Avermedia RA4000e Series User manual

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RA4000e Series
eSATA to Serial ATA Disk Array System
User Manual Ver1.0

RA4000e Series User manual
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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
This manual has been checked for accuracy, but no guarantee is given that the contents are
correct. Information and specifications can change without notice. AVerMedia is not
responsible for data loss or other consequences caused by the use of this manual.
© Copyright 2008 AVerMedia Technologies, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Manual version: 1.0
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.

Preface
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Regulatory information
For Europe
This equipment 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
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, 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 determined 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:
Ashielded-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.

RA4000e Series User manual
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About this manual
Intended user
This manual is designed and written for users of the RA4000e Series. This is an entry level
product suitable for most users.
Organization of the manual
This manual consists of the following sections:
Chapter 1: Introduction provides an overview of the as well as details of key features and
a list of specifications.
Chapter 2: Before you begin provides a detailed illustrated package list. This chapter
also containsall the information you need to decide whether to set up a RAID 0,
0+1, 5 or RAID 5+spare array and lists important pre-installation notices.
Chapter 3: Setting up the RA4000e Series gives a detailed overview of the RA4000e
Series’ features and guides you through the process of installing hard disk
drives into.
Chapter 4: Setting up an array explains how to set the RAID level, create an array and
connect to a host computer.
Chapter 5: Partitioning the array tells you how partition the array in Windows, Linux or
Mac OS X operating systems.
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: LCD Display Messages lists all status and error messages that may be
displayed on RA4000e Series’built-in display.
Appendix D: Updating Firmware explains how to install new or updated firmware on
RA4000e Series.

Preface
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Using this manual
This guide contains all the information you need to set up and start using your RA4000e
Series and to monitor its performance in real time. The setup process will follow these steps:
Prepare: Familiarize yourself with the features and capabilities of
RA4000e Series (Chapter 1)
Decide whether to set up a RAID 0, 0+1, 5 or 5+spare array
RA4000e Series (Chapter 2)
Set up: Install drives into RA4000e Series (Chapter 3)
Set the RAID level (Chapter 4)
Create: Create a RAID array and connect it to a host computer
(Chapter 4)
Partition: Partition the array using the host operating system
(Chapter 5)

RA4000e Series User manual
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Guide to Conventions
Important information that users should be aware of is indicated with the following icons:
This icon 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 RA4000e Series.
Important terms, commands and programs are put in Boldface font.
Screen text is given in screen font.

Preface
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Preface .................................................................................. 2
Notice.............................................................................................................2
Trademarks....................................................................................................2
Regulatory information...................................................................................3
Intended user ............................................................................................4
Organization of the manual.......................................................................4
Guide to Conventions.....................................................................................6
Table of Contents................................................................. 7
Chapter 1............................................................................. 10
Introduction ........................................................................ 10
Overview ......................................................................................................10
Key features.................................................................................................11
Hot Spare................................................................................................11
Automatic drive rebuilding.......................................................................11
Hard drive hot swapping .........................................................................11
Warranty..................................................................................................11
Specifications...............................................................................................12
Available host intefaces and transfer speeds .........................................12
Disk Interface Support.............................................................................12
RAID Function Support...........................................................................12
RA4000e Series Function Support .........................................................12
Mechanical, Environmental and Safety Specifications ...........................13
Chapter 2............................................................................. 14
Before you begin................................................................ 14
Making sure you have everything ................................................................14
What's in the box.....................................................................................14
What else you need ................................................................................15
Pre-installation planning...............................................................................16
Introduction to RAID levels......................................................................16
RAID 0.....................................................................................................17
RAID 0+1.................................................................................................18
RAID 5 and RAID 5+hot spare................................................................19
Pre-installation notices.................................................................................21

RA4000e Series User manual
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Chapter 3............................................................................. 22
Setting up the RA4000e Series......................................... 22
Familiarizing yourself with RA4000e Series.................................................22
Overview .................................................................................................22
Front view................................................................................................23
Rear view ................................................................................................23
Loading drives into RA4000e Series............................................................24
Chapter 4............................................................................. 25
Setting up an array............................................................. 25
Array creation flowchart ...............................................................................25
Setting RAID level........................................................................................26
Setting RAID 0.........................................................................................28
Setting RAID 0+1 ....................................................................................28
Setting RAID 5.........................................................................................28
Setting RAID 5+spare .............................................................................28
Creating an array..........................................................................................29
Create a new RAID .................................................................................29
Over 2TB capacity...................................................................................30
Checking the status of RA4000e Series ......................................................31
Removing / replacing a drive........................................................................32
What if a disk fails? .................................................................................32
Swapping drives......................................................................................32
Removing a drive ....................................................................................33
Connecting to a host computer....................................................................34
Setting the Display Time & Date..................................................................35
Chapter 5............................................................................. 36
Partitioning the array......................................................... 36
Partitioning the array - Windows..................................................................36
Partitioning the array - Linux........................................................................38
Partitioning the array – Mac OS X................................................................40
Partitioning the array – Vista.......................................................................42
Appendix A ......................................................................... 43
FAQ...................................................................................... 43
Appendix B ......................................................................... 47

Preface
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Glossary.............................................................................. 47
Appendix C ......................................................................... 49
LCD Display Messages...................................................... 49
Over 2TB capacity setting.......................................................................49
RAID initialization....................................................................................50
System ready ..........................................................................................51
RAID and disk status messages.............................................................51
RAID level Setting and Total RAID Capacity:.........................................51
Disk information: Vendor, model # (for example: Western Digital Caviar
7200rpm 120G).......................................................................................51
Disk information: mode, Capacity ...........................................................52
Error and failure messages.....................................................................52
Where the speed of failed fan is 100 rpm...............................................54
Disk rebuilding messages.......................................................................55
Time setting.............................................................................................56
Appendix D ......................................................................... 57
Updating Firmware............................................................. 57

RA4000e Series User manual
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This chapter introduces the features and capabilities of RA4000e
Series.
You will find:
ÖA full introduction to your RA4000e Series
Ö
Ö
Ö
Details of key features
Ö
Ö
Ö
A list of the product specifications
Overview
Congratulations on your selection of the RA4000e Series subsystem. The RA4000e Series is
a high-performance and extremely flexible RAID system. RAID (Redundant Array of
Independent/Inexpensive Disks) is a storage technology used to improve the processing
capabilities of a storage system, providing a combination of reliability and performance. The
RA4000e Series is ideally suited for integration with databases, e-mail, web servers and
imaging systems.
The RA4000e Series is the ultimate approach to a flexible RAID solution. It can manage three
different RAID levels (0, 0+1 and 5) and also offers the option of RAID 5+hot spare. You will
find detailed explanation onthe features and suggested uses of these RAID levels later in this
chapter.
The RA4000e Series features a user-friendly drive carrier design that lets you easily install
four drives. Each drive carrier supports a one-inch high 3.5-inch form factor drive.
Featuring intelligent online recovery, the RA4000e Series lets you hot swap a failed drive:
data will automatically be rebuilt to the new drive without any system down time. The four
drive design allows also one drive to be designated a hot spare: if one of other drives fails, the
will seamlessly rebuild the failed drive’s data on the hot spare.