CRU Dataport RAX 425DC-XJ User manual

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RAX™425DC-XJ USER MANUAL
A9-425-0001 REV 1.0
• Host interfaces capable of fast data transfers up to 6 Gbps
• “Auto Start” feature allows the DX115 drive carriers automatically power up seconds
after the carrier has been installed without having to push the on/off button
• Drive activity/fault LEDs for each drive bay
• Superior cooling with dual 60mm exhaust fans
• Durable light weight steel/aluminum construction
RAXTM
Models Covered:
RAX425DC-XJ

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1. Pre-Installation Steps
1.1 Box Contents
Check the accessories with your RAX unit. Please contact CRU if any parts
are missing or damaged. The box should contain the following items:
1.2 Identifying Parts
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the parts of the RAX425DC-XJ.
This will help you to better understand the remaining instructions.
2. Installation Steps
2.1 Installing Hard Drives
a. If the carrier is bundled with the unit,
push in on the handle to pop it out,
and then pull on the handle to remove
the carrier from the frame.
b. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the screws securing the
drive cover on either side of the carrier, and then remove the cover.
Table of Contents
Accessories Quantity
RAX Unit 1
Power Cord 1
Key Set 1
Screw Kit 1
Quick Start Guide and Warranty Information 1
1. Pre-Installation Steps 1
1.1 Box Contents 1
1.2 Identifying Parts 1
2. Installation Steps 1
2.1 Installing Hard Drives 1
2.2 Rack Mounting Warnings 2
3. Operating RAX425DC-XJ 2
4. Usage with Mac and Windows Operating Systems 2
4.1 Usage with Macintosh Computers 2
4.1.1 Compatibility 2
4.1.2 Formatting a Drive 2
4.1.3 Mounting and Ejecting Volumes 2
4.1.4 Creating a Boot Drive 3
4.2 Usage with Windows Operating System 3
4.2.1 Compatibility 3
4.2.2 Formatting a Drive 3
4.2.3 Mounting and Ejecting Volumes 3
4.2.4 Creating a Boot Drive 3
5. Frequently Asked Questions 4
6. Technical Specifications 4
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60mm Bay Fan Multi-Lane SAS/SATA
Port (SFF-8088)
Power Supply
Fan
Power
Outlet
Power Switch
Power
Button
Drive Activity LED
Fan Error LED
Disable Button
Drive Ready/
Error LED
Carrier
Handle
60mm Bay Fan

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c. Carefully insert the drive (not included) into the carrier. Slide the
drive towards the Drive Carrier Board so that the I/O connector on
the drive mates with the connector on the Drive Carrier Board.
d. Hold the hard drive inside the carrier and turn the drive carrier
assembly over. Secure the hard drive to the bottom of the car-
rier by using the mounting screws provided.
e. Replace the cover and secure it with the screws you removed in
Step B into the sides of the carrier.
f. Reinsert the carrier into the frame and push the handle in until it
clicks to secure it.
2.2 Rack Mounting Warnings
• Elevated Operating Ambient: If installed in a closed or multi-
unit rack assembly, the operating ambient temperature of the
rack environment may be greater than room ambient.
• Reduced Air Flow: Installation of the equipment in a rack
should be such that the amount of air flow required for safe
operation of the equipment is not compromised.
• Mechanical Loading: Mounting of the equipment in the rack
should be such that a hazardous condition is not achieved due to
uneven mechanical loading.
• Circuit Overloading: Consideration should be given to the
connection of the equipment to the supply circuit and the effect
that overloading the circuits might have on over current protec-
tion and supply wiring. Appropriate consideration of equipment
nameplate ratings should be used when addressing this concern.
• Reliable Earthing: Reliable earthing of rack-mounted equip-
ment should be maintained. Particular attention should be given
to supply connections other than direct connections to the
branch circuit (e.g. use of power strips).
3. Operating RAX425DC-XJ
Connect the SFF-8088 data cable to the RAX and your host computer. Plug
in the power cord. Turn on the power. Insert the carriers into the frame
and the “Auto Start” feature will power up the drives automatically.
Your RAX is now ready to use! If the hard drives are already formatted,
the RAX can be used right away. If the hard drives are brand new, or the
formats are not compatible with your computer, the drives will need to
be formatted before being used. See the following section, “Usage with
Mac and Windows Operating Systems.”
NOTE: A flashing red LED on the bay indicates bay fan failure.
Call CRU technical support for assistance.
4. Usage with Mac and Windows Operating Systems
4.1 Usage with Mac OS X
4.1.1 Compatibility
RAX uses 3.5-inch SATA (Serial-ATA) hard drives only. RAX does
not require drivers for operation under Mac OS X. However, if you
install a host card specifically to work with this product, that card
may require drivers. See your card’s User Manual for drivers and
instructions.
4.1.2 Formatting a Drive
If you purchased your RAX pre-populated with hard drives, this
step should not be necessary unless you wish to change the format
or erase the drive. To format, use Mac OS X’s Disk Utility (found in
the applications folder).
a. Click on the drive in the window to the left (see picture below).
b. Click the Erase tab in the window to the right (see picture
below).
c. Select the format type. Most users prefer Mac OS Extended
with Journaling (HFS+), which is required for compatibility
with Time Machine (OS 10.5 or newer). If you need to use your
RAX with both Mac and Windows computers, select MS-DOS
File System instead.
d. Enter a name for the new volume and then click “Erase” to
start the process.
4.1.3 Mounting and Unmounting Volumes
If the hard drives installed in RAX are al-
ready formatted, an icon representing the
drive’s volume will appear (mount) on the
desktop. You can begin using the volume
right away. If the drive is unformatted, a
message will appear on the desktop say-
ing that the disk is unreadable. You can
use OS X’s Disk Utility to easily format the
drive (see section above).
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Unmount the volume before powering down the unit by dragging
the volume’s icon to the trash bin, or by selecting the volume
then pressing Command-E. Disconnecting the unit without first
unmounting the volume can result in data loss.
4.1.4 Creating a Boot Drive
To activate this feature, you must first install OS X on the hard
drive in your carrier. The easiest way to do this is to clone an
existing system drive using a utility such as Carbon Copy Cloner or
Super Duper. Next, go to System Preferences --> Startup Disk. A
window will list the available bootable volumes. Select the volume
from which you wish to boot. Another method is to hold down the
Option key during boot up. A screen should appear that allows you
to select the volume you wish to use. This is useful if you wish to
boot from your RAX hard drive only some of the time.
4.2 Usage with Windows Operating Systems
4.2.1 Compatibility
RAX uses 3.5-inch SATA (Serial-ATA) hard drives only. RAX does
not require drivers for operation under Windows XP, Vista, or
7. However, if you install a host card specifically to work with
this product, that card may require drivers. See your card’s User
Manual for drivers and instructions.
4.2.2 Formatting a Drive
If you purchased your RAX pre-populated with a hard drive, this
step should not be necessary unless you wish to change the format
or erase the drive. To format, use the Disk Management utility.
a. Right-click on My Computer, then select Manage. The Com-
puter Management window will open.
b. In the left pane of this window, left-click on Disk Management.
c. The drive should appear in the list of Disks in the lower middle/right
pane (see picture below). You may need to scroll down to see it. If the
drive is already formatted, you can identify it easily by its volume name.
If it’s unformatted, the Drive Properties Box will say “Unallocated” and
you’ll need to initialize the disk before formatting it. Initialize the disk by
right-clicking the Device Properties Box and selecting Initialize Disk.
d. To format the drive, right-click the Drive Properties Box and
select Format.
e. If you are prompted to select a partition type, select MBR for
volumes 2TB or smaller, or GPT for volumes larger than 2TB.
f. Click through several more windows, leaving the default set-
tings, until you see a window that allows selection of a file
system. Choose NTFS and enter a name for the new volume.
Be sure to check the box labeled “Perform a quick format”
unless you want to completely erase any data on the drive
and have time to wait. A quick format should take less than a
minute, while standard formatting may take several hours.
g. Click “Next” and then “Finish” to start the format process.
When the format is complete, the Drive Properties Box will
update to show the new volume name. The new volume can
now be found in My Computer.
4.2.3 Mounting and Ejecting Volumes
If the hard drives attached to RAX are
already formatted, you can begin using
the volume right away. When the unit is
properly connected and turned on, a window may open to allow you
access to the volume. If no window appears, you can find the volume
by double-clicking “My Computer.”
Eject the RAX before powering it down by
single-clicking the green arrow icon on the
task bar, then selecting “Safely remove….”
Windows will indicate when it is safe to disconnect RAX. Discon-
necting the unit without first ejecting it can result in data loss.
4.2.4 Creating a Boot Drive
Some PC motherboards support booting from an external device. To
activate this feature, you will need to adjust the motherboard’s BIOS
settings. Check with your motherboard’s manufacturer or owner’s
manual for details.
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NOTE: Windows XP does not support GPT or volumes larger than 2TB.

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5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why won’t the computer let me eject or unmount my drive?
A: There may be a software application running in the background
with an active link to the drive.
Sometimes, you may see a message such as “The disk is in use and
could not be ejected. Try quitting applications and try again.” Try
invoking the Force Quit feature in OS X to see what software may be
running. For Windows, the equivalent command is CTRL-ALT-DEL.
Drives connected to the computer via eSATA cannot be ejected in
Windows the way FireWire or USB drives can. However, freeware
utilities are available on the internet that provide a similar function.
Q: Does my 4-bay RAX unit support RAID?
A: The models covered in this manual support only JBOD functional-
ity. However, the drives can be RAIDed in software, or RAX can be
attached to a RAID HBA for hardware RAID functionality.
Q: Will this product work with hard drives larger than 2.2TB?
A: Yes, assuming the rest of your configuration (e.g. OS, BIOS, host
drivers) supports large volumes, this product is compatible with
drives larger than 2.2TB.
Q: Why is my hard drive experiencing data corruption?
A: Many things can cause data corruption on hard drives, whether
they are inside your computer or inside an external storage
product. Malicious software, OS bugs, failure to properly discon-
nect external devices, or no reason at all. Data corruption or loss is
therefore not covered by warranty (this is the case with all rational
companies in the storage industry).
The first thing to try is restarting both the computer and the
external device. If the data is still corrupted, try running built-in
OS utilities (such as Mac OS X’s Disk Utility First Aid) on the hard
drive. For best results, boot your computer with a Mac OS X Instal-
lation CD, and launch Disk Utility from the CD. When you reach the
Mac OS Installation program, you can run Disk Utility from one of
the menus at the top of the screen. From Disk Utility, you can run
“Verify Disk” and “Repair Disk” to find and fix any errors that may
be present in your Mac OS installation.
If the OS utility doesn’t help, you may need Data Rescue. This is
a great solution for recovering lost data from a hard drive which
has suffered data loss or corruption. If there is a true hardware
failure of your hard drive that prevents it from communicating
with your computer, there is no software solution in existence that
can fix this problem. However, since we cannot tell you with any
certainty whether or not you are experiencing hardware failure in
your particular hard drive, we would encourage you to download a
free demo version of ProSoft’s Data Rescue from www.prosofteng.
com. It is limited, in that it only allows you to recover one file per
session, but it will tell you if it even sees any files.
For additional information, please visit www.cru-dataport.com.
6. Technical Specifications
RAX is a trademark of CRU Acquisitions Group, LLC. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2011 CRU Acquisitions Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
Limited Product Warranty
CRU-DataPort (CRU) warrants RAX to be free of significant defects in material and workmanship for a period of two
years from the original date of purchase. CRU’s warranty is nontransferable and is limited to the original purchaser.
Limitation of Liability
The warranties set forth in this agreement replace all other warranties. CRU expressly disclaims all other warranties,
including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and non-
infringement of third-party rights with respect to the documentation and hardware. No CRU dealer, agent, or employee
is authorized to make any modification, extension, or addition to this warranty. In no event will CRU or its suppliers be
liable for any costs of procurement of substitute products or services, lost profits, loss of information or data, computer
malfunction, or any other special, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising in any way out of the sale of,
use of, or inability to use any CRU product or service, even if CRU has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
In no case shall CRU’s liability exceed the actual money paid for the products at issue. CRU reserves the right to make
modifications and additions to this product without notice or taking on additional liability.
FCC Compliance Statement: “This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.”
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a home or commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio communications.
In the event that you experience Radio Frequency Interference, you should take the following steps to resolve the
problem:
1) Ensure that the case of your attached drive is grounded.
2) Use a data cable with RFI reducing ferrites on each end.
3) Use a power supply with an RFI reducing ferrite approximately 5 inches from the DC plug.
4) Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
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Product Name RAX425DC-XJ
Interface Types &
Speeds
Multi-lane SAS/SATA 6Gb/s (SFF-8088)
Compatibility • 3.5-inch SATA hard drives
• 3.5-inch SAS hard drives
Operating System
Requirements
• Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
• Mac OS X
• Linux distributions that support SFF-8088 connections
Data Connectors One (1) SFF-8088 mini-SAS connector
Compliance EMI Standard: FCC Part 15 Class A, CE
EMC Standard: EN55022, EN55024
Shipping Weights 30 pounds
Product
Dimensions
428mm W x 89mm H x 450mm D
Support We don’t expect anything to go wrong with your CRU-Dataport
product. But if it does, Technical Support is standing by and
ready to help. Contact Technical Support through
cru-dataport.com/support or call [phone].
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