XL-RAID-213SA
User Manual
Introduction English
Thank you for purchasing our products. This manual will introduce the XL-RAID-213SA Series.
Before using your XL-RAID-213SA, please read this manual thoroughly.
Table of Contents
1. Package Contents and Product Views
2. Operating Information
3. Hardware Requirements and Precautions
4. Hardware Installation Procedure
5. Connecting to computer
6. Setting the Hard Drive Array Mode
7. Computer Set Up
8. Hard Disk status on LCD screen
9. Data Rebuilding Operation
10. GUI Monitoring Software and Firmware Update
11. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Package Contents and Product Views
Open the package and you should find the following:
XL-RAID-213SA
XL-RAID-213SAｘ1
Internal RS232 Cable x 1
External RS232 Cable ｘ1
SATA Cable ｘ2
CD-Rom ｘ1
Accessories Kit bag
User Manual
Please make sure that the contents listed above are not damaged or missing. If you should find
damages or missing contents, please contact your supplier immediately.
2.5" HD/S SD HOST
Front View
1. 2.5" HDD status indicator LED
2. 2.5" HDD tray ejector opening
1
5
8
4
3. 2.5" HDD tray ejector handle 2
6
4. LCD Display
7
5. LED of failure Alarm
6. Pri. HDD status indicator
3
7. Sec. HDD status indicator
A
8. Mute Button
9. Removable drive tray
10.HDD tray ejector opening
B
Ⓐ primary HDD
Ⓑ secondary HDD
9 10
Rear View
1. Cooling fan
2. RAID mode switch
2
RAID
1
Mode
3. RS232 Port
4. SATA Port
5. Power socket
6. SATA Port
R0 R1 RS232
3
3.5" RA ID HOS T
4
5V
GND
12V
6
5
Note：
1. LED of Pri / Sec HDD which near LCD display will flash yellow when the data is accessed from the hard drive.
2. LED of Pri / Sec HDD on the HDD tray will flash blue when the data is accessed from the hard drive.
3. LED of failure alarm will light red when HD failed, temperature is higher than 60 C or fan fails
4. Press "Mute Button" to turn on mute function, to shut off the buzzer alarm, just press the button again.
2. Operating Information
Operating Temperature : 0 ~ 40 C (32 ~ 104 F)
Storage Temperature : -10 ~ 70 C (14 ~ 158 F)
Line Voltage : 100 ~ 240V AC
3. Hardware Requirements and Precautions
1. Computers or servers with SATA I, SATA II and SATA III
2. Hard drive with SATA I & SATA II and SATA III
3. Only one interface connection may be used at once per computer system.
4. You are strongly advised to set the storage mode (the default is the Independent mode) before
using the XL-RAID-213SA.
5. The product allows the user to simultaneously utilize two hard drives manu factured by different
companies. However, if the user expects better efficiency, we strongly recommend the users to
use hard drives manufactured by the same manufacturer.
6. Please make sure that the two hard drives are free from bad blocks or defects prior to
installation in order to avoid system crashes or data loss.
7. The actual storage capacity of XL-RAID-213SA series recognized by the system may differ from
the total capacity stated on the hard drives combined once the drives have been formatted.
8. Whenever turning off or unplugging the XL-RAID-213SA series from your computer system
becomes necessary, always remember to safely remove it from your operating system before
powering off the device.
9. It is highly recommended for users to back up important data contained within the
XL-RAID-213SA unit on a regular basis or whenever the user feels necessary to a remote or a
separate storage device. Stardom will not be responsible for any lost of data caused during the
use of the unit or the recovery of the data lost.
10. XL-RAID-213SA complies with standard RAID Level 1 and RAID Level 0 definitions.
Note：
Once the drive mode configuration has been completed, re-configuration using the same hard
drives to set the drive mode will result in complete data loss. If you must change the drive
mode, make sure to backup all data prior to the mode change.
4. Hardware Installation Procedure
Please follow the instructions below to complete the hardware installation.
Step 1 Open the package and take out the product making sure that all the enclosed contents are
not damaged or missing. Should you find damages or missing contents, please contact your
supplier immediately.
Step 2 Place the system on a stable surface. Ensure that it is well ventilated without blockage to the
vent and kept away from areas near water and damage prone areas.
Step 3 Use the key included in the accessory kit and inserted into the key access opening to eject
the removable drive tray latch and extract the removable drive tray.
Step 4 Mount your hard drives onto the removable drive tray and secure it with the screws included
in the accessory kit to avoid any damage to the hard drive due to accidental movements.
Step 5 When the hard drive installation has been completed, insert the hard drive tray into the
system horizontally and secure the latch into place.
Step 6 Use the preferred cable included to connect your computer to the relative interface
connection on the XL-RAID-213SA unit.
When your computer has booted, your operating system should recognize the hard drive(s)
automatically.
After the hard drive(s) has been successfully recognized, please follow the hard drive
formatting instructions given by the operating system. Once the formatting of the hard drive(s) has
been completed, the hard drive will be ready for use.
5. Connecting to computer
1. Connect DC12V&5V power cables and SATA cables to XL-RAID-213SA.
2. Connect SATA cable to SATA port on the motherboard.
※
Note :
1. RS232 Port and RS232 Cable: Provides hardware status monitoring to industrial control system or IPC via RS232.
2. We do not recommend users to disassemble the device without proper instructions and authorization. The manufacture warranty
will not cover the damages caused by unauthorized disassembling.
3. To prevent the device from malfunction, please make sure the device is connected with a direct and dedicated power connection of
a stable power input.
6. Setting the Hard Drive Array Mode
Please select the RAID mode with the jumper located at the back panel. The original default is RAID
1, still there are three pins at the back panel for RAID mode selection: RAID 0 mode by setting the
jumper on the bottom of the two pins. RAID 1 mode by setting the jumper on the top of the two pins.
1. RAID 1 Mode
a). Place two new hard drives into XL-RAID-213SA and strongly suggest you to use two
identical hard drives to get the equal capacity. If the capacity is different, XL-RAID-213SA is
downward to the small hard drive capacity.
b). Under RAID 1 mode, two hard drives has the identical information as one to mirror to the
other one, therefore each of the hard drive failed is still able to function normally. When you
replace the failed hard disk to the new one the system automatically rebuilding the data to the
newly place hard disk.
2. RAID 0 Mode
a). Place two new hard drives into XL-RAID-213SA and strongly suggest you to use two
identical hard drives to get the equal capacity. If the capacity is different, XL-RAID-213SA is
downward to the small hard drive capacity.
b). Under RAID 0 mode, capacity is add up to a one big volume, also with the feature of faster
read/write performance efficient.
7. Computer Set Up
When the hardware setup for XL-RAID-213SA is complete, you are now ready to turn the machine on.
1. After the hardware installation is complete, the XL-RAID-213SA will be treated as one single hard
drive. Set the hard drive to AUTO in the computer’s BIOS. When the computer is turned on, the
system will retrieve the following information:
2. In XL-RAID-213SA, the installed hard drive can be detected by the Device Manager of Computer
Management for Windows.
3. Customers can choose to format the hard drive by using the Disk Management tool of the
operating system before using the XL-RAID-213SA.
At this point, the installation process is completely finished. The user can freely retrieve and save
data to XL-RAID-213SA just like retrieving and saving data to a regular hard drive. If the user
experiences any abnormality during the operation, please refer to the trouble shooting Q&A section
in Appendix.
8. Hard Disk status on LCD screen
1. Normal hard drives
2. Primary hard drive is failure, but secondary hard drive is normal
3. Primary hard drive storage capacity larger than secondary hard drive
4. Secondary hard drive storage capacity larger than primary hard drive
5. Rebuilding
6. Overheat
7. Fan failure
9. Data Rebuilding Operation
The hard drive Hot Swap and Auto Rebuilding functions are available. (The Hot Swap & Auto
Rebuilding functions are applicable in)
1. Off-line Back up When the data is stored within XL-RAID-213SA, the user can remove one of the
hard drives from XL-RAID-213SA as back up drive for data such as system operation file, secured
files, seldom modified files or image and music files. The user can periodically insert the hard drive
back into XL-RAID-213SA to execute automatic backup to protect the system from being hit by
computer virus or to avoid risk of having both hard drives failing at the same time.
2. During the Hard drive Failure When one of the two hard drives fails in the XL-RAID-213SA
system, the system will alarm the hard drive failure message both on the LCD display screen and
in the monitoring software. The user can remove the failed hard drive from the system while the
system is still in operation without shutting down the machine. If the failed hard drive is replaced
shortly,
the system will automatically execute the Auto Rebuilding function with out affecting the system
operation and without any operation command from the user.
3. The LCD Display Message During Hot Swap and Auto Rebuilding When the XL-RAID-213SA
detects a hard drive missing or a hard drive failure, the Buzzer will go off and the LCD display
screen will display the following messages:
4. After removing the failed hard drive and replacing with a new hard drive, if the hard drive is
properly installed, the LCD display screen will display the following messages:
5. After few seconds of installing the new hard drive, the LCD display screen will display the data
rebuilding progress:
Pri->Sec represents that the data in the original hard drive (primary hard drive) is copied to the
new hard drive (secondary hard drive). XXX % represents the rebuilding completion percentage.
6. When the rebuilding is fully completed, the LCD display screen will again display the following
messages:
7. When XL-RAID-213SA is overheating, “T” will be displayed on the lower right-hand cor ner of
screen (As shown in illustration)
8. When the cooling fan module is not functional or rotates very slowly, “F” will be displayed on the
upper right-hand corner of screen. (As shown in illustration)
9. If the temperature is higher than the default setting (a preset number, typically 65°C or 149°F),
LCD shows T:
10. GUI Monitoring Software and Firmware Update
You can install GUI software to monitor RAID status. This can be done by installing software from
CD-ROM.
※
The HDD1 equals to Pri HDD and HDD2 equals to Sec HDD.
1. RAID Information
This GUI will auto detects the connected XL-RAID-213SA and reveals relative information
accordingly.
2. Firmware Upgrade
You may update the firmware via this GUI, simply click on “Load” button to locate the firmware file
to proceed. After update is finished, you may restart the power properly to operate with newly
updated firmware.
※
Caution : Any Random firmware updates may cause device in malfunction, it is strongly suggested not to update device firmware
if device is operating properly. To prevent device malfunctioning from your firmware updates, please contact STARDOM.
3. E-Mail N
oti
fy
Configuring an e-mail address for notification of drive malfunctioning or being removed.
3-1 Setup
1). Insert “Outgoing” SMTP and e-mail name and address.
2). If it is passwords required, select the option “SMTP Login Authentication” and insert the
passwords.
3). When the configuration completed, click on the “OK” button to save.
※ Device must be connected in operational states during configurations to take effects.
3-2 HDD Fail / Device Removed
1). Insert the e-mail address of the receiver for notification and click on “+” to add the
inserted e-mail address onto the notifying list. (Maximum up to 10 e-mail addresses)
2). Insert the error message and descriptions from the columns of “Subject” and “Contents”.
3). When the configuration completed, click on the “OK” button to save.
※ Device must be connected in operational states during configurations to take effects.
4. About Indicates GUI Management Software version
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Unstable system after connecting XL-RAID-213SA
Q1. After installing XL-RAID-213SA, we are unable to start the computer or the computer can not
locate
XL-RAID-213SA upon startup.
A : 1. Please check whether the readings on the XL-RAID-213SA LCD display screen appear
normal.
2. Please check whether the SATA Cable connection cables are properly connected to the
computer system and whether SATA drives are functioning normally.
3. If everything is functioning properly but the user still can not start the computer system,
then the problem might be the system incompatibility. If such incompatibility takes place,
please contact our technical support department.
Q2. When the XL-RAID-213SA is in use, the computer system is functioning normally but the
XL-RAID-213SA access speed is abnormal.
A : Please first check whether the XL-RAID-213SA is in the progress of executing data auto-
rebuild.
1. Please examine if the length of the connection cables, SATA cable that connect the
drives to the computer system is too long and whether the specification these cables
complies with the requirements.
2. If both the lengths and specification of the cables are checked out ok, please turn off
XL-RAID-213SA and remove the hard drive from XL-RAID-213SA. Test the hard drive
directly with the computer system since it might be the bad sectors in the hard drive that
are causing the longer than normal system down time.
Hard Drive Failure
Q1. Under the mirror mode (RAID 1), what will be the system’s total storage capacity when
adding a brand new hard drive?
A : 1. The total storage capacity for XL-RAID-213SA is determined by the storage
capacity of the primary hard drive installed during the initial usage.
2. The storage capacity will not increase after initial installation even when place a brand
new hard drive with larger storage capacity.
Q2. Why does the error message appear when I installed the second hard drive?
A : 1. The storage capacity of the second hard drive must be larger than the first hard drive.
Otherwise, XL-RAID-213SA can not rebuild the new hard drive and the LCD display
screen will display “Wrong Capacity”.
2. The LCD display screen might display rebuilding error messages such as
Pri(s)->Sec(s) or Sec(s)->Pri(s). The term (s) signifies that both hard drives are treated as
original hard drive. The user must determine which hard drive will be the original hard drive
prior installing the hard drives into XL-RAID-213SA. Once the original hard drive is
designated and installed in XL-RAID-213SA, the user can place in the second hard drive by
taking advantage of XL-RAID-213SA’s Auto Rebuilding function.
Q3. My hard drive is obviously operating properly but why is it shown as failed in the
XL-RAID-213SA display?
A : XL-RAID-213SA uses more strict requirements and standards to examine the bad sectors in
the hard drive. The user can first overwrite the bad sector on a PC before placing the hard
drive into XL-RAID-213SA.
About Auto Rebuilding Function
Q1. What will happen if we turn off the computer’s power while XL-RAID-213SA is still
executing data auto rebuilding?
A : Under the mirror mode (RAID 1), if the power is out of the auto rebuilding process,
the controller will remember when completion percentage of the auto rebuilding
process and resume the rebuilding process when the power is back on.
Q2. Is it possible to lose any part of the data during the data auto rebuilding?
A : The data auto rebuilding function will copy data from one sector to another sector.
Technically speaking, the data will not be lost during the auto rebuilding process.
However, if the original hard drive is detected with bad sectors during the rebuilding
process, XL-RAID-213SA will make hypothetical duplication instead of treat the bad
sectors as hard drive failure. Therefore, the data stored in the bad sectors could
potentially be lost during rebuilding.
Q3. Under the mirror mode (RAID 1), why does the computer slows down during the
data rebuilding process? Or why does the data rebuilding process slows down when
the data is being processed?
A : If the XL-RAID-213SA system is executing data rebuilding simultaneously while the
computer system
is saving the data, the auto rebuilding process and the saving
process will take longer than normal time. This is because the XL-RAID-213SA must
divide it’s resource between the normal system operation and the data rebuilding
process. However, the priority for the XL-RAID-213SA is to maintain the proper
system operations.
Therefore, the data rebuilding speed will be extremely slow until the system finished
with the data saving operations.
Other Possible Situations
Q1. The Buzzer will not stop when the XL-RAID-213SA is in operation.
A : Please check whether the readings on the LCD display are normal or if there is a
hard drive failure. Please also pay attention to any other symbols displayed in the
LCD display. For example, if the “F” symbol is displayed, this means that there is a
cooling fan failure. If the “T” symbol is displayed, this means that the system is
overheated.
Q2. How to turn on and off the Buzzer?
A : 1. The manufacture default setting for the Buzzer in XL-RAID-213SA is Buzzer On.
This type of host adapters cannot reach the transfer performance speed beyond 135
MB/s.
2. The user can use any pointed materials to push the bottom on the front dash board
to turn on and off the Buzzer.
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