
to the Disk Drive

Drive Carrier

Latching Mechanism

Disk Drive

Figure 14. Connecting Cables to Disk Drive

Warning

Only qualified service personnel should remove and replace a power
supply module.

Replacing a Power Supply Module (–8000 series only)

The UltraTrak SX8000 and RM8000 disk array contains two hot-swappable
redundant power supplies. Normally, these supplies share the load between
them. However each power supply is capable of providing the power needed to
maintain the array’s normal operation. Each power supply LED should be on. An
off or blinking LED on the power supply indicates that the power supply has failed
and should be replaced. A power supply failure is also accompanied by an
audible alarm.

Note

Press the Power Supply Alarm Reset button to turn off the alarm. See
Figure 15.

Contact your dealer or reseller for additional details and assistance in obtaining a
replacement supply.

These power supplies are accessible from the rear of the unit (see Figure 15 on
the next page). The power supply may be removed and replaced with an identical
power supply while the array remains in operation. To protect the electronic
circuits, special sensing circuitry is incorporated into the design of the UltraTrak
8000 series disk array that detects the insertion or removal of a power supply.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

34

Only trained and qualified personnel should remove the power supplies from the
UltraTrak units.

1. Switch the failed power supply OFF.

2. Remove the power supply locking screw.

3. Using the pull handle on the power supply pull it from the chassis.

4. Insert the new power supply into the chassis and switch the power supply
power ON.

5. Check that the Power LED indicator is illuminated.

6. Insert and tighten the power supply locking screw.

Warning

Risk of electrical shock. When either power supply module is removed
from the chassis, AC power is accessible at the circuitry in the power
supply chassis. Only trained and qualified personnel should remove the
power supplies.

Figure 15. Back of UltraTrak SX8000 showing the Power Supplies

(RM8000 is similar).

Power Supply Alarm
Reset Button

Module 2 Voltage
Select Switch

Module 1
Power Switch

Module 1
Voltage Select
Switch

Module 2
Power Switch

UltraTrak
Power Switch

35

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

The front panel interface for the UltraTrak consist of following items:

Type of Interface Name Comments

Power Power Indicator

Activity Indicator
Green Enclosure functioning normally.

Amber An array is critical, a power supply has

failed, or a fan has failed.

LED Indicators

Status

Red An array is offline or the enclosure is

too hot.

SCSI Bus Activity Indicator blinks to indicate activity on the

SCSI bus.

Liquid Crystal
Display

Message Display
Panel

This is a 24-character by 2-row LCD that displays

various setup, status, and error messages.

Control Buttons

Pressing this button scrolls any available

messages up through the LCD and activates a

message for the Select button.

Pressing this button scrolls any available

messages down through the LCD and activates a

message for the Select button.

SEL Pressing this button selects the LCD’s active

message.

EXIT Pressing this button exits the active message

display to the previous level.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

36

The LCD Messages

The UltraTrak LCD message display panel has the following modes of operation:

• Idle mode

• Error mode

• Initial mode

Idle Mode

Provides an error
message

Error Mode

View Status
Configuration
Change Password

Initial Mode

Idle Mode

The Idle mode message, such as shown below, is displayed during normal
operation of the UltraTrak when there are no problems or buttons being pressed:

Array Functi on al
30°C/86°F 4500RPM

What you can do:

Array status may be:
 Array Functional
 Array Critical
 Array Offline
 No array is defined

Press SEL: Press to enter Initial mode menu.

Press

:

Press to enter Initial mode menu.

Press

:

Press to enter Initial mode menu.

Press EXIT:

Do nothing.

See next page

See page 38

See page 40
See page 44
See page 15

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

37

The first line of the Idle mode menu will display one of the following status
messages:

Array Functional The array is fully operational, and no problems are

present.

Array Critical The array is operational, but has lost its fault tolerance.

For RAID array levels 1, 0+1, 3, 5, 30, and 50 the array
contains a failed drive. The user should identify and
replace the failed drive.

Array Offline The array is no longer operational. The array must be

rebuilt from the last tape backup or other device. For
RAID levels 1, 0+1, 3, 5, 30, and 50 at least two or
more drives in the array have failed. For a RAID 0
array, at least one drive has failed. The user should
identify and replace the failed drives.

No array is
defined

An array has not been defined. The user should define
an array for the UltraTrak to be functional.

The second line of the Idle mode menu can also provide the following error
information:

Fan Error Fan speed is <2000RPM or >5500RPM

Array Rebuilding xx% At least one array is rebuilding

Array Synchronizing xx% At least one array is synchronizing

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38

Initial Mode

Change Password

View Controller Info
View Cache Stats
View Array Information
View Enclosure

View Status

Configure Array
Configure Cache
Configure SCSI

Configuration

Initial Mode Menu

You may select one of the following functions from the Initial mode menu:

View Status
Configuration

Change Password

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

View St at us

Moves the display to the View Status menu.

Configuration Moves the display to the Please Enter Password menu

and then to the Configure Array menu.

Change Password

Moves the display to the Change Password menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Idle mode.

See page 40

See page 39

See

pag

e 15

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

39

Configuration

Write Cache
Read Ahead
Cache Flush Frequency

Configure Cache

Mode
SCSI ID

Configure SCSI

Auto Array Setup
View Drive Assignment
Define Array
Delete Array
Expand Array
RAID Conversion
Advanced Feature

Configure Array

Configuration Menu

You enter the Configuration mode after entering the correct password. In
Configuration mode you may view the status of the UltraTrak system and
configure both UltraTrak hardware and arrays. The main configuration menu
allows the user to select the following menus:

Configure Array
Configur e Cache

Configure SCSI

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Configure Array

Moves the display to the Configure Array menu.

Configure Cache

Moves the display to the Configure Cache menu.

Configure SCSI

Moves the display to the Configure SCSI menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Idle mode.

See page 44

See page 59

See page 60

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40

View Status

Cache Memory Size
Cache Block Size
Cache Read Hit
Cache Write Hit

View Cache Stats

Memory Size
Hardware Rev
Firmware Rev

View Controller Info

Temp1
...
Temp4
Fan 1 Status
...
Fan 8 Status
5VIN
12VIN

View Enclosure

Array x Size
CHS Map
RAID x Status

View Array Information

See page 41

See page 42

See page 42

See page 43

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

41

View Status Menu

The View Status menu allows the user to select the information he wishes to view
with the following menu:

View Controller Info.
View Cache Stats

View Array Infor m ati on
View Enclosur e

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

View Controller Info.

Moves the display to the View Controller Info menu.

View Cache Stats

Moves the display to the View Cache Stats menu.

View Array Infor m ati o n

Moves the display to the View Array Information menu.

View Enclosur e

Moves the display to the View Enclosure menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration mode.

View Controller Information

The View Controller Information mode displays UltraTrak firmware revision,
memory size, and hardware revision:

Memory Siz e: 128 MB
Hardware Rev: PDC20276

Where the values shown are simply examples.

Firmware Rev: 1.0.0.15

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration mode.

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42

View Cache Stats

The View Cache Stats mode displays the cache memory size, cache block size,
the cache read hit percentage rate and the cache write hit percentage rate.

Cache Mem Size: 16 MB
Cache Blk Si ze: 64 KB

Where the values shown are simply examples.

Cache Read Hit : 10%
Cache Write Hi t : 15%

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration mode.

View Array Information

The View Array Information mode displays the array ID, array size, RAID level
and array status (Functional, Critical, Offline, Rebuilding and Synchronizing). If
these modes of display require more than 2 lines to display information the up
and down keys will be used to scroll the display.

The Array ID may be 1 – 8f

Array: 0 Size: 12GB
CHS Map: 2545/254/63

Where the values shown are simply examples.

RAID 0 Functional

RAID 0
RAID 1
RAID 3
RAID 5
RAID 30
RAID 50
RAID 0+1
JBOD

Functional

Critical

Rebuilding x%

Offline

Synchronizing x%

Array is Functioning properly

The array is in a degraded mode

Array is rebuilding – x% done

Array is down

Array is synchronizing – x% done

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the View Status mode.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

43

View Enclosure

The View Enclosure menu displays the following information:

Temp1: 30°C/86°F
Temp2: 30°C/86°F

Where the values shown are simply examples.

Temp3: 30°C/86°F
FAN 1 : 4782 RPM
… …
FAN 8 : 4983 RPM
5VIN: 5.07V
12VIN: 12.02V

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration mode.

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44

Configure Array

Provides a list of
installed disk drives.

View Drive Assignments

Provides a list of
assigned arrays.

Delete Array

RAID Level
Stripe Block Size
Gigabyte Boundary
Add/Remove Drives
Initialization
Set SCSI ID
Save Changes

Define Array

Source Array ID
Add New Drives
Save Changes

Expand Array

Source Array ID
Target RAID Level
Add New Drives
Save Changes

RAID Conversion

Wipeout Disk
Synchronize Array
Stop RAID Conversion
Disable Buzzer
Rebuild/Sync Pri.
Smart Check
HD Write Cache
Rebuild Media Error

Advanced Feature

Provides a list of
installed disk drives.

Provides a list of
assigned arrays.

Provides a list of
available RAID levels

Auto Array Setup

See page 54
See page 56

See page 46

See page 47

See page 48

See page 50

See page 51

See page 51

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

45

Configure Array

The Configure Array menu will allow the creation and deletion of arrays. The
configure array menu contains the following sub menus:

Auto Arra y Setup
View Drive Assig nm e nts

Define Array
Delete Array
Expand Array
RAID Conversi on
Advanced Feature

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Auto Array Setup Moves the display to the Auto Array Setup menu.

Pressing SEL goes to the RAID Level menu; press SEL
again to get to the Auto Array Setup menu.

View Dr ive As si gnm e nt s Moves the display to the View Drive Assignments

menu.

Defi ne Array

Moves the display to the Define Array menu.

Delete Array

Moves the display to the Delete Array menu.

Expand Array

Moves the display to the Expand Array menu.

RAID Co n version

Moves the display to the RAID Conversion menu.

Advanced Feature

Moves the display to the Advanced Feature menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration mode.

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46

Auto Array Setup Function

The Auto Array Setup function provides a list of the available RAID levels. Select
the RAID level that you wish to configure your array with.

RAID 0
RAID 1

Only the available RAID levels are displayed.

RAID 3
RAID 5
RAID 30
RAID 50
JBOD

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Pressing SEL will create the array with the selected RAID level. (See
next display.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT:

Press EXIT to cancel this function and return to the Configure Array
menu.

You will see the following choice after you have selected a RAID level:

Press SEL t o Create
Press EXIT to Cancel

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Pressing SEL will create the array. Cycle the UltraTrak power switch
when told “Please restart UTRAK.”

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT:

Press EXIT to cancel this function and return to the Configure Array
menu.

You will see the following message if all of the drives are already configured:

No Free Disk

What you can do:

Press SEL: Pressing SEL will save the array.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT:

Press EXIT to cancel this function and return to the Configure Array
menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

47

View Drive Assignments

The View Drive Assignments mode lists each installed drive by model and
identifies its array ID or that it is free (if it is not assigned to an array). Each drive
is displayed on one line.

1 MAXTOR Asgn In Ary 1
2 IBM Asgn I n Ary 2

Where the values shown are simply examples.

3 MAXTOR Asgn In Ary 3
4 VENDOR- U Free

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure Array menu.

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48

Define Array

The Define Array menu defines array parameters for the selected array. An array
number is selected by using the up/down key to select the array number field.
The SEL key is then used to select array number 1-4.

The parameter to be configured, RAID Level or Stripe Block size, is then selected
with up/down keys. Once the parameter is selected, the value is selected with the
up/down keys and then set by hitting the SEL key. If the Exit key is hit instead of
the SEL key the parameter value is not modified and the user may then select a
different parameter.

RAID Level
Stripe Block Size

 Stripe Block Size setting is not available in

RAID 1.

Gigabyte Boundary ON
Add/Remove Drives
Initialization ON
Save Changes

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

RAID Le v el

Moves the display to the RAID Level menu.

Stripe Block Si ze

Moves the display to the Stripe Block Size menu.

Gigabyte Boundary ON

Toggles between ON and OFF.

Add/Remove Drives

Moves the display to the Add/Remove Drives menu.

Initialization ON

Toggles between ON and OFF.

Set SCSI ID Choose a SCSI ID number from 0 to 15.
Save Ch an g es

Moves the display to the Save Changes menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure Array menu.

You will see the following message if the array is already defined:

No Free Disk

What you can do:

Press SEL: Pressing SEL will save the array.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT:

Press EXIT to cancel this function and return to the Configure Array
menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

49

Stripe Block Size

The Stripe Block Size menu allows you to select a Stripe Block Size between
4KB and 64KB:

4KB
8KB

16KB
32KB
64KB

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the active Stripe Block Size:

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Define Array menu.

Save Changes Menu

Press SEL t o Create
Press EXIT to Cancel

What you can do:

Press SEL: Pressing SEL will create the array.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT:

Press EXIT to cancel this function and return to the Configure Array
menu.

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50

Add/Remove Drives

The Add/Remove Drives menu assigns and removes drives from arrays. All free
drives are displayed as one drive per line format. The SEL key toggles the drive
between free and assigned. Assigned drives are designated by the word
Assigned and free drives are designated by the word Free.

1 MAXTOR Free
2 IBM Assigned

Where the values shown are simply examples.

3 MAXTOR Free
4 IBM Free

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Toggles the selected drive between Free and Assigned.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up.

Press

:

Moves the active message line down.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Define Array menu.

Delete Array

The Delete Array menu allows the user to select an array and delete the
configuration information for that array. This will also free any drives that have
been assigned to that array.

Array ID: 1 Only existing Array IDs are Displayed.
Array ID: 2

Array ID: 3
Array ID: 4

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Displays a Delete Array confirmation message.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure Array menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

51

Expand Array

The Expand Array menu allows the user to add free drives to an existing array –
thus increasing the storage capacity of the array.

Source Array ID
Add New Drives

Save Changes

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Source Array ID

Moves the display to the Source Array ID menu.

Add New Drives

Moves the display to the Add New Drives menu.

Save Ch an g es

Moves the display to the Save Changes menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure Array menu.

RAID Conversion

The RAID Conversion menu allows the user to convert an existing array to a
different RAID level.

Source Array ID
Target RAID Level

Add New Drives
Save Changes

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Source Array ID

Moves the display to the Source Array ID menu.

Target RAID Level

Moves the display to the Target RAID Level menu.

Add New Drives

Moves the display to the Add New Drives menu.

Save Ch an g es

Moves the display to the Save Changes menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure Array menu.

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52

Source Array ID

The Source Array ID menu lists the defined arrays and their current RAID level.
Select array you wish to modify.

Array ID: 1 RAID5 Only existing Array IDs are Displayed.
Array ID: 2 R AID 1

Array ID: 3 … …
Array ID: 4 … …

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Pressing SEL will choose the active array.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT:

Returns to the previous menu.

Add New Drives

The Add New Drives menu lists the available free drives. Select the drives you
wish to add.

5 VENDOR- U Free Only free drives are Displayed.
6 MAXTOR Free

7 IBM Free

8 IBM Free

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Pressing SEL will choose the active drive.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT:

Returns to the previous menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

53

Target RAID Level

The Target RAID Level menu lists the available RAID levels that you may convert
your existing array to.

RAID 0 Only available RAID Levels are Displayed.
RAID 1

RAID 3
RAID 5
RAID 0+1
JBOD

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Pressing SEL will choose the active RAID level.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT:

Returns to the previous menu.

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54

Advanced Feature

Wipe out disk

Synchroni ze Array
Stop RAID C onversion

Disable Buzzer
Rebuild/Sync Pri.
Smart Check Enabled
HD Write Cache Enabled
Rebuild Media Err Abort

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Wipe out dis k Moves the display to the Wipe out disk menu.
Synchronize Array Moves the display to the Synchronize Array menu.
Stop RAID Conversion Press to SEL stops a RAID conversion that is in progress.

The conversion process will continue when the UltraTrak
is restarted.

Disable Buzzer

Pressing SEL toggles between Enable and Disable.

Rebuild/Sync Pri.

Moves the display to the Rebuild/Sync Pri. menu.

Sm art Check

Pressing SEL toggles between Enabled and Disabled.

HD Wri te Cache

Pressing SEL toggles between Enabled and Disabled.

Rebuild Media Err

Pressing SEL toggles between Abort and Skip.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure Array menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

55

Wipe Out Disk

The Wipe Out Disk menu allows the user to delete the area on the hard drive that
contains array information used exclusively by the UltraTrak controller. It may be
necessary to wipe out a disk if the disk was previously a member of an UltraTrak
array and you wish to use the disk in a different UltraTrak array. To wipe out a
disk, go to the Configuration menu and select Configure Array; then select
Advance Features and choose Wipe Out Disk.

1 MAXTOR Asng In Ary 1
2 IBM Asng I n Ary 2

Where the values shown are simply examples.

3 MAXTOR Asng In Ary 3
4 IBM Asng I n Ary 4

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Displays a Wipe out disk confirmation message.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Advance Feature menu.

Caution

The Wipe Out Disk option will delete all data on the drive that is
selected.

Synchronize Array

The Synchronize Array menu allows the user to synchronize the data on each
drive. Synchronization is a maintenance procedure for fault tolerant arrays (RAID
1, 0+1, 3, 5, 30, and 50) to maintain data consistency on all drives. To
synchronize the array, go to the Configuration menu and select Configure
Array; then select Advance Features and choose Synchronize Array.

Array ID: 1 Only existing Array IDs are Displayed.
Array ID: 2

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL: Displays a Synchronize Array confirmation message.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Advance Feature menu.

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56

Important

Promise Technology suggests synchronizing an array once a month.

Synchronization is a preventative maintenance measure used to avoid problems
with data integrity. Synchronizing simply recalculates redundant data (similar to
the rebuild process) and matches the data on the drive(s).

Rebuild/Sync Priority

Assigns the amount of importance that UltraTrak gives to rebuilding/
synchronizing data in the background. A High setting assigns most of UltraTrak’s
resources to the rebuild process at the expense of responding to ongoing
read/write data requests by the operating system. A Low setting gives priority to
ongoing read/ write data requests by the operating system at the expense of the
rebuild/ synchronization process and will typically result in longer
rebuild/synchronization times. The default setting is High. To set the
Rebuild/Sync priority, go to the Configuration menu and select Configure
Array; then select Advance Features and choose Rebuild/Sync Pri.

Rebuild/Sync Pri. Low

What you can do:

Press SEL: Toggles the Rebuild/Sync priority between High or Low

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Advance Feature menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

57

Smart Check

SMART is Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology, a function of the
disk drives that gathers performance information used to predict a pending drive
failure. With this option enabled, the Controller will check the status of the disk
drives and report any problems. Under most conditions, there will be no apparent
difference in array performance with Smart Check enabled.

Smart Check Enabled

What you can do:

Press SEL: Toggles the Smart Check between Enabled or Disabled

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Advance Feature menu.

HD Write Cache

The Write Cache records data at the same time as the hard disk. If the same data
is needed right away, it is sent from the cache, rather than reading is from the
disk, speeding up read performance.

HD Write Cache Enabled

What you can do:

Press SEL: Toggles the HD Write Cache between Enabled or Disabled

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Advance Feature menu.

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58

Rebuild Media Error

Rebuild Media Error refers to whether the Controller will rebuild an array when it
encounters a media error (a bad sector) on one of the disk drives. This event will
cause the array to go “offline”.

When Abort is selected, the Controller will stop a rebuild operation if it
encounters a bad sector. You must replace the disk drive with the bad sector to
restore array function.

When Skip is selected, the Controller will continue rebuilding and work around
the bad sector and restore array function with the existing disk drive.

Rebuild Media Err Abort

What you can do:

Press SEL: Toggles the Rebuild Media Err between Abort or Skip

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press

:

Does nothing.

Press EXIT: Returns to the Advance Feature menu.

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

59

Always On

Configure Cache

Write Back
Write Thru

Write Cache

2 default
5
10
30
60

Cache Flush Frequency

Read Ahead

Configure Cache

The Configure Cache menu will allow the setting of cache parameters. The
following parameter is set in the Configure Cache menu:

Write Cache: Write Thru

Cache Flush Frequency
What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Wri te Cache

Toggles between Write Thru and Write Back.

Cache Flush Frequency

Moves the display to the Cache Flush Frequency menu.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration menu.

Setting the Write Cache to Write Back improves performance, because a write to
the high-speed cache is faster than to disk. Data normally written to disk is first
written into the UltraTrak’s cache, allowing the system CPU to continue with other
tasks while the UltraTrak handles writing data from its cache to the array.
However, write-back cache data is lost if power fails before the data has been
saved to disk. Setting the Write Cache to Write Thru forces UltraTrak to
immediately save all writes to the drive.

See below

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60

Configure SCSI

List SCSI IDs 0 thru
15 to be selected
from.

SCSI ID

ID
LUN

Mode

SCSI Terminator

Configure SCSI

The Configure SCSI menu will allow the setting of SCSI parameters. The
following parameters are set in the configure SCSI menu:

Mode
SCSI ID

SCSI Terminator Enabled

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

Mode

Move the display to the Mode menu.

SCSI ID

Move the display to the SCSI ID menu.

SCSI Terminator

Pressing SEL toggles between Enabled and Disabled.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configuration menu.

Caution

The SCSI Terminator feature pertains to UltraTraks with internal SCSI
termination. UltraTraks with external SCSI termination do not have this
feature and use an externally attached terminator instead. See page 9.

See page 61

See page 62

Chapter 4: Front Panel Interface

61

Mode

Select one of the following SCSI ID modes:

ID Selected
LUN

Selected toggles between these two when SEL is

pressed.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

ID

Select device ID mode.

LUN

Select LUN (logical unit number) mode.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure SCSI menu.

When using ID mode, if you have multiple arrays within an UltraTrak unit, each
array will use a separate SCSI ID. When using LUN mode, each UltraTrak unit
will use a single SCSI ID, with the first array being LUN 0, the second array being
LUN1, etc. Enable Multiple LUN support in your SCSI adapter if you choose LUN
mode. In most cases it is preferable to use ID mode.

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62

SCSI ID

Select a SCSI ID between 0 and 15:

0
1 Selected

2
…
15

Press

or to move these items on the LCD.

What you can do:

Press SEL:

Selects one of the following active functions:

from a list of numbers
between 1 and 15.

Selects the SCSI ID – The word Selected appears next
to the selected ID.

Press

:

Moves the active message line up. (Active is marked by *.)

Press

:

Moves the active message line down. (Active is marked by *.)

Press EXIT: Returns to the Configure SCSI menu.

Note

If you have multiple arrays and are using ID mode, be aware that each
array will use a SCSI ID. If, for example, you have created two separate
arrays and have selected SCSI ID 4, array 1 would have SCSI ID 4 and
array 2 would have SCSI ID 5.

63

Chapter 5: Support

Contacting Technical Support

Promise Technical Support provides several support options for Promise users to
access information and updates. We encourage you to use one of our electronic
services, which provide product information updates for the most efficient service
and support.

If you decide to contact us, please have the following information available:

• Product model and serial number

• BIOS and driver version numbers

• A description of the problem / situation

• System configuration information, including: motherboard and CPU type,

hard drive model(s), ATA/ATAPI drives & devices, and other controllers.

Technical Support Services

Promise OnlineTM Web Site http://www.promise.com

(tech documents, drivers, utilities, etc.)

USA Tech Support Center

E-mail Support [e-mail]

Fax Technical Support [phone]

Attention: Technical Support

Phone Technical Support [phone]

7:30-5:30pm M-F Pacific Standard Time

If you wish to write us for
support:

Promise Technology, Inc.
Attn: Technical Support
1745 McCandless Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035, USA

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

64

European Tech Support

E-mail Support [e-mail]

Fax Technical Support [phone]

Attention: Technical Support

Phone Technical Support [phone]

8:30-5:00pm The Netherlands Time

If you wish to write us for
support:

Promise Technology Europe B.V.
Attn: Technical Support
1European Business Centre, Unit 1.25
Luchthavenweg 81
5657 EA Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Pacific Rim Sales Office

E-mail Support [e-mail]

Fax Technical Support [phone]

Attention: Technical Support

Phone Technical Support [phone]

9:00-6:00pm Taiwan Time

If you wish to write us for
support:

Promise Technology, Inc.
Attn: Technical Support
2F, No.30, Industry E. Road IX
Science-Based Industrial Park
Hsin-Chu, Taiwan R.O.C.

China Office

E-mail Support [e-mail]

Fax Technical Support [phone]

Attention: Technical Support

Phone Technical Support [phone]

9:00-6:00pm China Time

If you wish to write us for
support:

Promise Technology China
Attn: Technical Support
Room 3217, No. 15, Bai Shi Qiao Road
Hai Dian District Beijing 100081
P.R. China

Chapter 5: Support

65

Limited Warranty

Promise Technology, Inc. (“Promise”) warrants that for two (2) years from the
time of the delivery of the product to the original end user:

a) the product will conform to Promise’s specifications;

b) the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship

under normal use and service.

This warranty:

a) applies only to products which are new and in cartons on the date of

purchase;

b) is not transferable;

c) is valid only when accompanied by a copy of the original purchase

invoice.

This warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from:

a) improper or inadequate maintenance, or unauthorized modification(s),

performed by the end user;

b) operation outside the environmental specifications for the product;

c) accident, misuse, negligence, misapplication, abuse, natural or

personal disaster, or maintenance by anyone other than a Promise or
a Promise-authorized service center.

Disclaimer of other warranties

This warranty covers only parts and labor, and excludes coverage on software
items as expressly set above.

Except as expressly set forth above, Promise disclaims

any warranties,
expressed or implied, by statute or otherwise, regarding the product, including,
without limitation, any warranties for fitness for any purpose, quality,
merchantability, non-infringement, or otherwise. Promise makes no warranty or
representation concerning the suitability of any product for use with any other
item. You assume full responsibility for selecting products and for ensuring that
the products selected are compatible and appropriate for use with other goods
with which they will be used.

Promise does not warrant

that any product is free from errors or that it will
interface without problems with your computer system. It is your responsibility to
back up or otherwise save important data before installing any product and
continue to back up your important data regularly.

No other document, statement or representation may be relied on to vary the
terms of this limited warranty.

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

66

Promise’s sole responsibility with respect to any product is to do one of the
following:

a) replace the product with a conforming unit of the same or superior

product;

b) repair the product;

c) recover the product and refund the purchase price for the product.

Promise shall not be liable for the cost of procuring substitute goods, services,
lost profits, unrealized savings, equipment damage, costs of recovering,
reprogramming, or reproducing of programs or data stored in or used with the
products, or for any other general, special, consequential, indirect, incidental, or
punitive damages, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, notwithstanding the
failure of the essential purpose of the foregoing remedy and regardless of
whether Promise has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Promise
is not an insurer. If you desire insurance against such damage, you must obtain
insurance from another party.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential
damages for consumer products, so the above limitation may not apply to you.

This warranty gives specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that
vary from state to state. This limited warranty is governed by the State of
California.

Your Responsibilities

You are responsible for determining whether the product is appropriate for your
use and will interface with your equipment without malfunction or damage. You
are also responsible for backing up your data before installing any product and
for regularly backing up your data after installing the product. Promise is not liable
for any damage to equipment or data loss resulting from the use of any product.

Chapter 5: Support

67

Returning Product For Repair

If you suspect a product is not working properly, or if you have any questions
about your product, contact our Technical Support Staff through one of our
Technical Services, making sure to provide the following information:

• Product model and serial number (required)

• Return shipping address

• Daytime phone number

• Description of the problem

• Copy of the original purchase invoice

The technician will assist you in determining whether the product requires repair.
If the product needs repair, the Technical Support Department will issue an RMA
(Return Merchandise Authorization) number.

Return ONLY the specific product covered by the warranty (do not ship cables,
manuals, diskettes, etc.), with a copy of your proof of purchase to:

USA and Canada: Promise Technology, Inc.

Customer Service Dept.
Attn.: RMA # ______
1745 McCandless Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035

Other Countries: Return the product to your dealer or

retailer.
Contact them for instructions before
shipping the product.

You must follow the packaging guidelines for returning products:

Use the original shipping carton and packaging.

• Include a summary of the product’s problem(s)

• Write an attention line on the box with the RMA number

• Include a copy of proof of purchase

You are responsible for the cost of insurance and shipment of the product to
Promise. Note that damage incurred due to improper transport or packaging is
not covered under the Limited Warranty.

When repairing returned product(s), Promise may replace defective parts with new or
reconditioned parts, or replace the entire unit with a new or reconditioned unit. In the
event of a replacement, the replacement unit will be under warranty for the remainder
of the original warranty term from purchase date, or 30 days, whichever is longer.

Promise will pay for standard return shipping charges only. You will be required
to pay for any additional shipping options (such as express shipping).

UltraTrak SX4000, SX8000 & RM8000 User Manual

68

69

Appendix A: Technical Specifications

Disk Array Features

• Supported RAID Levels:

• RAID 0 – striping for performance

• RAID 1 – disk mirroring

• RAID 0+1 – mirrored stripe set

• RAID 3 – striped data + dedicated parity

• RAID 5 – striped data + striped parity

• RAID 30 – striped data over two RAID 3 arrays + dedicated parity1

• RAID 50 – striped data over two RAID 5 arrays + striped parity

1

• Hardware XOR accelerator

• Supports up to four logical drives (SX4000) or eight logical drives (SX/RM8000)

• Supports variable stripe block sizes

• Supports standard ATA drives (Ultra ATA, Ultra DMA)

• Supports Ultra ATA/100, Ultra ATA/66

• Large LBA support for drives above 137GB

• Drive fault detection

• Supports hot-swap of failed drives

• Supports hot-spares

2

• Offers transparent data recovery and rebuilds drive in background

• BIOS/Driver support for rounding actual drive capacities to nearest gigabyte

3

• Data handling optimizations include tagged command queuing, elevator seek

and load balancing

• Supports adding drives to the array on-the-fly

• Supports changing RAID levels on-the-fly

• Optimized caching algorithm for parity calculations (RAID 3, 5, 30 and 50)

• Remote monitoring of all arrays from network stations

• Local maintenance of arrays with drag-and-drop support

• Monitors enclosure temperature, fan, and power

1

Applies to SX8000 and RM8000 models only.

2

Requires standby disk of equal or greater capacity.

3

Allows for replacing a failed drive with a drive of a slightly less capacity (within 999 MB

difference).

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70

Hardware Features

• Dual redundant hot-swap power supplies

4

• Supports multiple, concurrent data requests from OS

• Ultra SCSI 160 LVD controller

System Requirements

• Ultra SCSI 160 LVD controller

Operating System Support

• Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, XP

• Redhat Linux, SuSE Linux, OpenLinux, TurboLinux

• Netware 4.2, 5.1

• MacOS 9, X

Advanced Utilities

• Auto configuration and optimization

• View/Create/Delete/Expand array

• Rebuilds data on replacement disks

Physical & Environmental

• Size

Model Height Width Depth

SX4000 12.5 in. (320 mm) 7.0 in. (180 mm) 12.9 in. (330 mm)

SX8000 18.5 in. (470 mm) 7.8 in. (200 mm) 12.9 in. (330 mm)

RM8000 (3RU) 5.1 in. (130 mm) 17.5 in. (445 mm) 20.4 in. (518 mm)

• Operating temperature: 32° to 122°F (0° to 50°C)

• Relative humidity: 5% to 90% non-condensing

• Universal (5V and 3.3V) PCI Signaling Environment

4

Applies to SX8000 and RM8000 models only.

71

Appendix B: Technology Background

Introduction to RAID

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) allows multiple hard drives to be
combined together to form one large logical drive or “array”. As far as the
operating system is concerned, the array represents a single storage device, and
treats it as such. The RAID software and/or controller handle all of the individual
drives on its own. The benefits of a RAID can include: higher data transfer rates
for increased server performance, increased overall storage capacity for a single
drive designation (such as, C, D, E, etc.), data redundancy/fault tolerance for
ensuring continuous system operation in the event of a hard drive failure.

Different types of arrays use different organizational models and have varying
benefits. The following outline breaks down the properties for each type of RAID
array:

RAID 0: Striping

When a disk array is striped, the read and write blocks of data are interleaved
between the sectors of multiple drives. Performance is increased, since the
workload is balanced between drives (or “members”) that form the array. Identical
drives are recommended for performance as well as data storage efficiency. The
disk array's data capacity is equal to the number of drive members multiplied by
the smallest array member’s capacity.

For example, one 100GB and three 120GB drives will form a 400GB (4 x 100GB)
disk array instead of 460 GB. The stripe block size value can be set logically from
4KB, 8KB, 16KB, 32KB, and 64KB. This selection will directly affect performance.
Larger block sizes are better for random disk access (like email, POS, or web
servers), while smaller sizes are better for sequential access.

1

3

5

7

2

4

6

8

Disk Drives

Data
Stripe

Figure 16. RAID 0 Striping Interleaves Data Across Multiple Drives

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RAID 1: Mirroring

When a disk array is mirrored, identical data is written to a pair of drives, while
reads are performed in parallel. The reads are performed using elevator seek and
load balancing techniques where the workload is distributed in the most efficient
manner. Whichever drive is not busy and is positioned closer to the data will be
accessed first.

With RAID 1, if one drive fails or has errors, the other mirrored drive continues to
function. This is called Fault Tolerance. Moreover, if a spare drive is present, the
spare drive will be used as the replacement drive and data will begin to be
mirrored to it from the remaining good drive.

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

Disk Drives

Data Mirror

Figure 17. RAID 1 Mirrors Identical Data to Two Drives

Due to the data redundancy of mirroring, the drive capacity of the array is only
the size of the smallest drive. For example, two 100GB drives which have a
combined capacity of 200GB instead would have 100GB of usable storage when
set up in a mirrored array. Similar to RAID 0 striping, if drives of different
capacities are used, there will also be unused capacity on the larger drive.

Appendix B: Technology Background

73

RAID 0+1: Striping/Mirroring

Striping/mirroring combines both of the previous array types. It can increase
performance by reading and writing data in parallel while protecting data with
duplication. At least four drives are needed for RAID 0+1 to be installed. With a
four-drive disk array, drive pairs are striped together with one pair mirroring the
first pair. The data capacity is similar to a standard mirroring array, with half of the
total storage capacity dedicated for redundancy. An added plus for using RAID
0+1 is that, in many situations, such an array offers double fault tolerance.
Double fault tolerance may allow your data array to continue to operate
depending on which two drives fail.

2

4

6

8

1

3

5

7

2

4

6

8

1

3

5

7

Disk Drives

Data
Mirror

Data Stripe

Figure 18. RAID 0+1 Striping and Mirroring of Two Drive Pairs

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RAID 3: Block Striping with Parity Drive

RAID level 3 organizes data across the physical drives of the array, and stores
parity information on to a drive dedicated to this purpose. This organization
allows increased performance by accessing multiple drives simultaneously for
each operation, as well as fault tolerance by providing parity data. In the event of
a hard drive failure, data can be re-calculated by the RAID system based on the
remaining drive data and the parity information.

The adjustable block size of the RAID 3 array allows for performance tuning
based on the typical I/O request sizes for your system. The block size must be
set at the time it is created and cannot be adjusted dynamically. Generally, RAID
Level 3 tends to exhibit lower random write performance due to the heavy
workload going to the dedicated parity drive for parity recalculation for each I/O.

The capacity of a RAID 3 array is the smallest drive size multiplied by the number
of drives less one. Hence, a RAID 3 array with (4) 100 GB hard drives will have a
capacity of 300GB. An array with (2) 120GB hard drives and (1) 100GB hard
drive will have a capacity of 200GB.

Data Drives Parity Drive

1 parity

2 parity

3 parity

4 parity

1d

2d

3d

4d

1c

2c

3c

4c

1b

2b

3b

4b

1a

2a

3a

4a

Data Stripes

Figure 19. RAID 3 Multiple Drives Stripe Data w/ One Dedicated Parity Drive

Appendix B: Technology Background

75

RAID 5: Block and Parity Striping

RAID 5 is similar to RAID 3 as described above except that the parity data is
rotated across the physical drives along with the block data. Having the parity
data striped across all the physical drives in this manner removes the random
write performance bottleneck of RAID 3. The total capacity of a RAID 5 array is
calculated the same as a RAID 3 array.

4b

4c

4d

a parity

3a

3c

3d

b parity

2a

2b

2d

c parity

1a

1b

1c

d parity

Disk Drives

Distributed Parity

Data

Blocks

Figure 20. RAID 5 Stripes all Drives with Data and Parity Information

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RAID 30: Striping of Dedicated Parity Arrays

RAID 30 combines both RAID 3 and RAID 0 features. Data is striped across
disks as in RAID 0, and it uses dedicated parity as in RAID 3. RAID 30 provides
high fault tolerance and supports larger volume sizes. RAID 30 also provides high
reliability because data is still available even if two physical disk drives fail (one in
each array). RAID 30 requires a minimum of six disk drives.

Data Drives Parity Drives

1 parity

3 parity

5 parity

1b

3b

5b

1a

3a

5a

2 parity

4 parity

6 parity

2b

4b

6b

2a

4a

6a

Data

Stripe

Figure 21. RAID 30 Striping of Dedicated Parity Arrays

Appendix B: Technology Background

77

RAID 50: Striping of Distributed Parity Arrays

RAID 50 combines both RAID 5 and RAID 0 features. Data is striped across
disks as in RAID 0, and it uses distributed parity as in RAID 5. RAID 50 provides
data reliability, good overall performance and supports larger volume sizes. RAID
50 also provides high reliability because data is still available even if two physical
disk drives fail (one in each array). RAID 50 requires a minimum of six disk
drives.

5b

5c

a parity

3a

3c

b parity

1a

1b

c parity

6b

6c

a parity

4a

4c

b parity

2a

2b

c parity

Disk Drives

Distributed Parity

Data

Stripe

Figure 22. RAID 50 Striping of Distributed Parity Arrays

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JBOD: Single Drive

An alternative to RAID, Just a Bunch of Disks (JBOD) capacity is equal to
the sum of all drives in the group, even if the drives are of different sizes.
JBOD appears in the User Interface as one or more individual drives.
There are no performance or fault tolerance features. When a disk fails,
all data on the disk is lost. Other disks are unaffected.

Disk Drive

1

2

3

4

Figure 23. JBOD manages drives Individually, unlike RAID

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Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions

This section lists frequently asked questions involving pre-installation, drive
issues, installation, and post-installation.

Q. What kind of hard drives can I use for an UltraTrak array?

A. You can use any Ultra ATA/133/100/66/33 hard drive(s) to create arrays on

the UltraTrak. You should use matching drives for multiple-drive arrays to
maximize capacity usage as well as performance. (NOTE: Ultra ATA/133
hard drives can be used in the UltraTrak units. However, they will run at
Ultra ATA/100 speed)

Q. Can I add a drive to an UltraTrak RAID array via hot-swap and

dynamically adjust the array size/configuration?

A. No. The UltraTrak does not support dynamically adjustable RAID

size/configurations.

Q. Can I take a set of drives that make up an array created on one

UltraTrak and move it to another UltraTrak?

A. Yes. All UltraTrak’s read the arrays the same way. Once the drives are all

connected, you must restart the system for it to recognize the newly-inserted
array configuration.

Q. Can I take a drive used in an UltraTrak array and access it directly with

a different controller, such as the one integrated on the motherboard?

A. Yes, but only under certain configurations. The following array

configurations will allow the drive(s) to be accessed individually on another
controller: mirror (RAID 1), or single drive striped (RAID 0). Multiple drives
striped will not work.

Q. How can I be sure that write-back cache has flushed before I reboot

after partitioning and formatting an array?

A. A cache flush is always triggered immediately following any write from the

int 13h BIOS. This level of array support is what FDISK and FORMAT use to
access the drive from MSDOS. With no delay in the write operation, there is
no cached data waiting to be written. If you are running from Windows
NT/2000 or other operating systems, as usual, make sure to shut down
Windows properly so that the operating system can trigger and flush the
cache as necessary. NOTE: powering off before a proper shutdown is
complete may result in the loss of unwritten data in the cache, possibly
causing problems in a subsequent boot or access to the data that was
unwritten.

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Q. Why can’t I see the drives on the UltraTrak under FDISK?

A. If you have not created an array, the physical drive(s) attached to the

UltraTrak card will not be recognized by the operating system. The UltraTrak
controller is dedicated to RAID array management and does not provide any
means of addressing individual hard drives through the int 13h interface
used by FDISK. In order to access drives on the UltraTrak from MSDOS at
all, you must first create a RAID array.

Q. Why can’t I see the array I just created in the Windows NT/2000/XP

Disk Administrator?

A. Since Windows NT/2000/XP does not yet support any method of

dynamically adding and/or removing logical devices to/from the system, you
must restart Windows. The next boot will show the new array under Disk
Administrator.

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Appendix D: Update UltraTrak Firmware

Caution

Be sure that you are using the correct firmware file for your particular
model of UltraTrak. Using an incorrect file will cause the unit not to
function.

Note

This procedure requires a computer capable of booting from an MS-DOS
diskette.

Update UltraTrak firmware by performing the following steps:

1. Download the firmware upgrade package from www.promise.com

.

2. With UltraTrak power off, connect a Null Modem Cable between the COM1
connector on the back of the UltraTrak and a powered down computer
(connect to either COM1 or COM2). The computer must be capable of
booting from an MS-DOS floppy.

3. Insert a DOS Boot diskette into the computer, power it on and allow it to
boot to DOS.

4. Remove the DOS Boot diskette.

5. Insert a diskette containing the firmware upgrade executable and the
UltraTrak firmware binary file. At the DOS prompt, type

dir and press Enter

to be sure that you have the correct files, such as,

txbxx.bin and

ultra.exe (where xx is the firmware version number).

6. At the DOS prompt, type

ultra and press Enter.

7. At the “

Which COM Port is connected to UltraTrak?” prompt

type

COMx and press Enter (where x is either a “1” or a “2” depending

upon which COM port you are connected to).

8. Follow the instruction presented on the monitor and power on the UltraTrak.
a. The following menu should display:

1. Upload Image to UltraTrak

2. Download Image to UltraTrak

3. RESET FLASH

4. EXIT

b. Press

2. (This is a safety precaution to ensure you have a copy of the

current level firmware). When done, it will return to the above menu
choices. Reinstall the

Promise Firmware Diskette, press choice 1 and

answer

Y to proceed.

c. When prompted, enter the file name for the binary file, such as

txbxx.bin (where xx is the version number) and press Enter.

d. If prompted, choose the model number of your UltraTrak.

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e. Press 4 to Exit when the upload is finished.

f. Remove the diskette and mark it as your firmware back-up copy.

9. Switch off the UltraTrak power. Disconnect the Null Modem Cable, remove
the diskette and power off the computer. Allow about a few seconds before
switching the UltraTrak power back on. The firmware upgrade is complete.

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Appendix E: Replacing the Controller Card

This document explains how to access, remove and install the UltraTrak
controller board.

The controller board is accessible by opening the UltraTrak cabinet. The
controller board is located on top. Switch the UltraTrak power off and remove the
power cord before servicing the controller board.

Warning

The electronic components within the UltraTrak disk array are sensitive
to damage from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge). Appropriate
precautions should be observed at all times when handling the array or
its subassemblies.

Remove the Controller Board

Use the following instructions to remove the controller board:

1. Unplug both controller board cables.

2. With your fingers on the Slide Grip, slide the board toward the front of the
cabinet.

3. Remove the seven mounting screws from the controller board.

4. Lift the board from the cabinet.

Install the Controller Board

Use the following instruction to install a controller board:

1. Slide the controller board mounting bracket toward the front of the cabinet.

2. Set the controller board on to the controller board mounting bracket

3. Insert and tighten the seven mounting screws from the controller board.

4. With your fingers on the Slide Grip, slide the board toward the back of the
cabinet.

5. Plug in the controller board cables.

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Slide Grip

Remove

Install

Figure 24. Location of UltraTrak Controller Board

85

Appendix F: Configuration Console Software

The UltraTrak Configuration Software creates a Console for managing your
UltraTrak array. The Console is an alternative to managing your UltraTrak array
using the two-line LCD readout on the enclosure. The Console uses any terminal
emulation program, such as Windows HyperTerminal, on your PC to interact with
the UltraTrak. Change your PC’s Port settings to agree with the following:

• Bits per second: 115200

• Data bits: 8

• Parity: None

• Stop bits: 1

• Flow control: none

The UltraTrak Console is ready as soon as your terminal emulator connection is
established. However, nothing shows in the terminal emulator window until you
type a command.

Password

Most commands require you to enter your password when you first make your
connection. The default password is

0000 (four zeros). To input your password:

1. Type the letters

pw.

2. Press the spacebar once.

3. Type your password and press Enter.

If your password was correct, UltraTrak responds with

Correct Password!. You

may then use any of the functions.

To see a list of functions, type help or ? (question mark). Note that none of the
commands are case-sensitive.

Listing Functions

The following commands cause UltraTrak to report specific information. They do
not require you to enter a password, so you may skip that step if information
gathering is all you want to do. Type the command, then press the Enter key.

To obtain information about: Type this command:

Arrays, listed by ID number ........................................................ la

Firmware version........................................................................ ls

Events......................................................................................... lv

Hard Drives.................................................................................ld

RAID Controller ..........................................................................lc

RAID Enclosure.......................................................................... le

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Event List

The following is a list of error strings that can be generated using the lv
command. The expression “%d” represents the name of a drive or array.

• Disk Set Down: %d.

• Disk Plugged in: %d.

• Reserved Sector Error: Disk %d.

• Array %d has bad sector at LBA 0x%08x, which is generated by drive %d at

LBA 0x%08x.

• Rebuild begun on Drive %d of Array %d.

• Automatic rebuild begun by Engine on Drive %d or Array %d.

• Array %d, Rebuild Completed on Disk %d.

• Synchronization begun for Array %d.

• Synchronization halted by user on Array %d at %d percent completed.

• Retry drive access in Array %d Drive %d.

• Create a new array %d.

• Delete array %d.

• Array %d was set down.

• Array %d has entered degraded mode.

• Rebuild successfully completed for Drive %d in Array %d.

• Synchronization successfully completed on Array %d.

• Drive %d of Array %d has Read Write Error ch%d.

• Temperature out of range.

• Fan error for Enclosure

• Expansion started for Array #%d.

• Conversion started for Array #%d.

Tasking Functions

The following commands cause UltraTrak to perform specific tasks. They require
you to enter your password first. They also require you to type in options or
additional parameters. Type the command alone to see a prompt listing the items
you must specify.

For example, to create an array, you must also type in an array name, RAID
level, number of disks in the array, the identification numbers of the individual
disks you want in the array and the stripe block size in kilobytes.

To illustrate, if you type:

ca arry0 5 3 2 3 4 64, UltraTrak will create a new array

named

arry0, it will be RAID 5 with three drives: drive numbers 2, 3 and 4; with a

block size of 64 KB.

Appendix F: Configuration Console ware

87

Note that commands such as create an array may take well over an hour to
complete, depending on the size of the array. In most cases, you can perform a
second task while waiting for the first. Type the command and options, then press
the Enter key.

To do this task: Type this command:

Create an array.......................................................................... ca

Delete an array ..........................................................................da

Synchronize an array................................................................. sa

Rebuild an array .........................................................................ra

Stop rebuilding an array............................................................. sb

Add disks to an existing array.................................................... ea

Stop disk adding process...........................................................sc

Enable/disable SMART checking .............................................. es

Set buffer to write through or write back...................................

sw

Get cache statistics ...................................................................gs

Enable/disable array initialization ...............................................

ei

Clear events ..............................................................................

ec

Enable/disable the warning beep...............................................

eb

Enable/disable gigabyte boundary.............................................

eg

Set rebuild priority low or high ...................................................

ep

Enable/disable the disk write cache...........................................

ed

Wipe a disk..............................................................

WipeoutDisk

Set a new password ..............................................

NewPassword

Exit the Console software....................................................... Quit

An explanation of these functions is found elsewhere in this

User Manual.

Disconnecting

Be sure to close your terminal emulation program after you exit the Console
software. If possible, save the connection parameters for future use.

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