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RamSan-500
User Manual
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Texas Memory Systems RamSan-500 User Manual

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TEXAS MEMORY SYSTEMS, INC.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual
Version 1.2
RamSan-500
Revision History
Revision History
Revision HistoryRevision History
The following table describes revisions to this document:
Version Comments Date
1.0 Initial release 9/14/2007
Any trademarks or registered trademarks used in this document belong to the companies that own them.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction .................................................................................. 4
1.1 Overview ............................................................................................... 4
1.2 System Components ............................................................................... 4
1.3 Power ................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Reliability .............................................................................................. 5
1.5 System Management .............................................................................. 5
Chapter 2 – Reviewing your shipment ................................................................ 6
2.1 Unpacking ............................................................................................. 6
2.2 System Overview.................................................................................... 6
Chapter 3 – Connections .................................................................................. 8
3.1 Installing a Host Bus Adaptor in the Host System ....................................... 8
3.2 Connecting the Fibre Channel Ports........................................................... 9
3.3 Connecting to a Network ........................................................................10
3.4 Connecting Power to the System .............................................................11
Chapter 4 – Getting Started.............................................................................12
4.1 Turning on the System ...........................................................................12
4.2 System Initialization ..............................................................................12
4.3 Front Panel Display Basics ......................................................................13
4.4 Controlling System Power with the Front Panel Display...............................14
4.5 Network Configuration with the Front Panel Display ...................................17
4.6 Additional System Management Options ...................................................20
4.7 Web Monitor Basics................................................................................21
4.8 Date and time setup with the Web monitor ...............................................24
4.9 Network Configuration with the Web Monitor.............................................25
4.10 Managing security with the Web Monitor.................................................26
4.11 Basic LUN Creation...............................................................................28
4.12 Viewing the Logs with the Web Monitor...................................................32
4.13 Upgrading the System with the Web Monitor ...........................................36
4.14 If the System has a Problem .................................................................37
Chapter 5 – System Maintenance .....................................................................39
5.1 Contacting Texas Memory Systems ..........................................................39
5.2 Power Supplies ......................................................................................39
5.3 Flash Modules .......................................................................................41
5.4 Fans ....................................................................................................46
5.5 Batteries ..............................................................................................48
Chapter 1 – Introduction
1.1 Overview
The RamSan-500 is the World’s Fastest Flash-based storage system. The basic unit contains nine RAID-protected Flash storage modules accessible from the front, with a combined usable capacity of either 1 or 2-Terabytes and a data bandwidth of 2 GB/sec. A single RamSan-500 fits in 4U of rack space. Multiple RamSan-500 units scale capacity, bandwidth, and IOPS.
1.1.1
1.1.1 High
1.1.11.1.1
High PPPPerformance
High High
Unlike other mass storage products, the RamSan-500 is not based on mechanical rotating disk technology, but instead on high performance memory technology. While each of the nine Flash storage modules may look like a disk, there are no moving parts and it operates with a much faster protocol, reducing access time and increasing the data transfer rate. This is achieved with the use of better connectors (rugged, more data pins) and a simple transfer protocol.
While the capacity and throughput of the RamSan-500 is impressive, the key to the system’s power resides in its I/O structure. The RamSan-500 can be configured with 2-8 Fibre Channel (FC) ports. Internally, it can handle the bandwidth and supply the IOPS needed for emerging storage applications.
erformance Solid
erformance erformance
Solid----SSSState
SolidSolid
tate SSSStorage
torage
tate tate
toragetorage
1.1.2
1.1.2 Easy
1.1.21.1.2
Easy IIIInstallation and
Easy Easy
nstallation and CCCConfiguration
nstallation and nstallation and
The RamSan-500 is easy to install on a Fibre Channel SAN or directly attached to a server. Most common parameters, including the management Ethernet port, can be set from the front panel. The RamSan-500 also has monitoring and configuration capabilities through a Web browser.
1.2 System Components
The system components for the RamSan-500 include:
9 Flash modules with 1 or 2 Terabytes of data storage capacity 16-64 GB DDR Cache 4 dual-ported 4G-bit Fibre Channel Controllers Hot-swappable redundant power supplies Easily replaceable fans Front panel display for monitoring and configuration Java-based monitoring
1.3 Power
The RamSan-500 includes two hot-swappable power modules that are auto-ranging (they accept either 110 or 220 VAC power).
onfiguration
onfigurationonfiguration
1.4 Reliability
The RamSan-500 is designed to offer superior reliability to other solid­state disks and RAID devices. Its standard features include Chipkill™­protected RAM, hot-swap modular Flash memory, hot-swap power supplies, failover ports, and SNMP compatibility. The nine-unit RAID design ensures data integrity even in the event of the complete failure of a single Flash module. In order to reduce the probability of a Flash module failure, the unit incorporates multiple error-correcting methods.
1.5 System Management
Basic management operations, including manual shutdown and alerts, are available from the front panel screen. Full monitoring and configuration capabilities are available over any browser via a password protected Java applet. The RamSan-500 also offers Telnet management capabilities and is fully SNMP compatible.
Chapter 2 – Reviewing your
shipment
2.1 Unpacking
2.1.1
2.1.1 System
2.1.12.1.1
2.2 System Overview
System IIIInspection
System System
TMS ships the RamSan-500 with a packing list. Ensure that you have received all of the components listed.
1) Examine the external chassis for any damage that might have occurred during shipping.
2) Examine the Flash modules to ensure that they were not damaged during shipping.
3) Inspect the interface plate for any screws that might have loosened during shipping.
4) Inspect the front panel display for damage.
5) Report any meaningful damage to Texas Memory Systems.
All nine Flash storage modules can be quickly accessed from the front of the RamSan-500. Each module has an interlocking system with the look and feel of a typical disk drive. The Flash module can be removed while system power is on, once the module has been selected to go off-line (indicated when both module LEDs are off). Additionally, all nine Flash modules can be removed and reinstalled into another RamSan-500 unit.
nspection
nspectionnspection
Figure 1 – RamSan-500 Front
Figure 2 – RamSan-500 Back
2.2.1
2.2.1 Rack mounting
2.2.12.2.1
Rack mounting
Rack mountingRack mounting
The RamSan-500 solid-state disk (SSD) system is a 4U rack-mountable system. TMS ships the system with the slides and equipment needed to install it into a standard 19” rack.
Chapter 3 – Connections
3.1 Installing a Host Bus Adaptor in the Host System
Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) provide an interface from the server’s PCI bus to Fibre Channel attached devices. HBAs are available from a variety of vendors. Before purchasing an HBA, ensure that it provides a driver for the Operating System (OS) version that you are using.
Before installing the HBA, consult your server’s documentation to determine which one of its PCI slots is on the fastest and least congested PCI bus (see Section 3.1.3, below, for details). Next, power down your server and place the HBA in this slot. Power on your server and follow the instructions provided with the HBA to install the driver. It is generally a good idea to check the HBA provider’s Web site to obtain the latest drivers and firmware for the HBA. Updated drivers may include new features, improved performance, and minor bug fixes.
T
ROUBLESHOOTING TIP
I
F YOU ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE
PROCESS IS VERIFYING THAT YOU ARE USING THE LATEST DRIVER AND FIRMWARE
The speed of the server and network interface ultimately limit the RamSan-500’s capabilities. A few different components can affect the maximum performance of the RamSan-500, including FC interfaces, Host Bus Adapters, PCI buses, and server CPU resources.
:
HBA,
THE FIRST STEP IN THE DEBUGGING
.
3.1.1
3.1.1 Fibre Channel
3.1.13.1.1
Fibre Channel IIIInterface
Fibre Channel Fibre Channel
Currently, the RamSan supports two Fibre Channel communication speeds: 2- and 4-gigabit. Accounting for encoding and overhead, these transfer rates allow data to be transmitted to the RamSan-500 at a half duplex rate of ~200 MB/s and ~400 MB/s, for 2- and 4-gigabit, respectively. Fibre Channel interfaces have separate read and write connections that allow a maximum data rate of twice the half-duplex rate. To sustain the maximum full duplex rate, the data usage pattern of the system must be 50% read and 50% write (due to the individual half duplex limits). To find the maximum for other data usage patterns, use the following formula (4-gigabit HBA):
( Smaller usage percentage / Larger ) x 400MB/s + 400MB/s
For example, to calculate a data usage pattern with 66% reads and 33% writes:
Many applications require storage bandwidth that exceeds what a single FC connection can provide. To accommodate this situation, we provide up to 8 FC ports per RamSan-500, each of which can supply the bandwidth described above. Using multiple Fibre Channel
nterface
nterfacenterface
( 33 / 66 ) x 400 + 400 = 600 MB/s
connections requires one of the following solutions: multi-pathing software to a single LUN, using software to stripe across multiple LUNs, accessing multiple LUNs on the RamSan-500 concurrently, or connecting multiple servers to the system.
3.1.2
3.1.2 Host Bus Adapter
3.1.23.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.3 PCI
3.1.33.1.3
3.1.4
3.1.4 CCCCPU
3.1.43.1.4
Host Bus Adapter
Host Bus AdapterHost Bus Adapter
You can modify some HBA settings to increase performance. For information specific to your HBA, consult the HBA documentation. Note that many settings are intended to increase the performance of slow storage devices and will not be applicable to RamSans. It is always advisable to check the frame size. The amount of overhead for each Fibre Channel frame is fixed, so larger frames have lower overhead. Set the frame size to the maximum setting, generally 2048 bytes.
PCI BBBBus
us
PCI PCI
usus
High bandwidth HBA traffic can quickly inundate slower PCI buses. Once a PCI bus reaches its limit, you can do very little to improve performance. Many servers, however, provide different PCI buses with different speeds, and placing the HBA on a different PCI bus can improve performance. TMS recommends giving each 4-gigabit 2 port HBA at least an entire PCIX bus or a PCI Express (PCIe) slot.
PU
PUPU
At a certain point, CPU performance can limit data transfer rates. Determine whether the server’s CPU resources are the limiting factor in performance while benchmarking the RamSan-500 as a raw physical device. Otherwise, an improperly tuned file system or application can make the CPU appear to be the limiting factor when it is not. Perform raw device testing after setting up any multi-pathing.
There are a few ways to decrease CPU usage without increasing CPU resources. Certain data usage patterns can be very CPU intensive and fully utilize the CPU. These usually involve small transfer sizes. When possible, increasing the average transfer size decreases CPU usage and offers better performance. Another way to decrease CPU usage is by enabling interrupt coalescing. Interrupt coalescing is an HBA dependent feature that offers a method to trade latency for CPU usage. This feature delays calling the HBA transfer interrupt until several transfers are ready. In general, TMS does not recommend enabling Interrupt Coalescing, because most RamSan applications benefit from low latency. For more information, consult your HBA documentation.
3.2 Connecting the Fibre Channel Ports
Connect the Fibre Channel ports on the RamSan-500 to your server or to a Fibre Channel switch.
Fibre Channel Ports
Ethernet Port
Figure 3– Fibre Channel Port Locations
Figure 3– Fibre Channel Port Locations shows the port layout for the RamSan-500. Each controller has two or four Fibre Channel ports: A and B,
on the top and bottom respectively. The FC-77 ports on the system are
capable of connecting to point-to-point, arbitrated loop, and switched fabric topologies at either 4-Gigabit or 2-Gigabit speeds.
3.3 Connecting to a Network
Your RamSan-500 includes a Gigabit Ethernet port for remote management over a network. You use this connection to configure the storage and management features.
Figure 4 – Gigabit Ethernet Port Location
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 10 of 48
3.4 Connecting Power to the System
Power Supplies
A fully loaded RamSan-500 requires approximately 250 watts of power. It contains redundant power supplies that are hot-swappable. Using the AC power cords provided, connect each power module to a power source. Install the socket outlet in an easily accessible location near the equipment.
Figure 5 – RamSan-500 Power Supply
The power supply includes the following button and indicators:
3.4.1
3.4.1 Power
3.4.13.4.1
3.4.2
3.4.2 AC
3.4.23.4.2
Power SSSSwitches
Power Power
Each power module has an individual on/off switch and power indicator light.
W
A
YOU ARE UNABLE TO PERFORM A MANUAL SHUTDOWN AND BACK UP ALL DATA TO THE
F
LASH MODULES OR EXTERNAL STORAGE
AC Voltage I
AC AC
When the power supply is connected to AC power and is operating properly, the indicator light attached to each power supply is green. If the green light is not on, either the power supply is disconnected from an AC power source or the power supply has failed. Check the power cable to determine if power has been lost to the supply or the module has failed. The front panel display or Web monitor may provide additional information regarding the problem.
witches
witcheswitches
ARNING
HARD-SHUTDOWN WILL CAUSE DATA LOSS AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED WHEN
Voltage Indicator
Voltage IVoltage I
:
ndicator LLLLight
ndicator ndicator
ight
ightight
.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 11 of 48
Chapter 4 – Getting Started
This chapter will guide you through setting up your RamSan-500. It is important to accomplish the following tasks to make your system usable:
Use the front panel display to set up the network (Section 4.5) Get the Web monitor operational (Section 4.7) Use the Web monitor to set the date and time (Section 4.8) Use the Web monitor to configure advanced network settings (Section
4.9)
Use the Web monitor to configure security (Section 4.10)
Other sections explore the configuration tools and should be read to familiarize you with the system.
4.1 Turning on the System
Separate power cables should be connected to each of the two RamSan­500 power modules. The 3-prong AC inlet lies at the bottom of each power module. To power on the system, both power modules should be switched on. Though the RamSan-500 will operate when only one power supply is switched on, this is not recommended. After a user-initiated shutdown, switch both power modules off, then switch both modules on again to bring the system back on-line.
4.2 System Initialization
The front panel display shows the boot process’ current state. Once the power is connected, the system turns on automatically and the front panel display begins the power-on sequence. The following happens automatically:
Once AC power is connected, the
RamSan will power-up and the front panel displays “System Status: GOOD” and shows the performance bars for each Fibre Channel port. The numbers represent the Fibre Channel Controllers. If a controller is not installed, the number and corresponding performance will not display. The top bars represent port A and the bottom bars represent port B.
The system is now ready for normal operation.
System Status: GOOD 1 2 3 4
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 12 of 48
4.3 Front Panel Display Basics
The front panel display provides a quick and easy way to view the RamSan-500’s status. It displays the current progress of Flash module synchronization and shows system warnings and failures.
The RamSan-500’s front panel allows you to:
Inspect the state of the system Select a Flash module to power off Change the method of IP address assignment Reboot/Shutdown the system.
Four buttons located to the left of the display are used to make selections:
Menu: This button has two functions. On any of the status or performance displays, pressing this button launches the RamSan Main Menu. It is also used as an escape function. Once the menu is open, pressing it returns the user to the prior screen.
Select: When a menu item is on the display, pressing this button will either execute that menu option or proceed to the next layer in the menu. If the menu is not selected, this button is disabled.
↑↑↑↑: This button scrolls up through the menu. It is also used to cancel certain commands, as indicated on the display. If the menu is not selected, this button is disabled.
↓↓↓↓: This button scrolls down through the menu. It is also used to confirm certain commands, as indicated on the display. If the menu is not selected, this button is disabled.
You can scan through the first level of options on the RamSan by pressing the Menu key.
Selecting “System Info”
displays information about your RamSan-500.
Selecting “System Log” allows
you to clear your system log. See Section 4.15.2 for more information.
Selecting “Network Config”
allows you to connect your RanSan-500 to your network. See Section 4.9 for more information.
Main Menu System Info
Main Menu System Log
Main Menu Network Config
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 13 of 48
Selecting “Flash Module” allows
you to select a module to identify mode or for power off.
Selecting “Active Monitor
Mode” changes the default front
panel display to show port activity across both display lines. This makes it easier to view from a distance. This option becomes “Remove Monitor Mode” once it has been set.
Main Menu Flash Module
Main Menu Active/Remove Monitor Mode
Selecting “LED Config” gives
you a variety of options for controlling the LEDs on the upper left-hand side of the front of the RamSan-500.
Selecting “Display Logo”
displays the TMS logo on the front panel display. This option becomes “Disable Logo” once it has been set.
Selecting “Manual Restart”
reboots your RamSan-500. See Section 4.4.2 for more information.
Selecting “Manual Shutdown”
turns off your RamSan-500. See Section 4.4.1 for more information.
Main Menu LED Config
Main Menu Display/Disable Logo
Main Menu Manual Restart
Main Menu Manual Shutdown
4.4 Controlling System Power with the Front Panel Display
The RamSan-500 has features that allow the administrator to safely power down the system. Before powering down the system, un-mount the drives from your OS. Do not turn off the system by unplugging the power cords.
4.4.1
4.4.1 Manual
4.4.14.4.1
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 14 of 48
Manual SSSShutdown
Manual Manual
The administrator can shut down the RamSan-500 manually from the front panel display. This procedure safely synchronizes all data in the RAM cache to the internal Flash module storage.
In order to turn the RamSan-500 back on after a manual shutdown, switch off both power modules and then switch both back on.
hutdown
hutdownhutdown
To shut down the system using
the front panel, use the arrow buttons to cycle through the top-level menu to select “Manual Shutdown”. Use the Select button to select this menu item.
Main Menu Manual Shutdown
The display prompts you to
confirm that you wish to “Power Off System”. To cancel the shutdown, use the ↑↑↑↑ button to return to the main menu. To proceed with the shutdown, use the ↓↓↓↓ button to confirm the system power off.
Now, the front panel display
indicates that the system is powering off. When the system is ready, it will
Powering Off 60% 
automatically shut off.
4.4.2
4.4.2 Flash Modules
4.4.24.4.2
Flash Modules
Flash ModulesFlash Modules
You may need to remove one or more of the Flash modules for various reasons. This can be done with the RamSan-500 system power on or off. However, if the RamSan power is on, the particular Flash module selected for removal must always be powered off prior to removal.
W
ARNING
R
EMOVING A FLASH MODULE WHILE IT IS POWERED ON MAY CAUSE
DAMAGE TO THE MODULE
.
Power Off System?
↓ Yes ↑ No
IRREVERSIBLE
Prior to powering off a module you may wish to verify the physical location of a module. This can be accomplished with the “Identify Module” feature from the front panel.
To Identify a particular module,
use the arrow buttons to cycle through the top-level menu to select “Flash Modules”. Use
Main Menu
Flash Modules
the Select button to select this menu item.
To choose a particular Flash
module to Identify, scroll through the Flash Module sub-
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 15 of 48
Flash Modules Identify Module
menu and choose the “Identify Module” option.
Next, scroll down the Identify
Module sub-menu to choose the module that you wish to
Identify Module Module 1
Identify. After a Module is selected it Status Indicator LED will slowly blink Orange for four second and then return to its previous state.
Once the appropriate module has been identified it may be powered off from the front panel.
To power off a particular
module, use the arrow buttons to cycle through the top-level menu to select “Flash
Main Menu Flash Modules
Modules”. Use the Select button to select this menu item.
To choose a particular Flash
module to power off, scroll through the Flash Module sub­menu and choose the “Power
Flash Modules Power off Module
Off Module” option.
Next, scroll down the Power Off
Module sub-menu to choose the module that you wish to power off.
The display prompts you to
confirm that you wish to power off the module. To cancel the module power off, use the ↑↑↑↑ button to return to the main menu. To proceed with the module power off, use the ↓↓↓↓ button to confirm.
You can then exit from the
Flash Module sub-menu and remove the chosen module.
Power Off Module Module 1
Power Off Module 1? ↓ Yes ↑ No
Flash Module Menu Exit
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 16 of 48
4.4.3
4.4.3 Manual Restart
4.4.34.4.3
Manual Restart
Manual RestartManual Restart
The administrator can reboot the RamSan manually from the front panel display. This procedure safely synchronizes all data in RAM to the internal Flash module storage, powers off for around 5 seconds, and then powers back on.
To shut down the system using
the front panel, use the arrow buttons to cycle through the top-level menu to select “Manual Restart”. Use the Select button to select this menu item.
The display prompts you to
confirm that you wish to “Restart System”. To cancel the shutdown, use the ↑↑↑↑ button to return to the main menu. To proceed with the shutdown, use the ↓↓↓↓ button to confirm the system power off.
Now, the front panel display
indicates that the system is powering off. When the system is ready, it will automatically shut off. In approximately 5 seconds time, the system will turn back on.
Main Menu Manual Restart
Restart System?
↓ Yes ↑ No
Powering Off 90% 
4.4.4
4.4.4 Automatic
4.4.44.4.4
Automatic SSSShutdown
Automatic Automatic
In the event that the system senses a high system temperature, power out of range, or a variety of other dangerous environmental conditions, the system will automatically initiate the shutdown procedure.
hutdown
hutdownhutdown
4.5 Network Configuration with the Front Panel Display
The RamSan-500 allows system monitoring and configuration through the installed Ethernet module. To access the system’s Ethernet port you will need to provide the system with an IP address, subnet mask, and possibly a gateway address. The administrator may assign the IP address in one of three ways: Static IP, DHCP, or No Ethernet. The default factory setting is DHCP.
For any questions regarding IP assignment values, please consult your network administrator.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 17 of 48
To set up the network via the front panel, use the arrow buttons to cycle through the top-level menu options until the display shows “Network Config”. Use the Select button to choose this option and continue with the configuration. You may now use the arrow buttons to scroll through the following menu options:
Displays a list of the current IP
configuration, hostname, IP
Network Config Show Current Config
address, subnet mask, gateway address (if applicable), and hardware Ethernet address.
To continue setting up the
Ethernet configuration.
Network Config Set IP Config
Shuts down and restarts the
Ethernet port using the current IP
Network Config Restart Network
assignment configuration.
Exits the setup menu.
Network Config Exit Menu
Use the arrow buttons to scroll up and down through the list. To continue setting up the Ethernet configuration, select “Set IP Config”.
After selecting “Set IP Config”, you may use the arrow buttons to cycle through:
Enables you to set a static IP
address for the RamSan.
Set IP Config Static
Sets the IP configuration to
DHCP
Set IP Config DHCP
Disables Ethernet
Set IP Config None
Returns to the Main Menu
without making any changes
Set IP Config No change (exit)
Talk to your network administrator for the proper IP assignment type. Use the Select button to select the desired method of IP assignment. If you did not choose “Static IP” you are asked to confirm the selection with the ↓↓↓↓ button.
To configure the RamSan with a static IP, the system requires the IP address, subnet mask, and possibly a gateway address.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 18 of 48
After you have chosen “Static
IP”, the display prompts you to
enter an address. Use the ↑↑↑↑ and ↓↓↓↓ buttons to move the cursor.
Hit Select to pick a number. And then use the ↑↑↑↑ and ↓↓↓↓ buttons to cycle through the numbers 0 through 9. To save the changed value, press the Select button. To revert to the previous value, press the Menu button.
Ethernet IP address: 192
.000.000.000
After you have finished entering
the IP address, scroll the cursor
Network Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.000
off the end – this brings up the “Network Subnet Mask” screen. Using the same procedure as entering the IP address, enter the subnet mask.
The final value you must enter is
the “Ethernet Gateway”. If the
Ethernet gateway: 192.168.111.001
RamSan is on a private network and this value is not needed, enter the value “000.000.000.000” to tell the RamSan to ignore this entry.
The next screen commits the
changes and automatically
Assign Static IP? ↓ Yes ↑ No
restarts the network.
You should witness the network
restarting.
Restarting Network... Done
The final screen displays the
assigned IP address
New IP Address:
192.168.111.101
The RamSan-500 comes from the factory using DHCP as its IP address method. To configure your DHCP server you may need to know the RamSan’s hardware MAC address. Follow the instructions below to get the MAC address and to set up your system to use DHCP:
From the “Network Config”
sub-menu select the “Show
Network Config: Show Current Config
Current Config” option.
Use the ↓↓↓↓ button to scroll to the
bottom of the screen. This will display 6 octets of the hardware
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 19 of 48
↑ Hardware Address:
a2:78:90:f7:01:88
MAC address. Use this value to configure your DHCP server.
Re-enter the “Network Config”
menu, then “Set IP Config” menu and select “DHCP”.
The next screen commits the
changes and automatically restarts the network.
You should witness the network
restarting.
The final screen displays the IP
address assigned by the DHCP server.
If the network fails to start, check the Ethernet connection and contact your system administrator. If the system successfully saved the IP configuration, you may simply select the “Restart Network” option from the “Ethernet Setup” menu instead of re-selecting the same IP configuration.
Set IP Config DHCP
Use DHCP for IP?
Restarting Network... Done
New IP Address:
192.168.111.58
4.6 Additional System Management Options
↓ Yes ↑ No
4.6.1
4.6.1 Connecting using a
4.6.14.6.1
Connecting using a TTTTerminal
Connecting using a Connecting using a
To connect to the RamSan-500 using a serial port connection, use a dumb terminal or a terminal emulation program such as Windows™ HyperTerminal. Set your baud rate to 9600 with 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, and no flow control. Connect to the serial port using a DB-9 non-null serial cable.
erminal PPPProgram
erminal erminal
rogram
rogramrogram
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 20 of 48
4.6.2
4.6.2 Connecting using Telnet
4.6.24.6.2
4.6.3
4.6.3 Connecting using SNMP
4.6.34.6.3
Connecting using Telnet
Connecting using TelnetConnecting using Telnet
Once the administrator configures the Ethernet port on the RamSan-500 using either the front panel or the serial port, you may remotely monitor the system using a Telnet session. Set your terminal settings to VT100 mode.
To learn more about managing the RamSan-500 using the serial port or Telnet connections, see the RamSan Command Line Interface Manual available from Texas Memory Systems.
Connecting using SNMP
Connecting using SNMPConnecting using SNMP
RamSans support the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which is the dominant network management protocol. The industry has accepted this protocol due to its relative simplicity. SNMP standards provide a framework for the definition of management information along with a protocol for the exchange of that information. The RamSan-500 is compatible with SNMP V2c.
The SNMP model contains “managers” and “agents.” A manager is a software module responsible for managing the configuration on behalf of the network management application end users. Agents are devices, such as the RamSan, which are responsible for maintaining local management information and delivering that information to a manager via SNMP. Both the manager (via polling) and the agent (via a trap) can initiate management information exchanges.
Managers can access statistical information from the RamSan through its management information base (MIB). For more information on how to use the SNMP management capability, please see the RamSan SNMP Guide available from Texas Memory Systems.
4.6.4
4.6.4 Connecting using the Web
4.6.44.6.4
Connecting using the Web MMMMonitor
Connecting using the Web Connecting using the Web
The RamSan-500 is equipped with a browser-enabled tool to facilitate system monitoring, management, and configuration. This Java-based monitoring application is the most popular and convenient RamSan management tool and will be introduced and discussed in greater detail below. Texas Memory Systems also provides an extensive Web monitor users manual called the RamSan Web Interface Guide.
onitor
onitoronitor
4.7 Web Monitor Basics
The RamSan-500 comes with a powerful Web-based management tool. It is important to learn how to use this tool, as it will make upkeep and maintenance of the system simple.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 21 of 48
4.7.1
4.7.1 Acquiring the
4.7.14.7.1
Acquiring the SSSSystem IP
Acquiring the Acquiring the
To use the Web monitor, you must connect to it over your network. You will need to acquire the RamSan-500’s IP address – which can be accomplished from the front panel display.
ystem IP AAAAddress
ystem IP ystem IP
ddress
ddressddress
Press the Menu button to
display the “Main Menu”. Use the ↓↓↓↓ and ↑↑↑↑ buttons to find the “System Info” option. Tap the Select key.
Use the ↓↓↓↓ button to scroll until
you see the “IP Address” line and the line below it. Take note of the IP address.
4.7.2
4.7.2 Accessing the Web
4.7.24.7.2
Accessing the Web MMMMonitor
Accessing the Web Accessing the Web
Accessing the Web monitor can be done from any Web browser that supports Sun Java v1.5 or later. You can download the Sun Java plug­in for Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and for both Linux and Windows versions of Firefox. To get the latest Sun Java plug-in, go to
http://www.sunjava.com/
The following figures refer to “myRamSan” instead of an IP address, since “myRamSan” was assigned the IP address 192.168.111.58 from our name server. You do not need to use a name server to access the Web monitor. You can instead type the IP address in directly.
onitor
onitoronitor
.
Main Menu System Info
↑ IP Address: ↓ 192.168.111.58
Figure 6 – Web Monitor Login Screen
Using a standard Web browser with the Sun Java plugin, set the address to your IP address. It will take a moment to download the Java program (10 or 15 seconds) and then the window displayed in Figure 6 will appear. The RamSan ships with the admin user defined
User: admin Password: password
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 22 of 48
After you log in, the window shown in Figure 7 will appear.
Figure 7 – Web Monitor Opening Screen
From here select the RamSan icon. When selected it shows a variety of information about the system.
Figure 8 – Web Monitor Information
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 23 of 48
A great deal of information is available in this monitor: firmware versions, system event warnings, environmental information, and system statistics.
4.8 Date and time setup with the Web monitor
When you acquire the system, it is important to verify that the date and time are correct. If they are incorrect, you can use the Web monitor to change them.
From the Web monitor, expand the “Management” tab under the “System List”. This will expose three sub-options. Highlight “Date/Time,” it will display the current date and time as well as the amount of time the system has been up. Please see Figure 9 for a screenshot.
Figure 9 – Web Monitor Date and Time Management
If the date and time are incorrect you can set the time and date manually. Either right-mouse click and select “Set date/time…” or left-mouse click the clock/wrench icon in the button bar – both methods bring up the calendar window (Figure 10).
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 24 of 48
Figure 10 – Web Monitor Calendar
By configuring the calendar, you will set the date and time of the RamSan-500. Additionally, the RamSan-500 supports NTP (Network Time Protocol).
4.9 Network Configuration with the Web Monitor
You should have already set up the basic network options via the front panel if you followed the instructions in Section 4.5 – Network Configuration with the Front Panel Display. The Web monitor allows you to change those options as well.
From the Web monitor, expand the “Management” tab under the “System List”. This will expose three sub-options. Highlight “Network”; it will display the current network settings.
Figure 11 – Web Monitor Network Management
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 25 of 48
To modify the network configuration, right-mouse click and select “Network config…” or left-mouse click the globe/wrench icon in the button bar. Both methods bring up the network configuration window.
Figure 12 – Web Monitor Network Configuration
You can manipulate the network settings and then select “OK”. The settings will be saved and the system’s network will be restarted. You should see several system messages displayed in the “Recent Event Log” panel of the Web monitor confirming your settings.
4.10 Managing security with the Web Monitor
4.10.1
4.10.1 Default
4.10.14.10.1
4.10.2
4.10.2 Changing
4.10.24.10.2
Default AAAAccounts
Default Default
The RamSan-500 ships with a high-privileged user as well as a low­privileged user. The high-privileged user is:
User: admin Password: password
The high-privileged user is allowed to change RamSan configurations. The low-privileged user is:
User: user Password: password
The low-privileged user can view statistics, logs, and other information, but cannot change any RamSan-500 settings.
Changing PPPPasswords
Changing Changing
You should configure the security on the RamSan to suite your needs. At a minimum, you should change the high-privileged user password to prevent accidental mishaps.
To configure users using the Web monitor, right-mouse click the “Management” tab under the “Systems List”. This will expose four menu options – left-mouse click “Add/Remove Users”. Alternatively, you may just right click the head/wrench icon in the button bar while the “Management” item is highlighted. Please see Figure 13 for a screenshot.
ccounts
ccountsccounts
asswords
asswordsasswords
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 26 of 48
Figure 13 – Web Monitor Management Options
A user management table window pops up and displays all current users in the system. By default, there are only two users, please see Figure 14 for a screenshot.
Figure 14 – Web Monitor User Management
Please change the password to your high-privileged user account (named “admin”) by selecting the user and left-clicking the “Password…” button. This will pop up the “Change User” window shown in Figure 15.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 27 of 48
Type in the new password and confirm it. Hit the “OK” button when finished.
4.10.3
4.10.3 Adding
4.10.34.10.3
Adding UUUUsers
Adding Adding
You can add new users by selecting the “Add…” button in the “User Management” window. Doing so will bring up the “Add User”
window shown in Figure 16.
Figure 15 – Web Monitor Change User
sers
serssers
Figure 16 – Web Monitor Add User
You can add high-privileged users by assigning the new user to the “admins” group. You can give the new user low-privileges by assigning them to the “users” group.
4.11 Basic LUN Creation
The most common management activity on the RamSan is LUN provisioning. This section will go over the basic LUN provisioning activities (creating a LUN and linking it to a port), for more in-depth configuration details please consult the RamSan Web Interface Guide.
4.11.1
4.11.1 Creating a LUN
4.11.14.11.1
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 28 of 48
Creating a LUN
Creating a LUNCreating a LUN
You can create a LUN from the “Logical Units” tree node by right­clicking and selecting “Create” or by clicking on the “Create” button after highlighting “Logical Units”. This is shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17 – Web monitor Logical Unit
A wizard will open to guide you through the Logical Unit creation process. After reading the overview, click the “Next” button to set the Logical Unit Parameters. The parameters window is shown in Figure
18.
Figure 18 - Web Monitor Logical Unit Parameters
The parameters available for the Logical Unit are:
• Name – This is a user defined name for the LUN to make it
easily identifiable.
• Number – This is the Logical Unit Number (LUN) that is
presented to the host.
• Size – This is the size of the Logical Unit in Megabytes.
• Backup mode – This affects the cache operation for the Logical
unit. There are two modes available:
o Writeback – Cache incoming writes in the battery
protected cache and synchronize the writes to Flash as a background process.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 29 of 48
o Writethrough – Force all of the writes to be written to
Flash before acknowledging the write as complete.
• Device ID – This is an OpenVMS specific identifier.
• Report corrected media errors to the SCSI host – This controls
whether any internal corrected errors are reported over the SCSI layer to the host. By default it is enabled. For most environments this should be set.
• Report uncorrected media errors to the SCSI host – This
controls whether any internal uncorrected errors are reported over the SCSI layer to the host. By default it is enabled.
After setting the appropriate values click “Next”. A final window will confirm the values. After clicking “Next” again, the Logical unit will be created. For the Logical Unit to be used, an access policy needs to be defined.
4.11.2
4.11.2 Adding an Access Policy to a LUN
4.11.24.11.2
Adding an Access Policy to a LUN
Adding an Access Policy to a LUNAdding an Access Policy to a LUN
The Web Management Interface provides the ability to create access lists for individual Fibre Channel ports. This allows the administrator to specify which worldwide port names (HBAs) are allowed to communicate with each partition. To make partitioned LUNs accessible to connected servers, the next step is to link the LUNs to the RamSan’s Fibre Channel ports. The “Logical Unit Overview” is shown in Figure 19, note that the Logical Unit is in a warning state notifying the administrator that a Logical Unit was created and has not been presented to any hosts.
Figure 19 - Web Monitor Logical Unit with No Access Policy
Click the “Access” button on the “Logical Unit Overview” screen to start the access policy wizard. The first step of the access policy wizard will provide an overview of the process. After reading the overview, click the “Next” button to continue to the “Access Policy Table” for the Logical Unit, shown in Figure 20.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 30 of 48
Figure 20 - Web Monitor Access Policy Table
To create and access policy, click the “Add” button. This opens a window that allows you to define the parameters of the access policy, shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21 - Web Monitor Add Access Policy
To create an access policy, present the Logical unit to a host, then select a “Controller Port” on the RamSan. Next, select a “World Wide Port Name (WWPN)” from the drop down box, this box will include any hosts HBA WWPN that are presented to the RamSan port, as well as an “Open Access”. If a particular HBA WWPN is selected then the LUN will only be presented to that HBA (it will be masked to it). If “Open Access” is selected then the LUN will be presented to all HBAs that are connected to that port. Lastly, click the “Next” button to create the access policy.
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4.12 Configuring the RamSan-500 Cache
The RamSan-500 contains a large RAM cache to buffer write operations and keep the back and Flash busy with parallel operation. The cache details and configuration can be viewed by selecting the “Cache” item from under the “Storage” node of the system tree. The cache “Detailed
Information” is shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22 - Web Monitor Cache Detailed Information
The detailed information includes information about the cache and its current configuration. To modify the configuration of the cache, click the “Configure” button. This will open the “Cache Configuration” wizard, shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23 - Web Monitor Cache Configuration
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 32 of 48
There are four different configuration options, Tuning, Read Ahead, Sync Always, and Dirty Threshold Percent. There are several options for each of these parameters that affect the behavior of the Cache:
• Tune Cache For – This parameter controls the cache line size and
how the Cache works with the back end Flash Array. The two options are:
o IOPS – Use a smaller cache line size and send smaller
accesses to the RAID controller. This setting is recommended for storage workloads that tend to us 64KB or smaller accesses (most database workloads).
o Bandwidth – Use a larger cache line size and send large
accesses to the RAID that access multiple Flash modules in parallel. This setting is recommended for data acquisition or for a small number of users that need high bandwidth (some data warehouse workloads).
• Read Ahead – The read ahead setting controls whether the cache
attempts to read additional data ahead of the location of a read. This can help improve performance in a highly sequential read environment, but wastes cache space under a random workload. The higher the setting the more read ahead is attempted.
• Sync Always – This parameter controls whether the cache will
always attempt to sync to the back end Flash. When the box is checked, this feature is enabled.
• Dirty Threshold Percent – This parameter controls how much of the
cache can be used for storing dirty data (data that has been written to Flash but has not yet been written to disk) before the system gives syncing the dirty data to Flash a higher priority.
4.13 Viewing the Logs with the Web Monitor
Perhaps the most important part of the Web monitor is the system event log. This log keeps track of all events that occurred within the system. If you are having trouble with your system, be sure to open the system event log and check this information.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 33 of 48
Figure 24 – Web Monitor Logs
The log events displayed in Figure 24 – Web Monitor Logs are not indicative of a shipped system.
Sometimes it is valuable to save the RamSan logs made available from the Web monitor. To save the system event log, right mouse click the “Logs” item in the “System List”, then select “Save Log…” Or you can just left-click on the Flash icon under the menu bar in the button bar while the “Logs” item is highlighted. See Figure 25 – Web Monitor Log Options for a screen shot of the right-mouse click menu.
A second log is accessible via the Web monitor, called the System Report. It contains information about the system configuration, firmware version, environment, and a range of other information, including a copy of the system event log. A System Report should always be on-hand when diagnosing problems with Texas Memory System’s customer support.
To access the System Report from the Web monitor, right-mouse click the “Logs” item in the “System List” and select “System Report…”
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 34 of 48
Figure 25 – Web Monitor Log Options
Once you select the “System Report…” option, a new window will appear and download the support log from the RamSan. It will take 10 to 20 seconds to complete. You can then hit the “Save” button in the lower right to save the support log to a file.
Figure 26 – Web Monitor System Report
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 35 of 48
4.14 Upgrading the System with the Web Monitor
It is easy to upgrade your RamSan using the Web monitor if you have a patch file. Patch files should be formatted “rs500-<version>.patch”.
From the Web monitor, expand the “Management” tab under the “Systems List”. This will expose three sub-options. Highlight “Firmware” – it will display the current RamSan-500 firmware version.
Figure 27 – Web Monitor Firmware Management
To update the firmware either right-mouse click and select “Firmware update…” or left-mouse click the open box icon in the button bar. Both
methods bring up the patch file selector window.
W
ARNING
P
ATCHING THE RAMSAN
THE SYSTEM CAN BECOME UNUSABLE AND MAY HAVE TO BE SENT BACK TO THE FACTORY
FOR REPAIR. IF YOUR SYSTEM’S PATCH IS INTERRUPTED, IMMEDIATELY CALL TEXAS
M
EMORY SYSTEMS (SECTION
IT MAY BE REPAIRABLE
-500
IS A DELICATE PROCESS. IF THE PATCH IS INTERRUPTED,
4.15.1). D
.
EPENDING UPON THE STATE OF THE SYSTEM,
Figure 28 – Web Monitor Patch Selection
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 36 of 48
Either type in the path and file name of the patch or use the “Select…” button to browse for the file. When the file is selected, left-click the “Start” button. The firmware upgrade may take up to five minutes to complete. While the system is patching, a variety of messages will display in the “Recent Event Log” panel in the Web monitor. When the patch has completed, select the “Done” button. You will need to reboot your RamSan-500 for the patch to take effect.
Selecting your RamSan from the “System List” will produce four buttons on the button bar (See Figure 8 – Web Monitor Information for a screenshot). You can reboot the system by either right-mouse clicking it and selecting the “Reboot…” option or left-mouse click the arrowed circle icon in the button bar. Confirm that you wish to reboot the system. The system will shutdown for 5 seconds and then power back on. The Web monitor will reconnect to the RamSan-500 when it comes up.
4.15 If the System has a Problem
The RamSan-500 is a complex system with many redundant features to safeguard your data; however, components can fail. The RamSan-500 has many ways to inform the user about what is happening inside the system.
The easiest way to detect if something has gone wrong is to monitor the front panel display. The normal display will show a line at the top that tells you if the system is “Good”. If the system has detected an error or if something has gone wrong, the front panel display will report the error in a concise manner.
The system event log made available via the Web monitor will provide more detailed information. Please see Section 4.7 for more information on how to access the log.
All errors persist; that is, they are permanently logged until the problem has been solved and the log has been cleared.
4.15.1
4.15.1 Contacting Texas Memory Systems
4.15.14.15.1
4.15.2
4.15.2 Clearing the System Event Log
4.15.24.15.2
Contacting Texas Memory Systems
Contacting Texas Memory SystemsContacting Texas Memory Systems
Contact Texas Memory Systems for additional support. Before contacting Texas Memory Systems, please save a copy of the support log to send to tech support.
Texas Memory Systems, Inc. 10777 Westheimer, Suite 600 Houston, TX 77042 Phone: (713) 278-6200 Fax: (713) 266-0332 Email: support@texmemsys.com
Clearing the System Event Log
Clearing the System Event LogClearing the System Event Log
Once a problem has been diagnosed, it is important to clear the errors from the log. That way, future logs are not confused with old, fixed errors.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 37 of 48
Follow the information in Section 4.8 to get to the “Logs” item in the Web monitor “System List”. To clear the system event log, right­mouse click the “Logs” item and select “Clear Logs” – alternatively, left-mouse click the eraser icon in the button bar. This will clear the system event log.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 38 of 48
Chapter 5 – System Maintenance
Texas Memory Systems designed the RamSan-500 to be easily maintainable. You can update firmware from the Java interface and easily maintain the system components. You can hot swap the power supplies and Flash modules, which means that you can remove and replace these components while the system is running.
E
LECTRO-STATIC DISCHARGE WARNING
P
LEASE TAKE FULL
CONTACT WITH ANY CIRCUIT BOARDS, COMPONENTS, OR CONNECTORS. ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE CAN DAMAGE THE COMPONENTS USED IN THE RAMSAN AND ITS INTERFACES
Prior to performing maintenance on the RamSan-500 please contact Texas Memory Systems for detailed maintenance instructions.
E.S.D.
PRECAUTIONS IF IT IS NECESSARY AT ANY TIME TO COME INTO
5.1 Contacting Texas Memory Systems
Contact Texas Memory Systems for additional support. Before contacting Texas Memory Systems, please save a copy of the support log to send to tech support.
Texas Memory Systems, Inc. 10777 Westheimer, Suite 600 Houston, TX 77042 Phone: (713) 278-6200 Fax: (713) 266-0332 Email: support@texmemsys.com
.
5.2 Power Supplies
The RamSan-500 includes two power modules. The system requires one functioning power module to run. Please consult Section 3.4 – Connecting Power to the System, above for more information.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 39 of 48
Power Supplies
Figure 29 - Back of RamSan-500, Power Supply Location
If the RamSan power supplies fail, they can be replaced while the power remains on to the system. There are three ways to detect a bad power supply. The easiest way is to examine the AC voltage LED. (See Figure 5 – RamSan-500 Power Supply.) If it is illuminated the power supply is running.
Texas Memory Systems has taken special care to enclose the RamSan-500 power modules in a protective case to minimize the electrical risks for users; however, it is critical for users to follow the following steps when removing and replacing the power modules:
Switch the power module off and disconnect the power cord. Wait 15 seconds. Remove the power module that needs to be replaced from the
RamSan-500 chassis by pressing the release switch and pulling squarely on the power supply handle. DO NOT REACH INSIDE THE
PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE AFTER REMOVING THE POWER SUPPLY.
Insert the replacement power module in the RamSan-500 chassis.
Make sure the power supply is properly oriented to mate with the connectors, then insert the power module squarely and press firmly until the power supply is fully inserted into the system.
Reconnect power to the new power module and switch it on. The new power module begins to operate when AC is connected and
the power switch is turned on.
W
ARNING
R
EPLACE FAILED POWER MODULES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 40 of 48
.
5.3 Flash Modules
The RamSan-500 comes with 9 Flash modules in a RAID 5 configuration. This section will go over various failure conditions and what must be done to correct them.
The Flash modules in the RamSan-500 are designed and manufactured by Texas Memory Systems. They incorporate proprietary technology to interface with the RamSan backplane and cannot by used outside of the RamSan-500. Internal to the modules, multiple proprietary error corrections technologies are used to make a single module extremely robust and capable of smoothly handling multiple failures of the internal Flash media. With this technology a module should last at least 3 years, even under a continuous write load. If the IO load is a mix of reads and writes Flash modules can last even longer.
Internal to each module there may be 1 or 2 regions (depending on the ordered capacity) for Flash storage. These regions are largely independent of one another and are each given their own status indicator LED on the front of the Flash module as illustrated in the figure below.
Flash Status Indicator LEDs
Figure 30 - Flash Module
The LEDs can be used to determine the state of the module based on the following:
Steady Green Power, status good Blinking Green Activity, status good Orange RAID Rebuilding, Degraded, Disabling Blinking Orange User initiated identification of module
(See Section 4.4.2)
Red Fail
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 41 of 48
OFF No Power, zone not present
Because each Flash zone is independent of the other, the status of each zone may differ.
W
ARNING
R
EMOVING A FLASH MODULE WHILE IT IS POWERED ON MAY CAUSE
DAMAGE TO THE MODULE. ONLY REMOVE A FLASH MODULE IF BOTH STATUS INDICATOR
LED
S ARE OFF
5.3.1
5.3.1 Flash
5.3.15.3.1
Flash MMMModule
Flash Flash
In addition to the error correct features built into the Flash module, the Flash modules are protected from a complete Flash module failure by a RAID configuration. If only a single module fails in a RAID, all data in the array will be preserved. You should replace the bad Flash module right away. If the system detects a bad Flash module, it will note the bad module by illuminating the red LED on the front of the module.
.
odule FFFFailure
odule odule
ailure
ailureailure
IRREVERSIBLE
The front panel display will
register a warning stating that one or more modules have been degraded. A degraded module functions correctly, but a degraded array cannot tolerate another Flash module failure without data loss.
You can also get information about the state of the Flash modules from the Web monitor.
System Status: WARN Errors: Flash Module Degraded
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 42 of 48
Figure 31 – Web Monitor Flash Module Failure Detection
Figure 31 shows the Web monitor detecting a single bad Flash module. In this case, the module has been physically removed from the system so the Web monitor is reporting it missing. The module icons in the “System List” show a warning icon on all suspect components. Both “raid2” and “Flash 2” have been noted with warning icons (yellow triangled explanation points).
W
ARNING
R
EPLACE FAILED FLASH MODULES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF A SECOND FLASH
MODULE FAILS IN THE SAME
RAID,
ALL DATA WILL BE LOST IN THE SYSTEM
.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 43 of 48
Figure 32 – Web Monitor RAID Degraded Detection
W
ARNING
M
AKE CERTAIN THAT FLASH MODULES ARE POWERED OFF BEFORE REMOVING
.
The Web monitor reports higher-level information about a RAID that has a missing or bad Flash module. Figure 32 above shows the RAID information generated by removing the same Flash drive as shown in Figure 31. In this case, the removed module causes the RAID to be degraded, meaning the RAID cannot tolerate another Flash module error without data loss – but the RAID is still usable.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 44 of 48
If a Flash module fails and it is replaced with a new module, the RAID must be rebuilt. The RAID is usable while rebuilding, but performance is limited.
W
ARNING
I
T IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE RAMSAN REMAIN UNUSED WHILE ANY
BEING REBUILT IF HIGH PERFORMANCE IS CRITICAL. REBUILDING
GREATLY IMPACTS SYSTEM THROUGHPUT
You can use the Web monitor to examine the status of the rebuilding process. Please view Figure 33 above for a screen shot of RAID rebuild status. A RAID rebuild should take about 30 minutes to complete.
5.3.2
5.3.2 RAID
5.3.25.3.2
RAID FFFFailure
RAID RAID
It is unlikely but possible for multiple Flash modules to fail in a single RAID. If it happens, the system will turn the RAID offline.
Figure 33 – Web Monitor RAID Rebuild Status
.
ailure
ailureailure
RAID
RAID
IS
ARRAYS
The front panel display will
show a system failure. The system should not be exercised while in a failed state.
System Status: FAIL Errors: Flash Array Offline
If a RAID is put offline, all Flash modules in that array will have their front LED illuminated red.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 45 of 48
Figure 34 – Web Monitor RAID Offline
You can access the Web monitor for more specific information on which RAID is offline. An example screenshot is shown in Figure 34.
If the RAID has multiple module failures, it will be taken offline. There will be a good chance your RAID will lose its data. Please contact Texas Memory Systems to diagnose and repair your system (see Section 4.15.1 – Contacting Texas Memory Systems).
Once the RAID has been repaired (probably by replacing failed Flash modules), it will have to be re-initialized.
W
ARNING
RE-
INITIALIZING THE
RAID
WILL DESTROY ALL DATA ON THAT PARTICULAR
RAID.
Right-mouse click on the offline RAID icon shown in the Web monitor and select “Initialize” to start the process, or you could just left­mouse click the green plus sign in the button bar. It will take roughly 20 minutes to finalize the initialization. The RAID will not be usable while it is being initialized.
5.4 Fans
The system has two fan trays, one behind the Flash modules containing eight smaller fans, and one in front of the RAM boards containing four larger fans. These fans cool components in the system. Internal sensors report the fan spin speed. If the fan-spin speed falls out of specification, warnings are reported. If they degrade and are unusable, errors are reported.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 46 of 48
If a fan degrades in performance,
the front panel display will show the fan’s speed. In this situation, the fan is still working, but it is not efficient. The error line displayed to the right scrolls across the bottom display row.
System Status: WARN Errors: cage 1 fan 1 speed is below normal levels (6122.82 RPM)
If a fan completely stops working
an error is reported on the front panel display. The error line displayed to the right scrolls across the bottom display row.
W
ARNING
F
IX OR REPLACE FAILED FANS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF TOO MANY FANS FAIL THE
SYSTEM TEMPERATURES MAY RISE PAST AN ACCEPTABLE RANGE. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE
SYSTEM MAY TURN OFF TO PREVENT COMPONENT DAMAGE
System Status: FAIL Errors: cage 1 fan 1 speed is critically low (0.00 RPM)
.
Figure 35 – Web Monitor Fan Failure Detection
You can use the Web monitor to detect more specific information on failing or failed fans. Once your system is displayed in the Web monitor, select “Environmental”/“Fans”. This will display a list of all fans. Please see Figure 35 for a fan failure example.
To fix a fan, determine which fan from which cage has failed – either from the front panel display or from the Web monitor. Then turn off your system and remove the lid.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 47 of 48
Fan Bank 1
Fan Bank 2
Figure 36 – Top of an Open RamSan-500, Locations of the Fan
Cages
Please consult Figure 36 above to determine where each fan cage is in the chassis. Fans 1 through 8 are in Fan Bank 1, and fans 9 through 12 are in Fan Bank 2.
Once you have extracted the fan cage, find the failed fan. There is a good chance that hair or dust has collected on the fan and all it needs is to be cleaned. Blowing compressed air into the axle of the fan can clear obstruction or debris. If the fan cannot be cleaned or repaired, the entire cage must be replaced.
5.5 Batteries
The system has two batteries; both are located directly in front of Fan bank 2. These batteries are redundant and will power the entire system - in the event of an external power failure – long enough to copy all of the data in the RAM cache to the Flash storage. Internal sensors report on the battery voltage level and a monthly test ensures that the current supplied from batteries will be able to power the system. If the battery voltage is out of specification or the monthly battery test fails, warnings are reported. If they degrade and are unusable, errors are reported. The batteries are redundant so the cache is not at risk in the event of a power failure, however, replacing the failed battery quickly is recommended. The batters in the RamSan-500 will last on average for 2-3 years.
RamSan-500 User’s Manual 48 of 48
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