HighPoint RocketRAID 268x User manual

RocketRAID 268x
SAS/SATAII HostAdapter
User Manual
Revision:1.0
Date: Dec 2008
HighPointTechnologies,Inc.
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Copyright
Copyright © 2008 HighPoint Technologies, Inc. This document contains materials
protected by 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
consequential damages arising from any defect or error in HighPoint’s products or
manuals. Information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment 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 contained herein.
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Table of Contents
CONGRATULATIONS
1 - Specifications and Features .....................................................................................6
2 - Operating System Support .......................................................................................8
3 - Physical Specifications ............................................................................................8
4 - Kit Contents .............................................................................................................8
HARDWAREDESCRIPTIONANDINSTALLA-
TION
1 - RocketRAID 268x HostAdapter layout ...................................................................9
2 - LED Connections ...................................................................................................11
3 - Hardware Installation .............................................................................................12
4 - Verifying Installation ..............................................................................................14
ROCKETRAIDBIOSUTILITY
1- BIOSCommand Overview ......................................................................................15
2 - Creating RAIDArrays ............................................................................................16
3 - DeletingArrays ......................................................................................................19
4 -Adding/Remove Spare Disks .................................................................................20
5 - Settings ..................................................................................................................21
Table of Contents
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DEVICEDRIVERCDANDHIGHPOINTRAID
MANAGEMENT
1 - Creating a Driver Diskette ......................................................................................22
2 - Device Driver Installation ......................................................................................23
3 - HighPoint RAID Management Utilities (HRM) ......................................................32
CUSTOMERSUPPORT
Troubleshooting Checklist .........................................................................................35
CONTACTUS......................................................................................................36
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Table of Contents

HighPoint Technologies, Inc.
HighPoint Technologies, long recognized as a leader in mass storage technologies
specializes in the design and manufacturer of HBA (Host Bus Adapters) and
HighPoint RAID IP (Intellectual Property). HighPoint provides a broad range of
scalable hardware HBA’s that meet the storage requirements from Enterprise to SMB
(Small Medium Sized Business) to PC enthusiast.
The HighPoint RAID IPincludes TerabyteArchitecture™ for (Performance, Protec-
tion and Prevention).
TerabyteStream™ - leverages the built-in Intel Xscale XOR Engine to deliver unprec-
edented RAID 5 and 6 performances.
TerabyteGuard™ - prevents data lose and increases data reliability with advanced
hard drive inspection features utilizing bad sector repair and remapping.
TerabyteSaver™ - optimizes data protection with a battery backup and with write
journaling thus preventing data loss.
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Congratulations
Congratulations
You have purchased one of the highest performing and most cost effective 8 channel
SAS RAID controllers available. RocketRAID 268x offers the flexibility to support
both the highest performing SAS 15,000 RPM hard drives, and larger capacity cost
sensitive SATA hard drives in homogeneous and heterogeneous storage
environments. RocketRAID 268x has the versatility to meet the bandwidth require-
ments for high performance applications like video capture and editing, CAD/CAM
and digital graphics.
Remember to visit the HighPoint websites at http://www.highpoint-tech.com and
http://www.hptmac.com. There you can find information on all of HighPoint’s prod-
ucts with FAQ’s, online manuals, BIOS and driver updates.
1 - Specifications and Features
HostAdapterArchitecture
•PCI-Expressx4 (Compatible with PCI- Expressx8, x16slots).
Note:A jumper is used to select between x1 or x4 (default is x4) (RockerRAID
2680)
•8 Internal SAS/SATA3Gb/s Device Ports (RocketRAID 2680);1 Internal SAS/
SATADevice Port and 1 External SAS/SATADevice Port (RocketRAID 2684)
•Directly supports up to 8 3Gb/s SAS or SATA hard drives
•NVRAM for write journaling
•LowProfile
•RoHScompliant
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Congratulations
Advanced RAID Features
•Supports RAID 0,1,5,10,50 and JBOD
•NCQ (Native Command Queuing)
•Multiple RAID array support
•Multiple logical drive support
•BIOS booting support
•OnlineArray roaming
•Automatic hard drive (insert / remove) detection
•Automatic RAID rebuild
•64bit LBA support greater than 2TB per volume
Array Monitors,Alerts and Indicators
•Hard Drive LED Indicators (Activity and Failed)
•EmailNotification
•Alarm/Buzzer alerts for drive/array failure
•SAF-TE (I2C) and SGPIO enclosure management
RAID Management
•Online Capacity Expansion (OCE) and Online RAID Level Migration (ORLM)
•Quick and Background initialization for instant RAID configuration
•Write Back and Write Through support
•API library for customization
•OnlineArray roaming
•CLI(CommandLine Interface)
•Web GUI RAID management (local and remote monitoring)
•SHI (Drive analysis driven from S.M.A.R.T)
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Congratulations
2 - Operating System Support
•Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 (32 and 64-bit versions)
•Linux (Fedora Core, Red Hat Enterprise / CentOS, SuSE, Debian, Ubuntu)
•Mac OS X 10.4.x and above FreeBSD
•Freebsd
4 - Kit Contents
Host Adapter
2 Internal Mini-SAS to Mini-SAS cables(RocketRAID 2680)
Low-profilebracket
User Manual
HighPoint Products Software CD
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3 - Physical Specifications
Size:(79.3mm*65mm)3.12”±Lx2.56”±W(RocketRAID2680); (79.3mm*67mm)3.12”
Lx2.64”W(RocketRAID2684)
EMI: FCC Part 15 Class B and CE
ThermalandAtmosphericCharacteristics:
Work Temperature Range: +5 C ~+ 55 C
Relative Humidity Range: 5% ~ 60% non condensing
Storage Temperature: ~20 ~ 80 C MTBF: 920,585 Hours
ElectricalCharacteristics:

Hardware - Description and Installation
1 – RocketRAID 268x Host Adapter layout
RocketRAID 2680
Port1- Port2 - These represent the RocketRAID 2680’s 2 Internal Mini-SAS ports.
Each port can direct connnect up to 4 SATA/SAS hard disks.
BEEP1 – (alarm/speaker): the speaker emits and audible alarm in the case of disk/array
failure.
J7 – This jumper is used to select the PCI -Express bus speed:
Hardware – Description and Installation
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J1 – This jumper is the SAF-TE connector port (for disk enclosures/chassis)

Hardware – Description and Installation
RocketRAID 2684
Port1,Port2
These represent the RocketRAID 2684’s 2 Mini-SAS ports. Each port can direct
connect up to 4 SATA/SAS hard disks.
Port1 is an Internal Mini-SAS port; Port2 is an External Mini-SAS port.
BEEP1-Speaker
Alarm (speaker): the speaker emits and audible alarm in the case of Drive/array failure.
J1
This jumper supports SAF-TE interface(I2C).
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Hardware – Description and Installation
Pin Connections represent SATA/SAS channel/port antitheses table
2 – LED Connections
RocketRAID 2680
LED connectors (Drive-activity/Drive-failure): LED support is discussed in greater
detail in the LED Connection section. The RocketRAID 2680 host adapter has 4 LED
connectors that are used to indicate the activity and failure status of hard drives to
the card’s 8 SATA/SAS channels.
ActiveandFailureLED
A1-A2 provides LED support for DriveActivity, while F1-F2 supports Drive Failure.
RocketRAID 2684
LED connectors (Drive-activity/Drive-failure): LED support is discussed in greater
detail in the LED Connection section. The RocketRAID 2684 host adapter has 2 LED
connectors that are used to indicate the activity and failure status of hard drives
attached to the card’s 4 SATA/SAS channels.
A1,F1
A1 provides LED support for DriveActivity, while F1 supports Drive Failure.
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Hardware – Description and Installation
3 – Hardware Installation
RocketRAID 2680
Note: Make sure the system is powered-off before installing the RocketRAID host
adapter.
The RocketRAID 2680 include both standard and low-profile brackets. It may be
necessary to attach the low-profile bracket in place of the standard bracket, depend-
ing upon the chassis design. Open the system chassis and locate an unused PCI-
Expressx4.
1. Remove the PCI slot/bracket cover.
2. Gently insert the RocketRAID card into the PCI-Express slot, and secure the
bracket to the system chassis (illustration shows RR2680).
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3. After installing the adapter, attach hard drives to the host adapter using the data
cable. The RocketRAID 2680 model utilizes 2 Mini-SAS to Mini-SAS Cables are
included in each retail box. This card can support up to 8 3Gb/s SAS or SATA Hard

Hardware – Description and Installation
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Note: 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 procedure.
4. Close and secure the system chassis.
RocketRAID 2684
Note: Make sure the system is powered-off before installing the RocketRAID host
adapter.
The RocketRAID 2684 includes both standard and low-profile brackets. It may be
necessary to attach the low-profile bracket in place of the standard bracket, depend-
ing upon the chassis design.
1. Open the system chassis and locate an unused PCI-Express x4.
2. Remove the PCI slot/bracket cover.
3. Gently insert the RocketRAID card into the PCI-Express slot, and secure the
bracket to the system chassis (illustration shows RocketRAID 2684).

4. After installing the adapter, attach hard drives to the host adapter using the data
cable. The RocketRAID 2684 model utilizes 1 Mini-SAS to Mini-SAS Cables are
included in each retail box. Each Mini-SAS cable can direct connect up to 4 hard
drives. Consult the chassis manual for proper installation procedures.
Note: Many server-level chassis include hard-drive hot-swap bays. For these
system chassis, cables are attached to the chassis backplane, rather than
directly to each individual hard drive. Consult the chassis manual for proper
installation procedures.
5. Close and secure the system chassis.
4 - Verifying Installation
Once the host 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
RocketRAID BIOS Utility will be displayed during bootup.
2. Press Ctrl+H to access the RocketRAID adapter’s BIOS 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 cable connections.
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Hardware – Description and Installation

RocketRAID BIOS Utility
RocketRAID BIOS Utility
The RocketRAID 268x card will display it’s BIOS screen during the system’s boot
process.
Press Control + H when prompted, to access the BIOS settings Menu.
1 - BIOS Settings Overview
The RocketRAID 268x BIOS utility is an interface that provides management com-
mands and controller related settings.
Using the BIOS Utility
The following keys utilized by the RocketRAID 268x BIOS utility:
Alt – press Alt to highlight the tool bar.
Arrow keys – use these to move between different menu items
Enter – Open the selected toolbar command/execute the selected command.
Esc – move back to the previous menu, cancel the selected operation, or exit the BIOS
Utility.
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RocketRAID BIOS Utility
BIOSCommands
Create - this command is used to open the RAID Creation menu.
Delete - this command will delete the selected RAID array.
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.
Settings - this command opens the settings menu (selecting the boot disk/array,
staggered drive spinup)
View – this command is used to select between two views: Devices (HARD DISKS),
andArrays (configured RAID arrays).
Initialize - this command is used to prepare disks for use with RAID arrays. Disks
must be initialized before they can be used to create arrays.
2 - Creating RAID Arrays
InitializingDisks:
Before creating a RAID array, the disks must be initialized. Disk initialization writes
necessary RAID configuration information to the hard disks. Select the Initialize
command from the toolbar, and press ENTER.
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RocketRAID BIOS Utility
Highlight the target disks using the arrow keys, then select using Enter. A numeral
will be displayed before each selected disk. Once all target disks have been selected,
press ESC. The utility will display a warning, and ask you to press Y (yes) to initialize,
or N (no) to cancel. Once initialized, these disks can be used to create RAID arrays.
Warning: Initialization will destroy all pre- existing data on the selected hard
disks. Only initialize disks that do not contain critical data.
CreatingArrays:
Select Create from the toolbar and press Enter.
1. Use the arrow keys to select the RAID level and press ENTER.
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RocketRAID BIOS Utility
2. Use the arrow keys 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.
3. On the Create menu, use the arrow keys to highlight the Select Devices item and
press Enter.A device list will appear, and display all available hard disk drives.
4. Highlight the target disks that you want to use, and press Enter to select them.A
numeral will be displayed before each selected disk. This number designates disk
order. After all of the disks have been selected and press the ESC key to return to
the Create Menu.
5. 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. 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.
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
array, set as a spare disk, or partitioned to act as a single disk (by the operating
system).
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RocketRAID BIOS Utility
3 – Deleting Arrays
Highlight the Delete command from the toolbar, and press Enter.
The BIOS utility will display a list of available RAID arrays. Select the array you wish
to delete, and press Enter.
Write Back – utilizes disk cache (higher performing)
Write Through – writes directly to the disks (may reduce the risk of data loss during
a critical failure, but at the cost of lower performance)
7. Sector Size – Also known as “Variable Sector Size”. Use this option if you are
using an older 32-bit Windows operating system. This allows older operating
systems to support volumes over 2TB in size. Do not use if the operating system
already supports large volumes (such as GPT).
8. To complete the creation procedure, use the arrow key to highlight the Start
Creation item and press Enter. Press the Y(yes) key to create the array, or N (no)
key to cancel the creation process.
6. Enter. For redundant RAID arrays (RAID 1, 5, 10), select the Cache Policy:
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RocketRAID BIOS Utility
The utility will display a warning message. Press Y(yes) to delete the array, or select
N(no) to cancel.
Warning: all data stored on the array will be lost – do not delete if the array contains
criticaldata.
4 - Adding/Remove Spare Disks
This Add/Remove Spare 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.As with creating RAID arrays, disks must be initial-
ized before they can be used as spares. To set a hard disk to act as a Spare Disk, use
the arrow keys to select the target disk from the list of initialized disks, and press
Enter. To remove the Spare Disk setting from a hard disk, highlight the spare disk, and
press Enter.
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