Arco Computer Products MicroRaid Disk Drive User manual

Information furnished by Data Protection Solutions by Arco (Arco) is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no
responsibility is assumed by Arco for its use; nor any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties that may result
from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of Arco. Arco reserves
the right to change specifications at any time without notice.
Copyright 2008 Arco Computer Products, LLC.
Resvised 8/2008
All Rights Reserved
All Trademarks used in this text are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
USER MANUALUSER MANUAL
USER MANUALUSER MANUAL
USER MANUAL
DupliDupli
DupliDupli
Dupli
DiskDisk
DiskDisk
Disk
3 : MicroRaid3 : MicroRaid
3 : MicroRaid3 : MicroRaid
3 : MicroRaid

One-Year Limited Warranty
This warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may also have other rights that
vary from one jurisdiction to another.
THE WARRANTIES GIVEN HEREIN, TOGETHER WITH ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES COVERING THE HARDWARE, INCLUDING ANY
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF
DELIVERY TO PURCHASER.
Data Protection Solutions by ARCO (“DPS”) warrants to the Purchaser that DPS’
hardware is free from defects in workmanship or material under normal use and
service. This warranty commences on the date of delivery of the hardware to the
Purchaser. Any claim under the warranty must include a dated proof of purchase
or invoice. In any event, DPS’ liability for defective hardware is limited to
repairing or replacing the hardware.
During the warranty period, DPS agrees to repair or replace, at its sole option,
without charge to Purchaser, any defective component part of the hardware. To
obtain service, Purchaser must contact Technical Support to obtain a Return
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Return the hardware to DPS or an
authorized DPS distributor in an adequate container for shipping. The postage,
shipping and insurance charges incurred in shipping to DPS will be paid by
Purchaser and all risk for the hardware shall remain with Purchaser until such
time as DPS takes receipt of the hardware. Upon receipt, DPS will promptly
repair or replace the defective unit and then return said unit to Purchaser,
postage, shipping, and insurance prepaid. DPS may use reconditioned or like
new parts or units, at its sole option, when repairing any hardware. Repaired
products shall carry the remaining warranty period pertaining to original
purchase. This warranty is contingent upon proper use of the hardware by
Purchaser and does not cover: hardware or software incompatibility (covered
under DPS’ 30 Days Money Back Guarantee Policy), damage due to accident,
unusual physical, electrical, or electromechanical stress, neglect, misuse, failure
of electric power, air conditioning, humidity control, transportation, operation with
media not approved by DPS, or tampering with or altering of the hardware.
DPS’ 30 Days Money Back Guarantee Policy
DPS GUARANTEES MONEY BACK WITHIN THE 30 DAYS AFTER
PURCHASE, FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: NOT SATISFIED WITH THE
PRODUCT OR ANY HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE INCOMPATIBILITY.

DPS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF
PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, SPECIAL INDIRECTION, CONSEQUENTIAL,
INCIDENTAL OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES ARISING FROM BREACH OF
WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHER LEGAL
ACTION EVEN IF DPS OR ITS AGENT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BROUGHT
AGAINST YOU BY ANOTHER PARTY.
This warranty allocates risks of product failure between Purchaser and DPS.
DPS’ hardware pricing reflects this allocation of risk and limitations of liability
contained in this warranty. The warranty set forth above is in lieu of all other
expressed warranties, whether oral or written. The agents, employees,
distributors, and dealers of DPS are not authorized to make modifications to this
warranty, or additional warranties binding on DPS. Accordingly, additional
statements such as dealer advertising or presentations, whether oral or written,
do not constitute warranties by DPS and should not be relied upon.
Returning the product to Data Protection Solutions by ARCO requires contacting
DPS’ Technical Support to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA)
number. You must have an RMA number before returning the product to us. Ship
the product back in the original container with the RMA number, name, and
address on the shipping label.
Purchaser should address all matters concerning this warranty to:
Data Protection Solutions by Arco Telephone: [phone]
3100 North 29th Court Facsimile: 954-925-2889
Hollywood, Florida 33020 U.S.A. Tech Support: 954-925-7347
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site: http:// www.arcoide.com
This product is protected under U.S. Patent No. 5740397

ContentsContents
ContentsContents
Contents
1Introduction...............................................................................1
About RAID
About the DupliDisk3
2Contents of the Box...............................................................2
3Before You Begin....................................................................3
4The Essentials..........................................................................4
5Interpreting the LED’s...........................................................5
The LED and Buzzer Signals
6Installing the Hardware........................................................6
Installing TheMicroRaid Models
7Initial Raid 1 Mirroring..........................................................8
Selecting From the Three Mirroring Methods
8DOS Software...........................................................................9
Using The Dupli Raid Management Utility Program
Mirroring from the DOS Floppy Disk
DOS Pull Down Menu Options
9Windows Software...............................................................14
Software Installation and Setup
Windows Menu Options
10 Linux Software.......................................................................23
The DupliDisk3Raid Managment Utility
Linux Main Menu Options
11 Remote Monitoring...............................................................32
12 Replacing a Failed Drive....................................................34
13 Firmware Upgrade................................................................36
14 Upgrading from a small drive to a larger drive .......39
15 Primary/Mirror LED Blinking Green..............................43
16 Troubleshooting ...................................................................45
17 Specifications ........................................................................47

11
11
1IntrIntr
IntrIntr
Introductionoduction
oductionoduction
oduction
About RAIDAbout RAID
About RAIDAbout RAID
About RAID
RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a technology which allows the computer
to see multiple drives as a single drive. Originally designed for use with mainframe
computers, it is now, with Arco’s patented IDE process, commonly implemented on PCs to
provide varying levels of redundancy. RAID Level 1 (RAID 1), which is also called disk
mirroring, is a two-drive array in which each drive is an exact duplicate of the other.
About the DupliAbout the Dupli
About the DupliAbout the Dupli
About the Dupli
Disk3Disk3
Disk3Disk3
Disk3
The DupliDisk3is a driverless IDE, EIDE, U/DMA RAID 1 controller designed to provide
continuous real-time data redundancy of IDE drives through hardware based mirroring.
The DupliDisk3 uses patented technology which adds RAID Level 1 disk mirroring to any
IDE enabled computer.
Key DupliDisk3Features
• Uses no system resources - no interrupts or IO addresses
• Provides intelligent monitoring of drive status
• Automatically detects new drives inserted in system
• Rebuilds drives in background on all Windows based systems
(Shut down not required with the RaidCase model only)
• Windows™based setup, monitor/maintenance program
• Automatic drive switching in the event of drive failure
• Supports one pair of IDE, EIDE or U/DMA
drives of any size
• Drive status indicators and audible alarm
• Driverless design permits operation under virtually any operating system
DOS, OS/2, Macintosh, Windows 3.1, 9x, Me, X64 addition, NT, 2000, 2003,
XP, XP Pro, Vista, Netware, Unix, and Linux.
• Flashable ROM BIOS
• Jumperless, software configurable design
• Serial Port (remote monitoring - optional)
• Remote Notification (Email)
• Extended LBA Addressing supports drive capacities up to 128,000 Terrabytes.
• ATA100 Support
1

22
22
2Contents ofContents of
Contents ofContents of
Contents of the Bothe Bo
the Bothe Bo
the Boxx
xx
x
DupliDupli
DupliDupli
Dupli
Disk3Disk3
Disk3Disk3
Disk3
MicrMicr
MicrMicr
MicroRoR
oRoR
oRaid:aid:
aid:aid:
aid:
• DupliDisk3 MicroRaid controller
• DupliDisk Raid Management CD
• DupliDisk3 Quick Start Guide
• 18-inch Host Cable
Note: ATA Specifications limit maximum length of host cable to 18”. This is the length of the
supplied cable. The use of any length greater than 18” may result in data corruption or
loss. Arco does not support the use of cables not supplied by Arco. If use of these
cables presents a problem, call Arco to obtain an alternative.
You should find the following items:
2

33
33
3
Before You BeginBefore You Begin
Before You BeginBefore You Begin
Before You Begin
Before installing your DupliDisk3
•Be sure you have a current backup on removable media, such as tape. This
will not be required for the installation of your DupliDisk3. However, backing
up before adding equipment to your system is always a wise precaution.
•Turn the system OFF and remove the cover. Protect your computer and
DupliDisk3from static discharge. Make sure you are well grounded
before touching any electronic components.
•Locate the IDE controller connector, also referred to in this manual as the Host.
Note: The IDE/SATA cable connectors are color coded. The Blue connector
for the host cable goes into the IDE connector on the motherboard. The Blue
connectors for the drive channels go into the DupliDisk3.
System Connector (blue)
Striped Edge (Pin 1) Drive 1 - Slave (grey)
Drive 0 - Master (black)
Cable / Connector Layout
3

Drive Jumpers
Mirrored drive pairs must be jumpered identically. Data Protection Solutions by
Arco recommends configuring both drive as Master or Single. In some cases,
configuring as Cable Select is required. Please refer to the hard drive
manufacturer’s manual for the proper jumpering of your drives.
Drives Can Be Dissimilar
Mirrored drives do not need to have the same physical geometry but, when
mirroring two drives of different sizes, drive capacity will be limited to that of the
smaller capacity drive. For example:
PRIMARY CHANNEL MIRROR CHANNEL ACTUAL SIZE
SEAGATE ST340016A (40GB) MAXTOR 6L060L3 (60GB) 40GB
Note: It is recommended that the smaller capacity drive be attached to the Primary Channel.
44
44
4
The EssentialsThe Essentials
The EssentialsThe Essentials
The Essentials
•Only one DupliDisk3 product can be installed on your system.
•Host, Primary and Mirrored connectors are used to connect the existing
IDE interface (host) and primary and mirror drives to the
DupliDisk3via 80-wire (40 pin connector) data cables.
Warning:Cables are provided for these connnections. Arco will not warrant
operation of the product if the user substitutes a non-Arco cable for the
original equipment cable.
If your System BIOS does not automatically detect the hard
drives on boot up, reboot your system and enter CMOS Setup to
set up the drive once the DupliDisk3 is installed.
Set the drive type to AUTO. Reboot Computer.
(See the manual which was supplied by your computer manufacturer
for details regarding your specific system BIOS.)
4

Interpreting the External Control Panel Lights (LED’s)
Each DupliDisk3is outfitted with an external control panel which provides
feedback via colored lights (LED’s) as well as a reset switch for the audible alarm
(Buzzer).
The control panel signals will indicate whether your DupliDisk3is operating
properly and will notify you if a drive fails.
The following provides an interpretation of the Control Panel display and
functions:
• Primary and Mirror LED’s monitor status of the channels as follows:
Solid Green Drive installed on the current channel
Flashing Orange Scanning the channel for drives
Solid Red Drive not installed
Flashing Red Drive failed to performed last operation. Drives
are not identical. To fix this, re-mirror the drives.
Orange Channel activity (read/write)
Flashing Green Drive is marked as bad (see note in section
replacing a failed drive)
• Status LED’s show the status of the DupliDisk3 master channels
as follows:
Solid Green Drives are in Mirror mode, data is identical.
Flashing Green Drives may not be identical
Solid Red Drives are not in Mirror mode
Flashing Red Copy/Compare is in progress
Orange Copy/Compare in progress (under Windows)
•Buzzer provides the following indications:
• Short beep during power on (system boot up) indicates successful
DupliDisk3 self test.
• Second beep indicates the DupliDisk3 is running in single mode.
• Continuous or intermittent beep indicates a drive failure.
• Buzzer Off switch can be depressed to stop the beeping.
5 Inter5 Inter
5 Inter5 Inter
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preting the LED’eting the LED’
eting the LED’eting the LED’
eting the LED’ss
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5

6 Installing6 Installing
6 Installing6 Installing
6 Installing TT
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Installing the hardware
•Before beginning installation, please read pages 3-6 in this manual.
•When installing the pair of mirrored drives, make sure that each of the
drives is configured as Device 0 (Master) or (Single). In some cases
you may need to configure the drives as Cable Select. Check the
diagram on the drive or the manufacturer’s manual for proper jumper
settings.
•Remove the DupliDisk3-MicroRaid from its package.
•Install the drives on the DupliDisk3-MicroRaid (see diagram). If one
drive contains existing data, make sure this drive is installed in the
Primary location and the blank drive on the Mirror location.
Note: Make sure to align the hard drive properly to the connectors.
•Secure the two hard drives with screws to the DupliDisk3-MicroRaid.
•Using the provided IDE Cable, connect the black connector to the Host
connector on the DupliDisk3-MicroRaid.
•Install the MicroRaid in the appropriate 3.5” empty bay and secure it with
screws.
•Connect an unused internal power connector to the DupliDisk3-
MicroRaid.
•Install the DupliDisk3-MicroRaid in the appropriate 3.5” empty bay and
secure it with screws.
•Connect the provided IDE cable connector (Blue connector) to the
Motherboard’s primary or secondary IDE connector.
The MicroRaid Model
6

Top view of the MicroRaid
IDE Connector
Rear Connector Panel
Primary Connector Mirror Connector
Primary Mirror Status
Buzzer Off
Front LED Panel
Power
Primary
Drive
Mirror
Drive
7

7 Initial R7 Initial R
7 Initial R7 Initial R
7 Initial Raid 1 Miraid 1 Mir
aid 1 Miraid 1 Mir
aid 1 Mirrr
rr
roringoring
oringoring
oring
The DupliDisk3does not need any resident software or software drivers to main-
tain a mirrored pair to constantly monitor the drive quality, and to isolate defective
drives when needed. However, upon installation, you must perform an initial
setup and mirroring using one of the available Raid Management Utility pro-
grams. These programs are supplied free of charge with this product, or may be
downloaded from our web site.
Each Utility is described in detail further along in this manual. For example, you
can configure certain startup options, such as monitor interval, and alarm (beep)
conditions. The utility will also determine if the drives are compatible (mirror drive
cannot be smaller than primary drive), perform an initialization process (here we
register drive characteristics, and create a “logical” drive that is seen by the oper-
ating system), and finally, copy 100% of the data from the primary drive to the
mirror drive. No data on the primary drive is changed during this process. After
the initial mirroring is completed, you may never need to use the utility again. How-
ever, some utilities offer additional services, such as drive monitoring, logging,
remote notification. These may continue to be utilized throughout the life of the
product.
Selecting From the Three Mirroring Methods
1. From the Bootable DOS Floppy/CD
The advantage to using the floppy/CD-based version of the Raid Management
Utility is that it offers an attractive, easy-to-use graphical interface and is the fastest
and most efficient method of mirroring your drives. Users of any operating system
can mirror their drives from the floppy/CD version, as long as their hardware is
compatible with DOS.
2. From Windows, Raid Management Utility, under
Windows NT/XP/ 2000/ 2003/Vista
Users operating in one of the Microsoft Windows environments may find it convenient
to run mirroring from windows, RAID Management Utility. The Windows version
allows for the copying or rebuilding of drives in the background. This is slower than
using the DOS copy but permits continued operation of other applications while
drive copying or rebuilding takes place. See Windows Software for additional
details.
3. From Linux V2.2.18 and above
Users operating in one of the Linux operating environments may find it convenient
to run mirroring from Linux Raid Management Utility. The Linux version allows for
the copying and rebuilding of drives in the background. See Linux Software for
additional details.
8

8 DOS Softw8 DOS Softw
8 DOS Softw8 DOS Softw
8 DOS Softwarar
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Using The DOS Raid Management Utility Program
The DOS version of the Dupli-Raid Management Utility cannot be run as a task
(in a DOS window) under any version of windows. It must be run from the floppy
disk or from a DOS bootable CD.
To simplify this process follow this links:
1. For the DOS bootable diskette, please follow this link:
http://ezd2d.com/download_dupli309.php
2. For the DOS bootable CD, please follow this link:
http://www.ezd2d.com/download_DUPLI_CD_ISO.php
Once the DupliDisk3is installed, insert the diskette/CD and boot the computer to
DOS. Then, select option number 2.
The Status Screen
The status screen will appear. The status screen displays drive parameters which
include: capacity, model number, and initialization status. Initializing the drive
means that the DupliDisk3 saves the identifying information off the drive on a
flash memory so it can keep track of them.
Press any key to continue.
9

The following options are available from the DupliDisk3
Raid Management Utility Menu:
DOS Pull Down Menu Options
Configure
Operation Mode allows the user to disable the mirroring function and
operate from either the primary or the mirror drive only. This option is
useful for isolating drive problems.
●●
●●
●Read Schedule allows the user to select either the Primary or Mirror
drive as the drive to be used for read operations.
●●
●●
●Status Screen displays drive parameters which include: capacity, model
number, and initialization status. Initializing the drive means that the
DupliDisk3 saves the identifying information off the drive on a flash
memory so it can keep track of them.
Firmware revision of the board and serial number may also be found on the
Status screen.
●●
●●
●Start-up Options
• Beep on Drive Failure
• Beep after cold boot if drive failure is detected
• Beep after cold boot if running in single mode
• Time to turn buzzer off after cold boot
• Master Drive Detection
•Slave Drive Detection
• Set Baud Rates
• Ultra UDMA support
• Multimode DMA support
• UDMA Extended Cycle
10

●Restore Factory Defaults
Allows the user to restore the following settings:
• Read Schedule: Primary Only
• Beep on drive failure: Continuously
• Beep after cold boot if drive failure is detected: Disabled
• Beep after cold boot if running in single mode: Disabled
• Time to turn buzzer off after cold boot: Disabled
• Master Drive Detection: ON
• Slave Drive Detection: OFF (Not support)
• Ultra UDMA: Med 5 (100)
• Multword DMA: Auto
• UDMA Extended Cycle: Disable
• Bypass Host Warm boot: NO
●When “Beep on drive failure” is enabled, beeping will occur if a failure
is detected on one of the drives and will continue until the Buzzer Off
switch is depressed or the machine is turned off. If this feature is disabled,
there will be no notification if a drive fails. The other options available
are for the buzzer to beep intermittently approximately every 5, 10, 30 or
60 seconds or every 2, 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
●Firmware Upgrade allows the user to flash the ROM.
Firmware upgrades can be obtained from Arco or downloaded from our
website. For firmware upgrade process please see section “Firmware
Upgrade.”
Copy
●A surface to surface copy operation can be initiated:
From Primary Master to Mirror Master
From Mirror Master to Primary Master
From Primary Slave to Mirror Slave (No support for slave drive)
From Mirror Slave to Primary Slave (No support for slave drive)
●Rebuild Drive Marked As Bad is used after the DupliDisk3 signals a
drive failure. This option allows the user to restore a mirrored drive froma
defined good drive. It will automatically set up the source and destination
drives for the copy process.
NOTE: The “Rebuild Drive” option will automatically initialize the
replacement drive.
11

Uninit
Allows the user to remove the initialization information from the DupliDisk3.
It removes the identifying information of the drives from the DupliDisk3’s flash
memory. Caution must be taken when removing the initialization buffer from a
DupliDisk3with existing data on it.
NOTE: In cases where the drive geometry is different from the current standard
(16hds / 63sec) and where the number of heads of the original mirrored drive pair
were not identical, removing the initialization buffer from one of the drives could
cause it not to boot.
Compare
Allows the user to compare the drives on the Primary and Mirror channels to
determine if the data is identical. If the data is not identical the Dupli Raid
Management Utility program will create a log file called dupli.log indicating the
head and cylinder where the data is not identical. The dupli.log file is a text file
and can be read with any text editor.
Utility
●●
●●
● Set Copy/Compare Size allows users to copy only a portion of the drive
to be copied. This option is designed to reduce downtime by eliminating
the need to copy the entire contents of a large drive which contains only
a small amount of data.
Arco recommends that you copy the whole drive when installing for the
first time. If the drive is not completely copied, any data over the initial
copy amount cannot be guaranteed to be identical!
●●
●●
● Create User Default Settings allows users to override and replace the
factory default settings with user preferred default settings. Factory default
settings will no longer be available. Creating your own User Default Settings
places a file on the Dupli Raid Management Utility diskette called
“factory.bin”. If ever you wish to return to the Arco factory defaults,
you must either rename or delete the “factory.bin” file.
●●
●●
● System Information The contents of several internal files are written to
the “dupli.inf” file on the floppy disk; these are used for diagnostic purposes.
●●
●●
● Read LBA is designed for diagnostic purposes.
●●
●●
● Set Lazy Drive Delay allows users to account for drives that are slow to
respond.
View
●●
●●
●DupliDisk Info provides information about the DupliDisk3.
●●
●●
●Drive Info provides information about the Primary and Mirror drives as
well as the logical drive.
12

Help
●●
●●
●Company Information is available from for Help Menu. If you need help beyond
what is offered in this manual, please contact Technical Support.
Exit
Exit to the DOS prompt Menu.
13

The DupliDisk3Raid Management Utility Program for
Windows®
The DupliDisk3Utility Program under Windows NT/XP/2000/2003/Vista, may be
installed from the Windows CD provided with your DupliDisk3or you may
download the installation from our website at http://www.ezd2d.com/
support_downloads_dupli_utility.php
Software Installation and Setup
To install the DupliDisk3Utility Program, insert the Installation Disc into your CD-
ROM drive. When the installation screen appears, follow the on-screen instructions.
If the installation screen does not appear automatically, open My Computer or
right click on the Start button and select Explore to navigate to your CD-ROM
drive. Double-click on the CD-ROM drive icon to launch the installation screen.
Alternatively, you can right click on the CD-ROM drive icon and select Explore.
Locate and open the Windows folder on the CD-ROM drive, then open the Install
folder and double-click on the setup.exe file.
Before running your DupliDisk3 Raid Management Utility, make sure your drive
pair (Primary/Mirror) is properly installed, and that the drive with data that you wish
to keep is connected to the Primary channel. This is important because the utility
will copy data from the Primary to the Mirror drive by default, thus destroying
all previous data on the Mirror drive.
Note: When a drive failure occurs after the drives have been mirrored and a bad
drive has been replaced, a copy will be performed from the “Active Drive for Read”
drive to the “Non-Active for Read” drive.
From your Desktop, double click the DupliDisk3 icon.
If you have both drives installed and have never mirrored the drives, the utility will
automatically scan the channels and the following screen will appear:
99
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14

If you have already run the DupliDisk3 Raid Management Utility, but performed a
“Rebuild” the following message will appear:
In either of the above cases, select YES to start the rebuild (copy) process. Again,
during the initial process, all data on the Primary Drive will be copied to the Mir-
rored drive. If you want to keep any data on the Mirrored drive, select NO and
proceed to back up the data.
If you select YES the following screen will appear:
Click Start to begin the copy.
15

If the copy was successful, the following message will appear:
If rebuild was not completed successfully, you should check the log file to
address any errors. To do this, click on the FILE Menu, then select VIEW LOG.
16