easyRAID E6 User manual

easyRAID E6
19" Rackmount
Ultra 160 SCSI to IDE
Disk Array System
User's Guide
Version 2.20A
Jan. 2002

FCC(applies in the U.S. and Canada)
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. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with this user's guide, 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, whichcan 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:
Warning and Certifications
This device is in conformity with the EMC
* Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
* Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
* Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
* Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.
This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is
subjected 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 maycause undesired operation.
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
you authority to operate the equipment.
Warning:

Important ! Safety Instructions, Care and Handling
1. Before starting, take a few minutes to
read this manual, read all of these instructions
and save this manual for later reference.
2. Protect the Disk Array from extremely high or low
temperatures. Let the Disk Array warm (or cool ) to
room temperature before using it.
3. Protect the Disk Array from being bumped or
dropped. Do not place this product on an
unstable cart, stand, or table. It may fall, causing
serious damage to the product.
4. Keep the Disk Array away from magnetic forces.
5. Do not use this product near water.
6. Keep the Disk Array away from dust, sand, or dirt.
7. Gaps and openings in the cabinet and the back
are provided for ventilation. To ensure reliable
operation and to protect it from overheating, the
gaps and openings should never be blocked
or covered by placing the product on a bed,
sofa, rug, or other similar surface.
8. Do not place this product near or over a radiator
or heat register.
9. Refer to rating plate for voltage and check that
the appliance voltage corresponds to the supply
voltage.
10. The appliance must be grounded. This product is
equipped with a 3wire grounding-type power
cord, this power cord will only fit into a
groundingtype power outlet.

11. If an extension cord or a power center is used
with this product, make sure that the total of all
products plug into the wall outlet does not
exceed the ampere rating.
12. Do not place the Disk Array where the cord will
be walked on.
13. Never push any kind of object into this product
through cabinet gaps and openings, they may
touch dangerous voltage points cause a risk of
fire or electric shock.
14. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet
before cleaning. Keep the Disk Array dry. Do not
use liquid cleaners, aerosol cleaners, or a wet
cloth. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
15. Except as specifically explained in this User's
Manual, please do not attempt to service this
product by yourself. Opening or removing the
covers may expose you to dangerous voltages.
16. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer
servicing to qualified service personnel under the
following conditions :
If this product has been exposed to water or
any liquid.
If the product has been dropped or the
cabinet damaged.

Operating Environment
When selecting a suitable working location, please consider :
Ventilation
Temperature
Dust and dirt
Electromagnetic and Radio Frequency Interference.
Security
The selected location should provide at least six inches of open
space around the Disk Array cabinet for proper air flow.
Your Disk Array functions best at normal room temperature. Choose
a location free from extreme heat or cold.
Warning! The Disk Array's LCD Panel may be damaged by exposure
to intense sunlight. Limit exposure to indirect or subdued sunlight only.
Your Disk Array should be used in a clean environment that is free
from airborne contaminants such as dust, dirt, and smoke. Excessive
moisture or oil particles in the air can also hinder your system's
performance.
To reduce the possibility of data errors caused by electromagnetic
interference, locate your Disk Array at least five feet away from
electrical appliances and equipment that generates magnetic fields.

About This Manual
This manual serves as a useful guide you can refer to when you wish
to install and operate your Disk Array. It includes the following
information :
Chapter 1 : " Introduction "
Introduces you to your new Disk Array's features and
general RAID concepts.
Chapter 2 : " Getting Started "
Describes general information about this Disk Array.
Chapter 3 : " Configuration "
Provides a Quick and Easy way to setup this Disk Array.
Chapter 4 : " Advanced Information "
Describes information in more detail.
Chapter 5 : " Hot-Swap "
Describes Hot-Swap components.
Appendix A : " Technical Specification "

Contents
Chapter 1 : Introduction
Features 1-2
General RAID concepts 1-4
RAID Level 0 1-5
RAID Level 1 1-7
RAID Level 3 1-8
RAID Level 5 1-10
Summary Comparison of RAID Levels 1-12
Supported RAID Levels 1-13
Multi-SCSI Format support 1-14
Chapter 2 : Getting Started
General Overview 2-1
Unpacking & Checklist
2-2
Choosing a place for Disk Array 2-3
Identifying Parts of Disk Array
Front View 2-4
Rear View
2-5
Power Source
2-6
Installing the Hard Disk Drive 2-7
Host Linkage 2-10
Power-On & Self-Test 2-11
LED Display & Function Keys
LED Display 2-12
Function Keys 2-13
LCD Status Panel 2-14
Chapter 3 : Configuration
General Overview 3-1
Configuration from the front Panel 3-2

Configuration Procedures 3-3
Starting the Configuration 3-4
Configuration from VT100 Terminal Mode 3-7
Configuration Procedures 3-8
Main Screen 3-9
Re-config RAID 3-10
Set RAID Level 3-11
Hot Spare Disk 3-12
Set SCSI ID# 3-13
Termination 3-14
Password 3-15
Save & Restart 3-16
Chapter 4 : Advanced Information
Memory Expansion 4-2
RAID Controller Block Diagram 4-5
Updating Firmware 4-6
Setting Up VT100 Terminal Emulation in Windows
4-7
Start to Update Firmware 4-14
Capacity Expansion 4-20
Chapter 5 : Hot Swap
Removing / Installing Hard Disk Drive 5-2
Removing / Installing Redundant Power Supply Unit 5-6
Removing / Installing Cooling Fan 5-9
Appendix :
Technical Specifications A-1
R

This chapter will introduce you to your new Disk Array's features and
provide information on general RAID concept.
Chapter 1 : " Introduction "
1-1

1-2
Introduction
Features
This section provides an overview of the features. For more detailed
information, please refer to the technical specifications appendix
at the end of this manual .
Your Disk Array includes the following features :
Easy Operation
As everyone knows, conventional Disk Arrays are designed for
experienced computer specialists. To solve complicated and time
consuming operating procedures, we came up with a revolutionary
idea :
-- Innovative Plug And Play RAID --
As compared to a conventional Disk Array's long-winded setup
procedures, your Disk Array can be ready to go after using the
simple step by step built-in setup program.
Ultra High performance
Your Disk Array combines an extremely high speed microprocessor
with the latest chip set, SCSI hardware technology, perfect firmware
and an artistic design. The result is one of the fastest, most reliable
Disk Array systems on the market.
Supports virtually all popular operating systems ,platforms and
network environments because it works independently from the
O.S.
Ultra 160 LVD SCSI channel interface to your Host computer, up to
160MB data transfer rate provides the processing and access
power for you to handle complex and large files.
Selective SCSI ID 0 ~ 14 , support with active termination.
Tagged-command queuing : allows processing of up to 255
simultaneous data requests.
Selective RAID levels 0, 1, 0+1, 3 or 5.
Build-in 64MB cache memory, expandable up to 128MB.
Serial communication port ( Terminal Port ) permits array controller
operation through a standard VT100 terminal (or equivalent).

1-3
Introduction
Solid reliability
Automatic failed disk drive detection.
Auto rebuild : when a replacement disk installed (or by using hot
spare disk ), The system provides automatic data rebuild without
any commands or functions keyed in. ( Transparent to Host )
Efficient maintenance
An LCD status panel displays a comprehensive readout of the
operating status, and the HDD LED indicators on each HDD tray
display the individual HDD status.
When disk failure occurs on a member disk of the disk array, the
built-in buzzer sounds simultaneously and LCD status panel
also points out the location of the failed hard disk drive. In the
meantime the LED HDD status indicator will light up " Red "on the
failed HDD tray , according the LED indicator on the HDD tray you
can perform quick, efficient and correct maintenance.
Hot Swap : allows you can remove and install the " Hot Swap "
parts without interrupting data access while the system is on.
The " Hot Swap " parts include the Hard Disk Drive, Redundant
Power Supply Unit and Cooling Fan.

1-4
Introduction
General RAID Concepts
Correct installation of the disk array requires an understanding of
RAID technology and the concepts described in this section.
Definition
RAID is an acronym of Redundant Array of Independent Disks .
A RAID is a Disk Array in which part of the storage capacity is used to
record redundant information about the user data stored on the
remainder of the storage capacity. The redundant information
enables regeneration of user data in the event that one of the
Array's member Disks or the access path to it fails.
Benefits of RAID
1. Secure Data
RAID is an emerging storage technology with the potential to
revolutionize the data storage technology. A typical RAID unit
contains a set of disk drives, typically two to six, which appear to
the user to be equivalent to a single large capacity disk drive. The
remarkable benefit of disk array is that if any single disk in the RAID
fails, the system and array still continues to function without loss of
data. This is possible because the redundancy data is stored on
separate disk drives and the RAID can reconstruct the data that
was stored on the failed disk drive.
2. Increases system performance
As the effective seek time for finding data on a disk can
potentially be reduced by allowing multiple simultaneous access
of different data on different disks. Utilizing parallel reads and
writes of the data spread across the disks in the array, the data
transfer rate can be increased significantly over that of a single
disk.
3. Easy maintenance
RAID system maintenance is typically simplified because it is easy
to replace individual disks and other components while the
system continues to function. ( Hot swap support )

1-5
Introduction
Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3 Disk 4 Disk 5 Disk 6 Physical
1
7
2
8
3
9
4
10
5
11
6
12
Data
1
2
34 5678910
11
12
Disk Array Controller
Array Management Software
Provides Logical to Physical Mapping
Improved I/O performance is the major reason for using RAID level 0.
No protection is provided against data loss due to member disk
failures. A RAID level 0 array by itself is thus an unsuitable storage
medium for data that can not easily be reproduced, or for data that
must be available for critical system operation. It is more suitable for
data that can be reproduced or is replicated on other media.
A RAID level 0 array can be particularly useful for :
Storing program image libraries or runtime libraries for rapid
loading, these libraries are normally read only.
Storing large tables or other structures of read only data for rapid
application access. Like program images, the data should be
backed up on highly reliable media, from which it can be
recreated in the event of a failure.
Collecting data from external sources at very high data transfer
rates.
RAID Level 0 : " Disk Striping " High I/O Performance
RAID Levels

1-6
Introduction
RAID level 0 arrays are not particularly suitable for :
Applications which make sequential requests for small amount of
data. These applications will spend most of their I/O time waiting
for disks to spin, whether or not they use striped arrays as storage
media.
Applications which make synchronous random requests for small
amounts of data.

1-7
Introduction
RAID level 1 provides both very high data reliability and continued
data availability in the event of a failure of an array member. When
a RAID level 1 member disk fails, array management software simply
directs all application requests to the surviving member.
RAID level 1 is suitable for data for which reliability requirements are
extremely high, or for data to which high performance access is
required, and for which the cost of storage is a secondary issue.
RAID Level 1 : " Disk Mirroring " High Data reliability
Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3 Disk 4 Disk 5 Disk 6 Physical
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
Data
1
2
34 5678910
11
12
Disk Array Controller
Array Management Software
Provides Logical to Physical Mapping
Optional

1-8
Introduction
RAID Level 3 technology use a dedicated parity disk to store
redundant information about the data on several data disks.
RAID Level 3 is an excellent choice for applications which require
single stream I/O with a high data transfer rate.
RAID Level 3 is optimal for applications in which large block of
sequential data must be transferred quickly, these applications are
usually of one of these types :
They operate on large data objects such as graphical image
processing, CAD/CAM files, and others.
They are non-interactive applications that process large data
sequentially.
They usually request a large amount of data (32KBytes or more) with
each I/O request.
RAID Level 3 :
" Parallel Transfer Disks with Parity "
High Data Reliability & Highest Transfer Capacity
Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3 Disk 4 Disk 5 Disk 6 Physical
1
6
11
2
7
12
3
8
13
4
9
14
5
10
15
P
P
P
Data
1
2
34 5678910
11
12
Disk Array Controller
Array Management Software
Provides Logical to Physical Mapping
P : Parity

1-9
Introduction
The distinctive performance characteristics of RAID Level 3 :
RAID Level 3 provides excellent performance for data
transfer-intensive applications.
RAID level 3 in not well suited for transaction processing or other
I/O request-intensive applications.

Introduction
When RAID Level 5 technology is combined with cache memory to
improve its write performance, the result can be used in any
applications where general purpose disks would be suitable.
For read only or read mostly application I/O loads, RAID Level 5
performance should approximate that of a RAID Level 0 array. In
fact, for a given user capacity, RAID Level 5 read performance
should normally be slightly better because requests are spread
across one more members than they would be in a RAID Level 0
array of equivalent usable capacity.
A RAID level 5 array performs best in applications where data and
I/O load characteristics match their capabilities :
Data whose enhanced availability is worth protecting, but for
which the value of full disk mirroring is questionable.
High read request rates.
Small percentage of writes in I/O load.
RAID Level 5 :
" Independent Access Array with Rotating Parity "
High Data Reliability & Transfer Capacity
Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3 Disk 4 Disk 5 Disk 6 Physical
1
6
11
2
7
12
3
8
13
4
9
P
5
P
14
P
10
15
Data
1
2
34 5678910
11
12
Disk Array Controller
Array Management Software
Provides Logical to Physical Mapping
P : Parity
1-10

Introduction
RAID level 5 arrays have unique performance characteristics :
The data can be recalculated or regenerated, using parity,
when any drive in the array fails.
When the failed drive is replaced, either automatically if the
subsystem contained a hot spare drive, or by user intervention
during a scheduled maintenance period, the system will be
restored its full data redundancy configuration by rebuilding all
of the data that had been stored on the failed drive onto the
new drive. This is accomplished using parity information and
data from the other data disks. Once the rebuild process is
complete, all data is again protected from loss due to any
failure of a single disk drive.
1-11

Introduction
Summary Comparison of RAID Levels
Data
RAID Common Description Array's Data
Transfer
Level Name Capacity Reliability
Capacity
Data distributed across the
0 Disk disks in the array. ( N ) Low Very
S
trip
in
g
No redundant Information disks High
provided.
Ver y
1Mirroring All data Duplicated 1*disks High
High
3Parallel Data sector is subdivided ( N-1 ) Very Highest
Transfer and distributed across all disks High of all
Disks with data disk. Redundant listed
Parity information stored on a alter-
dedicated parity disk. natives
5 Independent Data sectors are distributed ( N-1 ) Very Very
Access Array as with disk striping, disks High High
with Rotating redundant Information is
Parity interspersed with user data.
1-12