IBM Redbooks ServeRAID-MR10i User manual

®
ServeRAID-MR10i
USER’S
GUIDE
February 2009
IBM P/N: 46M1377

ii
Third Edition (February 2009)
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2007-2009. All rights reserved.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure
restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

ServeRAID-MR10i User’s Guide iii
Preface
This book is the primary reference and user’s guide for the ServeRAID-
MR10i SAS/SATA Controller. It contains installation instructions and
specifications for the adapter. In addition, it explains how to install and
use the intelligent Battery Backup Unit (iBBU) that is used with the
ServeRAID-MR10i controller.
For details on how to configure the controller, refer to the ServeRAID-
MR Software User’s Guide. For information about the operating system
drivers, refer to the ServeRAID-MR Device Driver Installation User’s
Guide.
Audience
This document assumes that you have some familiarity with RAID
controllers and related support devices. The people who benefit from this
book are:
•Engineers who are designing a system that will include a
ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller.
•Anyone installing a ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller in a
RAID system.
•End users who need to install the iBBU products on the ServeRAID-
MR10i SAS/SATA Controller.
•Engineers and managers who are evaluating iBBU products for
possible use with ServeRAID controllers.
Organization
This document has the following chapters and appendix:

iv Preface
•Chapter 1, Overview, provides a general overview of the
ServeRAID-MR10i controller.
•Chapter 2, ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller
Hardware Installation, describes the procedures for installing the
ServeRAID-MR10i controller.
•Chapter 3, ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller
Characteristics, provides the characteristics and technical
specifications for the ServeRAID-MR10i controller.
•Chapter 4, Introduction to the Intelligent Backup Battery Unit,
describes the iBBU model and explains how it operates.
•Chapter 5, Installing the Intelligent Battery Backup Unit, explains
how to install the iBBU model.
•Chapter 6, Using the Intelligent Battery Backup Unit, explains
how to use and monitor the iBBU model and how to replace it.
•Chapter 7, Intelligent Battery Backup Unit Specifications, has
complete technical information and specifications for the iBBU
model.
•Appendix A, Notices, contains information about the warranty,
patents, license inquiries, and trademarks.
•Appendix B, Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations, lists and
explains the terms and abbreviations used in this manual.
Related Publications
ServeRAID-MR Device Driver Installation User’s Guide
IBM Document Number: 46M1382
This document explains how to install the ServeRAID device driver for
your operating system. The information in this document is independent
of the back-end bus and applies to the ServeRAID-MR10i controller.
ServeRAID-MR Software User’s Guide
IBM Document Number: 46M1381
This document explains how to use the MegaRAID Storage Manager,
WebBIOS Configuration Utility, and Command Line Interface (CLI)

Preface v
utilities to configure, monitor, and maintain ServeRAID-MR10i controller
and the storage-related devices connected to them.
IBM Systems Safety Notices
IBM Document Number: G229-9054-01
This book contains safety notices from IBM Systems documentation. The
safety notices include danger and caution notices.
Notices and Statements in This Document
The caution and danger statements in this document are also in the
multilingual IBM Systems Safety Notices document, which is on the
ServeRAID-MR Support CD. Each statement is followed by a reference
number that you can use to locate the corresponding statement in your
language in the IBM Systems Safety Notices document. The following
notices and statements are used in this document:
Note: These notices provide important tips, guidance, or advice.
Important: These notices provide information or advice that might help
you avoid inconvenient or problem situations.
Attention: These notices indicate potential damage to programs,
devices, or data. An attention notice is placed just before
the instruction or situation in which damage might occur.
CAUTION: These statements indicate situations that can be potentially
hazardous to you. A caution statement is placed just before
the description of a potentially hazardous procedure step or
situation.
DANGER:These statements indicate situations that can be poten-
tially lethal or extremely hazardous to you. A danger
statement is placed just before the description of a
potentially lethal or extremely hazardous procedure
step or situation.

vi Preface
Revision History
IBM Customer Support
Web site:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/
Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer system
from potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety.
Note: Use the ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller
with UL-listed Information Technology Equipment (ITE)
products only.
IBM Document
Number Edition/Date Remarks
46M1377 Third Edition
February 2009
Updated the procedures for monitoring and maintaining the
intelligent Battery Backup Unit.
43W7849 Second Edition
November 2007
Second edition of document.
43W7840 First Edition
November 2007
Initial release of document.

Preface vii
DANGER
When working on or around the system, observe the following precautions:
Electrical voltage and current from power, telephone, and communication
cables are hazardous. To avoid a shock hazard:
•Connect power to this unit only with the provided power cord. Do not use
the provided power cord for any other product.
•Do not open or service any power supply assembly.
•Do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform installation,
maintenance, or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical storm.
•The product might be equipped with multiple power cords. To remove all
hazardous voltages, disconnect all power cords.
•Connect all power cords to a properly wired and grounded electrical
outlet. Ensure that the outlet supplies proper voltage and phase rotation
according to the system rating plate.
•Connect any equipment that will be attached to this product to properly
wired outlets.
•When possible, use one hand only to connect or disconnect signal cables.
•Never turn on any equipment when there is evidence of fire, water, or
structural damage.
•Disconnect the attached power cords, telecommunications systems,
networks, and modems before you open the device covers, unless
instructed otherwise in the installation and configuration procedures.
•Connect and disconnect cables as described in the following procedures
when installing, moving, or opening covers on this product or attached
devices.
To disconnect:
1. Turn off everything (unless instructed otherwise).
2. Remove the power cords from the outlets.
3. Remove the signal cables from the connectors.
4. Remove all cables from the devices.
To connect:
1. Turn off everything (unless instructed otherwise).
2. Attach all cables to the devices.
3. Attach the signal cables to the connectors.
4. Attach the power cords to the outlets.
5. Turn on the devices.
(D005)

viii Preface
CAUTION:
The battery is a nickel metal hydride battery. To avoid possible
explosion, do not burn. Exchange only with the IBM-approved part.
Recycle or discard the battery as instructed by local regulations. In
the United States, IBM has a process for the collection of this
battery. For information, call 1-800-426-4333. Have the IBM part
number for the battery unit available when you call. (C007)
Protecting against Electrostatic Discharge – Static electricity can
harm delicate components inside your computer. To prevent static
damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any
of your computer’s electronic components, such as the microprocessor.
You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface, such as the
metal around the card-slot openings at the back of the computer.
As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an
unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge your body may
have accumulated. In addition to the preceding precautions, you can also
take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge:
•When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping
carton, do not remove the component from the antistatic packing
material until you are ready to install the component in your
computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, be sure
to discharge static electricity from your body.
•When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an
antistatic container or packaging.
•Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use
antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.

ServeRAID-MR10i User’s Guide ix
Contents
Chapter 1
Overview
1.1 Overview 1-1
1.2 ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller Description 1-3
1.2.1 Controller Limitations 1-3
1.3 General Description 1-3
1.4 Configuration Scenarios 1-5
1.4.1 Number of Physical Disks Supported 1-7
1.5 Benefits of the SAS Interface 1-7
1.5.1 PCI Express Architecture 1-8
1.5.2 Operating System Support 1-8
1.6 Summary of the ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller
Characteristics 1-9
1.6.1 SAS Features 1-10
1.6.2 SAS Array Limitations 1-10
1.6.3 SATA II Features 1-11
1.6.4 PCI Express Performance 1-12
1.6.5 Usability Features 1-12
1.6.6 Flexibility Features 1-12
1.6.7 Drive Roaming 1-13
1.6.8 Drive Migration 1-14
1.7 Hardware Specifications 1-15
1.8 Technical Support 1-16
Chapter 2
ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller Hardware Installation
2.1 Requirements 2-1
2.2 Quick Installation 2-2
2.3 Detailed Installation 2-2

xContents
2.4 SAS Device Cables 2-6
2.4.1 Connecting the ServeRAID-MR10i RAID Controller to
Physical Disks 2-8
2.5 Replacing a Failed Controller Containing Data in the IBBU 2-9
2.6 After Installing the ServeRAID-MR10i Controller 2-10
Chapter 3
ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller Characteristics
3.1 ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller 3-1
3.2 ServeRAID-MR10i Controller Characteristics 3-3
3.3 Technical Specifications 3-4
3.3.1 Storage Adapter Specifications 3-4
3.3.2 Array Performance Features 3-5
3.3.3 Fault Tolerance 3-6
3.3.4 Electrical Characteristics 3-6
3.3.5 Operating and Non-operating Conditions 3-7
3.3.6 Safety Characteristics 3-8
Chapter 4
Introduction to the Intelligent Backup Battery Unit
Chapter 5
Installing the Intelligent Battery Backup Unit
5.1 Installing the iBBU on the ServeRAID-MR10i Controller 5-1
Chapter 6
Using the Intelligent Battery Backup Unit
6.1 Monitoring the iBBU with the MegaRAID Configuration Utilities
6-2
6.1.1 Monitoring the iBBU with the WebBIOS Configuration
Utility 6-2
6.1.2 Monitoring the iBBU with the MegaCLI Utility 6-5
Display BBU Information 6-5
Display BBU Status Information 6-5
Display BBU Capacity 6-6
Display BBU Design Parameters 6-7
Display Current BBU Properties 6-7

Contents xi
Start BBU Learning Cycle 6-8
Place Battery in Low-Power Storage Mode 6-8
Set BBU Properties 6-8
6.1.3 Monitoring the iBBU with the MegaRAID Storage
Manager 6-9
Battery Learn Cycle 6-10
Setting Learn Cycle Properties 6-11
Starting a Learn Cycle Manually 6-12
6.2 Replacing the Battery Backup Unit 6-12
6.3 Transferring Cached Data from a Failed Controller 6-13
6.4 Resolving a Configuration Mismatch 6-14
Chapter 7
Intelligent Battery Backup Unit Specifications
7.1 iBBU Specifications 7-1
7.2 Battery Life and Data Retention Time 7-2
Appendix A Notices
A.1 Trademarks A-2
A.2 Important Notes A-3
Appendix B
Glossary of Terms
and Abbreviations

xii Contents

Contents xiii
Figures
1.1 Example of a SAS Direct-Connect Application 1-6
1.2 Example of a ServeRAID-MR10i Controller Configured with an
LSISASx12 Expander 1-6
2.1 Installing the ServeRAID-MR10i Controller in a PCI Express Slot
2-4
2.2 Internal SAS Cable for Connection to SAS Physical Disks or
SATA II Physical Disks 2-6
2.3 SATA II Connectors 2-7
2.4 SAS Plugs, SATA II Plugs, and SAS Backplane Receptacle
Connector 2-8
2.5 Connecting the ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller with
Internal Connectors to a Physical Disk 2-9
3.1 Card Layout for the ServeRAID-MR10i Controller 3-2
5.1 Intelligent Battery Backup Unit 5-2
5.2 Installing the iBBU Daughtercard on the ServeRAID-MR10i
SAS/SATA Controller 5-4
5.3 Installing the ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller 5-5
6.1 First Controller Properties Screen 6-2
6.2 Second Controller Properties Screen 6-3
6.3 Battery Module Screen 6-4

xiv Contents

Contents xv
Tables
1.1 Physical Drives Required for Each RAID Level 1-7
1.2 ServeRAID-MR10i Controller Array Limitations 1-10
1.3 ServeRAID-MR10i Controller Specifications 1-15
3.1 ServeRAID-MR10i Controller – Connectors 3-2
3.2 ServeRAID-MR10i Characteristics 3-3
3.3 ServeRAID-MR10i Controller Specifications 3-4
3.4 Array Performance Features 3-5
3.5 Fault Tolerance Features 3-6
3.6 Maximum Power Requirements 3-7
6.1 Display BBU Information 6-5
6.2 Display BBU Status Information 6-5
6.3 Display BBU Capacity Information 6-6
6.4 Display BBU Design Parameters 6-7
6.5 Display Current BBU Properties 6-7
6.6 Start BBU Learning Cycle 6-8
6.7 Place Battery in Low-Power Storage Mode 6-8
6.8 Set BBU Properties 6-8
7.1 Specifications 7-1
7.2 Reference Data Retention Times 7-2

xvi Contents

ServeRAID-MR10i User’s Guide 1-1
Chapter 1
Overview
This section provides a general overview of the ServeRAID-MR10i
SAS/SATA Controller with RAID control capabilities. It consists of the
following sections:
•Section 1.1, “Overview”
•Section 1.2, “ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller Description”
•Section 1.3, “General Description”
•Section 1.4, “Configuration Scenarios”
•Section 1.5, “Benefits of the SAS Interface”
•Section 1.6, “Summary of the ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA
Controller Characteristics”
•Section 1.7, “Hardware Specifications”
•Section 1.8, “Technical Support”
1.1 Overview
The ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller is a high-performance
intelligent Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)/Serial ATA II (SATA II) PCI
Express adapter with RAID control capabilities. The ServeRAID-MR10i
controller provides reliability, high performance, and fault-tolerant disk
subsystem management. It is an ideal RAID solution for the internal
storage of workgroup, departmental, and enterprise systems. The
ServeRAID-MR10i controller offers a cost-effective way to implement
RAID in a server.
SAS technology brings a wealth of options and flexibility with the use of
SAS devices and SATA II devices within the same storage infrastructure.
However, SAS devices and SATA devices bring individual characteristics
that make each one a more suitable choice depending on your storage

1-2 Overview
needs. MegaRAID®gives you the flexibility to combine these two similar
technologies on the same controller and within the same enclosure.
Note: You cannot mix SAS drives and SATA drives within the
same virtual disk(s).
The ServeRAID-MR10i controller is based on the MegaRAID
first-to-market SAS IC technology and proven technology. As the
second-generation PCI Express storage adapter, the ServeRAID-MR10i
controller addresses the growing demand for increased data throughput
and scalability requirements across midrange and enterprise-class server
platforms. IBM®offers a family of SAS controllers to address the needs
for both internal and external solutions.
The innovative intelligent Battery Backup Unit (iBBU) is pre-installed on
the ServeRAID-MR10i controller. The iBBU provides cached data
protection, which allows system builders to protect cached data even
during the most catastrophic system failures.
Note: You must charge the battery before use. For more
information about charging the battery, see Chapter 5,
“Installing the Intelligent Battery Backup Unit”.
The ServeRAID-MR10i controller supports the SAS protocol as
described in the Serial Attached SCSI Standard, version 1.1. The
controller also supports the Serial ATA II (SATA II) protocol defined by
the Serial ATA Specification, Version 1.0a, and the Serial ATAII;
Extension to the Serial ATA Specification, Version 1.1. SATA II is an
extension to SATA 1.0a. The ServeRAID-MR10i controller is a versatile
controller that provides the backbone of both server and high-end
workstation environments.
Each port on the ServeRAID-MR10i controller supports SAS devices
and/or SATA II devices using the following:
•SAS Serial SCSI Protocol (SSP), which enables communication with
other SAS devices
•SATA II, which enables communication with other SATA II devices
•Serial Management Protocol (SMP), which communicates topology
management information directly with an attached SAS expander
device

ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller Description 1-3
•Serial Tunneling Protocol (STP), which enables communication with
a SATA II device through an attached expander
1.2 ServeRAID-MR10i SAS/SATA Controller Description
The ServeRAID-MR10i controller is available with eight PHYs. The
controller has one LSISAS1078 ROC (RAID-on-chip) processor that
controls eight internal SAS/SATA ports through two SAS x8 internal
connectors.
1.2.1 Controller Limitations
The ServeRAID-MR10i controller has the following limitations:
•You can connect only one device per SAS PHY unless you use an
expander
•You can use a maximum cable length of six feet (using shorter
cables is preferred)
•Cables have to meet the SAS specification
•You cannot use SAS drives and SATA drives in the same virtual disk
•You cannot mix SAS or SATA Solid State Drives (SSDs) and legacy
mechanical drives (SAS or SATA) in the same virtual disk
•You cannot mix Solid State Drives and Solid State SATA Drives in
the same virtual disk
•See Section 3.3.4, “Electrical Characteristics,” for information about
the power requirements, and Section 3.3.5, “Operating and Non-
operating Conditions” for information about the minimum and
maximum temperature ranges
1.3 General Description
The ServeRAID-MR10i controller brings 3.0 Gbit/s Serial Attached SCSI
and 3.0 Gbit/s Serial ATA II performance to host adapter, workstation,
and server designs. The controller supports internal storage devices,
which allows you to use a system that supports enterprise-class SAS
drives and desktop-class SATA II drives. Each ServeRAID-MR10i

1-4 Overview
controller can connect to drives directly. Simplified cabling between
devices is an additional benefit.
This controller is based on the LSISAS1078 RAID On-a-Chip (ROC)
device. This device is compliant with the Fusion-MPT architecture and
provides a PCI Express x8 interface.
The controller integrates eight high-performance SAS/SATA II PHYs and
a PCI Express bus master DMA core. Each of the eight PHYs is capable
of 3.0 Gbit/s SAS link rates and 3.0 Gbit/s SATA II link rates.
The LSISAS1078 RAID-on-chip (ROC) device provides an eight-lane,
2.5-Gbit/s PCI Express host interface, eight 3.0 Gbit/s SAS ports or
SATA ports, and a full-featured, hardware-based RAID implementation.
The LSISAS1078 ROC device integrates a high-speed DDR/DDR2
SDRAM interface with a hardware RAID assist engine for parity
calculations. The LSISAS1078 ROC device provides the maximum
benefits of a RAID system and enables you to configure the system to
satisfy your system requirements.
The LSISAS1078 ROC device increases system performance and
provides fault-tolerant data storage. The LSISAS1078 ROC supports
data striping across multiple disks, which reduces disk access time
because multiple disks simultaneously read or write data. The
LSISAS1078 ROC device backs up data with either data mirroring or a
parity block. Either backup method enables you to recover lost data in
the event of a disk failure. You can select the data backup method that
best suits your needs. A hardware RAID assist exclusive-OR (XOR)
engine speeds parity generation and checking and reduces system-
access times.
The ServeRAID-MR10i controller supports the SAS protocol as
described in the Serial Attached SCSI Standard, version 1.1. The
controller also supports the Serial ATA II (SATA II) protocol defined by
the Serial ATA Specification, Version 1.0a, and the Serial ATAII;
Extension to the Serial ATA Specification, Version 1.1. SATA II is an
extension to SATA 1.0a. In addition, the controller supports the following
SATA II features:
•3 Gbit/s SATA II
•Staggered spin-up
•Hot plug