Adaptec AHA-3980 User manual

1
Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
Understanding the Array Software
Adaptec AHA-398x adapters use the following pro-
grams to create and manage arrays:
■The Adaptec Initial Array Configuration Utility,
which runs under DOS. Use this utility to create
an initial bootable array to use as a boot device.
(After arrays are created, they run under
NetWare.)
■The Adaptec Array Driver Copy Utility, which
runs under DOS. Use this utility to copy DOS and
NetWare drivers to your computer’s hard disk.
■The Administrator Utility, which runs under
NetWare. Use this utility to create, modify, and
manage arrays.
You can find these programs on the Adaptec Initial
Array Configuration Utility and AHA-3980/3985 Driv-
ers and RAID Utilities disks included with each
AHA-398x adapter.
We recommend that you use the Adaptec Initial
Array Configuration Utility to create the first array
on a new server only if you want to boot from that
array. Then install NetWare and the required driv-
ers, as described in the AHA-3980/3980W/3985/
3985W User’s Guide, and use the Administrator Util-
ity to create and manage other arrays. If you do not
need to boot the server from an array, install
NetWare and use only the Administrator Utility to
create and manage arrays.
Selecting Menu Options
There are two ways to select menu options in the
AHA-398x utility programs:
■If the option name includes a hot key—a light blue
character in color monitors, and a gray character
in monochrome monitors—type the hot key. In
this guide, hot keys are underlined in the option
name. In the Display Array Status option, for
example, the hot key is D.
■Press the ↑ and ↓keys to highlight the option,
and then press Enter.
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Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
Initial Array Configuration Utility
Follow these steps to create the first array with the
Adaptec Initial Array Configuration Utility. For
more detailed information on all Adaptec Initial
Array Configuration Utility options, see the
AHA-3980/3980W/3985/3985W User’s Guide.
1
Make a bootable copy of the Adaptec InitialArray
Configuration Utility diskette.
2
Insert the diskette copy in the Adrive and boot
the computer.
3
When the computer has finished booting, type
a:arconfig and press Enter.
4
From the Main menu, select Add New Array. The
Selection List menu appears.
5
Press Enter to define Array #1.
6
Select the array type (e.g., Mirrored).
If you select RAID5 or RAID0, a prompt asks if
you want to make the array convertible between
RAID 5 and RAID 0.
7
Type the number of drives (excluding spares) you
want in the array, and press Enter.
8
Press Tab to select an adapter channel and dis-
play its drives.
9
Select each disk for the array by pressing the ↑
and ↓keys to highlight the disk name, and then
pressing Enter or Ins.
Caution:
If you choose disks that contain
data, all the data will be lost when you for-
mat the array. A warning message appears if
you select a disk that contains partition
information.
To select disks on a different adapter channel,
repeat steps 7 and 8. To deselect the most recently
selected disk, press Del. (All disks in the array
must be connected to the same AHA-398x adapter.)
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Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
When you have selected the number of disks you
specified in step 7, the next screen appears.
10
If the array is mirrored or RAID 5 and at least one
disk is unassigned, a prompt asks whether you
want to choose a spare disk:
If you do not want a spare: Type n.
To select a spare: Type y. If prompted for the number
of spares, type the number (1or 2), and press Enter.
Then follow steps 8 and 9 to select the spares.
Note:
A spare must have at least the capacity
of the smallest disk in the array.
11
When you are prompted, select a formatting
method to initialize the new array.
–Low-level format is a lengthy process that
writes a consistent pattern to the disks and
checks the disk surface for defects.
–Initialize the array with zeroes (recom-
mended method) is faster than low-level for-
matting, but it does not verify the integrity of
the disks.
Caution:
Back up the disks first if they con-
tain data you want to keep! Low-level for-
matting or initializing an array erases all
data on the array disks.
12
When you are prompted, select a block size for
the array. The recommended size is 16 KBytes.
13
When the prompt appears, confirm that you want
to format the array.
14
When you see the message Initialization of
Array #1 is complete, press any key to return to
the Main Menu.
15
Press Esc, and reboot the computer when you see
the prompt.

4
Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
Array Driver Copy Utility
The Adaptec Array Driver Copy Utility is on the
AHA-3980/3985 Drivers and Raid Utilities diskette
included with the AHA-398x adapter. You use this
utility to copy DOS and NetWare drivers to your
hard disk drive. These drivers are required to oper-
ate arrays under NetWare. You need the DOS driv-
ers if you want to install NetWare or other software
from a SCSI CD-ROM drive connected to your
AHA-398x adapter.
See the AHA-3980/3980W/3985/3985W User’s Guide
for instructions on how to use the Adaptec Array
Driver Copy Utility to install these drivers.
Administrator Utility
This section describes the most frequently used
options in the Administrator Utility. For complete
information on all options, see the AHA-3980/3980W/
3985/3985W User’s Guide.
Starting and Exiting the Utility
To start the Administrator Utility:
1
If the server is not running, start it.
2
At the server prompt, enter load aruadmin (load
c:aruadmin if loading for the first time).
To exit the Administrator Utility:
1
Press Esc until the prompt Do you want to exit the
Administrator? (y|n) appears.
2
Type y. You return to the server prompt.
The Main and System Menus
The Main menu is the primary Administrator Utility
menu. If the system has only one array, the Main
menu appears when you start the Administrator util-
ity. If the system has multiple arrays, the System
menu appears first. In this case, follow these steps to
display the Main menu:
1
From the System menu, select Select Target
Array.
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Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
2
Select the array for which you want to display the
Main menu. The Main menu for that array appears.
On systems with multiple arrays, the array status is
indicated by the color of the array name that appears
in the box to the left of the menus. Red means the
array is off-line; yellow means the array has a down
drive; green means the array is operating normally.
Adding an Array
Follow these steps to add a new array in the Admin-
istrator Utility:
1
From the System menu or the Main menu, select
Change Array Configuration.
2
Select Add an Array. The Selection List menu
appears.
3
Follow steps 8 through 14 in Initial Array Configu-
ration Utility on page 2.
4
When you have finished defining arrays and you
are back at the Selection List menu, press Esc.
Displaying Array Information
To view logical and physical array characteristics
and any utilities running on an array:
1
From the System menu or the Main menu, select
Display Array Status.
2
Select Display Array Overview (to view logical
characteristics) or Display Array Drive Status (to
view physical characteristics and utilities running
on the array).
3
If in step 1 you started from the System menu,
press any key to view information on the next
array.
To display performance statistics for an array:
1
From the Main menu for the array, select Display
Array Status.
2
Select Display Statistics.
3
Select Temporary Array Statistics (array read/
write information), Temporary Drive Statistics
(drive read/write information), Permanent Drive
Statistics (errors, successful retries, and

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Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
reassigned blocks), or Display Volume(s) on
Array (list of partitions and volumes on the array.
4
When finished viewing the statistics, press Esc to
display a pop-up menu, then select Quit.
Verifying Arrays
If a mirrored or RAID 5 array becomes inconsistent,
data will be lost if an array drive fails. Follow these
steps to verify the consistency of data on an array:
1
From the Main menu for the array, select Verify
Functions.
2
Select Start Verify.
3
Indicate the priority of the operation by typing a
number from 0 through 9 (0 = lowest priority;
9 = highest priority).
To schedule routine verifications, see Scheduling
Tasks on page 8.
Reconstructing Data
Follow these steps to reconstruct data on a replace-
ment disk if a disk fails in a mirrored or RAID 5 array
and no spare disk is available. (If a spare is available,
the spare replaces the failed disk and the data is
reconstructed automatically.):
1
Physically replace the failed disk, if necessary.
Note:
If your drive enclosure requires all host
adapter activity to stop while you replace a
drive, select Hot Swap Pause before you
replace the drive. When you have finished,
press any key to resume SCSI bus activity.
2
From the Main menu for the array, select
Reconstruct Functions.
3
Select the reconstruction option you want. If the
array is mirrored, for example, select Re-mirror
Single Drive or Re-mirror all DOWN Drives.
4
Indicate the priority of the operation by typing a
number from 0 through 9 (0 = lowest priority;
9 = highest priority).

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Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
5
When prompted, type yto continue, or nto cancel
the operation.
To schedule a reconstruction, see Scheduling Tasks on
page 8.
Note:
If you used Hot Swap Pause to stop
SCSI bus activity, resume activity by press-
ing any key at the Administrator Utility
screen.
Reactivating an Off-line Array
An array goes off-line if the power fails or if someone
removes a second disk when one has already been
removed. To reactivate an off-line array:
1
Physically correct the problem that caused the
array to go off-line.
2
From the Main menu for the array, select
Reactivate Off-line Array.
3
When prompted, type yto reactivate the array, or
nto cancel the operation.
Activating a Spare Disk
If a disk fails in an array that has spares, a spare is
automatically activated and the failed disk is marked
Down. When you replace the failed disk with a new
disk drive at the same channel and SCSI ID, the
replacement disk becomes the new spare.
Testing a Spare Disk
To test a spare disk, use the Scheduler. Instructions
are in the next section.

8
Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
Scheduling Tasks
You can schedule the following tasks:
■Verifying mirrored and RAID 5 arrays
■Testing spare disks
■Reconstructing data on a replacement disk
Follow these steps to schedule a task:
1
From the Main menu for the array, select
Scheduler Functions.
2
Select Schedule Verify, Schedule Reconstruct, or
Schedule Spare Testing.
Note:
If you schedule a verification, all
arrays are verified. To verify only one array,
follow the procedure given in Verifying
Arrays on page 6.
3
Select one of these options:
Schedule Task to Run Once: To schedule the task
for a single time.
Schedule Cyclic Task: To schedule the task to run
at regular intervals. If you select this option, the
Task Schedule Intervals menu appears. Select
Schedule Daily, Schedule Weekly, or Other.
Test Now (appears only if you selected Schedule
Spare Testing): To test the spare immediately. If
you select this option, you are finished—ignore
steps 4 and 5.
4
Follow the prompts and the examples to enter the
date and time for the task.
5
If you are scheduling a verification, a new menu
appears. Select In Parallel to have the arrays veri-
fied simultaneously, or Serially to have the arrays
verified in sequence.
Note:
Verifying arrays in parallel usually
slows your system more than verifying them
serially.

9
Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
Adding a Spare Disk
If you create a mirrored or RAID 5 array without
spare disks (RAID 0 arrays cannot have spares), fol-
low these steps to add up to two spare disks later:
1
From the Main menu for the array, select Change
Array Configuration.
2
Select Add Spare Drives.
3
If prompted to enter the number of spares, type 1
or 2and press Enter.
4
Press Tab to select the channel with the spare
disk(s). A list of disks on that channel appears to
the right. Select each spare disk by pressing the ↑
and ↓keys until the disk name is highlighted, and
then pressing Ins or Enter.
5
When you have finished selecting spares, press Esc.
6
When prompted, type yto accept the new spare
disks, or nto reselect the disks.
You need not reformat the array.
Deleting a Spare Disk
To delete a spare disk from an array, select the Delete
Spare command from the Configuration menu. If the
array has two spares, first select the spare you want
to delete. Type ywhen the prompt asks you to con-
firm the deletion.
Initializing Arrays
When you create a new array or redefine disks (other
than spares) in an existing array, you are automatically
prompted to initialize the array. You can choose to low-
level format the array or initialize it with zeros. (For a
brief description of both formatting methods, see
page 3.)
If necessary, you can reinitialize an existing array if
the data on the array has become corrupted. To do
this, follow the directions in the AHA-3980/3980W/
3985/3985W User’s Guide.

10
Quick Reference: Array Software
Part Number: 510893-00, Rev. B
Print Spec Number: 493983-00
Current Date: 3/1/99 ECN Date: 3/19/96
Converting between RAID 0 CVT and RAID 5 CVT
Formats
You can convert a RAID 5 CVT array to a RAID 0
CVT array and back again without loss of data and
without reformatting. If you convert a RAID 5 CVT
array with spares to a RAID 0 CVT array, the RAID 0
CVT array retains the spares, but they are not usable.
When you convert the array back to a RAID 5 CVT
array, the spares can again be used.
To convert between formats, follow these steps:
1
From the Main menu for the array, select Convert
RAID Level.
2
Select Convert to RAID0 CVT or Convert to
RAID5 CVT.
3
Indicate the priority by typing a number from 0
through 9 (0 assigns the lowest priority; 9, the
highest).
4
When prompted, type y to continue; otherwise,
type n.
To cancel a conversion while it is under way, follow
step 1 to display the Convert menu and then select
Abort Convert.
Deleting Arrays
Caution:
Before you delete an array, back up
any data you want to keep. When you delete
an array, all array data will be lost!
Follow these steps to delete an array:
1
From the System menu, select Change Array
Configuration.
2
Select Delete an Array.
3
Select the array you want to delete.
4
When prompted, type yto delete the array, or nto
cancel the operation.