Accusys ACS-76500 User manual

Preface
1
P
Pr re ef fa ac ce e
Notice
Product features and specifications described in this manual are subject to change without
notice.
The manufacturer shall not be liable for any damage, or for the loss of information resulting
from the performance or use of the information contained herein.
Trademarks
Accusys and the names of Accusys products and logos referenced herein are either
trademarks and/or service marks or registered trademarks and/or service marks of Accusys,
Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, MS-DOS are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or service
marks of their respective owners.
All contents of this manual are copyrighted by Accusys, Incite information contained herein is
the exclusive property of Accusys, Inc. and shall not be copied, transferred, photocopied,
translated on paper, film, electronic media, or computer-readable form, or otherwise
reproduced in any way, without the express written permission of Accusys Inc.
© Copyright 2005 Accusys, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This manual version 1.0

Accusys 76500/76510
2
About this manual
Intended user
This manual is designed and written for users of the ACS-76500/76510 RAID controller. The
user should ideally be familiar with RAID planning and data storage operations and have
experience in electronic or computer engineering.
Organization of the manual
This manual consists of the following sections:
Chapter 1: Introduction provides details of key features, checklists of package contents
and user requirements, and an overview of the RAID box and its features.
Chapter 2: Before you begin contains all the information about RAID 1 array and lists
important pre-installation notices.
Chapter 3: Setting up the controller guides you through process of installing
ACS-76500/76510 in a system or externally and explains how to replace
drives.
Chapter 4: Application explains how to use the RAID according to different configuration.
Appendix A: FAQ helps you deal with encountered problems in the form of Q&A.
Appendix B: Glossary defines relevant technical terms used in this manual.
Appendix C: Specifications list technical specification of ACS-76500/76510.
Appendix D: Regulatory Information provides information of related certification and
standards.
Appendix E: Contact Us lists contact details of Accusys business units around the world.

Preface
3
Using this manual
This guide contains all the information you need to set up and start using your RAID controller
and to monitor its performance in real time. The setup process will follow these steps:
Prepare:
Familiarize yourself with the features and capabilities of
ACS-76500/76510 (Chapter 1)
Information about RAID 1 array (Chapter 2)
Configure:
Set the Master / slave configurations (Chapter 3)
Install:
Attach the necessary cables and either mount the RAID
box inside your system or set up the RAID box externally
(Chapter 3)
Application
Ways to use the RAID according to different configuration
(Chapter 4)
When you have reached this point, your RAID controller will be ready for use. To get the most
from your controller, you should also set up the ACSView GUI on your system. With this
browser you can monitor the status of your array at any time and from any computer on your
LAN. You will find full installation instructions and information on the monitoring capabilities of
ACSView in the ACSView (7 series GUI) User’s Manual. Ask your vendor for details.

Accusys 76500/76510
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Guide to Conventions
Important information that users should be aware of is indicated with the following icons:
This icons indicates the existence of a potential hazard that could result in
personal injury, damage to your equipment or loss of data if the safety
instruction is not observed.
This icon indicates useful tips on getting the most from your RAID controller.
Important terms, commands and programs are put in Boldface font.
Screen text is given in screen font.

Table of Contents
5
T
Ta ab bl le e o of f C Co on nt te en nt ts s
PREFACE ...........................................................................................1
NOTICE ................................................................................................................. 1
TRADEMARKS........................................................................................................ 1
ABOUT THIS MANUAL ............................................................................................ 2
Intended user................................................................................................... 2
Organization of the manual.............................................................................. 2
USING THIS MANUAL.............................................................................................. 3
GUIDE TO CONVENTIONS ....................................................................................... 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................5
CHAPTER 1 .........................................................................................8
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................8
OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 8
KEY FEATURES ...................................................................................................... 9
Hard drive hot swapping.................................................................................. 9
Automatic drive rebuilding............................................................................... 9
MAKING SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING................................................................... 9
What's in the box ............................................................................................. 9
What else you need .......................................................................................... 9
FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF WITH THE CONTROLLER ................................................10
Overview........................................................................................................10
Front view......................................................................................................10
Disk Activity Indicators...................................................................................11
Rear view .......................................................................................................11
CHAPTER 2 .......................................................................................13
BEFORE YOU BEGIN ...................................................................13
PRE-INSTALLATION PLANNING ..............................................................................13
Introduction to RAID level ..............................................................................13
RAID 1 ...........................................................................................................14
BACKUP FUNCTION ...............................................................................................15
PRE-INSTALLATION NOTICES .................................................................................15
CHAPTER 3 .......................................................................................17

Accusys 76500/76510
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SETTING UP THE CONTROLLER............................................17
INSTALLATION FLOWCHART ..................................................................................17
SETTING CONFIGURATIONS....................................................................................18
Master configuration ......................................................................................18
Slave configuration.........................................................................................18
MOUNTING RAID BOX..........................................................................................19
Mounting RAID box in system.........................................................................19
LOADING DRIVES IN THE RAID BOX ......................................................................21
Fixed connector drive carrier..........................................................................22
REMOVING / REPLACING A DRIVE...........................................................................23
Swapping drives .............................................................................................23
What if a disk fails? ........................................................................................23
Removing a drive from a fixed connector drive carrier ....................................23
FIRMWARE UPDATING STEPS ................................................24
CHAPTER 4 .......................................................................................26
APPLICATION ................................................................................26
APPLICATION 1: THREE NEW DISK DRIVES..............................................................26
The status of all indicators during boot-up:.....................................................26
APPLICATION 2: TWO NEW DISK DRIVES.................................................................26
The status of all indicators during boot-up:.....................................................26
APPLICATION 3: INSTALLING ONE DISK WITH DATA AND ONE NEW DISK ..................27
APPENDIX A ....................................................................................28
FAQ ....................................................................................................28
APPENDIX B ....................................................................................29
GLOSSARY ......................................................................................29
APPENDIX C ....................................................................................31
SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................31
APPENDIX D ....................................................................................32
REGULATORY INFORMATION ...............................................32
APPENDIX E ....................................................................................33
CONTACT US ..................................................................................33
ACCUSYS, INC. .....................................................................................................33
ACCUSYS U.S.A., INC. ..........................................................................................33

Table of Contents
7
ACCUSYS KOREA, INC...........................................................................................33
ACCUSYS CHINA, INC. ..........................................................................................33
世仰科技北京代表处..........................................................................................34
ACCUSYS EU, BV.................................................................................................34

Accusys 76500/76510
8
C
Ch ha ap pt te er r 1 1
I
In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n
This chapter introduces the features and capabilities of
ACS-76500/76510.
You will find:
 A full introduction to your ACS-76500/76510 controller
 Details of key features
 A checklist of package contents
 A checklist of what else you need to start installation


 An overview of the RAID box and its features, including
connectors, LEDs and jumpers
Overview
Congratulations on your selection of the Accusys 76500/76510 (ACS-76500/76510). The
ACS-76500/76510 is a high-performance and extremely flexible RAID (Redundant Array of
Independent/Inexpensive Disks) controller. RAID is a storage technology used to improve the
processing capabilities of a storage system, providing a combination of reliability and
performance.
The ACS-76500/76510 is the ultimate approach to a flexible RAID solution. It can manage
RAID levels 1 with three IDE PATA/SATA disks in a single RAID group. With a cost-effective
IDE approach, supporting Ultra DMA mode, the ACS-76500/76510 has two disks for daily
backup in rotation within three disks.
It can support three disk channels with the “backup” function, which is the function of
sequence to turn on & off one disk to be the data backup disk in order to keep the data for
rebuild when two disks data crash at the same time. It automatically turns off one disk and
always keeps two disks for RAID 1 operation. The Off-line disk will be turned on and one of
on-line disk will be turned off to do the daily backup function. The time scheduling backup
function is through ACSView GUI management software to do it.
Featuring intelligent online recovery, the ACS-76500/76510 lets you hot swap a failed drive:
data will automatically be rebuilt to the new drive without any system down time.
The ACS-76500/76510 RAID box features a user-friendly rack design that lets you easily
install three drives. Each drive carrier supports a one-inch high 3.5-inch form factor drive.
Security is provided by a key-locking system that prevents unauthorized access to each disk
drive.

Chapter 1 – Introduction
9
Key features
The ACS-76500/76510 supports the following features:
 Support 3 PATA/ SATA-I disk channels
 Support one PATA/ SATA-I host channel
 Support RAID level 1 + backup
 Automatic on-line rebuilding
 Drives are hot swappable
 Can be configured as master or slave IDE drive (only for ACS-76500)
 Host transparent and OS independent
 Fan cooler (Ball bearing type)
 Supports 3 PATA/ SATA-I hard drives
 Key locking to prevent unauthorized access to the disk drives
 Requires no software drive or add-in card
 Audible alarm on drive failure
Hard drive hot swapping
Hot Swapping allows for the removal and installation of disk drives without the need to power
down the system while ACS-76500/76510 is configured as a RAID 1 array.
Automatic drive rebuilding
If a member drive in a RAID 1 array is replaced on-line, the controller will automatically start to
rebuild data to the new drive.
Making sure you have everything
What's in the box
Some vendors may ship certain components as standard, while other vendors treat the same
component as optional. In its most basic configuration, your package should include the
following:
 ACS-76500/76510 RAID box
 ACS-76500/76510 Controller User’s Manual and GUI management software
 Three disk drive carriers with key locks
 Disk drive mounting screws
 Two keys for drive carriers (identical)
 One 3-pin RS232 cable connector (data connection for GUI interface)
What else you need
In order to setup a working system the following user-supplied items are required:
 System with PATA/ SATA Interface
 Case with two half-height 5 ¼” drive bays with front bezel access
 One PATA/ SATA-I channel cable connector
 One free power supply connector at least
 One 3-pin RS232 cable connector (data connection for GUI interface, if required)

Accusys 76500/76510
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Familiarizing yourself with the controller
Overview
The RAID box has three drive carriers, accessed from the front.
The sides of the box each feature a guide rail channel and mounting screw holes to enable
the box to be secured inside a computer case.
The connectors and jumpers are located on the rear panel.


Front / Drive carriers


Guide rail channel


Holes for mounting screws


Rear / Connectors & jumpers
Front view

Three Drive Carriers

Disk Activity Indicators

Drive Carrier Lock
Each drive carrier can hold a one-inch high 3.5-inch form factor hard disk drive. This makes it
easy to hot swap a drive in the event of a failure, without affecting the status of the remaining
drives.

Drive Carrier Lock – Unlocked
orientation

Drive Carrier Lock – Locked
orientation

Green Disk Activity Indicator

Amber Disk Activity Indicator

Red Disk Activity Indicator

Chapter 1 – Introduction
11
Disk Activity Indicators
These indicators show the status of each individual disk drive.
Indicator Disk Activity
Green Disk drive is properly installed and locked
Amber Disk drive is being accessed
Red Disk drive is not present, is not properly
installed, is unlocked, or disk has failed
Red busy Flashing Disk drive is rebuilding data.
Red slow Flashing The backup disk marking at the rate of
0.5sec/on2Sec./off (move in circle).
In the event that a drive fails, the Red indicator turns on and an alarm sounds. You can turn off
the alarm by unlocking the drive carrier.
The drive carrier lock acts as an On/Off switch for the drives and
provides security by preventing non-key holders from accessing
the drives.
To lock each carrier, insert the key and turn it in a clockwise
direction. To unlock a carrier, turn the key in a counterclockwise
direction.
Rear view
For ACS-76500

Master/Slave configuration
jumper pins

Connector for IDE interface cable

Power connector

3-pin RS232 connector (Terminal
port)

Cooling fan vent
For ACS-76510

Connector for SATA interface
cable

Power connector

3-pin RS232 connector (Terminal
port)

Cooling fan vent

Accusys 76500/76510
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The settings for the master / slave are described in Chapter 3. (only for ACS-76500)
The IDE/SATA cable is the route used for reading and writing to the array.
The power connector supplies power to the RAID box. In order to provide stable power, we
recommend to connect both power connectors on the RAID box.
The 3-pin RS-232 cable is used for remote monitoring of ACS-76500/76510. The RS-232
port is configured with DTE and PC compatible pin assignments.
There is a triangular symbol “▲” on both PCB connector and RS-232 cable connector,
please make sure you connect in the right direction (both triangle symbols match each
other). Connecting in wrong direction will not damage RAID controller, however the terminal
or GUI will not work.
The cooling fan inside the RAID box provides air circulation for the disk drives.

Chapter 2 – Before you begin
13
C
Ch ha ap pt te er r 2 2
B
Be ef fo or re e y yo ou u b be eg gi in n
This chapter contains includes all the information about RAID
level and preparing for installation. You will find:
 A full introduction and comparison of RAID level 1


 Important notices on the safe operation and installation of
ACS-76500/76510
Pre-installation planning
Introduction to RAID level
The ACS-76500/76510 can support the following RAID level 1+backup.
RAID Level 1 supports three disk channels with the “backup” function. It is the function of
sequence to turn on and off one disk to be the backup disk in order to keep the data for rebuild
when two disks data crash at the same time. It automatically turns off one disk and always
keeps two disks for RAID 1 operation. The Off-line disk will be turned on and one of on-line
disk will be turned off to do the daily backup function. The time scheduling backup function is
through ACSView GUI management software to do it.
Further information on RAID concepts can be found in Appendix B, Glossary.

Accusys 76500/76510
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RAID 1
RAID 1 is commonly referred to as Disk Mirroring, Disk Shadowing or Disk Duplexing as all
data is duplicated across both disks. RAID 1 can only be performed with two hard drives (with
four drives, RAID 0+1 is configured automatically). As data is identical on both disks, storage
capacity is that of the smaller disk. RAID 1 has poor performance for write operations but very
high performance for read intensive operations.
RAID 1: Mirroring
Characteristics: Recommended use:
 Better Read transaction rate then single disks,
same Write transaction rate as single disks.
 100% redundancy of data means no rebuild of
data is necessary in case of disk failure, just a
copy to the replacement disk.
 All the disks have the same data.
 Raid level 1 requires two drives.
 Storage capacity = Capacity of smaller disk
 Accounting
 Payroll
 Financial
 Any application
requiring high
availability
Arrangement of data blocks saved on a Level 1 array

Chapter 2 – Before you begin
15
Backup function
When executing the backup feature, the controller turns the target HDD to be backup and the
backup HDD to be target. The controller continues to mirror data from the source HDD to the
target HDD.
The backup function is available only when the RAID is safe. If the RAID health is in good
state, you may execute the backup function. The RAID health refers to the state of both the
source and target HDD. Failure of either of the HDDs causes unsafe RAID.
The source disk has to be the first HDD. The backup function can only be executed through
GUI.
Pre-installation notices
Before starting any kind of hardware installation, please ensure that all power
switches have been turned off and all power cords disconnected to prevent
personal injury and damage to the hardware.
To avoid overheating, ACS-76500/76510 should be installed in a
well-ventilated area and in such a way that sufficient airflow is maintained
across the controller chips.

Accusys 76500/76510
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Static electricity can damage electronic components. To guard against such
damage:
Work in a static-free environment
Wear a grounded anti-static wrist strap
Store uninstalled components in anti-static bags
Handle PCBs by their edges and avoid touching chips and connectors.
Environmental requirements: Temperature: 5-46 ℃
Humidity: 5-85%, non-condensing
Altitude: Sea level to 10,000 ft

Chapter 3 – Setting up the RAID box
17
C
Ch ha ap pt te er r 3 3
S
Se et tt ti in ng g u up p t th he e c co on nt tr ro ol ll le er r
This chapter explains how to:
 Set master or slave configuration on RAID box (only for
ACS-76500)
 Install the RAID box in a system or externally
 Load hard drives into ACS-76500/76510
Installation flowchart
Installation of ACS-76500/76510 is simple. This chapter will lead you though the following
steps:
 Use jumpers to set master or slave tatus (only for
ACS-76500).
 When the RAID box is fully configured, connect a power and
IDE/SATA cable and install it either in a system or externally.
 When the RAID box is installed, load a hard drive into each
of the drive carriers
Configure
RAID box
Install RAID
box
Load hard
drives

Accusys 76500/76510
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Setting configurations
The master / slave configurations are set manually by placing jumper heads on the nine
jumper pins on the rear of the RAID box (Only for ACS-76500).
Master and slave settings enable your computer to distinguish two IDE/ATA
devices operating on the same channel. In this case, the settings distinguish
ACS-76500 from your computer’s hard disk drive.
It makes little difference which setting you use, but if using master or slave,
you must make sure that the two devices’ settings are different. So, if the HDD
is configured as the master drive, ACS-76500 should be configured as slave,
and vice versa.
Master configuration
1. Make sure the power is turned off.
2. Place one jumper cap over the central
and right master/slave configuration
jumper pins.
Slave configuration
1. Make sure the power is turned off.
2. Place one jumper cap over the central
and left master/slave configuration
jumper pins.

Chapter 3 – Setting up the RAID box
19
Mounting RAID box
The ACS-76500/76510 RAID box can be installed inside a computer case or set up externally.
This section describes both procedures.
Turn off and disconnect all electrical power from the system before beginning
installation.
Mounting RAID box in system
The ACS-76500/76510 RAID box fits into the space of two half-height 5¼-inch drive bays.
1. Remove the cover and front bezel from
the system case.
2. Feed a power cable  through the
opening.
3. Feed an IDE/SATA cable  through the
opening.
4. Connect the two cables to the connectors
on the rear of the RAID box.
5. If planning to use the ACSView GUI to
monitor the status of your RAID, you
should also connect a 3-pin RS-232
cable to the terminal on the RAID box (To
monitor ACS-76500 by ACSView GUI,
you may use an IDE cable).
For ACS-76500
For ACS-76510

Accusys 76500/76510
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6. Insert the RAID box into the bay, and
secure it in place with the screws
provided. (If your case uses guide rails to
install 5¼-inch devices, you can use
them on the RAID box.)
In order to provide stable power, we recommend to connect both power
connectors on the RAID box.