HighPoint RocketRAID 2840A User manual

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RocketRAID 2840A
SAS 6Gb/s PCI-Express 3.0 x8 RAID Controller
Quick Installation Guide
v1.0

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Table of Contents
HighPoint RocketRAID 2840A................................................... 3
Kit Contents ............................................................................. 3
Board Layout ........................................................................... 4
Hardware Installation .............................................................. 5
Using the RocketRAID 2840A ................................................... 5
Customer Support.................................................................... 8

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HighPoint RocketRAID 2840A
RocketRAID 2800 series HBA’s are the industry’s fastest SAS/SATA RAID
Controllers. The PCIe Generation 3.0 host interface and dedicated 6Gbs SAS
channels work in tandem to deliver uncompromised transfer performance for
up to 16 SSD’s or hard disks. Backed by HighPoint’s 20 years of RAID technology
expertise, and enterprise class RAID Storage reliability and management
capabilities, RocketRAID 2800 series HBA’s are ideal for a wide range of
cost-effective SAS/SATA storage applications.
Features and Specifications
8-lane, 8 GT/s PCI Express 3.0 Compliant
Four SFF-8643 mini-SAS HD
Support 16x SAS device
Onboard LED Indicators and Alarm Buzzer
Multiple RAID Adapters supported
Online RAID Level Migration (ORLM)
Online Capacity Expansion (OCE)
RAID Quick Initialization for fast array setup
Disk Format compatible: 512, 512e, 4Kn
Larger than 2 TB Drive and RAID Array support
Disk media scan and repair
Device Error Recovery support
Automatice remap and fix drive bad block for RAID array
Spin down Massive Arrays of Idle Disks support
Staggered Drive Spin Up
Kit Contents
RAID Controller Card
Low Profile Bracket
Quick Installation Guide

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Board Layout
SFF-8643 connector
Each SFF-8643 connector supports 4 disk channels. Connect the hard disks or disk
backplane to the RAID controller using the appropriate data cables.
Active/FAIL LED PIN connector:
LED pins are provided for Active/Fail status for each of the device channels.
For more information about LED functionality and connection requirements,
please refer to below document:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/PDF/LED_connection.pdf
Alarm Buzzer
Audible alarm will sound if a disk failed status occurred.
I2C Pin Connector
The I2C Pin connector can be used to connect an enclosure device with I2C
protocol for enclosure management.
HPTLCD Connector
The HPTLCD connector is for connect the HPTLCD module.

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Hardware Installation
Installing the RAID Controller
Note: Make sure the system is powered-off before installing the RAID Controller.
1. Open the system chassis and locate an unused PCI-E (x8, x16) slot.
2. Remove the PCI slot cover.
3. Gently insert the RAID controller into the PCI-E slot, and secure the bracket to
the system chassis.
4. After installing the adapter, attach the hard disks or disk backplane to the
RAID controller using the appropriate data cables.
5. Close and secure the system chassis.
Using the RocketRAID 2840A
BIOS
After installing the RAID controller and power on the system, the RAID
controller BIOS should post during the system’s boot procedure.
Use Ctrl + H key to log-in to the BIOS setting utility. The BIOS setting utility can
be used for RAID management.
Please refer the user guide for how to use the BIOS:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/PDF/RR2840A/RR2840A_user_guide.pdf

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Driver and WebGUI Installation (Windows)
Download and prepare the Windows Driver and WebGUI from the product
download page.
RocketRAID 2840A:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series_rr2840a-Download.htm
1. After installing the RAID controller, boot to the Windows operating
system.
2. Windows should automatically detect the card as new “RAID Controller”
under device manager.
3. Right click the “RAID Controller”and select update/install the driver.
4. Select “Browse my computer for driver software”.
5. Browse to the location of the driver and click “Next”.
6. Reboot the system when prompted. The RocketRAID 2840A controller
will be ready for use after Windows reboots.

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7. Extract the WebGUI package and double click the setup program to
install.
8. Please refer to the online help for storage management through
WebGUI:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/help/
Driver and Software Installation (Linux, FreeBSD or Mac OS X)
Please refer to the README file and Installation Guide under the software folder
for the appropriate installation procedure.

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Customer Support
If you encounter any problems while utilizing the RocketRAID series HBA, or
have any questions about this or any other HighPoint Technologies, Inc. product,
feel free to contact our Customer Support Department.
Web Support: http://www.highpoint-tech.com/websupport/
HighPoint Technologies, Inc. websites:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com