LSI MegaRAID 8480 User manual

®
IBM P/N: 42D8846
MegaRAID®8480
Storage Adapter
USER’S
GUIDE
July 2007

ii
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
This document contains copyrighted information of LSI Corporation.
LSI products are not intended for use in life-support appliances, devices, or
systems.
Purchase of I2C components of LSI Corporation, or one of its sublicensed
Associated Companies, conveys a license under the Philips I2C Patent Rights to
use these components in an I2C system, provided that the system conforms to
the I2C standard Specification as defined by Philips.
IBM P/N: 42D8846, July 2007. This document describes the current version of
the LSI Corporation MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter and will remain the official
reference source for all revisions/releases of this product until rescinded by an
update.
LSI Corporation reserves the right to make changes to any products herein at
any time without notice. LSI does not assume any responsibility or liability arising
out of the application or use of any product described herein, except as expressly
agreed to in writing by LSI.
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENT
LSI, the LSI logo design, Fusion-MPT, and MegaRAID are trademarks or
registered trademarks of LSI Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. SUSE is a trademark and NetWare is a
registered trademark of Novell, Inc. Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red
Hat, Inc. UnixWare is a registered trademark of The Open Group. OpenServer is
a trademark of Caldera International, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of
Linus Torvalds. All other brand and product names may be trademarks of their
respective companies.
To receive product literature, visit http://www.ibm.com/support/ and click on
Product publications.

MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter User’s Guide iii
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Preface
This book is the primary reference and user’s guide for the LSI
MegaRAID®8480 RAID Storage Adapter. It contains installation
instructions and specifications for the adapter.
For details on how to configure the storage adapter, refer to the
MegaRAID 8480 Software User’s Guide . For information about the
operating system drivers, refer to the
MegaRAID 8480 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 MegaRAID
8480 SAS Storage Adapter
•Anyone installing a MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter in a
RAID system
Organization
This document has the following chapters and appendix:
•Chapter 1, Overview, provides a general overview of the MegaRAID
8480 Storage Adapter.
•Chapter 2, MegaRAID 8480 Hardware Installation, describes the
procedures for installing the MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter.
•Chapter 3, MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter Characteristics,
provides the characteristics and technical specifications for the
MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter.

iv Preface
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
•Appendix A, Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations, lists and
explains the terms and abbreviations used in this manual.
Related Publications
MegaRAID Battery Backup Unit User’s Guide
IBM Document Numb er: 42D8847
This document explains how to install and use the LSI battery backup
unit for MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter. The 8480 board uses the LSI
intelligent Transportable Battery Backup Unit 02 (LSIiTBBU02).
MegaRAID 8480 Device Driver Installation User’s Guide
IBM Document Numb er: 42D8845
This document explains how to install the MegaRAID device driver for
your operating system. The information in this document is independent
of the back-end bus and applies to the Megaraid 8480 Storage Adapter.
MegaRAID 8480 Software User’s Guide
IBM Document Numb er: 42D8848
This document explains how to use the MegaRAID Storage Manager,
WebBIOS, and Command Line Interface (CLI) utilities to configure,
monitor, and maintain MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter and the
storage-related devices connected to them.

Preface v
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Conventions
Throughout the manual, the conventions described in the following table
are used to describe user interaction with the product:
Note: Notes contain supplementary information that can affect
system performance.
Attention:Attention notices identify actions that might adversely affect
equipment operation, system performance, or data integrity.
Revision History
Notation Example Meaning and Use
courier typeface .nwk file Names of commands, files, and directories as well as
code and screen messages are shown in courier.
bold typeface fd1sp In a command line, keywords are shown in bold, non-italic
typeface. Enter them exactly as shown.
italics
module In command lines and names italics indicate user vari-
ables. Italicized text must be replaced with appropriate
user-specified items. Enter items of the type called for,
using lowercase.
Initial Capital letters Undo
Edit
Apply
Names of menu commands, options, check buttons, text
buttons, options buttons, text boxes, list boxes, and so on.,
are shown in text with Initial Capital lettering to avoid mis-
reading. These elements may appear on your screen in all
lowercase.
semicolon, and other
punctuation
Use as shown in the text.
IBM Document
Number Date/Version Remarks
42D8846 Version 1.2
July 2007
Revised Table 1.1 about the number of physical drives
allowed for each RAID level.
42D8846 Version 1.1
April 2007
Made edits and added information about controller limita-
tions, and the number of physical drives supported at each
RAID level.
42D8846 Version 1.0
June 2006
Initial release of document.

vi Preface
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
IBM Customer Support
If you have feedback or questions, you can contact IBM.
E-mail:
[email protected]
Phone:
(Toll free) 1-800-IBM-4YOU (1-800-426-4968)
Web site:
https://www.ibm.com/support/us/fbmast.html
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 MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter with UL-listed
Information Technology Equipment (ITE) products only.
When Using Your Computer System – As you use your computer
system, observe the following safety guidelines:
•Do not operate your computer system with any cover(s) (such as
computer covers, bezels, filler brackets, and front-panel inserts)
removed.
•To help avoid damaging your computer, be sure the voltage selection
switch on the power supply is set to match the alternating current
(AC) power available at your location:
– 115 volts (V)/60 hertz (Hz) in most of North and South America
and some Far Eastern countries such as Japan, South Korea,
and Taiwan.
– 230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.
Also be sure your monitor and attached peripherals are electrically
rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.

Preface vii
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
•To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds
after you turn off the system before you remove a component from the
system board or disconnect a peripheral device from the computer.
•To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and peripheral
power cables into properly grounded power sources. These cables
are equipped with 3-prong plugs to ensure proper grounding.
•Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a
cable. If you must use an extension cable, use a 3-wire cable with
properly grounded plugs.
•To help protect your computer system from sudden, transient
increases and decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor,
line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
•Be sure nothing rests on your computer system cables and that the
cables are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.
•Do not spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets
wet, consult the documentation that came with it.
•Do not push any objects into the openings of your computer. Doing so
can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
•Keep your computer away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do
not block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath your
computer; do not place your computer in a closed-in wall unit or on
a rug.
When Working Inside Your Computer –
Attention:Always follow the installation and service instructions
provided with your computer closely.
1. Review all of the safety information provided with your computer.
2. Turn off your computer and any peripherals.
3. Disconnect your computer and peripherals from their power sources.
Also disconnect any telephone or telecommunications lines from
the computer.
Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.
Also note these safety guidelines:

viii Preface
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
•When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its
strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a
connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of
cable, press in on the locking tabs before you disconnect the cable.
As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid
bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make
sure both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
•Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the
components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its
metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a
microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.
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.

MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter User’s Guide ix
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Contents
Chapter 1
Overview
1.1 Overview 1-1
1.2 MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller Description 1-3
1.2.1 Controller Limitations 1-3
1.3 General Description 1-3
1.4 Configuration Scenario 1-4
1.4.1 Number of Physical Disks Supported 1-6
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 MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller Characteristics 1-8
1.6.1 SAS Features 1-9
1.6.2 SATA II Features 1-9
1.6.3 PCI Express Performance 1-10
1.6.4 Usability Features 1-10
1.6.5 Flexibility Features 1-11
1.6.6 Drive Roaming 1-11
1.6.7 Drive Migration 1-12
1.7 Hardware Specifications 1-13
1.8 Technical Support 1-14
Chapter 2
MegaRAID 8480 Hardware Installation
2.1 Requirements 2-1
2.2 Quick Installation 2-2
2.3 Detailed Installation 2-2
2.4 SAS Device Cables 2-6
2.4.1 Connecting the MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller to

xContents
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Drive Boxes and Drive Expanders 2-8
2.5 Replacing a Failed Controller Containing Data in the LSIiTBBU02
2-9
2.6 After Installing the Storage Adapter 2-10
Chapter 3
MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter Characteristics
3.1 MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller 3-1
3.1.1 MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller 3-2
3.2 MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter Characteristics 3-4
3.3 Technical Specifications 3-4
3.3.1 Storage Adapter Specifications 3-5
3.3.2 Array Performance Features 3-6
3.3.3 Fault Tolerance 3-6
3.3.4 Electrical Characteristics 3-7
3.3.5 Operating and Non-operating Conditions 3-7
3.3.6 Safety Characteristics 3-7
Appendix A
Glossary of Terms
and Abbreviations

Contents xi
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Figures
1.1 Example of LSI SAS Direct-Connect Application 1-5
1.2 Example of RAID Controller Configured with LSISASx12 Expand-
er 1-6
2.1 Example of MegaRAID Board Installation in a PCI Express Slot
2-4
2.2 Internal SAS Cable for Connection to SAS and/or SATA II Physi-
cal Disks 2-6
2.3 SATA II Connectors 2-7
2.4 SAS and SATA II Plugs and SAS Backplane Receptacle Connec-
tor 2-8
2.5 Connecting the MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller with External
Connectors to a Drive Box or Drive Enclosure 2-9
3.1 Card Layout for the MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller 3-2

xii Contents
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.

Contents xiii
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Tables
1.1 Physical Drives Required for Each RAID Level 1-6
1.2 MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter
Specifications 1-14
3.1 MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller – Connectors 3-3
3.2 MegaRAID 8480 Characteristics 3-4
3.3 Storage Adapter Specifications 3-5
3.4 Array Performance Features 3-6
3.5 Fault Tolerance Features 3-6
3.6 Maximum Power Requirements 3-7

xiv Contents
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.

MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter User’s Guide 1-1
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Overview
This section provides a general overview of the Megaraid 8480 Storage
Adapter with RAID control capabilities. It consists of the following
sections:
•Section 1.1, “Overview”
•Section 1.2, “MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller Description”
•Section 1.3, “General Description”
•Section 1.4, “Configuration Scenario”
•Section 1.5, “Benefits of the SAS Interface”
•Section 1.6, “Summary of MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller
Characteristics”
•Section 1.7, “Hardware Specifications”
•Section 1.8, “Technical Support”
1.1 Overview
The MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter is a high-performance intelligent
PCI Express-to-SCSI/Serial ATA II adapter with RAID control capabilities.
The MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter 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 MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter 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 Serial ATA (SATA) II devices within the same storage
infrastructure. However, SAS and SATA devices bring individual
characteristics that make each one a more suitable choice depending on
your storage needs. MegaRAID gives you the flexibility to combine these

1-2 Overview
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
two similar technologies on the same controller and within the same
enclosure.
Note: You cannot mix SAS and SATA drives within the same
virtual disk(s)
.
The MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter is based on the LSI first-to-market
SAS IC technology and proven MegaRAID technology. As the
second-generation PCI Express storage adapter, the MegaRAID 8480
controller addresses the growing demand for increased data throughput
and scalability requirements across midrange and enterprise-class
server platforms. LSI offers a family of MegaRAID SAS adapters
addressing the needs for both internal and external solutions.
The innovative LSI intelligent Transportable Battery Backup Unit 2
(LSIiTBBU02) is pre-installed on the MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller.
The LSIiTBBU02 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. Refer to the
MegaRAID Battery Backup Unit User’s Guide on the
MegaRAID 8480 CD for more information.
The MegaRAID 8480 RAID controller supports the ANSI
Serial Attached
SCSI standard, version 1.1
. In addition, the controller supports the SATA
II protocol defined by the
Serial ATA specification, version 1.0a .
Supporting both the SAS and SATA II interfaces, the controller is a
versatile controller that provides the backbone of both server and high-
end workstation environments.
Each port on the MegaRAID 8480 RAID controller supports SAS 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
•Serial Tunneling Protocol (STP), which enables communication with
a SATA II device through an attached expander

MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller Description 1-3
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
1.2 MegaRAID 8480 RAID Controller Description
The MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter is available with eight PHYs. The
MegaRAID 8480 has one Intel IOP333 I/O processor that controls eight
external SAS/SATA ports through two SAS 4x external connectors.
1.2.1 Controller Limitations
The MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter has the following limitations:
•You can connect only one device per SAS PHY unless you use an
expander
•You can use a maximum external cable length of six feet (LSI
recommends using shorter cables, if possible)
•Cables have to meet the SAS specification
•Though you can mix SAS drives and SATA drives in the same virtual
disk, LSI strongly discourages the practice
•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 MegaRAID 8480 Storage Adapter 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 external storage
devices, which allows you to use a system that supports enterprise-class
SAS and desktop-class SATA II drives. Each MegaRAID 8480 Storage
Adapter can connect to drives directly and can use expanders to connect
to additional drives. Simplified cabling between devices is an additional
benefit.
The RAID 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.

1-4 Overview
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
The RAID 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
. SATA II is an extension to SATA 1.0a. In addition, the RAID
controller supports the following SATA II features:
•3 Gbit/s SATA II
•Staggered spin-up
•Hot Plug
•Activity and fault indicators for each PHY
•Port Selector (for dual-port drives)
Each port on the RAID controller supports SAS or SATA II devices using
the SSP, SMP, STP, and SATA II. The SSP enables communication with
other SAS devices. SATA II enables the RAID controller to communicate
with SATA II devices.
1.4 Configuration Scenario
The following is the main scenario in which you can use the MegaRAID
8480 RAID Controller:
•High-end external SAS or SATA II configurations: Disks can be either
SATA II or SAS. External enclosure management through in-band,
SCSI-enclosed storage. STP and SMP need to be supported.
Figure 1.1 shows a direct-connect configuration. The Inter-IC (I2C)
interface communicates with peripherals. The external memory bus
provides a 32-bit memory bus, parity checking, and chip select signals
for pipelined synchronous burst static random access memory
(PSBRAM), nonvolatile static random access memory (NVSRAM), and
Flash ROM.

Configuration Scenario 1-5
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Figure 1.1 Example of LSI SAS Direct-Connect Application
Flash ROM/
SAS
PCI Express
RAID Controller
SAS/SATA II Device 32-Bit Memory
Address/Data
Bus
PSBRAM/
I2C
SAS/SATA II Device
SAS/SATA II Device
SAS/SATA II Device
PCI Express Interface
NVSRAM
I2C
Interface

1-6 Overview
Copyright © 2006-2007 by LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.
Figure 1.2 shows an example of a RAID controller configured with an
LSISASx12 expander that is connected to SAS devices.
Figure 1.2 Example of RAID Controller Configured with
LSISASx12 Expander
1.4.1 Number of Physical Disks Supported
Your configuration planning for the 8480 RAID controller depends in part
on the number of physical disks that you want to use in a RAID array.
The number of drives in an array determines the RAID levels that can be
supported. Only one RAID level can be assigned to each virtual disk.
Ta b l e 1 . 1 shows the minimum and maximum number of drives required
for each RAID level.
SAS RAID Controller
LSISASx12
Flash ROM/
32-bit Memory
Address/Data
Bus
PSBRAM/
NVSRAM
LSISASx12
SAS
Drives
PCI Express Interface
SAS
Drives
SAS
Drives
SAS
Drives
I2C
Interface
I2C
Table 1.1 Physical Drives Required for Each RAID Level
RAID
Level
Minimum # of
Physical Drives
Maximum # of
Physical Drives
01 32