HighPoint rDrive 6628AW User manual

1
rDrive 6628AW
User Manual
1/17/18
Revision 1.0.3
HighPoint Technologies, Inc.

2
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 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.
FCC Part 15 Class B Radio Frequency Interference Statement
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 in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, 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, which can 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:
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.
Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment under FCC rules.
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.
European Union Compliance Statement
This Information Technologies Equipment has been tested and found to comply with the following
European directives:
European Standard EN55022 (1998) Class B
European Standard EN55024 (1998)

3
Table of Contents
Product Overview...................................................................................................................................5
Kit Content.................................................................................................................................5
Product Information..................................................................................................................5
Section 1: Hardware Installation ............................................................................................................ 6
Hardware Overview................................................................................................................... 6
Panel Layout-Front View ..............................................................................................6
Panel Layout-Rear View ...............................................................................................6
System Requirements ...............................................................................................................7
Enclosure Setup.........................................................................................................................7
Section 2: Setting Up Software for Windows Platforms ........................................................................8
Driver Installation...................................................................................................................... 8
Checking Your Driver Version....................................................................................................8
Updating the Drivers ...............................................................................................................11
Uninstalling the Driver.............................................................................................................12
Installing the HighPoint rDrive Manager.................................................................................12
How to Login to the rDrive Manager.......................................................................................14
Remote Login...........................................................................................................................14
Formatting the RAID Volumes.................................................................................................14
Section 3: Using the HighPoint rDrive Manager...................................................................................18
How to Login to the rDrive Manager.......................................................................................18
Navigating the rDrive Manager ...............................................................................................18
Overview Tab...........................................................................................................................19
Enclosure Properties ..................................................................................................19
Storage Properties......................................................................................................19
Array Config.............................................................................................................................20
Delete .........................................................................................................................20
Quick Config. ..............................................................................................................20
Advanced Config.........................................................................................................20
Quick Config. ...........................................................................................................................21
Advanced Config......................................................................................................................23
Create Array ...............................................................................................................24
Spare Pool...................................................................................................................27
Logical Device.............................................................................................................28
Logical Device Information............................................................................28

4
Maintenance ....................................................................................28
Array Information.............................................................................28
Expanding an Existing Array .............................................................32
Physical Device Information..........................................................................33
Rescan ........................................................................................................................34
Beeper Mute...............................................................................................................34
Settings Tab.............................................................................................................................35
Enclosure....................................................................................................................35
Email Notification.......................................................................................................35
SMTP Setting .................................................................................................35
Add Recipient ................................................................................................36
Security.......................................................................................................................37
Password Setting...........................................................................................37
System ........................................................................................................................38
Event........................................................................................................................................39
Storage Health Inspector (SHI) ................................................................................................39
Scheduler.................................................................................................................... 40
How to Create a New Verify Task..................................................................40
Help .........................................................................................................................................41
Recover Array.............................................................................................................41
Configuration Record .................................................................................................41
Section 4: Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................. 42
Handling Critical Arrays ...........................................................................................................42
Rebuilding Stops Due to Bad Sectors ......................................................................................43
Critical Array Becomes Disabled When You Removed Faulty Disk .........................................43
Online RAID Roaming ..............................................................................................................43
Appendix...............................................................................................................................................44
Table 1: rDrive Manager Icon Guide .......................................................................................44
Table 2: RAID Reference Level.................................................................................................46
HighPoint Recommended List of Hard Drives .........................................................................46
Contacting Technical Support .................................................................................................46

5
Product Overview
The rDrive 6628AW Series employs our industry-proven Hardware RAID stack to deliver professional
grade, pre-configured Thunderbolt™ 3 40Gb/s RAID storage for today’s most demanding media
applications, in an affordable, easy to install solution. HighPoint Hardware RAID Technology was
designed specifically for I/O intensive work environments which require uncompromised transfer
performance and superior data security. The integrated hardware RAID engines and dedicated RAM
completely offload all RAID calculations from the host platform to maximize sustained data throughput
and reliability of the hosted storage configurations. The robust, compact tower form factor is available
with 32 to 96TB of storage capacity, and can be easily connected to any Windows 8 or later platform
with Thunderbolt™ 3 capability.
Kit Content
1x rDrive RAID Storage unit
8x Removable Disk Modules
1x 40Gb/s Thunderbolt™ 3 cable
1x UL Power Cord
1x Quick Installation Guide
Before getting started, check to see if any items are missing, damaged, or incorrect. If you discover any
discrepancies, please contact your reseller, or our Support Department via our Online Web Support
Portal.
Product Information
Product Information
rDrive 6628AW
Port Type
Thunderbolt™ 3
Number of Ports
2
Interface Technology
Daisy Chain up to 6 devices
Bi-directional, dual-protocol (PCI Express and DisplayPort)
8 lanes of Display Port 1.2 –supports dual 4K displays or one 5K display
Power delivery: 15W to bus-powered devices
Backward compatible with Thunderbolt™ 2 devices
USB-C ports compatible with existing USB devices and cables, support up to
USB 3.1 10Gb/s speed
RAID Level
Preconfigured RAID 5 / Optional RAID 0, 1, 6, 1/0 & JBOD
Note: RAID 1/0 is the equivalent of RAID 10
System Requirement
Computer with a Thunderbolt™ 3 port
Windows 8 and Later
Warranty
2 Years
Performance Benchmark
RAID 0:
Read –1,650 MB/s
Write –1,580 MB/s
RAID 5:
Read –1,450 MB/s
Write –1100 MB/s
Kit Contents
1x rDrive RAID Storage unit
8x Removable Disk Modules
1x 40Gb/s Thunderbolt™ 3 cable
1x UL Power Cord
1x Quick Installation Guide

6
Section 1: Hardware Installation
Hardware Overview
Panel Layout-Front View
LED Indicators
Disk Present: Solid blue
Disk Active LED: Flashing blue
Disk Failure LED: Solid red
Disk rebuilding/identifying LED: Flashing red
Power LED: Solid blue
Panel Layout-Rear View

7
System Requirements
Windows system with a ThunderboltTM 3 (USB type-C) port or AIC card
Windows 8 or later
Enclosure Setup
1. Connect the rDrive 6628AW to the host system with the ThunderboltTM 3 cable
2. Connect the rDrive 6628AW to power and turn on the power switch

8
Section 2: Setting Up Software for Windows Platforms
Driver Installation
Drivers provide a way for your operating system to communicate with your new hardware. Updating to
the latest available driver ensures your product benefits from the most recent performance, stability,
and compatibility improvements.
1. Obtain the latest driver software for the rDrive 6628AW from our website:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series-rd6628aw-download.htm#nav_bottom
2. Locate the downloaded folder and run setup.exe
3. Follow the on screen steps to install the driver
Checking Your Driver Version
1. Right click the Windows logo on the bottom left of the screen
2. Select Device Manager

9
3. Click on the Other Devices tab than right click than click on Update Driver Software
4. When this window pops up, click on Browse my computer for driver software

10
5. Locate the driver files you downloaded and select the folder that corresponds with the Windows
OS you are using; x32 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit).
6. Click on the Storage controllers tab
7. Right click on the RocketRAID 4520 SAS Controller and select Properties

11
8. Click the Properties tab and look at the Driver Version section to check
Updating the Drivers
1. Obtain the latest driver files for the rDrive 6628AW from http://www.highpoint-
tech.com/USA_new/series-rd6628aw-download.htm#nav_bottom
2. Right click the Windows logo on the bottom left of the screen
3. Select Device Manager
4. Click on the Storage controllers tab
5. Right click on the RocketRAID 4520 SAS Controller and select Update Driver Software
6. Click Browse my computer for driver software

12
7. Select the driver files you downloaded
8. Click Next
9. Restart the system
Uninstalling the Driver
1. Right click the Windows logo on the bottom left of the screen
2. Select Device Manager
3. Click on the Storage controllers tab
4. Right click on the RocketRAID 4520 SAS Controller and select Uninstall
5. Restart the system
Installing the HighPoint rDrive Manager

13
The HighPoint rDrive Manager is the primary link between you and your RAID array. Using the
management utilities and menus offered by the rDrive Manager, you would be able to access, create,
and maintain your RAID arrays.
1. Download the rDrive Manager files from http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series-
rs6628a-download.htm.
2. Locate the folder in which you downloaded the files to and run HighPoint rDrive Manager.exe
3. Follow the on screen steps to install the rDrive Manager software
4. Log into the rDrive Manager by double clicking the desktop icon (see below), or by typing
http://localhost:7406 in your preferred web browser’s address line (we recommend using the
latest browser version

14
How to Login to the rDrive Manager
You can reach the rDrive Manager log in page either by:
Double clicking on the rDrive Manager icon created on your desktop
Opening your preferred web browser and typing http://localhost:7406 in the address bar
Note: You can set the password under the Setting tab
Remote Login
A user connected to a local network can remotely access the rDrive Manager using the IP address of the
host device.
To obtain your IP address
1. Open a command prompt window on the host computer
2. Type ipconfig
3. Look for the section that contains your network adapter information
4. Look at the IP address section
Note: Make sure the Restrict to localhost access is disabled in the rDrive Manager Setting tab
You can then remotely access the rDrive Manager using any other computer that is in your local network
by opening any web browser and typing http://{IP address of host compute}:7404 (default port is 7404)
Formatting the RAID Volumes
After creating a RAID array, your operating system will recognize that array as a logical disk. However,
the array will not be accessible until it is formatted by the operating system.
Format the volume when you have finished the following procedures
1. Set up the Enclosure
2. Set up the RAID Controller
3. Installed Drivers
4. Create an Array

15
For Windows users
1. Right click the Windows logo on the bottom left of the screen
2. Select Disk Management
3. If you just created the array, a prompt will appear after clicking disk management asking you to
initialize the disk
a. MBR partition table is mainly for bootable drives and has a 2 TB limit. If your PC
motherboard uses legacy BIOS, you will most likely need to use MBR for bootable drives.
b. GPT partition table has no capacity limit, but cannot be bootable unless your PC
motherboard contains UEFI firmware

16
4. Once initialized, right click the unallocated disk space for your disk and select New Simple
Volume
5. Follow the instructions on screen to receive a drive letter

17
6. Follow the instructions on screen to create a disk name
7. Once finished, the drive will appear in your OS with the name and letter you assigned
Please note your disk may initially appear offline to the operating system and you may have to bring it
online
1. In Disk Management, right click the disk you wish to bring online
2. The disk status will change to Not Initialized, right click the disk again to initialize it.

18
Section 3: Using the HighPoint rDrive Manager
How to Login to the rDrive Manager
You can reach the rDrive Manager log in page either by:
Double clicking on the rDrive Manager icon created on your desktop
Opening your preferred web browser and typing http://localhost:7406 in the address bar.
There is no password needed for the default log-in. The password can be changed under the Settings tab
after log-in the rDrive Manager.
Navigating the rDrive Manager
The rDrive Manager allows you to do several key things:
Create and remove arrays
Monitor disk health
Update firmware and BIOS
Change enclosure settings
Troubleshoot faulty drives
View general system overview
Tab Name
Function
Overview
View Enclosure and Storage Properties
Quick Config
A quick configuration wizard to create a new RAID array
Advanced Config
Manage and create RAID arrays
Settings
Adjust rDrive Manager control settings
Event
Show rDrive Manager event log
Storage Health Inspector (SHI)
View and schedule S.M.A.R.T monitoring
Help
Online help, register product, configuration records

19
Overview Tab
The Overview tab provides information regarding each HighPoint Enclosure connected to your computer
detects. It is also the first page you see when logging in.
It also provides the following information
Enclosure Properties
Storage Properties
On the top left of the page is a drop down menu that allows you to select which controller you want to
manage (if you have multiple HighPoint controllers connected).
Enclosure Properties
Model: the model name of the controller
Disk Installed: number of drives seen by the controller
Storage Properties
Total: the combined capacity of the physical disks connected to the controller.
Configured: the amount of space used for creating arrays
Free: total amount of unused space
RAID Array: total amount of configured RAID arrays
Logical Device: total amount of logical devices
Background Task: current running task

20
Array Config.
Setting up a new RAID configuration requires that the pre-configured RAID 5 array first be deleted. Make
sure to backup any critical data sorted on this array before deleting. Once this has been resolved, click
the Advanced Config. tab, then click the Maintenance button to the right of the array’s Status column.
In the pop-up window, click the Delete button, then confirm the on-screen prompt to continue.
Delete
The delete function is used to delete the already existing arrays so that the user has free disks to create
another array.
The delete function can be found in the Advanced Config. tab.
Quick Config.
Quick Config. is the easiest and quickest way to configure RAID arrays. Back up all data before following
the on-screen instructions to configure your array.
Advanced Config.
The Advanced Config. tab is where you can edit, delete, and maintain your RAID configurations, as well
as review the Physical Device information.