HighPoint RocketRAID 2220 User manual

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RocketRAID 2220 SATAII Host Adapter
User’s Guide
Revision: 1.0
Date: March 2005
HighPoint Technologies, Inc.

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Copyright
Copyright © 2005 HighPoint Technologies, Inc. This document contains materials protectedby
International Copyright Laws. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted
or transcribed in any form and for any purpose without the express written permission of HighPoint
Technologies, Inc.
Trademarks
Companies and products mentioned in this manual are for identification purpose only. Product names or
brand names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their
respective owners. Backup your important data before using HighPoint's products and use at your own risk.
In no event shall HighPoint be liable for any loss of profits, or for direct, indirect, special, incidental or
consequentialdamages arising from any defect or error in HighPoint's products or manuals. Informationin
this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent acommitment on the part of
HighPoint.
Notice
Reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. HighPoint
assumes no liability for technical inaccuracies, typographical, or other errors containedherein.

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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................3
ABOUT THIS GUIDE......................................................................................................5
INTRODUCING THE ROCKETRAID 2220 HOST ADAPTER................................5
Product Features...............................................................................................................5
UNDERSTANDING RAID CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY.............................6
ROCKETRAID 2220 HARDWARE DESCRIPTION/INSTALLATION ..................8
RocketRAID 2220 Hardware ...........................................................................................9
1 –RocketRAID 2220 Adapter Layout...........................................................................9
2 -LED Connections ....................................................................................................... 10
3 -Installing the RocketRAID 2220 Host Adapter...................................................... 11
4 -Verifying Installation................................................................................................ 12
5 -Single-RAID Cross Adapter..................................................................................... 12
ROCKETRAID 2220 BIOS UTILITY.......................................................................... 13
RocketRAID 2220 BIOS Utility..................................................................................... 14
1 -BIOS Command Overview....................................................................................... 14
2 -Creating RAID Arrays.............................................................................................. 15
3 -Adding/Removing Spare Disks................................................................................. 16
ROCKETRAID 2220 DRIVER AND SOFTWAREINSTALLATION
MICROSOFT WINDOWS (2000, XP, 2003 SERVER).............................................. 17
WINDOWS DRIVER INSTALLATION ..................................................................... 18
1 -Installing the RAID Management Console/ InterfaceOverview.......................... 19
2 -Software Interface -Overview of commands/functions ......................................... 20

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3 -Creating an Array...................................................................................................... 21
4 -Deleting an Array ...................................................................................................... 22
5 -Configuring Spare Disks ........................................................................................... 22
6 -Recovering/Verifying Arrays.................................................................................... 23
7 –OCE/ORLM .............................................................................................................. 23
8 -Misc. Array/Device Options...................................................................................... 24
9 -Managing Events ....................................................................................................... 25
10 -Configuring Remote Systems ................................................................................. 29
11 -Configuring Users and Privileges........................................................................... 32
LINUX DRIVER SUPPORT ......................................................................................... 34
Fedora Core 3 Linux installation Overview.................................................................35
Red Hat Enterprise 3 Overview..................................................................................... 38
SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) installation Overview................................... 41
CUSTOMER SUPPORT................................................................................................ 45

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About this Guide
The RocketRAID 2220 SATAII Host Adapter’s User’s Guide provides information about the functions and
capabilities of the host adapter, andinstructions for installing, configuring and maintaining RAID arrays
hosted by the adapter.
Introducing the RocketRAID 2220 Host Adapter
The HighPoint RocketRAID 2220 is an 8-channel Serial ATA II RAID controller. It utilizes a 64bit,
133MHz PCI-Xinterface. The RocketRAID 2220 solution is aimed at enterprise storage applications,
NAS storage, workgroup and web servers, video streaming / video editing workstations, back up, and
security systems.
Product Features
Ÿ8 Channels PCI-X to SATAII host adapter
ŸSupports up to 8 SATA/SATAII hard disk drives
ŸPCI-X 64-bit, 66/100/133MHz PCI bus
Ÿ64-bit LBA support for drive capacity over 2TB
ŸSupports RAID 0, 1, 5,10, and JBOD
ŸSingle RAID cross-adapter (up to 16 disks per array)
ŸSupports Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
ŸOnline Capacity Expansion (OCE)
ŸOnline RAID Level Migration (ORLM)
ŸStaggered drive spin-up support
ŸS.M.A.R.T. monitoring of hard disk status for reliability
ŸSAF-TE Enclosure management
ŸHot Swap and Hot Spare support
ŸAudible alarm
ŸLED support (disk activity and disk failure status)
ŸQuick and Background initialization for quick RAID configuration
ŸBIOS boot support
ŸCommand Line Interface for RAID management (CLI)
ŸGraphical RAID Management Software (RAID Management Console)
ŸAutomatic RAID rebuild
ŸSMTP support for email notification
ŸWindows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Linux and FreeBSD support

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Understanding RAID Concepts and Terminology
The following concepts and terminology is commonly used when describing the functions ofthe
RocketRAID 2220 Host Adapter.
Disk initialization
Initializing a disk writesnecessary RAID configuration information to thatdisk. Disks must be initialized
before configuring them into RAID arrays. The initialization process will destroy all data on the disk.
Disk Status
New The disk contains no data andhas not been initialized.
Initialized The disk has been initialized and can be used for array creation.
Configured The disk has been assigned to one or more arrays, or configured as a spare disk.
Legacy The disk was used on other controllers before use with the RocketRAID 2220 (see legacy
disk below).
Array initialization
A redundant array (RAID5, RAID1, RAID10) needs to be initialized to ensure full performance and
reliability. Non-redundantarrays(RAID0, JBOD) do not need to be initialized.
When you create a redundant array using theRocketRAID 2220 controller’s BIOS Configuration Utility, it
will create the array in un-initialized state. The initialization process can be completed after installing the
driver and management software.
When creating an array using the HighPoint RAID Management Console software, you can specify an
initialization option (Skip initialization, foreground and background).
Foreground initialization
Foreground initialization will zero-out all data on the array. The array is not accessible bythe operating
system until initialization is complete.
Background initialization
Background initialization allows the array to be used immediately. For RAID1 and RAID10 arrays,
initialization will results in data being duplicated identically to the mirror pair. For RAID5 arrays,
initialization will result in parity being generated from all array members.
Note:An un-initialized RAID1 or RAID10 array can still provide redundancy in case of a disk failure. A
RAID5 array, however, is not fault-tolerant until initialization is finished.

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Online Capacity Expansion (OCE)
This feature allows disks to be added to existing RAID arrays, in order to increase the array’s capacity,
without fear of data loss. Any number of disks can be added to an array, at any time. Data can be accessed
and utilized even while being redistributed.
Online RAID Level Migration
This term describes the ability to change one type of array (RAID level), into a different type of array
(changing a RAID 1 array into a RAID 10 array for example). Data is still accessible during the migration
process, and a base level of security is still active.
OCE, OLRM and the RocketRAID 2220
The RocketRAID 2220 supports both Online Capacity Expansion (OCE), and Online RAID Level
Migration (ORLM). Both features are supported by a single function -an array can betransformed from
one RAID level to another RAID level while simultaneously being resized, even under I/O load.
Spare disk
A spare disk is a single disk that can be used to automatically rebuild a redundant array in case of drive
failure.Spare disksmay also be members of a RAID array. Any available space on these disksmay be
used to rebuild other broken arrays.
Legacy disk
Disks attached to the RocketRAID 2220 that contain valid partition tables will be identified as legacy disks.
A legacy diskattached to the RocketRAID 2220 can be accessed by the operating system,but cannot be
used to create RAID arrays. A legacy disk must be initialized beforeassigning it toan array.

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RocketRAID 2220 Hardware
Description/Installation

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RocketRAID 2220Hardware
1 –RocketRAID 2220 Adapter Layout
Port1-Port8
These represent the RocketRAID 2220’s eight SATA channels. The SATA port furthest away from the
surface of the adapter is always the odd numbered channel (1, 3, 5, 7), while the port closest to the adapter
is the even numbered channel (2, 4, 6, 8).
CON1 -CON3
LED connectors (disk-activity/disk-failure): The RocketRAID 2220 does not utilize CON1. CON2 is for
use with hard disk activity LED’s, while CON3 provides disk failure LED support. LED support is
discussed in greater detail in the LED Connection section (page 10), and in a separate document, the
RocketRAID 2220 LED guide (which discusses LED installation for specific server chassis, and will be
available in downloadable form from our website).
JP1 and JP2
These jumpers enable cross-adapter RAID support. The RocketRAID2220includes a cable designed for
use with these jumpers. Consult the Single-RAID Cross Adapter section (page 13) for more information.
Speaker
Alarm (speaker): the speaker emits and audible alarm in the case of disk/array failure.
JP5
I²C jumper/SAF-TE support: this support is dependent upon the system chassis. Not all chassis models
support SAF-TE features. Consult the chassis’s manual for more information.

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2 -LED Connections
D1 through D8 represent SATA channels SATA1 through SATA8 respectively. The following diagrams
describe the connector pin definitions for LED CON2 (disk activity), and CON3 (disk failure). CON1is not
utilized by the RocketRAID2220.
CON2: Hard Disk Activity (D1 through D8)
CON3: Hard Disk Failure (D1 through D8)
RocketRAID 2220 LED Guide
For more information about LED support, and installation guides for various chassis configurations, consult
theRocketRAID2220LED Guide.

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3 -Installing the RocketRAID2220Host Adapter
Note:Make sure the system is powered-off before installing the RocketRAID 2220 host adapter.
The RocketRAID 2220 includes both standard and low-profile brackets. It may be necessary to attach the
low-profile bracket in place of the standard bracket, depending upon the chassis design.
1. Open the system chassis and locate an unused PCI-X slot.
2. Remove the PCI slot cover.
3. Gently insert the RocketRAID 2220 into the PCI slot, and secure the bracket to the system chassis.
4. After installing the adapter, attach hard disks to the RocketRAID 2220using an SATA data cable.
SATA cables have universal connections–either end can be attached to the adapter or hard disk.
Each RocketRAID 2220 included eight SATA cables, and supports up to eight separate hard disks
drives.
5. Many server-level chassis include hard-disk hot-swap bays. For these system chassis, cables are
attached to the chassis backplane, rather than directly to each individual hard disk. Consult the
chassis’s manual for proper installation procedures.
6. Close and secure the system chassis.

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4 -Verifying Installation
Once theRocketRAID 2220host adapter and hard disks have been installed into the chassis, boot-up the
system to verify that the hardware is properly recognized.
1. Power on the system. If the system detects the presence of the adapter, the RocketRAID2220BIOS
will be displayed.
2. Press Ctrl+H to access theRocketRAID2220BIOS Utility.
The BIOS Utility will display information about hard disks attached to the adapter. Make sure all attached
disks are detected by this utility. If any of the hard disks are not detected, power down the system and
check the power and SATA cable connections.
5 -Single-RAID Cross Adapter
The RocketRAID 2220 is capable of supporting RAID arrayscreated between hard disks attached to
multiple host adapters. Up to sixteen hard disks can be assigned to a single RAID array, and these disks
can be attached to as many as four separateRocketRAID2220 host adapters. This feature is referred to as
“Single-RAID Cross Adapter” support.
Each RocketRAID 2220 provides two jumpers dedicated to this feature (JP1 and JP2), and a single cross-
adapter cable designed for use with these jumpers. JP1 is a 3-pin jumper, while JP2 is a 4-pin design.
Each cross-adapter cable has a 3-pin and 4-pin connector, designed for insertion into JP1 and JP2
respectively.
Example installation:
For a 16-hard disk, 2-card cross-adapter RAID configuration, install a second card into the next available
PCI-X slot. Insert one end of the cross-adapter cable into the appropriate jumper on the first adapter (3-pin
connector to JP1, 4-pin connector to JP2), and the remaining connector into the appropriate jumper on the
second adapter. There is no particular connector-to-jumper requirement. Any given connector can be
inserted into the corresponding jumper on either card.

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RocketRAID 2220 BIOS Utility

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RocketRAID 2220 BIOS Utility
The RocketRAID 2220's BIOS Utility can be accessed using the "Ctrl+H" command.
This command should be displayed automatically when the RocketRAID 2220's BIOS screen appears
during the system's boot up procedure.
1 -BIOS Command Overview
The RocketRAID 2220 BIOS Utility provides a wide selection of RAID related commands. These
commands are displayed towards the top of the utility's interface.
Use the ←→arrow keys to scroll through the various commands, and the↑↓arrows to browse through the
corresponding command menus. Use the ENTER key to execute the selected command.
The ESC button can be usedto cancel the selected command, or return to the previous command menu.
Create -this command is used to create RAID arrays. Section x -2 discusses this command in detail.
Delete -this command will delete the selected RAID array.
Warning: Thiscommand may result in permanent data loss -it should only be used if data stored on the
target array is no longer relevant, or has been backed up to an alternate storage device.
Add/Remove Spare -this command is used to assign hard disks to function as spare disks. The
controller is capable of using spare disks to automatically rebuild broken or faulted RAID arrays.
Section x -3 discusses this command in detail.
Settings
Set Boot Mark -this function is used to designate a particular disk or RAID array to function as the
RocketRAID 2220's boot device.
Note: This setting is only relevant if the motherboard's BIOS has set theRocketRAID 2220to function as
thesystem’s primary boot device.
Staggered spin up –This function is used to enable (or disable) staggered drive spin up support.
Staggered drive spin up, by default, is disabled. When enabled, the RocketRAID 2220 will power up the
hard disks one at a time, approximately every two seconds.
View–this command is used to select between two views. Press the ENTER key to change the view.

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Devices –displays information about hard disks attached to the RocketRAID2220. Use the ↑↓arrow
keys to highlight the target hard disk, and press ENTER to view the information.
RAID arrays –displays information about RAID arrays attached to theRocketRAID 2220. Use the↑↓
arrow keys to highlight the target array, and press ENTER to view the information.
Initialize -this function is used to prepare disks for use with RAID arrays.
Note: Arrays cannot be created between disks that have not been initialized.
Section x-2 discusses this command in detail.
2 -Creating RAID Arrays
Initializing Disks:
Before creating a RAID array, the disks must be initialized.
Initialization writes necessary RAID configuration information to the hard disk.
Use the ←→arrow keys to select the Initialize command, and press ENTER.
Warning:Initialization will destroy all pre-existing data on the selected hard disks.
Use the ↑↓arrow keys to highlight the target hard disk(s) and press ENTER. Next, press the Y(yes) key
to initialize the selected disk(s), or N(no) key to cancel the initialization process.
Once initialized, these disks can be utilized to create RAID arrays.
To create an array:
1. Use the ←→arrow keys to highlight the Create command, and press ENTER to open the Create
Menu.
2. Use the ↑↓arrow keys to select the appropriate RAID level, then press ENTER.
3. Next, use the↓arrow key to highlight the Array Name option and press ENTER. The array name
dialogue box will appear. Use the keyboard to input a new Array Name, and press the Enter key.
Note: the Array Name command is optional–it is not necessary to name the array. The array can be
named at a later time, and the name of the array can be changed at any time.
4. On the Create menu, use the↓arrow key to highlight the Select Devices item and press ENTER. A
device list will appear, and display all available hard disk drives.
5. Highlight the target disks that you want to use, and press ENTER to select them. After all of the disks
have been selected, press the ESC key to return to the Create Menu.
6. Next, Use the ↓arrow key to highlight the Capacity (GB) option and press ENTER. The total
available capacity will be displayed. Press ENTER if you wish to use all available space.
7. If you wish to reserve disk space for additional arrays/single disks, use the keyboard to input the
amount of space (in GB) you wish to set aside for this particular array, and press ENTER.

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Note: Multiple arrays can be created using the same set of hard disk drives. The Capacity option
allows you to set aside disk space that be used to create another arrayor set as a spare disk.
8. To complete the creation procedure, use the↓arrow key to highlight theStart Creation item and
press ENTER.
Single RAID –Cross Adapter
The term “Single RAID –Cross Adapter” refers to the RocketRAID 2220 ability to create RAID arrays
between drives attached to multiple RocketRAID 2220 Adapters. Each RAID array can support up to 16
hard disks, and these disks can be attached to as many as 4 separateRocketRAID2220adapters.
Cross-Adapter arrays are created in the same manner as standard arrays. The BIOS utility menu will
display disks attached to eachRocketRAID 2220 adapter installed into the system. Use the Page Up and
Page Down keys to scroll through available hard disks.
3 -Adding/Removing Spare Disks
This command is used to assign a hard disk to act as a Spare Disk.
Spare Disks are used to automatically rebuild Redundant RAID arrays (RAID 1, 5, 10) in the case of disk
failure. To set a hard disk to act as a Spare Disk, use the↑↓arrow keys to select a disk, and press ENTER.
To remove the Spare Disk setting from a hard disk, highlight the spare disk, and press ENTER.
Generally, single disks are designated to act as spares (disks that are not configured into RAID arrays).
However, in some instances, disks that are members of RAID arrays may also be designated to act as a
spare. If the disks in question are part of a RAID array that did not utilize the full available capacity at the
time of creation, these disks may be used as spares.
For example: a RAID 0 array was created between two 200GB hard disks, but only 200GB of space (out of
a grand total of 400GB), was assigned to that array. In this example, 200GB of disk space remains
unallocated. This unallocated space would allow these disks to be set as spares for a separate redundant
array that falls into the same capacity range (200GB).

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RocketRAID 2220 Driver and Software
Installation Microsoft Windows (2000, XP, 2003
Server)

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Windows Driver Installation
Before installing the RocketRAID 2220device driver, make sure the RocketRAID 2220 host adapter and
all required hard disks have been installed into the system’s chassis (refer to the Hardware Installation
section, page 12).
Installing the RocketRAID 2220 driver for an existing Windows XP/2003 system
After the operating system has booted, Windows XP/2003 will automatically detectthe RocketRAID2220,
and request that a device driver be installed. To install the device driver, follow the steps outlined below:
1. When the "Found New Hardware Wizard" window appears, select "Install from a list or specific
location (Advanced)", and click Next to continue.
2. Click on the "Include this location in the search" option, and select the system's floppy drive (generally
Disk A). Next, insert the Driver Installation diskette into the system's floppy drive.
3. At the Hardware Wizard screen, select the floppy drive as the source, then click the Next button.
Select the Win2003 folder, then click the Next button.
4. Windows will display a warning message that states the driver has "not been signed". Select
"Continue Anyway", then click Finish when pro mpted.
5. Remove the Driver Installation diskette from the floppy drive, then Shut down and restart the computer.
Installation Verification
After the driver has been installed, and the system has been restarted:
1. Click the Start button, then right-click MyComputer icon. Select the Properties item from the popup
menu.
2. In the popup window, select Hardware tab and then click Device Manager button.
3. Double click the “SCSI and RAID controllers” entry. If the RocketRAID 2220 device entry is not
displayed,or there are "?" or "!" marks displayed near theRocketRAID2220entry, the driver has not
been installed properly. Delete the entries and reinstall the driver.

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Installing the RocketRAID 2220 driver during a fresh Windows 2000/XP/2003
installation
1. Afterbooting from the Windows 2000/XP/2003 CD-ROM, when the Windows XP Setup blue screen
appears, look towards the bottom of the screen. Windows will prompt you to press the F6 key if you
want to install a third part SCSI or RAID driver. Press the F6 key at this time.
2. The setup procedure will continue, and will later instruct you to press the "S" key to specify additional
adapters. Press the "S" key as instructed.
3. Next, the setup program will prompt for the insertion of the driver diskette. Please insert the driver
diskette, and then press ENTER to continue.
4. The next window will display several driver options. Please select the RocketRAID 2220 Controller
for the corresponding operating system, and press ENTER to continue.
1 -Installing the RAID Management Console/ Interface Overview
To install the RAID software, locate the setup.exe file located on the floppy diskette labeled "DISK 1" (or
the Disk1 folder, if the software was downloaded).
Double click this file to start the Installation Wizard.
There is no need to restart the system after installing the software.
Tostart thesoftware, double-click the (picture) icon on the desktop.
Logging On
The RAID Management Console requires that a user (or Administrator) log on.
The software is incapable of working with RAID arrays or hard disks attached to theRocketRAID 2220
until the user has logged on.
Default Parameters:
System Address: 127.0.0.1
Port: 7402
User Name: RAID
Password: hpt

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Logging On (continued)
Note:The password and user name fields are case sensitive.
The first time the software is used, make sure to enter the information listed above.
After successfully logging on, the software will ask you to alter the password (as a security precaution).
Enter a password, and press enter.
2 -Software Interface -Overview of commands/functions
After logging on, several new options will become available.
These commands are displayed towards the top of the interface window:
Overview of Function-menus (tabs)
File
Remote Control -view information about remote systems
System Configuration -switch between available remote systems
User Management -Add or remove users, edit user profiles
Password-change the password
Exit-exit the utility interface
Management
RAID Management –Create/delete/maintain RAID arrays
Device Management-check information or change settings for host adapters, and hard disks
Spare management -create and assign spare disks
System Notification-Set up system notification options
View
Event view-Views the event log
Icon view-view icon descriptions (legend)
Operation
This menu will list all available commands for the selected Function menu.
These commands are also represented in icon/button form (below the function-menu/tabs selections)
Help
Search through help topics related to the RAID Management Console software
View software version information