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

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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.

Chapter 1 - Introduction
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Key features
The RA4000e Series supports the following features
zAutomatic on-line rebuilding
zDrives are hot swappable
zSupports RAID levels 0, 0+1 and 5
zOptional hot spare setup for RAID 5 (5+spare)
zHot swappable fan
zSupports four Serial ATA hard drives
zRequires no driver
zAudible alarm on drive failure & alarm mute function
zSupports eSATA host interfaces
zDisk auto shutdown when system over heat for protecting.
zPlug and play
Hot Spare
Hot Spare allows for the automatic replacement of a failed drive without requiring intervention
from the administrator. If this option is selected and a drive fails, the will automatically replace
the faulty drive with the hot spare drive.
Automatic drive rebuilding
If a member drive in a RAID 5 array is replaced on-line, the RA4000e Series will automatically
start to rebuild data to the new drive.
Hard drive hot swapping
Hot swapping allows for the removal and installation of disk drives without the need to power
down the system while the system is in use.
Auto disk shut down when over heat
The RA4000e Series will shut down disks automatically when temperature is over 55 oCto
prevent the damage of DISK and DATA loss.
This manual contains the information necessary to set up each of the two
available hardware configurations of the RA4000e Series . Where procedures
for the configurations differ, they are described separately and clearly
marked.
Warranty
Two years warranty

RA4000e Series User manual
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Specifications
Available host intefaces and transfer speeds
zeSATA 1.5Gb
Disk Interface Support
zFour SATA disk interfaces compatible with SATA2 3Gb disks
RAID Function Support
zHardware RAID level 0, 5, 0+1, 5 + spare by switch setting
zHot swappable disk
zAutomatic on-line rebuilding
RA4000e Series Function Support
zDriverless
zPlug & Play
zMultiple operating system support:
Mac OS 9 / X (10.2.8 & 10.3)
Windows 2000/2003/XP
Windows Vista
Linux 7.3 and later
Fedora 6, 7
zGUI support for system status monitoring
zSupport over 2TB RAID capacity (Windows Vista only)
zOn board 2MB buffer cache size
zLCD panel for operation status display
zEvent notification through audible alarm or e-mail
zAlarm mute switch
zMemory for RAID level status
zOne RS-232 port for terminal or GUI connection
zRemovable cooling fan module

Chapter 1 - Introduction
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Mechanical, Environmental and Safety Specifications
zDimensions: 286.5(L) x 152.8(W) x 206.4(H) (mm)
zHost Connectors:
one eSATA connector
zInterface Connectors:
One RS-232 connector
zOperation temperature: 0 ~ 35°C
zOperation humidity: 5% ~ 95 %, non-condensing
zStorage humidity: 5%~95%, non-condensing
z200 W power supply
Input: 100 ~ 250 AC
Output: +5V/10 A, +12V/10 A, +3.3V/5A
Specifications are subject to change without notice.

RA4000e Series User manual
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This chapter includes all the information you need to prepare for
installation and to decide which RAID level to use. You will find:
ÖA checklist of what should be in the product package
ÖA full introduction to and comparison of RAID levels 0, 0+1
and 5
Ö
Ö
Ö
Important notices on the safe operation and installation of
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:
zRA4000e Series system with four drive
trays (Disk not included)

Chapter 2 – Before you begin
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zThe following cables:
Power cable
RS-232 cable
eSATA cable
SATA to eSATA bracket
zScrews pack
zAverMedia CD kit containing RA4000e Series User’s Manual (this manual)
What else you need
In order to setup a working system, the following user-supplied items are required:
zHost computer system with eSATA interface
zFour disk drives
For non-proprietary accessories, such as cables, etc., ask your vendor to
recommend compatible and reliable brands.

RA4000e Series User manual
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Pre-installation planning
Introduction to RAID levels
The RA4000e Series can support the following RAID levels: 0, 0+1 and 5 with the additional
option of RAID 5 + hot spare. Which is the right level for you? The answer depends on the
application it is used for.
RAID Level 0 offers high transfer rates, and is ideal for large blocks of data where speed is of
importance. Computer Aided Design, Graphics, Scientific Computing, Image and Multimedia
applications are all good examples. If one drive in a RAID 0 array fails however, the data on
the whole array is lost.
RAID Level 0+1 combines mirroring and striping functions on a minimum of four hard disks.
Mirroring provides full redundancy and protects data in case of multiple drive failure (providing
that data on one of each mirrored pair of drives is intact).
RAID Level 5 arrays offer high I/O transaction rates, and are the ideal choice when used with
on-line transaction processing applications, such as those used in banks, insurance
companies, hospitals, and all manner of office environments. These applications typically
perform large numbers of concurrent requests, each of which makes a small number of disk
accesses. If one drive in a RAID 5 array fails, the lost data can be rebuilt from data on the
functioning disks. The RA4000e Series allows users to set one disk as a hot-spare that will be
activated automatically to replace a failed disk.

Chapter 2 – Before you begin
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RAID 0
RAID 0 links each drive in the array as one huge drive. Storage capacity is determined by the
smallest drive in the array. That capacity is then applied to format all other drives in the array.
If using a 40 GB, 50GB, 60 GB, and 70 GB drive in a RAID 0 array, your system will see one
huge drive of 160 GB (40 GB×4).
RAID 0 offers double or more performance under sustained data transfers when one drive per
is used. But RAID 0 without fault tolerance, if one of disks in RAID 0 array fails, the RAID
crashed.
RAID 0: Striped disk array without fault tolerance
Characteristics: Recommended use:
RAID 0 implements a striped disk array, the data
is broken down into blocks and each block is
written to a separate disk drive.
I/O performance is greatly improved by spreading
the I/O load across many channels and drives.
Fastest and most efficient array type but offers no
fault-tolerance.
Storage capacity = (No. of disks) × (capacity of
smallest disk)
If installed 40 GB, 50 GB, 60 GB and 70 GB,
configured as RAID 0, the RAID capacity will be
160 GB.
Video production and
editing
Image editing
Pre-press
applications
Any application
requiring high
bandwidth
The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 0 array composed of four DISKS
connected to the controller. Data blocks are distributed across all disks in the array.
Arrangement of data blocks saved on a Level 0 RAID

RA4000e Series User manual
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RAID 0+1
RAID 0+1 combines mirroring and striping functions on a minimum of four hard disks.
Mirroring provides full redundancy and protects data in case of multiple drive failure (providing
that data on one of each mirrored pair of drives is intact).
RAID 0+1: Combination of mirroring and striping
Characteristics:
This configuration provides optimal speed and reliability.
Requires even number of disks (minimum 4 disks)
Storage capacity = 2 x capacity of smallest of disk
If installed four drives each are 40 GB, 50GB, 60 GB and 70 GB, configured as
RAID 0+1, the RAID capacity will be 80 GB.
The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 0+1 array composed of four
DISKS connected to the controller. The controller creates two matching RAID 0 arrays on four
DISKS.
Arrangement of data blocks saved on a Level 0+1 array

Chapter 2 – Before you begin
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RAID 5 and RAID 5+hot spare
RAID 5 uses a mathematical expression that compares data from three drives and calculates
a fourth piece of data called “parity” which is saved on a fourth drive. Should one of the drives
fail, parity data can be used to rebuild the failed data. Under RAID 5, parity data is stored
across all drives in the array. This maximizes the amount of storagecapacity available from all
drives in the array while still providing data redundancy. RAID 5 requires at least three drives.
The allows users to set RAID 5 with three drives and the fourth drive as a “hot spare” ready to
be used for rebuilding data in case one of the other drives fails. This is RAID 5 +hot spare
function.
RAID 5: Independent data disks with distributed parity blocks
Characteristics: Recommended use:
Each entire data block is written on a data disk.
Parity for blocks in the same rank is generated
on Writes, recorded in a distributed location and
checked on Reads.
Highest Read data transaction, medium Write
data transaction rate.
Relatively low ratio of ECC (Parity) disks to data
disks means high efficiency (compared to other
RAID levels).
Good aggregate transfer rate.
Storage capacity = (No. of disks – 1) ×
(capacity of smallest disk)
In RAID 5, installed drives each are 40 GB, 50
GB, 60 GB, 70 GB, the RAID capacity will be 120
GB.
In RAID 5 + hot spare, installed 40 GB, 50 GB, 60
GB each in disk 2, 3, 4 and installed 70 GB in
disk 1 as hot spare disk, the RAID capacity will
be 80 GB.
File and application
servers
Database servers
WWW, E-mail and News
servers
Intranet servers
Most versatile Raid level

RA4000e Series User manual
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The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 5 array composed of four DISKS
connected to the controller. Parity blocks are represented by the letter P.
The diagram below represents the writing of data on a RAID 5+hot spare array composed of
four DISKS connected to the controller. Parity blocks are represented by the letter P.
Arrangement of data and parity blocks saved on a Level 5+hot spare RAID