Accusys ACS-8930 User manual

Preface
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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 trade-
marks 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, Inc.
The information contained herein is the exclusive property of Accusys, Inc. and shall not be
copied, transferred, photocopied, translated on paper, film, electronic media, or com-
puter-readable form, or otherwise reproduced in any way, without the express written per-
mission of Accusys Inc.
© Copyright 2004 Accusys, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This manual version 2.0b

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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Regulatory information
For Europe
This drive is in conformity with the EMC directive.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Those limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful inter-
ference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruc-
tions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment
does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be de-
termined 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 antennas.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circlet different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Warning:
A shielded-type power cord is required in order to meet FCC emission limits and also
to prevent interference to the nearby radio and television reception. It is essential that
only the supplied power cord be used.
Use only shielded cables to connect I/O devices to this equipment.
You are cautioned that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void your authority to operate the equipment.

Preface
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About this manual
Intended user
This manual is designed and written for users of the ACS-8930 RAID controller. The user
should ideally be familiar with RAID planning and data storage operations and have experi-
ence in electronic or computer engineering.
Organization of the manual
This manual contains the following sections:
Chapter 1: Introduction provides details of key features, checklists of package contents
and user requirements, and an overview of the controller box and its features.
Chapter 2: Installation guides you through process of installing DRAM in ACS-8930 and
integrating the controller into a system. This chapter also details procedures for
replacing components.
Chapter 3: Quick Setup explains how to set up a RAID in seconds.
Chapter 4: Accessing the Monitor Utility tells you how to access and start using the
firmware-based Monitor Utility on the host terminal.
Chapter 5: Configuration details and explains the rich configuration options available for
ACS-8930 arrays, using either the control panel or Monitor Utility.
Appendix A: Troubleshooting helps you deal with encountered problems in the form of
Q&A.
Appendix B: Introduction to RAID levels contains all the information you need to under-
stand the features of different RAID levels.
Appendix C: Control Panel Messages defines the status and error messages of the control
panel LCD display.
Appendix D: Glossary defines relevant technical terms used in this manual.
Appendix E: Specifications list technical specification of ACS-8930.
Appendix F: Contact Us lists contact details of Accusys business units around the world.

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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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. It is intended to be read in a linear manner, though
some instructions may not be applicable to all users. Users may also prefer to skip more
familiar sections, but each of the steps below must be completed.
The setup process will follow these steps:
Prepare: Familiarize yourself with the features and capabilities
of ACS-8930 (Chapter 1)
Make sure you have everything (Chapter 1)
Install: Install SODIMM cache memory and attach the nec-
essary cables (Chapter 2)
Turn on (Chapter 2)
Configure: Perform Quick Setup (Chapter 3, optional)
Open Monitor Utility (Chapter 4, recommended)
Configure (Chapter 5)
ACS-8930 is available in a 16 channel and an 8 channel configuration. Each
configuration has two versions offering different host interfaces:
 SCSI to IDE
 Fibre to IDE
This manual contains the information necessary to set up both configurations
and all four versions. Where procedures for the two configurations differ, they
are described separately and clearly marked.

Preface
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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 in-
struction 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.

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PREFACE........................................................................................1
NOTICE....................................................................................................................... 1
TRADEMARKS ............................................................................................................ 1
REGULATORY INFORMATION...................................................................................... 2
ABOUT THIS MANUAL................................................................................................. 3
Intended user........................................................................................................ 3
Organization of the manual ................................................................................. 3
USING THIS MANUAL.................................................................................................. 4
GUIDE TO CONVENTIONS............................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO ACS-8930......................10
OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................... 10
KEY FEATURES ........................................................................................................ 11
Three Operating modes...................................................................................... 11
Self-Diagnostic Mode......................................................................................... 11
Configuration Mode........................................................................................... 12
Operation Mode................................................................................................. 12
Three Configuration Utilities............................................................................. 12
Control Panel..................................................................................................... 12
Monitor Utility................................................................................................... 12
GUI.................................................................................................................... 12
Array Management ............................................................................................ 13
Hard Drive Hot Swapping ................................................................................. 13
Automatic Global Hot Spare.............................................................................. 13
Automatic Drive Rebuild.................................................................................... 13
Fax Notification................................................................................................. 13
UPS Support ...................................................................................................... 13
BEFORE YOU BEGIN.................................................................................................. 14
What’s in the box ............................................................................................... 14
What else you need ......................................................................................... 14
FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF WITH THE RAID CONTROLLER....................................... 16
Overview............................................................................................................ 16
Control Panel..................................................................................................... 16
Rear view ........................................................................................................... 18

Table of Contents
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SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES............................................................................................ 19
IDE Cable.......................................................................................................... 19
3-in-1 Combo Cable........................................................................................... 19
DB9 Cable.......................................................................................................... 19
CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLATION...............................................20
INSTALLATION FLOWCHART..................................................................................... 20
PRE-INSTALLATION NOTICES.................................................................................... 21
HARDWARE CONFIGURATIONS ................................................................................. 22
SCSI to IDE........................................................................................................ 22
Fibre to IDE....................................................................................................... 23
CABLING – 16 CHANNEL CONFIGURATION ............................................................... 24
HDD, function and power cable connection...................................................... 24
Host cable connection........................................................................................ 25
CABLING – 8 CHANNEL CONFIGURATION ................................................................. 27
Host cable connection........................................................................................ 27
HDD, function and power cable connection...................................................... 28
INSTALLING / UPGRADING SODIMM ...................................................................... 30
SODIMM specifications:.................................................................................... 30
Architecture of supported SODIMM:................................................................. 30
Installing SODIMM – 16 channel configuration ............................................... 31
Removing SODIMM – 16 channel configuration............................................... 32
Installing SODIMM – 8 channel configuration................................................. 33
Removing SODIMM – 8 channel configuration................................................. 33
TURNING ON FOR THE FIRST TIME............................................................................. 34
TURNING OFF ........................................................................................................... 34
RESTARTING............................................................................................................. 34
CHAPTER 3 - QUICK SETUP ..................................................35
QUICK SETUP WITH THE CONTROL PANEL ................................................................ 36
QUICK SETUP WITH THE MONITOR UTILITY .............................................................. 37
CHAPTER 4 - ACCESSING THE MONITOR UTILITY......38
ESTABLISHING A TERMINAL CONNECTION................................................................ 38
USING THE MONITOR UTILITY ................................................................................. 40
Monitor utility control keys................................................................................ 41
Menu area controls............................................................................................ 41
Output area controls.......................................................................................... 41

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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CHAPTER 5 - CONFIGURATION............................................42
CONFIGURATION OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 42
System configuration.......................................................................................... 42
RAID configuration............................................................................................ 43
How to configure ACS-8930.............................................................................. 44
FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE MENUS................................................................ 45
ACCESSING THE MAIN MENU .................................................................................... 46
Using the Monitor Utility................................................................................... 46
Using the Control Panel .................................................................................... 47
SETTING ARRAY PARAMETERS ................................................................................. 48
RAID params menu............................................................................................ 48
SETTING SCSI PARAMETERS.................................................................................... 51
SCSI params menu............................................................................................. 51
SETTING FIBRE PARAMETERS.................................................................................... 53
Fibre params menu............................................................................................ 53
SETTING PORT PARAMETERS .................................................................................... 55
RS232 Params menu.......................................................................................... 55
Modem Port menu.............................................................................................. 56
Terminal Port menu........................................................................................... 56
PASSWORD SECURITY............................................................................................... 57
Password Info menu........................................................................................... 57
ENTERING AND EDITING ALERT SETTINGS ................................................................ 57
PAGER ALERT SETTINGS ........................................................................................... 58
Pager Info menu................................................................................................. 58
FAX ALERT SETTINGS ............................................................................................... 59
Fax Info menu.................................................................................................... 59
Company Info menu........................................................................................... 60
MODEM SETTINGS .................................................................................................... 60
Modem Init St menu ........................................................................................... 60
SAVING CONFIGURATIONS........................................................................................ 61
NVRAM menu .................................................................................................... 61
ADVANCED SETTINGS............................................................................................... 62
RAID Functions menu........................................................................................ 62
UPDATING THE FIRMWARE....................................................................................... 64

Table of Contents
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APPENDIX A - TROUBLESHOOTING ...................................66
APPENDIX B - INTRODUCTION TO RAID LEVELS..........69
RAID 0 ............................................................................................................... 70
RAID 1 ............................................................................................................... 71
RAID 0+1........................................................................................................... 72
RAID 3 ............................................................................................................... 73
RAID 30 ............................................................................................................. 74
RAID 5 ............................................................................................................... 75
RAID 50 ............................................................................................................. 76
APPENDIX C - CONTROL PANEL MESSAGES...................77
APPENDIX D - GLOSSARY.......................................................82
APPENDIX E - SPECIFICATIONS...........................................84
APPENDIX F - CONTACT US...................................................85
ACCUSYS, INC.......................................................................................................... 85
ACCUSYS U.S.A., INC.............................................................................................. 85
ACCUSYS GERMANAY.............................................................................................. 85
ACCUSYS KOREA, INC.............................................................................................. 85
ACCUSYS CHINA, INC. ............................................................................................. 86

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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This chapter introduces the features and capabilities of
ACS-8930.
You will find:
 A full introduction to your ACS-8930 controller
 Details of key features and supplied accessories
 A checklist of package contents
 A checklist of what else you need to start installation
Overview
Congratulations on your selection of the Accusys 8930 (ACS-8930) – 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 the storage
system, providing a combination of reliability and performance.
ACS-8930 is designed to meet today’s demand for higher storage solutions. Ideally suited for
integration with databases, e-mail, web servers and imaging systems, ACS-8930 provides
maximum data protection and exceptional performance. ACS-8930 is designed for easy in-
tegration, smooth data expansion and server migration.
ACS-8930 is the ultimate flexible RAID solution. It can manage seven different RAID levels,
providing functions including
 Striping (RAID 0)
 Mirroring with Striping (RAID 0+1)
 Mirroring and Duplexing (RAID 1)
 Striping with Parity on Dedicated Disk (RAID 3)
 RAID 3 with Striping (RAID 30)
 Striping with Interspersed Parity (RAID 5)
 RAID 5 with Striping (RAID 50)
As a result, the ACS-8930 offers a higher range of choices and better security.
ACS-8930 is available in a 16 channel and an 8 channel configuration. Each
configuration has two versions offering different host interfaces:
 SCSI to IDE
 Fibre to IDE
This manual contains the information necessary to set up both configurations
and all four versions. Where procedures for the two configurations differ, they
are described separately and clearly marked.

Chapter 1 – Introduction to ACS-8930
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Key Features
ACS-8930 features the following:
 Support for RAID Levels 0, 1, 0+1, 3, 30, 5 and 50
 Independence from host system
 Independence from operating system
 Intel i80303 64-bit RISC High performance processor
 Supports Dual Ultra160 SCSI channel
 Supports 8 or 16 ATA-100/133 IDE channels (depending on configuration purchased)
 Superior Accusys Array Management Firmware
 Flexible cache size of up to 512MB
 Supports up to 16 logical units
 Supports on-line capacity expansion.
 Automatic Hot Swap, Hot Spare and Drive Rebuild Support
 Bad sector reassignment
 Programmable FAX event notification
 Remote monitoring through RS232 terminal interface
 UPS support through standard UPS interface
Three Operating modes
ACS-8930 operates in three modes: Self-Diagnostic Mode, Configuration Mode and Opera-
tion Mode.
Self-Diagnostic Mode
To ensure flawless operation, ACS-8930 has a built-in self-diagnostic utility. Self-diagnostic
Mode is entered automatically upon power up, or after the ACS-8930 has been reset. In this
mode, all components are tested, and any potential problems are reported. Once the tests are
complete, ACS-8930 switches automatically to Operation Mode.
Self-Diagnostic Mode runs three major tests. The first diagnostic test covers the CPU and
supporting core logic chips, the internal bus, memory, SCSI controller, enhanced IDE con-
trollers, and RS-232 controllers. The second diagnostic test checks for the presence of disks
on each individual disk channel and the functionality of each disk found. The final diagnostic
test checks RAID functionality.

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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Configuration Mode
Configuration Mode enables the RAID administrator to configure and modify the settings of
ACS-8930 and fine-tune the configuration. Configuration Mode is entered from Operation
Mode:
When the Enter button on the controller box is pressed
When the Monitor Utility is invoked from the remote terminal.
ACS-8930 should be off-line and not being accessed by any application when
Configuration Mode is run.
ACS-8930 will automatically switch from Configuration Mode to Operation
Mode after 3 minutes if no buttons are pressed on the controller box control
panel and no action is taken on the Monitor Utility
Full details on changing configurations are given in Chapter 5
Operation Mode
Operation Mode is the default state of ACS-8930. In this mode, the controller box front panel
LCD continuously displays the current status of ACS-8930. A typical display looks like the
following:
ACS-8930
OOOOOOOS
A full explanation of control panel LCD messages is given in Appendix C.
Three Configuration Utilities
There are three ways to configure ACS-8930:
Control Panel
ACS-8930 can be configured directly using the control panel.
Monitor Utility
This embedded menu-based configuration utility is accessed through the host computer
terminal.
GUI
ACS-8930 can also be bundled with a GUI, such as ACS Utility, enabling real-time, remote
monitoring and reconfiguration. Contact your vendor for details.

Chapter 1 – Introduction to ACS-8930
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Array Management
The unique ACS-8930 array management firmware utilizes multitasking real-time kernel
technology to manage the controller. Additional features are real-time I/O load analysis,
on-line diagnostics, event logging and broadcasting, and device inventory management.
These features can be accessed locally or via modem to allow centralized monitoring and
control of the ACS-8930.
Hard Drive Hot Swapping
Hot Swapping allows for the removal and installation of disk drives without interruption of data
access while the ACS-8930 system is in use. This is usually performed when there is no Hot
Spare drive configured. There is no need to power down the system.
The Hard Drive Hot Swapping facility is not supported by all brands of disk
rack. Contact your vendor for details
Automatic Global Hot Spare
Hot Spare allows for the automatic replacement of a failed drive without requiring intervention
from the administrator. When a disk fails the ACS-8930 will automatically replace the faulty
drive with the configured hot spare disk.
The Global Spare Drive does not serve only a specified logical drive. When a member drive
from any of the logical drives fails, the Global Spare Drive will join that logical drive and
automatically start to rebuild.
Automatic Drive Rebuild
If a member drive in a logical drive fails, the controller will first check whether there is a Local
Spare Drive assigned to this logical drive. If yes, it will automatically start to rebuild.
If there is no Local Spare Drive available, the controller will search for a Global Spare Drive.
If there is a Global Spare Drive, it will automatically rebuild the logical drive.
Fax Notification
ACS-8930 supports but does not require additional software for system monitoring and
analysis. The ACS-8930 array management firmware continuously monitors the system ac-
tivity and immediately launches the fax event notification feature if any failure occurs. Up to
two pager numbers and two fax numbers can be notified instantaneously and repeatedly for
extra insurance.
UPS Support
ACS-8930 supports the use of an uninterruptible power supply. In the event of a power
breakdown, a UPS will keep the RAID controller online long enough for its internal cache
memory to be saved to a hard drive.

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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Before you begin
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 fol-
lowing:
 ACS-8930 Controller Box ×1
 ACS-8930 Controller User’s Manual ×1
 IDE Cables ×8 / ×16 (depending on con-
figuration purchased: 8 or 16 IDE channels)
 10-pin DB9 cables ×2 (one for RS232
connection, one for modem connection /
16 channel configuration only)
 3-in-1 Combo Cable ×1 (8 channel con-
figuration only)
 Mounting screws (bag) ×1
What else you need
 Hard disk drives (different RAID levels requires different numbers of HDDs. Turn
to Appendix B to determine how many HDDs you require)
 Enclosure
 Two SCSI cables (SCSI to IDE configuration only)
 Two Fibre cables (fibre to IDE configuration only)
 SODIMM memory module

Chapter 1 – Introduction to ACS-8930
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 Host computer with SCSI interface (SCSI to IDE configuration)
 Host computer with Fibre interface (Fibre to IDE configuration)
 External power connector (4-pin DC power connector)
 Static grounding strap or electrostatic discharge (ESD) safe work area
 Dedicated terminal or PC with third party communication software that supports
ANSI terminal emulation (required for viewing Monitor Utility)
The hard drives in a RAID should match in size and speed. All drives in any
array should be identical models with the same firmware versions. Arrays can
use any size drive, however the smallest drive will determine the size of the
array.
There's no set formula to determine how much cache memory to use, but as a
general rule, a workstation, with mostly very large files, such as for audio or
video editing and playback, graphics or CAD files, can benefit from a large
cache. File servers, with multiple random access of varying file size, generally
have little or no performance improvement with additional cache.
ACS-8930 disk arrays do not require the installation of different drivers for
use with different operating systems. ACS-8930 is independent and trans-
parent to the host operating system.

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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Familiarizing yourself with the RAID controller
Overview
16 channel configuration:
8 channel configuration:
Control Panel
16 channel configuration:

Chapter 1 – Introduction to ACS-8930
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The two-line, 16-character LCD displays the
status and configuration information for
ACS-8930.
The Scroll buttons are used to scroll
through screens and highlight menu items
The Enter button is used to select an option
The Escape button is used to cancel a selec-
tion or return to the previous menu
8 channel configuration:
The Power LED lights solid when power is on
The Activity LED indicates that the RAID is being accessed:
Activity LED status Controller status
 Flashing  Data being accessed
 Solid  Unprocessed data still cached in memory
 Unlit  No activity
Full details on configuring with the control panel are given in Chapter 5.
A full list of LCD display messages is given in Appendix C

ACS-8930 User’s Manual
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Rear view
All ports are located on the rear panel of the
controller.
ACS-8930 is available in two configurations,
supporting the insertion of up to eight or up to
16 IDE cable sets. The rear views of each are
shown on the right.
The figure beneath each of the rear panel
views shows how the channels (1 to 8 or 1 to
16) map onto the IDE connectors.
.
8 channel configuration:
16 channel configuration:
The monitoring port on the rear of the 16
channel configuration enables various
monitoring facilities. The default pin assign-
ments are:
Pins 1+3: Fan failure
Pins 2+4: Temperature failure
Pins 5+7: Power source failure
Pins 6+8: UPS warning
Pins 9 and A are unassigned
The same facilities can be accessed on the 8
channel configuration using the combo cable
described on the next page.