National Instruments PXIe-8267 User manual

GETTING STARTED GUIDE
PXIe-8267
4-Drive, In-Chassis High-Speed Data Storage Module
This document explains how to install and configure the PXIe-8267. For more information
about configuring, using, and maintaining the PXIe-8267, refer to ni.com.
Contents
PXIe-8267 Overview................................................................................................................ 1
Installation and Configuration.................................................................................................. 2
What You Need to Get Started..........................................................................................2
Unpacking......................................................................................................................... 2
Hardware Installation........................................................................................................2
Software/Driver Installation..............................................................................................4
RAID Creation.................................................................................................................. 5
Moving the PXIe-8267 to a Different System.................................................................. 8
Optimizing Streaming Performance................................................................................10
Thermal Considerations.................................................................................................. 10
Worldwide Support and Services............................................................................................ 11
PXIe-8267 Overview
The PXIe-8267 is single slot-wide Gen 3 PXI Express peripheral module. It uses an off-the-
shelf PCI Express switch to add four Gen 3 x4 NVMe SSDs to a PXI Express or Compact PCI
Express chassis.
The PXIe-8267 provides in-chassis storage for high-speed record and playback for your data.
Note The PXIe-8267 is recommended for use in only a Gen 3 PXI Express chassis
with slot cooling capability ≥58 W, such as the PXIe-1095.
Note The PXIe-8267 supports only Windows 7 (64-bit) and Windows 10 (64-bit).
For best continuous streaming performance and ease of software installation, NI
recommends Windows 10.
Note The standard NI warranty does not apply to the PXIe-8267. To view warranty
and services information for the PXIe-8267, go to ni.com/info and enter the Info
Code raidsupport.

Installation and Configuration
This section explains how to unpack, install, and configure the PXIe-8267 hardware and
software.
What You Need to Get Started
The PXIe-8267 kit contains the following items:
• PXIe-8267 module
• PXIe-8267 documentation
Note The device kit does not include driver media. Refer to the Software/Driver
Installation section for information about installing the drivers.
Unpacking
Note To prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) from damaging the device, ground
yourself using a grounding strap or by holding a grounded object, such as your
computer chassis.
1. Carefully inspect the shipping container and the PXIe-8267 for damage.
2. Check for visible damage to the metal work.
Note Never touch the exposed pins of connectors.
Note Do not install a device if it appears damaged in any way.
3. Check to make sure all hardware is undamaged.
If damage appears to have been caused during shipment, file a claim with the carrier.
Retain the packing material for possible inspection and/or reshipment.
4. Unpack any other items and documentation from the kit.
Hardware Installation
Note Before you begin, install and configure your chassis and controller.
Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, leave the
chassis off until you finish installing the PXIe-8267.
Attention Pour vous protéger, et protéger le châssis, contre les risques électriques,
laissez le châssis éteint tant que vous n'avez pas terminé l'installation du PXIe-8267.
1. Power off your PXI Express chassis, but leave it plugged in while installing the
PXIe-8267. The power cord grounds the chassis and protects it from electrical damage
while you install the module.
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2. Locate an available PXI Express slot in the chassis. Do not install the PXIe-8267 in the
controller slot (slot 1 in a PXI Express chassis).
3. Remove or open any doors or covers blocking access to the slot in which you intend to
install the PXIe-8267.
4. Touch the metal part of the case to discharge any static electricity that might be on your
clothes or body.
5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Be sure to remove all
connector packaging and protective caps from retaining screws on the module. Align the
PXIe-8267 with the card guides on the top and bottom of the selected slot.
Note Do not raise the injector/ejector handle as you insert the PXIe-8267. It
will not insert properly unless the handle is in its downward position so that it
does not interfere with the injector/ejector rail on the chassis.
6. Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the chassis until the handle catches
on the injector/ejector rail.
7. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the backplane
receptacle connectors. The front panel of the PXIe-8267 should be even with the front
panel of the chassis.
8. Tighten the bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the front panel to secure
the PXIe-8267 to the chassis.
9. Replace or close any doors or covers to the chassis.
LED Indicators
The following table describes the PXIe-8267 front panel LEDs.
LED Color Meaning
Pwr/Fault Off Power is off
Blinking red Power is out of spec
Green Power is on
Drive 1 through Drive 4 Off 1No drive activity
Blinking green Drive activity
Green No drive activity
PXI Express Onboard LEDs
The PXIe-8267 has additional LEDs that provide information about the status of the PCI
Express links.
Blink patterns are encoded into each LED to indicate the link speed. The following table lists
the blink patterns and their meanings.
1Drive manufacturers define the optional drive activity signal in different ways. Some
manufacturers unassert the activity signal when there is no drive activity, with LEDs off, while
others assert the signal, with LEDs on.
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LED Blink Pattern Meaning
Off No link
On Linked at PCI Express Gen 3, any negotiated width
Blinking at 2 Hz rate Linked at PCI Express Gen 2, any negotiated width
Blinking at 1 Hz rate Linked at PCI Express Gen 1, any negotiated width
Each LED represents one PXIe-8267 PCI Express link. (Refer to the following figure.) The
following table lists each LED and the device connection it represents.
LED Meaning
Drive 1 through Drive 4 PCI Express link to the corresponding NVMe drive
Backplane PCI Express link to the backplane
STC3jr PCI Express link to the STC3jr. (Used for geographical address and
serial number information.)
Figure 1. PXIe-8267 PXI Express Onboard LEDs
Software/Driver Installation
The PXIe-8267 does not include interface software to configure the RAID. You must use the
Disk Management Utility in Windows to manage the software RAID.
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Windows 7
For information about driver installation on Windows 7, go to ni.com/info and enter the Info
Code raidsupport for instructions on where to download the drivers for your device.
Windows 10
No driver is necessary to configure the drives. The Standard Microsoft NVME driver is pre-
installed in Windows 10.
RAID Creation
To configure the software RAID on the PXIe-8267, complete the following steps.
Note Back up your data before you configure the software RAID.
Note In the following steps, the disk drive capacities in the images are examples.
You may see different capacities depending on your disk drives.
1. Right-click My Computer and click Manage.
2. Click Disk Management in the left window. You should see four disk drives of the same
size in basic mode. If the disks do not have a status of Unallocated, right-click any disk
and select Delete Partition.
3. Right-click any disk and select New Striped Volume, then click Next.
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4. Click Add until all available disks are moved to the Selected window and click Next.
5. Assign a drive letter and click Next.
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6. Configure the Format Volume page as shown in the following figure and click Next.
7. Click Finish to close the New Striped Volume Wizard.
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8. If the disks were configured in basic mode, click Yes in the Disk Management dialog box
to convert them to dynamic mode.
Note You must convert all disks that you want to include in the RAID array to
dynamic mode.
Moving the PXIe-8267 to a Different System
Complete the following steps to move your PXIe-8267 to a different system or chassis with a
different controller.
Note The following steps apply only if the PXIe-8267 you are moving to a
different system is in software RAID mode.
Note To avoid data loss, do not move, swap, or replace the drives.
1. When the system boots, go into Disk Management. You will see four dynamic disks
with yellow caution icons. Right-click any disk with a caution icon and select Import
Foreign Disks.
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2. Be sure the Foreign disk group (4 of 4 disks) checkbox is enabled and click OK.
3. You may see the following dialog box if a RAID volume was present on the PXIe-8267
before you moved it to the new system. Click OK to allow the new system to import the
RAID volume. The initial data is preserved and will be readable in the new system.
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4. Your RAID drive is now ready for use in the new system.
Optimizing Streaming Performance
For optimum performance and bandwidth, NI recommends using a Gen 3 chassis with slot
cooling capacity ≥58 W.
Note NI recommends periodically checking drive life and using software to
monitor the drive for errors, thermal events, TBW, and so on. For more information,
go to ni.com/info and enter the Info Code raidsupport.
Note If the PXIe-8267 throughput is underperforming, complete the following
steps to optimize the drives manually.
1. Back up your data before performing this operation.
2. Delete the striped array and individually partition, format, and assign a letter to
the drives.
3. In the Windows taskbar, search for the Defragment and Optimize Drives tool
and optimize the drives.
4. When the operation completes, recreate the striped array.
Thermal Considerations
Because NVMe SSDs are thermally sensitive, NI has designed a heatsink cooling solution to
keep the NVMe SSDs as cool as possible under the system's rated operating temperature.
Should the drives get too hot, they have a throttling algorithm to reduce their read/write speed
to stay within their thermal operating envelope. This algorithm protects the drives from
thermal damage.2
For more information about thermal considerations, go to ni.com/info and enter the Info Code
raidsupport.
2Refer to the NVMe SSD manufacturer for more information.
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