WD
SATA RAID Controller Card
User Manual
Information furnished by WD is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by WD for its use nor for
any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or
otherwise under any patent or patent rights of WD. WD reserves the right to change specifications at any time without notice.
© 2005 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Western Digital is a registered trademark; and WD, the WD logo, and EasyBuild are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies.
2779-001008-A01 Sep 2005
Table of Contents
1 Introduction/Getting Started
5 Disk Array Concepts
About the WD SATA RAID Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Disk Array Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
About RAID Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8 Installing the Serial ATA RAID Controller
10 Creating a Disk Array
Creating a Single SATA Non-RAID Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Creating an Array for Performance (RAID 0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Creating a Security Array with Two New Drives (RAID 1 recommended) 12
Creating a Security Array with an Existing Data Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Creating a Security Array with Quick Initialization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
15 Installing Software Drivers
New Windows Server 2003 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Existing Windows Server 2003 Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Confirming Windows 2003 Server Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
New Windows XP Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Existing Windows XP Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Confirming Windows XP Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
New Windows 2000 Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Existing Windows 2000 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Confirm Windows 2000 Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
19 EasyBuild Options and Features
Viewing Drive Array Assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Deleting An Array. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rebuilding a Mirrored Array. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Reserve Sector Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Gigabyte Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
25 Troubleshooting & Tips
Motherboard Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
System CMOS Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Drive-Related Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operating System-Related Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Performance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
TABLE OF CONTENTS - i
30 Frequently Asked Questions
Pre-Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Drive Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Installation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Post-Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
34 Appendix A: Regulatory Compliance
FCC Class B Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CSA Notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CE Compliance For Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
35 Appendix B: Warranty Information
Obtaining Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
1 Year Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
36 Appendix C: WD Service and Support
TABLE OF CONTENTS - ii
1
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Introduction/Getting Started
Thank you for purchasing a WD SATA RAID Controller. This installation manual provides
instructional steps and information to make the installation process of your new WD SATA
Controller as quick and easy as possible.
The WD (WD) SATA (SATA) RAID Controller is a cost-effective, high performance RAID
controller that adds performance and reliability to PC desktops and/or servers using SATA
drives.
The WD SATA RAID Controller has two independent data channels to support a maximum
of two SATA drives per card. The WD SATA RAID Controller supports:
! Striping (RAID 0) - Identical drives can read and write data in parallel to increase
performance.
! Mirroring (RAID 1) - Mirroring increases read performance through load balancing and
elevator sorting while creating a complete backup of your files.
A WD SATA RAID Controller striped array can double the sustained data transfer rate of
SATA drives.
The WD SATA RAID Controller offers fault tolerant, data redundancy for entry-level
network file servers or simply for desktop PC users wanting to continually protect valuable
data on their PC. Each model offers RAID 1 mirroring (for two drives).
Should a drive that is part of a mirrored array fail, the WD SATA RAID Controller uses the
mirrored drive (which contains identical data) to assume all data handling. When a new
replacement drive is later installed, WD SATA RAID Controller rebuilds data to the new
drive from the mirrored drive to restore fault tolerance.
The WD SATA RAID Controller bootable BIOS supports individual drives larger than 137
GB. With FAT32 and NTFS partitioning, the array can be addressed as one large single
volume.
WD Array Management Software
The WD Array Management Software offers local and remote management as well as
monitoring of all WD arrays that exist anywhere on a network. Windows-based GUI provides
e-mail notification of all major events/alarms, memory cache management, logging for
Windows 2000 servers, array maintenance, rebuild, and access to all components in array
(server, controller, data channels, individual drives, and enclosure). For information on using
WD Array Management, refer to the WD Array Management Software User Manual,
available from support.wdc.com.
INTRODUCTION/GETTING STARTED - 1
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Key Features and Benefits
The following information offers an overview of the major features of your new WD SATA
RAID Controller.
Advanced Hardware Design
Features Benefits
Supports 66 MHz PCI bus motherboards
(automatically backward compatible with
33 MHz PCI slots)
Supports:
data striping (RAID 0) and mirroring (RAID 1)
Supports SATA Specification Burst data transfer rates up to 150 MB/sec from SATA drives to
Independent data channels for SATA drives Drives can multiply their data transfer performance when striped
PCI Plug-n-Play, PCI Interrupt sharing and
coexists with motherboard IDE and SCSI
controllers
Supports IDE bus master operation Allows multitasking during disk transfers that increase CPU
Utilizes EasyBuild™ automenu from the WD
SATA controllerplus onboard BIOS
Displays status and error checking messages
during boot
Allows maximum data transfers of up to 266 MB per second (133
MB/s in 33 MHz slot) over the bus to dramatically reduce the time
to save and retrieve large files.
Provides dramatic increase in drive performance and/or fault
tolerant options. Offers performance customization and data
rebuilds from the BIOS menu.
boost overall system performance.
together and each drive uses a separate data channel.
Easy to install; supports two SATA drives while still supporting
four devices on the motherboard ATA controller.
efficiency. The CPU is free to process tasks during IDE data
transfers through the PCI Bus to/from system memory.
Has "Auto Setup" option for quick and easy array builds.
Notifies user of possible errors and allows for recovery of mirrored
drive arrays directly from EasyBuild.
Employs the latest PCI SATA ASIC technology Fully supports SATA specifications with 150 MB/sec timing and
CRC error-checking at high speeds.
Mirroring supports automatic background
rebuilds
Fault tolerance can be restored automatically without rebooting.
INTRODUCTION/GETTING STARTED - 2
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Compatibility
Features Benefits
Compliant with PCI v2.3 Local Bus standard Provides highest level of hardware compatibility.
Compliant with SATA Specification 1.0 Provides full compatibility with first generation SATA hard drives.
Compliant with PCI Bus Master standard. PCI
Bus Master support
Tested compatibility to coexist with
Provides 32-bit I/O, Bus Master, and Ultra ATA performance for
optimal system performance.
Improves system performance of new and existing installations.
motherboards that have integrated IDE
controllers
Features LBA and Extended Interrupt13 drive
translation in controller onboard BIOS
Breaks capacity barriers for support of drives greater than 137 GB
in capacity. Offers flexible storage options for space demanding
applications.
Kit Contents
! WD SATA RAID Controller
! SATA RAID Controller device drivers diskette
! SATA RAID Controller software utility CD
! Quick Install Guide
Operating Systems
WAR NI NG ! Using an operating system not listed below could result in data loss.
The following operating systems are supported:
! Windows
! Windows XP
! Windows 2000
®
2003 Server
System Requirements
Pentium-class system with an available 32-bit PCI expansion slot (2.2- or 2.3-compliant) or
32-bit portion of a 64-bit PCI slot.
INTRODUCTION/GETTING STARTED - 3
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Unpacking and Handling Procedures
WD controllers are precision instruments and should be handled with care during unpacking
and installation. These devices can be damaged by rough handling, shock and vibration, or
electrostatic discharge (ESD). Be aware of the following precautions:
! Do not unpack the controller until you are ready to install it. Your controller is packaged
in an anti-static bag.
! Save the packaging materials and anti-static bag should you need to return your
controller. Your warranty will be void if your returned controller is shipped in anything
other than the original packaging or WD approved materials.
! To avoid ESD problems, ground yourself by touching the metal chassis of the computer
before handling the controller. Articles of clothing generate static electricity. Do not allow
clothing to come in direct contact with the controller.
! Handle the controller by its sides only. Avoid touching the circuit board components.
Register Your WD SATA RAID Controller
Take advantage of WD special offers and product updates by registering your new WD SATA
RAID Controller online at https://www.wdc.com/en/products/registration.
INTRODUCTION/GETTING STARTED - 4
2
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Disk Array Concepts
About the WD SATA RAID Controller
The WD SATA RAID Controller is a high performance SATA RAID controller that features
concurrent data channel operation and onboard BIOS. The channels on the WD SATA
RAID Controller support concurrent operation that allows for overlapped I/O under multitasking operating systems and sharing the workload between multiple drives.
About Adapter BIOS
The WD SATA RAID Controller card contains a BIOS code that extends the standard disk
service routine provided through Int13. The BIOS is bootable for DOS and other operating
systems that rely on the system BIOS for drive operation.
EasyBuild Auto Menu Setup
This setup utility is used to build and manage WD SATA RAID Controller disk arrays. The
utility is menu driven and features the Auto Setup (1) option that uses a simple, interactive
setup process. Once the array is built, all the array members store the configuration
information in the drive's reserved area. See “Creating a Disk Array” on page 10 which
provides descriptions of individual functions.
Reserve Sector
Array configuration data about the drive member and other members in the disk array are
saved on a special location on the hard drives called the reserve sector. If any member of the
array becomes corrupt or lost, the redundant configuration data on the other members can be
used for rebuilds.
Disk array members do not have a memory of their drive positions. This allows drives to be
placed on different WD SATA RAID Controller connectors or cards within the system
without reconfiguring or rebuilding.
DISK ARRAY CONCEPTS - 5
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Disk Array Terms
Disk Array Description
A disk array is formed from a group of two or more hard drives that appear to the system as a
single drive. The advantage of an array is to provide better throughput performance and/or
data fault tolerance.
Better performance is accomplished by sharing the workload among multiple physical drives.
Fault tolerance is achieved through data redundancy operation where if one (or more) drive
fails or has a sector failure, a mirrored copy of the data can be found on another drive(s).
For optimal results, select identical SATA drives to install in disk arrays. The drives' matched
performance allows the array to function better as a single drive.
Disk Array Member
The individual hard drives in an array are called members. Each member of a specific disk
array has coded in its reserved sector configuration information that identifies the drive as a
member. All disk members in a formed disk array are recognized as a single physical drive to
the system.
Disk Array Types
For most installations, the EasyBuild setup Auto Setup (1) option will configure your system.
There are two disk array types (RAID 0 and 1) in two categories that can be installed on the
WD SATA RAID Controller. Striping is in the Performance category while Mirroring is in
the Fault Tolerance category.
Disk arrays within the Performance and Fault Tolerance categories conform to the
Redundant Array of Independent Disks technology, or RAID. The RAID levels supported are
0 and 1.
RAID Level Performance Fault Tolerance Capacity No. of Drives
RAID 0 (Striping) Highest No No. Drives x
Smallest Size
RAID 1 (Mirroring) Normal Yes Smallest Size Drive 2
1 to 2
DISK ARRAY CONCEPTS - 6
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
About RAID Levels
Striping (RAID 0)
Reads and writes sectors of data interleaved between multiple drives. When any disk member
fails, it affects the entire array. Performance is better than a single drive since the workload is
balanced between the array members.
This array type is for high performance systems. Identical drives are recommended for
performance as well as data storage efficiency. The disk array data capacity is equal to the
number of drive members times the smallest member capacity. For example, one 100 GB and
three 120 GB drives will form a 400 GB (4 x 100 GB) disk array.
Stripe Size - A value can be set from 16 KB to 128 KB sector size. The size can directly affect
performance. In the EasyBuild BIOS, the default is 64 KB.
Data
1
3
5
7
2
4
6
8
Stripe
Disk Drives
Mirroring (RAID 1)
Writes duplicate data on to a pair of drives while reads are performed in parallel. RAID 1 is
fault tolerant because each drive of a mirrored pair is installed on separate IDE channels. If
one of the mirrored drives suffers a mechanical failure (for example, spindle failure) or does
not respond, the remaining drive will continue to function. This is called Fault Tolerance. If
one drive has a physical sector error, the mirrored drive will continue to function.
Data Mirror
1
2
3
4
Disk Drives
On the next reboot, the EasyBuild utility will display an error in the array and recommend
replacing the failed drive. Users should replace the failed drive as soon as possible. Due to
redundancy, the drive capacity of the array is half the total drive capacity. For example, two
100 GB drives that have a combined capacity of 200 GB would have 100 GB of usable
storage. With drives of different capacities, there may be unused capacity on the larger drive.
1
2
3
4
DISK ARRAY CONCEPTS - 7
3
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Installing the SATA RAID Controller
IMPORTANT: This WD SATA RAID Controller supports the following installation
configurations: single drive non-RAID, RAID 1, and RAID 0. When installing a single
SATA hard drive, follow the non-RAID installation instructions in section 2 below. The
single drive install is not supported in RAID because this setup requires the simultaneous
formatting of two drives.
Back Up Your Data
Before performing any hardware installation, protect your data by backing up your existing
hard drive before installing your new WD hard drive. Most operating systems include a
backup utility. Refer to your operating system or utilities documentation for procedures.
Physical Installation
If you wish to include your current bootable SATA drive as part of a bootable Mirrored
(RAID 1) array on your WD SATA RAID Controller, you MUST install the Windows 2000,
2003 Server, or XP driver software FIRST onto this drive while it is still attached to your
existing hard drive controller (see “Installing Software Drivers” on page 15).
Each WD SATA RAID Controller supports up to two SATA hard drives. For optimal
performance, install two identical SATA drives of the same model and capacity. The drives'
matched performance allows the array to function better as a single drive. If you are striping
(RAID 0) for performance, use up to two new drives. If mirroring (RAID 1) for protection,
you can use two new drives OR use an existing drive and a new drive (the new drive must be
the same size or larger than the existing drive).
1. Power off the computer and unplug the power cord.
2. Remove the system cover (refer to your system manual for instructions).
3. Remove the inside slot cover of an available 32-bit PCI slot (or 32-bit portion of a 64-bit
PCI slot) on the motherboard.
4. Install the WD SATA RAID Controller into the open slot. Secure the bracket to the
system's frame (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Installing the WD SATA RAID Controller
INSTALLING THE SATA RAID CONTROLLER - 8
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
5. Connect your system case's 2- or 4-pin LED cable to the LED connector on the WD
SATA RAID Controller.
6. Attach one SATA data cable to each SATA hard drive. Then attach the other end(s) of the
cable(s) to the connector(s) on the WD SATA RAID Controller.
Note: The WD SATA RAID Controller is a PCI Plug-n-Play (PnP) device. No changes
are necessary in the Motherboard CMOS Setup for resources or drive types in most
applications..
Port 2
(Serial)
Management
connector
Figure 2. WD SATA RAID Controller Connectors
Port 1
(Serial)
After completing the physical installation process above, you must create an array before
installing an operating system on the drive(s) or using an existing operating system on a drive.
Proceed to “Creating a Disk Array” on page 10.
INSTALLING THE SATA RAID CONTROLLER - 9
4
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Creating a Disk Array
The WD SATA RAID Controller allows the creation of one or two drives in a striped array,
or two drives in a mirrored array. You can also install a single, non-RAID drive and connect it
to the WD SATA RAID Controller.
Use the onboard EasyBuild™ BIOS utility to create a RAID disk array using the attached
drives. There are five different ways to create this array:
! Single (non-RAID)
! Performance (RAID 0)
! Security, using two new SATA hard drives (RAID 1, recommended)
! Security, using an existing SATA hard drive and a new SATA drive (RAID 1)
! Security, using Quick Initialization (RAID 1)
Follow the first three steps below prior to executing the steps for each of the different setup
options above.
1. Boot your system. If this is the first time you have booted with the WD SATA RAID
Controller and drives installed, the WD onboard BIOS will display the following screen.
WD SATA RAID controller
(c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
No array defined . . .
Press <Ctrl-F> to enter EasyBuild (tm) Utility
Or press <ESC> key to continue booting the system
2. Press CNTL+F or CNTL+A (depending on the BIOS screen displayed by your controller) to
display the EasyBuild Utility Main Menu.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital
Technologies, Inc.
[Main Menu]
Auto Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . [1]
View Drive Assignments . . . . . . [2]
Define Array . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
Delete Array . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
Rebuild Array . . . . . . . . . . [5]
[Keys Available]
Press 1...5 to Select Option [ESC] Exit
3. To begin the process of creating an array, do the following:
- To create a single SATA drive non-RAID array, press 3.
- To create all other types of RAID arrays, press 1 to display the Auto Setup Options
Menu (see screen below). This is the fastest and easiest method for creating your first
RAID array.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital
Technologies, Inc.
[Auto Setup Options Menu]
Optimize Array for: Performance
[Auto Setup Configuration]
Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . Stripe
Spare Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Drives used in Array . . . . . . . 2
Array Disk Capacity . . . . . 160048
[Keys Available]
CREATING A DISK ARRAY - 10
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Setting Up a Single SATA Non-RAID Drive
To set up a single SATA drive non-RAID array, follow these steps:
1. Press the ARROW keys to highlight the array number you wish to define, then press ENTER to
make your selection. The Define Array Definition Menu appears.
2. Move to RAID Mode and press the SPACEBAR to cycle through array types until it says
Stripe. Leave Stripe Block size and Gigabyte Boundary at their default values.
3. Move to Drive Assignments, highlight a drive, and press the SPACEBAR to change one drive
to Y. Select a drive on SATA drive channel 1 or 2.
4. Press CTRL+Y to save the array information. The Define Array Menu appears again with the
new array defined.
5. Press the ESC key twice to exit the EasyBuild utility. Your system will reboot automatically.
After reboot, the EasyBuild BIOS will appear showing your newly created array.
WD SATA RAID Controller
(c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved
ID MODE SIZE TRACK-MAPPING STATUS
1 * 1+0 Stripe 80024M 611/128/32 Functional
Press <Ctrl-F> to enter EasyBuild(tm) Utility...
Once the drive has been created, format and partition it as a new single hard drive. Use a
Windows boot disk, or boot to a Windows 2003 Server, XP, or 2000 operating system CD to
partition and format the new drive in Disk Management.
Proceed to “Installing Software Drivers” on page 15 and follow the instructions for WD
SATA RAID Controller driver installation during Windows setup.
Creating an Array for Performance (RAID 0)
To create an array for best performance, follow these steps:
1. Press the SPACEBAR until Performance appears under the Optimize Array for section.
2. Press CTRL+Y to save and create the array.
3. Follow the directions on-screen to reboot your system.
Once the array has been created, format and partition the array as if it were a new single hard
drive. Use a Windows boot disk, or boot to a Windows 2003 Server, XP, or 2000 operating
system CD to partition and format the new array in Disk Management.
For bootable drive arrays, go to“Installing Software Drivers” on page 15 and follow the
instructions for WD SATA RAID Controller driver installation during Windows setup.
CREATING A DISK ARRAY - 11
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Creating a Security Array with Two New Drives (RAID 1 recommended)
Under the Security setting, WD SATA RAID Controller permits two drives to be used for a
single mirrored array.
Note: When creating a Security array with new drives, a feature called Gigabyte Boundary will
automatically be set to ON.
To create an array for data protection using new hard drives, follow these steps:
1. Press the SPACEBAR until Security appears under the Optimize Array for section.
2. Press CTRL+Y to save your selection.
3. The window below will appear.
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another or do
quick initialize or create only?
Y - Create and Duplicate
N - Create Only
I - Create and Quick Initialize
4. Press N for the Create Only option.
5. A window will appear almost immediately confirming that your Security array has been
created. Press any key to reboot the system.
Array has been created.
<Press Any Key to Reboot>
Once the array has been created, format and partition the array as if it were a new single hard
drive. Use a Windows boot disk, or boot to a Windows 2003 Server, XP, or 2000 operating
system CD to partition and format the new array in Disk Management.
For bootable drive arrays, go to “Installing Software Drivers” on page 15 and follow the
instructions for WD SATA RAID Controller driver installation during Windows setup.
Creating a Security Array with an Existing Data Drive
Under the Security setting, WD SATA RAID Controller permits two drives to be used for a
single Mirrored array in Auto Setup.
Use this method if you wish to use a drive in a single Mirrored array that already contains data
and/or is the bootable system drive in your system. You will need another SATA drive of
identical or larger storage capacity to set up the array.
CAUTION: If you are creating a Security array using an existing hard drive, back up any
important data. Failure to do so could result in data loss.
If you wish to include your current bootable drive as part of a bootable Mirrored (RAID 1)
array on your WD SATA RAID Controller, do NOT connect the hard drive to the WD
SATA RAID Controller yet.
FIRST, you MUST install the Windows 2003 Server, XP, or 2000 driver software on your
existing hard drive. See “Installing Software Drivers” on page 15 for instructions on WD
SATA RAID Controller driver installation during Windows setup.
CREATING A DISK ARRAY - 12
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Follow these steps to create a security array with an existing hard drive:
1. Press the SPACEBAR to choose Security under the Optimize Array for section.
2. Press CTRL+Y to save your selection. The window below will appear.
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another or do
quick initialize or create only?
Y - Create and Duplicate
N - Create Only
I - Create and Quick Initialize
3. Press Y for the Create and Duplicate option. The window below will appear asking you
to select the Source drive to use. EasyBuild will copy all data from the Source drive to the
Target drive.
Source Disk
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)
----- ----- -----
Target Disk
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)
----- ----- -----
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)
1 : WD WD740GD-00DAC3 74025
2 : WD WD740GD-00DAC3 74025
↑] Up [↓] Down [ESC] Exit [Ctrl-Y] Save
[
[Please Select A Source Disk]
4. Use the arrow keys to choose which drive contains the existing data to be copied. If you
have two identical hard drives, determine which hard drive contains existing data via
channel ID (Channel 1 or 2). These are concurrent with the physical ports on the WD
SATA RAID Controller that the hard drives are connected to. Port 1 = Channel 1 and
Port 2 = Channel 2 (see step 6 under “Installing the Serial ATA RAID Controller” on
page 8).
5. Press CTRL+Y to save selection and start duplication. The following progress screen will
appear.
Start to duplicate the image . . .
Do you want to continue? (Yes/No)
Y - Continue N - Abort
6. Select Y to continue. If you choose N, you will be returned to step 1.
7. Once complete, the following screen will appear confirming that your Security array has
been created. Press any key to reboot the system.
Array has been created.
<Press Any Key to Reboot>
The computer should now boot to the operating system on the source drive (now duplicated
to the target drive). The source drive will have no visible changes other than in Device
Manager where the drive will be listed as the new array instead of a single drive model.
Note: Disk duplication may take up to several hours depending on how much data will be
copied to the target drive. For example, 120 GB of data will take an average of one to two
hours to be duplicated in a newer computer system.
CREATING A DISK ARRAY - 13
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Creating a Security Array with Quick Initialization
Under the Security setting, the WD SATA RAID Controller permits two drives to be used for
a single Mirrored array in Auto Setup.
Use this setting to create a mirrored (RAID-1) array with one or two existing hard drives
containing data that you do not want to keep. This method erases the first data block from
your existing drives.
CAUTION: Using the Quick Initialization option on existing drives will result in the loss
of all data on those drives.
Note: When creating a Security array with new drives, a feature called Gigabyte Boundary will
automatically be set to ON.
To create an array for data protection using two new SATA hard drives, follow these steps:
1. Press the SPACEBAR to choose Security under the Optimize Array for section.
2. Press CTRL+Y to save your selection. The window below will appear.
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another or do
quick initialize or create only?
Y - Create and Duplicate
N - Create Only
I - Create and Quick Initialize
3. Press I for Create and Quick Initialize.
4. A window will appear almost immediately confirming that your Security array has been
created. Press any key to reboot the system.
Array has been created.
<Press Any Key to Reboot>
Once the array has been created, format and partition the array as if it were a new single hard
drive. Use a Windows boot disk, or boot to a Windows 2003 Server, XP, or 2000 operating
system CD to partition and format the new array in Disk Management.
For bootable drive arrays, go to “Installing Software Drivers” on page 15 and follow the
instructions for WD SATA RAID Controller driver installation during Windows setup.
CREATING A DISK ARRAY - 14
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Installing Software Drivers
Following are driver installation procedures for the Windows operating systems that support
the WD SATA RAID Controller. The WD SATA RAID Controller software drivers for
Windows are included on the diskette.
Drivers and installation instructions for other operating systems are downloadable from our
Web site at support.wdc.com.
New Windows Server 2003 Installation
The following details the installation of the WD SATA RAID Controller drivers while
installing Windows Server 2003.
1. Start the installation by booting from the drivers diskette. Press F6 after the message
"Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver" appears.
2. When the Windows Server 2003 Setup window is generated, press S to specify an
Additional Device(s).
3. Choose Win .NET 2003 WD SATA RAID Controller from the list that appears on
screen, then press ENTER.
4. Press S to use the driver on the diskette, then press ENTER to continue with installation.
The Windows Server 2003 Setup screen will appear again and display the following
message: "Setup will load support for the following mass storage devices." The list will
include Win .NET 2003 WD SATA RAID Controller.
Note: If there are any additional devices to be installed, specify them now. When all
devices are specified, continue to the next step.
5. From the Windows Server 2003 Setup screen, press ENTER. Setup will now load all device
files and then continue the Windows Server 2003 installation.
Existing Windows Server 2003 Installation
After installing the WD SATA RAID Controller and rebooting your system, Windows Server
2003 setup will show a Found New Hardware dialog box.
1. Insert the WD SATA RAID Controller device drivers diskette into the floppy drive.
2. Choose Install the software automatically and press ENTER.
3. Choose Win .NET 2003 WD SATA RAID controller from the list that appears on
screen, then press ENTER.
4. If using a driver that has not been digitally signed by Microsoft, you will be asked if you
want to continue the installation. Click Continue.
5. When the New Hardware Wizard has finished installing the WD SATA RAID
Controller software, click Finish.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE DRIVERS - 15
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Confirming Windows 2003 Server Driver Installation
1. Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Manage from the popup menu.
2. From the left panel, select Device Manager.
3. Click the + in front of SCSI and RAID controllers. "Win .NET 2003 WD SATA RAID
Controller" should appear.
New Windows XP Installation
The following intructions detail the installation of the WD SATA RAID Controller drivers
while installing Windows XP onto the newly created array.
1. Start the installation by booting from the drivers diskette. Press F6 after the message
"Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver" appears.
2. When the Windows XP Setup window is generated, press S to specify an Additional
Device(s).
3. Choose WinXP WD SATA Controller from the list that appears on screen, and then
press the ENTER.
4. Press S to use the driver on the diskette, then press ENTER to continue with installation.
5. The Windows XP Setup screen will appear again saying "Setup will load support for the
following mass storage devices:" The list will include "WinXP WD SATA RAID
Controller."
Note: If there are any additional devices to be installed, specify them now. When all
devices are specified, continue to the next step.
6. In the Windows XP Setup screen, press ENTER. Setup will now load all device files and
then continue the Windows XP installation.
Existing Windows XP Installation
After installing the WD SATA RAID Controller and rebooting your system, Windows XP
setup will show a Found New Hardware dialog box.
1. Insert the WD SATA RAID Controller drivers diskette into the floppy disk drive.
2. Choose Install the software automatically and press the ENTER key.
3. Choose WinXP WD SATA RAID Controller from the list that appears on screen, and
then press the ENTER key.
4. If using a driver that has not been digitally signed by Microsoft, you will be asked if you
want to continue the installation. Click Continue.
5. When the New Hardware Wizard has finished installing the WD SATA RAID
Controller software, click Finish.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE DRIVERS - 16
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Confirming Windows XP Driver Installation
1. Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Manage from the popup menu.
2. From the left panel, select Device Manager.
3. Click the + in front of SCSI and RAID controllers. "WinXP WD SATA RAID
Controller" should appear.
New Windows 2000 Installation
The following details the installation of the WD SATA RAID Controller drivers while
installing Windows 2000.
1. Start the installation by booting from the drivers diskette. Press F6 after the message
"Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver" appears.
2. When the Windows 2000 Setup window is generated, press S to specify an Additional
Device(s).
3. Choose Win2000 WD SATA RAID Controller from the list that appears on screen then
press ENTER.
4. The Windows 2000 Setup screen will appear again saying "Setup will load support for the
following mass storage devices:" The list will include "Win2000 WD SATA RAID
Controller."
Note: If there are any additional devices to be installed, specify them now. When all
devices are specified, continue to the next step.
5. From the Windows 2000 Setup screen, press ENTER. Setup will now load all device files
and then continue the Windows 2000 installation.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE DRIVERS - 17
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Existing Windows 2000 Installation
After installing the WD SATA RAID Controller and rebooting your system, Windows 2000
setup will show a New Hardware Found dialog box.
1. Choose Add New Hardware Wizard from the list, and then press ENTER.
2. Choose Add/Troubleshoot a device and click Next. The new hardware wizard will show
device list
3. Choose Mass Storage controller and click Next. At the following screen click Finish.
4. Choose Display a list the known drivers for this device so that I can choose a specific
driver then click Next.
5. When the Windows 2000 supported SCSI adapter drivers list appears, click Have disk.
6. Insert the WD SATA RAID Controller diskette into the floppy disk drive.
7. Choose Win2000 WD SATA RAID Controller from the list that appears on screen, then
click Next.
8. Click Yes to confirm continue the installation and copy the driver to system.
9. Remove the diskette and click Finish to restart the system. Windows 2000 will then
restart for the driver installation to take effect.
Confirm Windows 2000 Driver Installation
1. Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Manage from the popup menu.
2. From the left panel, select Device Manager.
3. Click the + in front of SCSI controllers. Win2000 WD SATA RAID Controller should
appear.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE DRIVERS - 18
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WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
EasyBuild Options and Features
Viewing Drive Array Assignments
EasyBuild can be used to display an array's status, which drives are assigned to an array, and
array information.
The View Drive Assignments option (2) in the Main Menu displays whether drives are
assigned to a disk array or are unassigned. Under the Assignment column, drives are labeled
with their assigned disk array or shown as Free if unassigned. Unassigned drives are not
accessible by the OS. The menu also displays the data transfer mode that relates to speed used
by each drive (U5 refers to 100 MB/sec transfers, U4 refers to 66 MB/sec transfers, etc.)
Note: The WD SATA RAID Controller will display SATA drive(s) as a U6 transfer mode
(133 MB/sec.) which is incorrect. This does not mean that the drive(s) are running in ATA
133 mode. The controller is not setup for displaying the drive(s) as ATA 150 or 150 MB/sec.
because there is not a specification for this transfer speed to date. The drive(s) will work at
their correct speed of 150 MB/sec while being displayed incorrectly.
To access the Assignments for the drives attached to the controller, follow the steps in this section.
1. Boot the computer and press the CTRL+A keys to display the FastBuild Utility Main Menu.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital
Technologies, Inc.
[Main Menu]
Auto Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . [1]
View Drive Assignments . . . . . . [2]
Define Array . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
Delete Array . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
Rebuild Array . . . . . . . . . . [5]
[Keys Available]
Press 1...5 to Select Option [ESC] Exit
2. Press 2 to View Drive Assignments. The screen below displays. Here, you can see that
there are two WD 74 GB drives connected that have been assigned to
"Array 1."
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
[View Drive Assignments]
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity(MB) Assignment Mode
1 : WD740GD-00DAC3 74025 Array 1 U
2 : WD740GD-00DAC3 74025 Array 1 U
3 :
4 :
[Keys Available]
↑] Up [↓] Down [ESC] Exit Mode (U=UDMA, D=DMA)
[
EASYBUILD OPTIONS AND FEATURES - 19
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Deleting An Array
The Delete Array Menu option (4) allows for deletion of a disk array. Do not continue unless
the data on the drives have been backed up, or is no longer important and can be erased.
Make sure to record all array information including the array type, disk members, and stripe
block size in case you wish to undo a deletion.
CAUTION: If you delete an array by accident, immediately create a new Array with the
exact same array type, disk members, and stripe block size. Instructions for this are listed in
“Creating a Disk Array” on page 10. This action may recover the deleted array.
1. Boot the computer and press the CTRL+A keys to display the FastBuild Utility Main Menu.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital
Technologies, Inc.
[Main Menu]
Auto Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . [1]
View Drive Assignments . . . . . . [2]
Define Array . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
Delete Array . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
Rebuild Array . . . . . . . . . . [5]
[Keys Available]
Press 1...5 to Select Option [ESC] Exit
2. Press 3 to Delete Array.
3. To delete an array, highlight the Array you wish to delete and press the DELETE key.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
[Delete Array Menu]
Array No RAID Mode Total Drv Capacity(MB) Status
Array 1 Stripe 2 148050 Functional
Array 2 ———— ———— ———— ————
Array 3 ———— ———— ———— ————
Array 4 ———— ———— ———— ————
[Keys Available]
↑] Up [↓] Down [ESC] Exit [Del] Delete
[
4. The Array Definition menu appears showing which drives are assigned to this array.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
[Delete Array Menu]
Array No RAID Mode Total Drv Capacity(MB) Status
Array 1 Stripe 2 148050 Functional
Stripe Block: 64 KB Gigabyte Boundary: OFF
[Drive Assignments]
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity(MB) Assignment
1 : WD WD740GD-00DAC3 74025 Y
2 : WD WD740GD-00DAC3 74025 Y
5. Press
CTRL+Y to confirm Yes to the warning message and continue array deletion.
Are you sure you want to delete this array?
Press Ctrl-Y to Delete, others to Abort
6. After deleting the array, create a new array using the Auto Setup menu from the
EasyBuild Main Menu outlined in “Creating a Disk Array” on page 10.
EASYBUILD OPTIONS AND FEATURES - 20
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Rebuilding a Mirrored Array
If you receive an error message when booting your system from the WD SATA RAID
Controller's BIOS, this may mean that one of the drives attached to the controller may be
malfunctioning, or the array may have become unstable. Immediately test the drives to
determine which drive is causing the error and replace if necessary. Once the drive is replaced
or the drives are deemed correct and free of defect, use the steps listed in this section to
rebuild the Drive Array.
1. On bootup, the WD SATA RAID controller's BIOS will display an error message
identifying which drive has failed. Please take note of this drive and document for future
use.
2. Press CTRL+A to enter the EasyBuild Main Menu.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital
Technologies, Inc.
[Main Menu]
Auto Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . [1]
View Drive Assignments . . . . . . [2]
Define Array . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
Delete Array . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
Rebuild Array . . . . . . . . . . [5]
[Keys Available]
Press 1...5 to Select Option [ESC] Exit
3. Press 3 to select Define Array.
4. Select the failed array and identify the Channel and ID of the failed drive.
5. Power off the computer and physically remove the failed hard drive.
6. Replace the drive with an identical model.
Note: If you have tested the drive and it is deemed error free, you will not need to replace
the drive. Simply install the drive back onto the RAID Controller exactly how it was
before and continue with the steps that follow.
7. Reboot the system and enter the EasyBuild Main Menu by pressing CTRL+A.
8. Press 5 to select Rebuild Array.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
[Rebuild Array Menu]
Array No RAID Mode Total Drv Capacity(MB) Status
Array 1 Mirror 2 148050 Critical
Array 2 ———— ———— ———— ————
Array 3 ———— ———— ———— ————
Array 4 ———— ———— ———— ————
[Keys Available]
↑] Up [↓] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select
[
9. Highlight the array in which the utility is displaying the status as Critical by using the up
or down
ARROW keys.
EASYBUILD OPTIONS AND FEATURES - 21
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USER MANUAL
10. Press ENTER. The following screen displays.
EasyBuild(tm) Utility 2.xx (c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
[Rebuild Array Menu]
Array No RAID Mode Total Drv Status
Array 2 Mirror 2 Critical
Stripe Block: Not Available Gigabyte Boundary: ON
[Select Drive for Rebuild]
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity(MB)
1 : WD WD740GD-00DAC3 74025
[Keys Available]
↑] Up [↓] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select
[
11. Under Select Drive for Rebuild, highlight the replacement drive by using the up or down
ARROW keys.
12. Press ENTER and confirm that the data will be copied on to the selected drive. All data on
the replacement drive will be written over with mirrored information from the array drive.
A progress bar appears.
13. Once the rebuild process is complete, reboot the system. The WD SATA RAID
controller's BIOS will now display the drive with no errors.
Note: Disk Duplication (rebuilding) may take up to several hours depending on how
much data will be copied to the new drive. For instance, 120 GB of data would take one
to two hours on average to be duplicated in a newer computer system.
EASYBUILD OPTIONS AND FEATURES - 22
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Reserve Sector Implementation
Array configuration data about the drive member (each physical drive on the WD SATA
RAID Controller) and other members in the disk array are saved on a special location on the
hard drives called the Reserve Sector. If any member of the array becomes corrupt or lost, the
redundant configuration data on the other members can be used for rebuilds. Disk array
members do not have a memory of their drive positions. This allows drives to be placed on
different WD SATA RAID Controller connectors or cards within the system without
reconfiguring or rebuilding.
Note: If you use any Third Party Software to re-partition a RAID array, you stand the chance
of erasing or destroying the data contained in the Reserve Sector. This could consequentially
destroy the data contained on the drive.
In some cases the Reserve Sector can be infected or damaged by drive failure, virus, etc. Listed
below are steps on deleting and rebuilding the reserve sector on the drives attached to the
WD SATA RAID Controller.
CAUTION: Before removing the Reserve Sector of the drive(s), back up any existing data.
Removal of the Reserve Sector of any drive may permanently delete all existing data on the
hard drive.
For Mirrored arrays (RAID 1), remove the Reserve Sector from the mirrored drive first (this
will appear during Step 3 below) then rebuild the mirrored array. Remove the Sector on the
Master Drive only as a last resort.
For Striped arrays (RAID 0), removing the Reserve Sector from any of the drives that are
striped will destroy the arrayed data.
To remove the Reserve Sector, follow these steps:
1. During boot up, press CTRL+A to enter the EasyBuild BIOS utility.
2. Press 2 to View Drive Assignments.
3. Press ARROW up or down keys to highlight the drive where you wish to remove the Reserve
Sector.
4. Press ALT+F1. The highlighted drive will start blinking on the screen.
5. Press
CTRL+TAB. A message will appear that says the reserved sector (which is where array
information is kept) on the disk will be wiped.
6. Press Y to confirm.
7. Take the appropriate action:
- For striped arrays, repeat this process for each member of the particular array that is
having a problem. When you are finished, press the Esc key twice to reboot.
- For mirrored arrays, press the Esc key twice to reboot.
8. After rebooting, use EasyBuild to re-create the array outlined in “Creating a Disk Array”
on page 10.
EASYBUILD OPTIONS AND FEATURES - 23
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USER MANUAL
Gigabyte Boundary
The Gigabyte Boundary feature is designed for mirrored arrays (RAID 1) in which a drive has
failed and the user cannot replace the drive with the same capacity or larger drive. Instead, the
Gigabyte Boundary feature permits the installation of a replacement drive that is slightly
smaller (within 1 GB) than the remaining working drive (for example, an 80.5 GB drive
would be rounded down to 80 GB).
This can be helpful in the event that a drive fails and an exact replacement model is no longer
available. Without this feature enabled, the WD SATA RAID Controller 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 mirrored array is created. When enabled, the Gigabyte Boundary
feature rounds the drive capacity of both drives to the common whole GB drive size. For
example, with the Gigabyte Boundary feature enabled, the remaining working drive can be
80.5 GB and the replacement drive can be 80.3, since both are rounded down to 80 GB. This
permits the smaller drive to be used. Please note that users will lose a small amount of
available storage capacity from both drives to arrive at a common drive size.
Note: Gigabyte Boundary is automatically disabled when creating a mirrored array (RAID 1)
from an existing drive (versus using two brand new drives). This protects the existing drive's
partition table to maintain data integrity.
EASYBUILD OPTIONS AND FEATURES - 24
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USER MANUAL
Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g & Ti p s
This section is used to assist with troubleshooting conflicts and WD SATA RAID Controller
installation problems. Also refer to our product support Web site at support.wdc.com.
The section is divided into the following categories:
! Motherboard Issues
! System CMOS Issues
! Drive Errors
! Operating System Errors
! Audio/Video Editing Tips.
Motherboard Issues
Freeing Additional IRQ Resources
Since the WD SATA RAID Controller supports PCI Interrupt sharing, it is possible to use
IRQs already assigned to another PCI card. Interrupt Sharing is not supported with onboard
IDE controllers. If the onboard IDE controller(s) are not used, you may disable the
controllers to free IRQ 14 and/or 15.
Configuring PCI IRQ Resources
Setting the IRQ for a particular PCI slot will be different depending on the motherboard
BIOS. This setting is usually made in the PCI Configuration and/or Plug and Play (PnP)
section of the motherboard BIOS setup. There are three common methods that motherboard
BIOS's handle assignment of IRQs to PCI slots:
Specifically assigning an IRQ to a particular slot - You can tell the motherboard to use IRQ
10 for PCI slot 1, IRQ 11 for PCI slot 2, etc.
! Listing which IRQs are available to be assigned to the PCI slots - This BIOS has an
option where you specify 1st Available IRQ, 2nd Available IRQ, etc. The BIOS then
scans the PCI slots for PCI cards and assigns these IRQs in the order that it finds the PCI
cards.
Consult your motherboard manual for information that is specific to your motherboard.
Intermittent Data Problems
Overclocking the PCI bus may cause the system to hang or data corruption. If you experience
either of these problems and you are overclocking the PCI bus, set the PCI bus back to its
normal setting to see if this is causing the errors.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS - 25
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System CMOS Issues
Set Motherboard CMOS Boot sequence to boot to WD SATA RAID Controller
On some Motherboard BIOS, it is necessary to set the Boot sequence to SCSI, A:, C: since
the WD SATA RAID Controller is identified as a SCSI card.
Motherboard CMOS displays C: or D: drive failure during startup
See the Drive-Related Errors section.
Using an Onboard IDE Card with WD SATA RAID Controller
If an onboard IDE controller is installed with hard drives, enable support in the Motherboard
Standard CMOS Setup for the drives. Note that the onboard IDE hard drives will then be the
bootable hard disk unless the system BIOS has a boot sequence setting with the option to
specify booting to a different device.
Drive-Related Errors
Critical Array Status Error Reported During Boot
If a critical status error message appears on the WD SATA RAID Controller BIOS startup
screen for a mirrored array (see below), there is a drive in the array that has failed or is not
responding. The WD SATA RAID Controller will identify the failed drive by channel
number. The mirrored array has lost its fault tolerance, but will still perform normal drive
reads and writes.
Operation aborted because EasyBuild encountered an
error as follows:
Location: Channel 2
Array Status: Critical
Please retry using Promise Array Management utility
to recover all data. Reboot the system by pressing
Try powering the system off and on to reset the drive. Also confirm that cables are properly
attached and the drive is receiving power. If the drive still appears to have failed, refer to the
Rebuilding an Array option in the WD Array Management utility as detailed in the WD
Array Management User Manual.
Drive Cannot Be Formed Into An Array
Hard drives must be SATA and free of media defects to be added into an array. New, identical
drives should be used for each array. Re-secure data and power cabling while checking for
proper alignment. Typically, Pin 1 of the drive is closest to the power connector.
System CMOS Displays C: or D: Drive Failure During Startup
Do not reference C: or D: in the Motherboard Standard CMOS for drives attached to the
WD SATA RAID Controller controller. Only enter drive information in the Motherboard
CMOS for drives attached to the onboard IDE controller.
FDISK Reports a Much Lower Drive Capacity if a Single Physical Drive or a Striped Array Exceeds 64 GB
Due to a limitation with FDISK, the utility reports only the storage capacity that exceeds
64 GB. This is a cosmetic, not actual, limitation. Simply create a single DOS drive partition,
reboot, and then format the partition. The Format command will recognize the total capacity
of the partition accurately. Windows 2000 will now recognize the total capacity of your array.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS - 26
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
Unable to Partition or Format Array
USER MANUAL
This condition may occur when the Reserve Sector of one of the drives has become corrupt or
bad. Removing the Reserve Sector will remedy any issue related directly to a Bad Reserve
Sector.
CAUTION: Before removing the Reserve Sector of the drive(s), back up any existing data.
Removal of the reserve sector of any drive permanently deletes all existing data on the hard
drive.
For Mirrored arrays (RAID 1), remove the Reserve Sector from the mirrored drive first (this
will appear during Step 3 below) then rebuild the mirrored array. Remove the Sector on the
Master Drive only as a last resort.
For Striped arrays (RAID 0), removing the Reserve Sector from any of the drives that are
striped will destroy the arrayed data.
To remove the Reserve Sector, follow these steps:
1. During boot up, press CTRL+F or CTRL+A to enter the EasyBuild BIOS utility.
2. Choose option 2, View Drive Assignments.
3. Press arrow keys to highlight the drive from which you wish to remove the reserve sector.
4. Press ALT+F1. The highlighted drive will start blinking on the screen.
5. Press CTRL+TAB. A message will appear that says the reserved sector (which is where array
information is kept) on the disk will be wiped.
6. Press Y to confirm.
7. Take the appropriate action:
- For striped arrays, repeat this process for each member of the particular array that is
having a problem. When you are finished, press the ESC key twice to reboot.
- For mirrored arrays, hit the ESC key twice to reboot.
8. After rebooting, use EasyBuild to re-create the array.
- For striped arrays, use FDISK and FORMAT after setting up the array.
- For mirrored arrays, rebuild the mirrored array.
Array Constantly Goes Into Critical or Offline Mode During Reboot
See Unable to Partition or Format Array above.
Cannot Rebuild Mirrored (RAID 1) Array
See Unable to Partition or Format Array above.
Fatal Errors or Data Corruption are Constantly Reported When Reading or Writing to Drive Array
See Unable to Partition or Format Array above.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS - 27
WD SERIAL ATA RAID CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Operating System-Related Issues
The Operating System no longer boots after creating a Mirrored Array using your existing boot drive using Windows 98/NT4/2000/XP/2003 Server
This is due to Drive Geometry issues. You can verify this if you move the original drive back
to the onboard controller and it boots successfully. Each controller can view a drive
differently. This can be an issue for a new controller that loads the original Master Boot
Record (MBR) and then has a problem translating the MBR or the operating system boot
record.
For Windows 2000, XP, and 2003 Server, a clean install of the operating system is
recommended. This action restores the MBR and OS boot record and requires repartitioning
and formatting of the drive.
WD Windows driver does not appear in Device Manager
Windows may already be listing the controller under Other Devices instead of the Hard disk
controllers section.
1. In Device Manager under Other Devices to see if it lists a PCI Card or RAID controller.
If so, highlight this listing and click on the Properties button then click on the Driver tab.
2. Depending on your version of Windows, choose either Change Driver or Update Driver.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation of the driver. If Windows asks if
you want to test if the device can be removed safely, click Cancel. Reboot the system to
complete installation of the driver.
"Inaccessible Boot Device" Message Appears During Floppyless Install of Windows 2000, XP, or Server 2003
The F6 key was not pressed at the appropriate time. Reboot the system, and press the F6 key
when the message "Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration..." appears in
Windows NT4 or the message "Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID
driver" appears in Windows 2000, XP or Server 2003.
"No Hard Drives Found" Message Appears During CD-ROM Install of Windows 2000, XP, or Server 2003
The F6 key was not pressed at the appropriate time. Reboot the system, and press the F6 key
when the message "Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration..." appears in
Windows NT4 or the message "Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver"
appears in Windows 2000, XP or Server 2003.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS - 28
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USER MANUAL
Performance Tips
Here are some tips that may optimize performance in a RAID 0 striped array. If you are using
an audio/video-editing card, we also recommend reviewing your card's documentation for
additional information.
Use WD SATA RAID Controller as D: or other non-bootable drive in a Striped Array
For Audio/Video editing, keep the original system boot drive on the standard IDE controller
as C: drive. Partitioning software such as FDISK will see the array as one physical drive, D: or
later. This will prevent file fragmentation and provide better accessibility to the array.
Optimize Array for "Performance"
The EasyBuild BIOS Utility autosetup menu allows optimizing the array for Performance
applications such as A/V Editing. The default Performance setting (Striping) selects a Stripe
Block size of 64. This larger block size is recommended for the data streaming requirements of
A/V editing. You may select an even larger block size in manual mode (see Chapter 3).
EasyBuild(tm) BIOS Version 1.xx (Build xxxx)
(c)2003 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved
[Auto Setup Options Menu]
Optimize Array for: Performance
[Auto Setup Configuration]
Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stripe
Stripe Block Size . . . . . . . . . 64
Drives used in Array . . . . . . . 2
Array Disk Capacity . . . . . . 160048
[Keys Available]
↑] Up [↓] Down [←, →, Space] Change Option [ESC] Exit [Ctrl-Y] Save
[
Change Setting of PCI Bus Utilization
Certain brands of video capture cards can produce a glitch on play back of .AVI files. A
setting of Less for PCI Bus utilization reduces the time which WD SATA RAID Controller
occupies on the PCI bus and frees that time for use by other PCI devices and will eliminate
the glitch dropout effect on playback.
1. Run WD Array Management Software. Click on the controller icon in Tree View to
display Options in Information View.
2. The PCI bus utilization slider is located at the bottom of the window. Move the slider to
the left to reduce the time WD SATA RAID Controller occupies the PCI bus. Then, click
Commit.
Once a PCI bus setting has been selected, no reboot is required.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS - 29
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Frequently Asked Questions
This section lists frequently asked questions involving pre-installation, drive issues,
installation, and post-installation.
Pre-Installation
(Speed, Device Types, Capacity, Cabling)
Q: What kind of hard drives can I use for a WD SATA RAID Controller array?
A: You can use any SATA hard drive(s) to create arrays on the WD SATA RAID Controller.
You should use matching drives for multiple-drive arrays to maximize capacity usage as well as
performance.
Q: Will ACPI work with hard drives on the WD SATA RAID Controller?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use ATAPI devices on the WD SATA RAID Controller?
A: No. The WD SATA RAID Controller does not support ATAPI devices.
Q: Will the WD SATA RAID Controller work with 66MHz PCI bus speed?
A: Yes, the WD SATA RAID Controller is designed to accommodate the newer PCI bus
speed and is backward compatible with 33 MHz speeds.
Q: How can I change the resources that the WD SATA RAID Controller uses?
A: The WD SATA RAID Controller is fully Plug and Play (PnP). This means all the
resources that it uses are given to it by the PnP BIOS on the motherboard. The WD SATA
RAID Controller does support IRQ sharing, but this will not work unless ALL the concerned
devices support the feature. If your motherboard allows you to control the assignment of these
resources, you may be able to remedy the problem by:
! Changing the IRQ assignments to the PCI slots in the motherboard BIOS during boot
up.
! Reset the configuration data in your CMOS. This is usually an option in the PnP section
of your CMOS.
Otherwise, re-install the WD SATA RAID Controller to a different PCI slot.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - 30
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Q: How does the WD SATA RAID Controller provide storage and/or data protection?
A: WD SATA RAID Controller implements two different types of RAID levels as follows:
RAID 0 (Stripe)
For capacity - The WD SATA RAID Controller array will be as big as the smallest hard drive
in the array times however many hard drives are in the array. Any larger hard drives will
simply be truncated. The truncated space on the bigger hard drives will then be unusable.
For sustained data transfers - Using WD SATA RAID Controller, a RAID 0 array consisting
of two hard drives will transfer at about twice the speed of the slowest hard drive in the array.
A RAID 0 array consisting of four hard drives will transfer at about three times the speed of
the slowest hard drive in the array.
RAID 1 (Mirror)
For capacity - The WD SATA RAID Controller array will be as big as the smallest hard drive
in the array. The larger hard drive will simply be truncated. The truncated space on the bigger
hard drive will then be unusable.
For sustained data transfers - The WD SATA RAID Controller array will write data at the
rate of the slowest hard drive in the array. The WD SATA RAID Controller array will read
data at twice the rate of the slowest hard drive in the array.
Drive Issues
Q: Can I add a drive to a WD SATA RAID Controller RAID array via hot-swap and dynamically adjust the array size/configuration?
A: No. The WD SATA RAID Controller system does not support dynamically adjustable
RAID size/configurations.
Q: Do the HDDs on the WD SATA RAID Controller have to be the same size?
A: The HDDs that you use with the WD SATA RAID Controller do not have to be the same
size. If the sizes differ, the WD SATA RAID Controller will truncate the bigger hard drive so
the drives match. The resulting difference in hard drive space is unusable, so avoid using hard
drives of significantly different capacities.
Q: I already have an array on an existing WD SATA RAID Controller. Can I move that array to my new WD SATA RAID Controller?
A: Yes. All WD SATA RAID Controllers read the arrays the same way and can be moved
from one controller to another.
Q: Can I take a drive used in a WD SATA RAID Controller array and access it directly with a different controller, such as the one integrated on the motherboard?
A: Only Single-drive striped (RAID 0) and Mirrored (RAID 1) array configurations allow the
drive(s) to be accessed individually on another controller. Multiple-drive striped (RAID 0)
will not work.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - 31
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Q: If I have a problem with one of the drives on the WD SATA RAID Controller, how can I low-level format it to correct the problem?
A: Do NOT do this. Low-level formatting is unnecessary and generally does not correct
problems commonly experienced during use.
Errors such as bad sectors or ECC/CRC failure are best remedied by completely replacing the
drive. For this reason, do NOT low-level format the drives attached to the WD SATA RAID
Controller.
Q: Do I have to install disk management software on my array to access the full storage capacity of drives?
A: No. Disk management software will only complicate things. The array should be fully
addressable by your OS as it is. Remember that some operating systems have varying limits on
the sizes of partitions and logical drives that can be defined. Consult your OS documentation
about partitioning larger drives.
Q: What system BIOS setup settings do I use for the drives on the WD SATA RAID Controller?
A: None. The drives on the WD SATA RAID Controller are supported by the WD SATA
RAID Controller BIOS and/or OS drivers, not by your system BIOS.
Q: How do I partition/format my WD SATA RAID Controller RAID array?
A: The WD SATA RAID Controller represents the array as a single hard drive to your system.
Therefore, anything that you can do to a single hard drive you can do to a WD SATA RAID
Controller array. For example, you should use the FDISK and FORMAT utilities to
partition/format the array. You can partition the array as you see fit. You can format the array
with any file system you wish.
Installation Issues
(Capacity, Booting)
Q: Why are some drives recognized by the WD SATA RAID Controller Array Setup utilities with only partial capacity?
A: Some hard drives ship with a jumper that reduces the addressable capacity of the drive to
prevent problems with older systems that don't support larger drives. Consult your hard drive
documentation to set the jumper so that you can use the full capacity of the drive.
Q: How can I change the system boot sequence to boot from the WD SATA RAID Controller array?
A: The boot sequence is controlled by the system BIOS. As far as the system BIOS is
concerned, the WD SATA RAID Controller and defined arrays are categorized as a SCSI
device. This allows you to set the boot sequence in your BIOS setup utility to boot from SCSI
first, rather than IDE.
If there are multiple SCSI add-in controllers in the system, then the boot sequence among
them will be determined exclusively by their PCI slot priority. PCI slot #1 will be first, slot #2
second, etc. Put the WD SATA RAID Controller in the PCI slot where it will be accessed
ahead of other SCSI controllers if you want to boot from the array.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - 32
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Q: How can I change the boot sequence between a PCI SCSI card and the WD SATA RAID Controller RAID array?
A: Since all PCI devices are Plug and Play, it is difficult to determine which device is
addressed first. Some newer motherboard BIOSs have advanced options that identify devices
and allow you to select which device will be assigned resources first. Otherwise you may have
to physically switch the device cards on the PCI slots so that the boot device is in the highest
priority slot number (see previous question).
Post-Installation
Q: Why can't I see the drives on the WD SATA RAID Controller under FDISK?
A: You have not created an array yet. If no array has been created, the system will not
recognize drive(s) attached to the WD SATA RAID Controller.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - 33
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Appendix A: Regulatory Compliance
FCC Class B Information
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of 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 instructions, may 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 the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications
Commission helpful: “How to Identify and Resolve Radio/TV Interference Problems.” This
booklet is available from the US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Stock
No. 004-000-00345-4.
CSA Notice
Le prent appareil numérique n'émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe B préscrites dans le Règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des Communications du Canada.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise for digital apparatus
set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications.
CE Compliance For Europe
Verified to comply with EN55022 for RF Emissions and EN50082-1 for Generic Immunity,
as applicable.
APPENDIX A: REGULATORY COMPLIANCE - 34
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Appendix B: Warranty Information
Obtaining Service
WD (WD) values your business and always attempts to provide you the very best of service. If
this Product requires maintenance, either contact the dealer from whom you originally
purchased the Product or visit our product support Web site at support.wdc.com for
information on how to obtain service or a Return Material Authorization (RMA). If it is
determined that the Product may be defective, you will be given an RMA number and
instructions for Product return. An unauthorized return (i.e., one for which an RMA number
has not been issued) will be returned to you at your expense. Authorized returns must be
shipped in an approved shipping container, prepaid and insured, to the address provided on
your return paperwork. Your original box and packaging materials should be kept for storing
or shipping your WD product. To conclusively establish the period of warranty, check the
warranty expiration (serial number required) via support.wdc.com. WD shall have no liability
for lost data, regardless of the cause, recovery of lost data, or data contained in any Product
placed in its possesssion.
1 Year Limited Warranty
WD warrants that the Product, in the course of its normal use, will be free from defects in
material and workmanship for a period of one (1) year and will conform to WD's
specification therefor. This limited warranty period shall commence on the purchase date
appearing on your purchase receipt.
WD shall have no liability for any Product returned if WD determines that the Product was
stolen from WD or that the asserted defect a) is not present, b) cannot reasonably be rectified
because of damage occurring before WD receives the Product, or c) is attributable to misuse,
improper installation, alteration (including removing or obliterating labels), accident or
mishandling while in your possession. Subject to the limitations specified above, your sole and
exclusive warranty shall be, during the period of warranty specified above and at WD's
option, the repair or replacement of the Product. The foregoing warranty of WD shall extend
to repaired or replaced Products for the balance of the applicable period of the original
warranty or ninety (90) days from the date of shipment of a repaired or replaced Product,
whichever is longer.
The foregoing limited warranty is WD's sole warranty and is applicable only to products
sold as new. The remedies provided herein are in lieu of a) any and all other remedies and
warranties, whether expressed, implied or statutory, including but not limited to, any
implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and b) any and all
obligations and liabilities of WD for damages including, but not limited to accidental,
consequential, or special damages, or any financial loss, lost profits or expenses, or lost data
arising out of or in connection with the purchase, use or performance of the Product, even
if WD has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
In the United States, some states do not allow exclusion or limitations of incidental or
consequential damages, so the limitations above may not apply to you. This warranty gives
you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
APPENDIX B: WARRANTY INFORMATION - 35
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Appendix C: WD Service and Support
If you need additional information or help during the installation or normal use of this
product, visit our product support Web site at support.wdc.com to choose from the following
options:
! Warranty Services–Obtain warranty information, warranty status, product replacement,
RMA status, and shipping and packaging information.
! Downloads Library–Download installation software and drivers.
! Technical Information–Get access to product specifications, technical tips, and online
forum.
! Knowledge Base–Explore our expert knowledge base and frequently asked questions
(FAQs).
! Service & Support Options–Look up available service and support options in your
region.
! Contact Support–Contact a support representative by phone or e-mail.
APPENDIX C: WD SERVICE AND SUPPORT - 36
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