WiebeTech RF, RackFire User Manual

RackFire™

USER’S MANUAL

Revised May 2, 2007

Features

• With RackFire, not only can you pack
2 Terabytes of storage in a slim 1U
rack mount enclosure, you can
access the four drives through two
removable trays. And, most
importantly, each tray is a hardware­based FireWire RAID!

• Each tray is a RAID 0 for on-the-fly
data striping between the two drives

in the tray. RackFire also features individual power supplies, so that the failure of either RAID will
not affect the function of the other RAID.

• System administrators and users can configure RackFire as a Hardware 0 + Software 1 RAID for
highest performance and on-the-fly data redundancy. RackFire is based on the latest generation
of FireWire 800 bridges, the Oxford Semiconductor OXUF912, and each tray’s performance
easily exceeds 70MB/s.

• Windows, Linux and Macintosh users will all find
RackFire perfect for their environments. Those who use
Apple’s Xserve will find it a perfect companion. Because
of its extremely high performance, it is also a valuable
tool.

Installation Instructions

1. Check the accessories with your RackFire. Please contact WiebeTech if any parts are missing or

damaged. The box should contain the following items:

Accessories Quantity

Rack Fire Trays 2

FireWire 800-800 cables 2

Rack mount brackets and ears 2

AC cables 2

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2. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the parts of the RackFire. This will help you to better

understand the remaining instructions.

Front view

Rear view

Setting up the RackFire

To begin using the RackFire, simply install drives into the Trays and inset them. Attach the FireWire
cables from the host computer to the RackFire. Plug in the power cords and switch the unit on.

For RackFire acquired without drives installed. If your RackFire already has drives installed proceed to
step 2.

1) Set the jumpers for the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) one as MASTER and one as SLAVE. There
should be a jumper setting legend on the drive to follow. If not, consult the HDD manufacturer’s
web site for assistance. Remove the Trays from the RackFire and install the drives into the trays
as shown, starting with the SLAVE drive first.

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2) Insert the Trays into the RackFire. Using the keys provided, lock the Trays into position.

3) Connect both power cords included with the RackFire into the outlet.

4) Connect the FireWire 800 cables into the 800 ports on the RackFire and into a computer.

WARNING: Always back up data
before switching RAID types. You
must reformat your drives afterwards.

Usage with Macintosh computers

Compatibility

The RackFire is fully plug-and-play under Mac OS 10.2.6 or later. No additional drivers are needed. .

Mounting and Ejecting Volumes

When you connect the unit to the Mac for the first time and turn on the power,
you’ll probably see a message saying that the disk is unreadable. This is
because you must format the volume before using it. The easiest way to do
this is to use Mac OS X’s Disk Utility. If you plan to use the unit on both Macs
and PCs, select “MS DOS File System” as the format type. If you only plan to
use the unit on Macs, then select “Mac OS Extended”. After the volume is
formatted, an icon representing the drive volume will appear (“mount”) on the
desktop. You can now use the volume just like an internal hard drive.

Eject the volume before powering down the unit by dragging the volume’s icon
to the trash bin, or by selecting the volume then pressing Command-E. Shutting down the unit without
first ejecting the volume can result in data loss.

Usage with Windows computers

Compatibility

The RackFire is fully plug-and-play with Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003. No additional drivers are
needed. RackFire may work with Vista though no testing has yet been done so there is no guarantee of
Vista compatibility.

Formatting Volumes

Before you can use your RackFire, you must first format the drives into a volume. Use Disk Management,
which you can find by right-clicking on My Computer then selecting Manage. Select NTFS for the format

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type. If you wish to format FAT-32 for cross-platform compatibility, you will need to use a third-party utility
to do so. Windows XP will not create FAT-32 volumes larger than 32GB.

After the volume is formatted, an icon representing the drive volume will appear in My Computer. You
can now use the volume just like an internal hard drive.

Ejecting Volumes

Unlike external storage devices that connect via FireWire or USB, eSATA devices cannot usually be
ejected. It is possible to disable the device using Device Manager. Whether or not you choose to disable
the device in this way, always make sure the drives are not being accessed before shutting off
theRackFire. If the unit is turned off in the middle of a data input/output process, data loss may result.

Warnings and Notices

• The RackFire supports drives of various specifications and different capacities. However, we
recommend using drives of the same brand and type for optimal performance. If drives of different
capacities are used, the unit will consider both drives to have the same capacity as the smaller
drive.

• Use only hard drives that are in perfect condition. Avoid using drives that have ever developed
bad sectors during previous usage. This could lead to possible device failure or loss of data.

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Product name/code:

Raid Leve

ls Supported:

Host Interfaces:

Data

Interface

Speeds:

Drive Types Supported:

Hot-Swappable Trays

:

Operating System

Operating Temperature:

Operating Humidity:

Power Switch:

Power Supply:

Cooling

Fan:

Safety Certification:

External Material:

Shipping Weights:

Dimensions:

Warranty:

Technical Specifications

RackFire
Automatic RAID striping, each individual tray, RAID 0
FireWire 800 (400 compatible)
800 Mbps per tray
70+MB/sec per tray sustained transfer rates have been measured
ATA5 / ATA6 / ATA7 IDE drive
Yes, 2 hot-swappable trays with 2 x 1" height IDE drives per tray for a
total of 4 drives within one enclosure
Windows 2K, XP, Server 2003

Requirements:

RackFire is a trademark of WiebeTech LLC. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2005 WiebeTech LLC. All rights reserved.

FCC Compliance Statement: “This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.”

In the event that you experience Radio Frequency Interference, you should take the following steps to resolve the problem:

1) Ensure that your unit is plugged into a grounded electrical outlet.

2) Use a data cable with RFI reducing ferrites on each end.

3) Use a power supply with an RFI reducing ferrite approximately 5 inches from the DC plug.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact [e-mail] for technical support. If you are
interested in purchasing more WiebeTech products, check our website or contact [e-mail]. We
appreciate being able to serve you!

Mac OS 10.2.6 or later
Linux distributions that support FireWire
50 – 85° Fahrenheit (10 – 30° Celsius)
5% to 95%, noncondensing
2 position: On / Off
2 x 90-240V 70 watts each, world compatible
6 cm ball-bearing fan
CE/FCC
Aluminum case
16 - 20 lbs, configuration dependent
15" x 17" x 1.75" (380mm x 430mm x 44mm) measured without
rack mount brackets or ears
1-year limited warranty. See warranty statement for details and limitations.
WiebeTech offers free phone support for 90 days after purchase. After 90
days, email support is available at [e-mail].

RackFire

Tested to comply

with FCC standards

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

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