Promise FastTrak SX4000 Lite User manual

FastTrak SX4000
User Manual
Version 3.0

ii
Copyright
© 2002, Promise Technology, Inc.
Copyright by Promise Technology, Inc. (Promise Technology). No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed,
written permission of Promise Technology.
Trademarks
Promise, and the Promise logo are registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office.
All other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
Important data protection information
You should back up all data before installing any drive controller or storage
peripheral. Promise Technology is not responsible for any loss of data resulting
from the use, disuse or misuse of this or any other Promise Technology product.
Notice
Although Promise Technology has attempted to ensure the accuracy of the
content of this manual, it is possible that this document may contain technical
inaccuracies, typographical, or other errors. Promise Technology assumes no
liability for any error in this publication, and for damages, whether direct, indirect,
incidental, consequential or otherwise, that may result from such error, including,
but not limited to loss of data or profits.
Promise Technology provides this publication “as is” without warranty of any kind,
either express or implied, including, but not limited to implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The published information in the manual is subject to change without notice.
Promise Technology reserves the right to make changes in the product design,
layout, and driver revisions without notification to its users.

iii
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 instruction 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 Promise Technology, Inc. or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.
This device complies with Part 5 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following 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.
Note
Only digital device equipment CERTIFIED CLASS B should be
attached to this equipment and that must have shielded cables.

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
iv
Notes

v
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction............................................................................................... 1
What is FastTrak SX4000?................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2: Getting Started.......................................................................................... 3
Unpacking FastTrak SX4000................................................................................ 3
FastTrak SX4000 Controller Card...................................................................... 3
Cables................................................................................................................ 4
Quick Install Checklist........................................................................................... 5
Hardware Installation ......................................................................................... 5
Software Installation........................................................................................... 5
Chapter 3: FastBuild™ Utility ..................................................................................... 7
Setup Task Quick Reference................................................................................ 7
Setup Checklist.................................................................................................. 7
Common Tasks.................................................................................................. 7
Entering the BIOS FastBuild utility..................................................................... 8
Creating an array from the Define Array screen ................................................ 8
Deleting an array from the Delete Array screen................................................. 8
Setting the Halt On Error option......................................................................... 8
FastTrak BIOS Reference .................................................................................... 9
Main Menu.......................................................................................................... 10
View Drive Assignments ..................................................................................... 11
Define Array........................................................................................................ 11
Define Array Definition Menu.............................................................................. 13
Creating a RAID 0 Array .................................................................................. 14
Creating a RAID 1 Array .................................................................................. 15
Creating a RAID 0+1 Array .............................................................................. 16
Creating a RAID 5 Array .................................................................................. 16
Creating a Single Drive Array .......................................................................... 17
Hot Spare Drives.............................................................................................. 17
Setting a Disk Array As Bootable..................................................................... 17
Disk Array Recognition Order .......................................................................... 18
Saved Disk Array Information .......................................................................... 18
Delete Array........................................................................................................ 19
Controller Configuration...................................................................................... 20
Chapter 4: Installing Drivers ..................................................................................... 21
Windows XP ....................................................................................................... 21
Installing Driver in Existing Windows XP System............................................. 22
Confirming Windows XP Installation ................................................................ 22
Windows 2000 .................................................................................................... 23
Installing Driver in Existing Windows 2000 System.......................................... 24
Confirming Windows 2000 Installation............................................................. 24
Windows NT4 ..................................................................................................... 25
Installing Drivers During Windows NT 4.0 Installation...................................... 25
Installing Driver with Existing Windows NT 4.0 ................................................ 26
Removing the Driver from Windows NT 4.x ..................................................... 26

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
vi
Linux Operating Systems.................................................................................... 26
Chapter 5: RAID Setup............................................................................................. 27
RAID Management and Operation...................................................................... 27
Critical and Offline Arrays ................................................................................ 27
Rebuilding/Synchronizing Fault Tolerant Arrays .............................................. 28
Partitioning & Formatting Arrays ...................................................................... 28
Configuration Ideas............................................................................................. 29
Fault Tolerance................................................................................................ 29
Hot Spare Drive(s) ........................................................................................... 29
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 31
FastTrak SX4000 BIOS Error Messages ............................................................ 31
Frequently Asked Questions............................................................................... 31
Pre-Installation................................................................................................. 31
Drive Issues ..................................................................................................... 32
Installation Issues ............................................................................................ 33
Post-Installation ............................................................................................... 34
Appendix A: Technical Specifications....................................................................... 35
Disk Array Features ............................................................................................ 35
Hardware Features ............................................................................................. 36
System Requirements ........................................................................................ 36
Operating System Support ................................................................................. 36
Advanced Utilities ............................................................................................... 36
Physical & Environmental ................................................................................... 36
Appendix B: Technology Background....................................................................... 37
Introduction to RAID ........................................................................................... 37
RAID 0 - STRIPING ............................................................................................ 37
RAID 1 - MIRRORING ........................................................................................ 38
RAID 0+1 - STRIPING/MIRROR ........................................................................ 39
RAID 5 - BLOCK AND PARITY STRIPING ........................................................ 40
Appendix C: Technical Support ................................................................................ 41
Technical Support Services ................................................................................ 41
Limited Warranty................................................................................................. 43
Disclaimer of other warranties ......................................................................... 43
Returning Product For Repair............................................................................. 45
Your Responsibilities ....................................................................................... 46
Index......................................................................................................................... 47

1
Chapter 1: Introduction
What is FastTrak SX4000?
FastTrak SX4000 is a RAID controller and a software management suite that
provides an enterprise-wide ATA RAID solution. When used with the Promise
Array Management (PAM), FastTrak SX4000 offers a feature-rich, secure,
versatile, and expandable RAID environment that allows users and administrators
to configure, manage, and monitor everything from single arrays on local systems
to array networks residing in offsite locations.
At its core, FastTrak SX4000 provides advanced RAID management functions:
creating arrays, monitoring them, keeping them online and operating at optimum
efficiency. FastTrak SX4000 can also perform many other tasks, such as:
•Create arrays at various RAID levels (0, 1, 0+1 and 5), depending on the
application being used
•Set up a network of FastTrak SX4000 RAID servers (all running under
different RAID levels) and monitor those servers from any workstation on
the network
•Create a series of FastTrak SX4000 RAID networks at any number of offsite
locations
•Monitor and/or repair FastTrak SX4000 RAID arrays using the Internet from
an offsite location—all without compromising the integrity of secure servers
The FastTrak SX4000 controller has a Hardware XOR accelerator, which offloads
the parity calculation workload from the main CPU and transfers it to the
controller card, boosting the performance of the entire system. Each FastTrak
SX4000 card can support up to four (4) Ultra ATA/100 hard drives configured as
RAID levels (0, 1, 0+1 or 5). Attached drives can be “hot swapped,” when used
with the optional SuperSwap drive enclosures.
See Appendix A for a complete list of features, requirements and specifications.
On the software side, Promise Array Management (PAM) comprises three
modules: Console, Message Server, and Message Agent. These modules use
TCP/IP connections to communicate with one another, allowing communication
across a network. This allows system administrators to monitor and rebuild the
FastTrak RAID system from a local console or a remote workstation over the
Internet. With controlled user group administration, secure data encryption, and
flexible control options, FastTrak SX4000’s PAM software package is an all-in-
one modular solution.

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
2
Notes

3
Chapter 2: Getting Started
This chapter is designed to help you prepare FastTrak SX4000 for installation.
Please read through this chapter carefully before attempting to install FastTrak
SX4000. Users should record their current CMOS (system setup) settings before
making any changes. This preventative measure is aimed at protecting such
information from loss, which may happen unpredictably during any hardware
installation.
Unpacking FastTrak SX4000
The FastTrak SX4000 package should contain the following items:
•FastTrak SX4000 controller card
•FastTrak SX4000 Quick Start Guide
•FastTrak SX4000 OS drivers diskette (1)
•CD containing Utilities and Documentation (1)
•Internal 18 inch (46 cm) Ultra ATA 80-wire/40-pin hard drive
cables (4)
•Y-cable power splitters (2)
If any of the items are missing or appear damaged, please contact your dealer or
distributor immediately.
FastTrak SX4000 Controller Card
Seen in Figure 1, the FastTrak SX4000 controller card has several physical
features of interest for purposes of installation: A DIMM socket for memory
(minimum 64 MB required) and four ATA channel connections (one master drive
per channel).
Attention
The FastTrak SX4000 controller card, like every other
valuable part of your PC, is sensitive to static electricity. Be
sure that you are properly grounded (Promise recommends
that you wear an anti-static strap, or place a free hand on a
grounded object), and that your PC is unplugged before
installing any of the FastTrak SX4000 components.

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
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Figure 1. FastTrak SX4000 controller card
Cables
Ultra ATA drive cables are provided with the FastTrak SX4000 controller card.
These cables must be used with Ultra ATA/133, Ultra ATA/100 and Ultra ATA/66
drives in order to realize their full performance specifications.
Ultra ATA cables differ from older 40-wire/40-pin ATA cables by adding an extra
ground wire between each data wire, resulting in an 80-wire/40-pin cable.
Note
Do not use cables that are longer than 18 inches (46 cm).
Such cables are out-of-spec and can cause data integrity
problems.

Chapter 2: Getting Started
5
Quick Install Checklist
Refer to this checklist to ensure that all hardware and software components
necessary for your FastTrak SX4000 to operate efficiently are installed.
Hardware Installation
;Install memory into the DIMM slot at DIMM1 (see Figure 1). The
minimum memory requirement is 64 MB. You may use up to 256 MB
ECC or non-ECC, unbuffered 168-pin PC100 or higher SDRAM.
;Install the controller card into an available PCI slot on the system
motherboard and secure it in place.
;Set the hard drives to Master, Cable-Select, or Single (depending on
drive specification).
;Next, install hard drives into the PC chassis. Attach black end of Ultra
ATA/100 cable and power cable to back of each drive.
;Connect the blue end of the Ultra ATA/100 cable to any ATA channel
available on the FastTrak SX4000.
Note
Device support for drives is provided by the FastTrak SX4000
system. No changes are necessary in the motherboard
CMOS/BIOS Setup for resources or drive types regarding
hard drive configuration. Changes may or may not be
necessary for PCI device setup.
Software Installation
;Promise FastTrak SX4000 BIOS is loading correctly at system boot.
;At least one array has been created with the drive(s) attached to the
FastTrak SX4000 using FastBuild or PAM.
;If the array is to be a system drive, it is partitioned & formatted
appropriately.
;FastTrak SX4000 Message Agent is installed
;If this system is to be a monitoring gateway or server, the FastTrak
SX4000 Message Server is installed.
;If this system is to be used for monitoring FastTrak SX4000 server
systems, FastTrak SX4000 PAM utility is installed.

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
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BIOS Utility
The FastTrak SX4000 BIOS utility called FastBuild must be used to create the
first array(s) on the FastTrak SX4000. Arrays may subsequently be created
through the PAM utility. You must have an array on FastTrak SX4000 in order to
use the drives for data storage. See Chapter 3 for more information about using
the FastBuild BIOS utility to create an array.
See the Promise Array Management User Manual for more information.

7
Chapter 3: FastBuild™ Utility
This chapter contains a Setup Task Quick Reference that is a checklist of tasks
needed to initialize your FastTrak SX4000 system, followed by a step-by-step
instructional breakdown of each task. The second half of this chapter is a visual
and technical description reference including software screen shots.
Setup Task Quick Reference
Use this reference to make sure you have completed all the tasks necessary to
get your FastTrak SX4000 server running. See Appendix B for more information
on RAID arrays.
Setup Checklist
;Power up the system and watch for the Promise FastTrak SX4000
BIOS messages.
;Enter the FastBuild utility when prompted by pressing Ctrl-F.
;If you are defining more than one array and booting from one of these
arrays, make sure to select the appropriate array as the boot array from
the Define Array menu. Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight the
array and press the Spacebar.
;Restart the system for the changes to take effect.
;Watch for the Promise FastTrak SX4000 BIOS messages, ensuring
that the messages reflect the array(s) you have created.
Common Tasks
The following portion of the “Quick Reference Setup” is a listing of steps
necessary to complete each type of task required for setting up the FastTrak
SX4000 system through the FastBuild BIOS utility. The tasks are not intended to
be a complete, step-by-step guide to setting up the FastTrak SX4000 system
successfully.
Note
There are some advanced RAID array configuration options
that require the PAM utility to set up.

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
8
Entering the BIOSFastBuild Utility
When the system boots, you will see the Promise FastTrak SX4000 BIOS sign-on
banner appear on the screen. Once the BIOS identifies the arrays attached to the
FastTrak SX4000 controller, it will offer an option to enter the FastBuild utility.
Press Ctrl-F to initialize FastBuild and display the Main Menu.
Creating an array from the Define Array screen
1. In the Main Menu press 2 to display the Define Array screen.
2. In the Define Array screen, select the array number you want to define
using the arrow keys, and press Enter to display the Define Array Definition
Menu screen.
3. In the Define Array Definition Menu, highlight the RAID Level column using
the Tab key, and then cycle through the choices using the Spacebar to
select the RAID level you wish to use for the new array.
4. In the Drive Assignments menu, use the Down Arrow to select from the
available drives to assign them as members of the new array. Use the
Spacebar to toggle between Yes or No or press Y under the Assignment
column to assign the drive; N unassigns the drive.
5. When you are finished assigning drives as array members, press the Ctrl-Y
keys to save the array member assignment. The utility will return to the
Define Array Definition Menu screen and the new array will now be visible in
the list.
Deleting an array from the Delete Array screen
1. From the Main Menu press 3 to display the Delete Array Menu.
2. From the Delete Array Menu, highlight the array you wish to delete using
the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys and press the Del key.
3. Press the Ctrl-Y keys to confirm deletion.
Setting the Halt On Error Option
1. In the Main Menu press 4 to display the Controller Configuration screen.
2. In the Controller Configuration – Options screen, use the Spacebar to
toggle the Enable/Disable option of the Halt On Error feature.
3. Press the Ctrl-Y keys to save the changes.

Chapter 3: FastBuild Utility
9
FastTrak BIOS Reference
When the FastTrak SX4000 BIOS loads during system boot time, it displays
pertinent information about the RAID arrays that it finds, then displays Press Ctrl-
F to enter Array BIOS Configuration Utility (see below).
Figure 2. FastTrak SX4000 BIOS Startup
The information displayed in the form of a small table contains the following
properties:
ID
These represent a unique ID number assigned to each RAID array identified by
the BIOS.
Mode
This identifies the RAID mode configuration that the array is defined as.
Size
This is the MB (Megabyte) data size of the indicated array.
Track-Mapping
This is the CHS (Cylinder/Head/Sector) equivalent of the array geometry as
hosted by the FastTrak SX4000 BIOS int 13h disk services.
FastTrak SX4000 (tm) BIOS Version 1.10.02
(c) 2001 Promise Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.
ID MODE SIZE TRACK-MAPPING STATUS
1108/255/631 1x2 Mirror 8629M Functional
Press <Ctrl-F> to enter Array BIOS Configuration Utility...

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
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Status
Shows one of three possible array status conditions:
Functional
The array is fully operational, and no problems are present.
Critical
The array is operational, but has lost its fault tolerance. For RAID array
levels 1, 0+1 and 5 the array contains a failed drive. The user should
identify and replace the failed drive.
Offline
The array is no longer operational and the FastBuild utility cannot rebuild
the array. The array must be rebuilt from the last tape backup or other
device. The user should identify and replace the failed drives. For RAID
levels 1 and 5, at least two or more drives in the array have failed. For a
RAID 0 array, at least one drive has failed.
Main Menu
Figure 3. FastBuild Array Utility Main Menu
Note
This menu uses number keys 1 through 4 to select options.
Many of the subsequent menu windows use arrow-pad keys
to highlight options. Use the spacebar to cycle through
choices for the selected option. Enter (return) to select a
highlighted option. ESC (Escape) to exit the menu.
[ESC]..ExitPress 1..4 to Select Option
[ Keys Available ]
View Drive Assigments.........[ 1 ]
View/Define Array.............[ 2 ]
Delete Array..................[ 3 ]
Controller Configuration......[ 4 ]
[ Main Menu ]
FastBuild Array Utility 1.10 (c) 2001 Promise Technology, Inc.

Chapter 3: FastBuild Utility
11
View Drive Assignments
By pressing 1 on the Main Menu screen, the View Drive Assignments screen is
displayed (see below). This screen does not allow modifications to any of the four
fields.
Figure 4. View Drive Assignments screen
Channel: ID
This field shows the FastTrak SX4000 controller channel ID (1-4) to which a
particular drive is attached.
Drive Model
This field identifies the manufacturer, model, and model number (if applicable) of
each drive installed on the FastTrak SX4000 card.
Capacity (MB)
This field reflects the capacity in MB (megabytes) of each drive.
Assignment
This field identifies the array to which each drive belongs. Assigned drives are
labeled with their disk array (1, 2, 3, etc…). Unassigned drives are labeled “free,”
and are considered “hot spares” to provide fault tolerance. Unassigned drives
may also be used to create a new array at any time.
Define Array
By pressing 2 on the Main Menu screen, the Define Array Menu screen is
displayed (see below). This screen may already display existing arrays. The
Define Array Menu screen allows users to manually begin the process of defining
both drive elements and RAID levels for each disk array. Users will commonly
create one or two drive arrays with FastTrak SX4000.
[ View Drive Assignments ]
FastBuild Array Utility 1.10 (c) 2001 Promise Technology, Inc.
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB) Assignment
Free
Free
Free
Free
Down [ESC] ExitUp
[][
]
CH 1:Mas XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
CH 2:Mas XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
CH 3:Mas XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
CH 4:Mas XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
[ Keys Available ]

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
12
To manually create arrays from the Define Array Menu below, use the arrow keys
to highlight an array number you wish to define, and press Enter to select. The
Define Array Definition Menu will next appear that allows drive assignments to
the disk array (see Page 13).
Figure 5. Define Array Menu screen
Array No.
The Array Number column displays all arrays (defined or undefined) addressable
by the FastTrak SX4000.
RAID Level
This column indicates the RAID type applied to a particular array.
Total Drv
This column displays the number of drives configured for the array.
Capacity (MB)
The values in this column reflect the total capacity in MB (megabytes) for that
array.
Status
This column displays the status information for each array. Status definitions can
be found on page 10.
[ Define Array Menu ]
FastBuild Array Utility 1.10 (c) 2001 Promise Technology, Inc.
RAID Level
-----
-----
-----
-----
Total Drv
-----
-----
-----
-----
Capacity (MB)
-----
-----
-----
-----
Status
-----
-----
-----
-----
[ Keys Available ]
Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select [Space] Change Boot DriveUp
[][
]
Note: *-- Bootable Array
Array No
Array 1
Array 2
Array 3
Array 4

Chapter 3: FastBuild Utility
13
Define Array Definition Menu
Selecting an Array # from the Define Array Menu brings up the Define Array
Definition Menu screen (see Figure 6 below).
You must first assign the type of RAID Level you want. In the Define Array
Definition Menu section, use the Spacebar to cycle through array types: RAID 0
(Striping), RAID 1 (Mirroring), RAID 5 (Data/Parity Striping). See for more
information.
Note
Promise recommends the use of identical drives when
creating a new array for best results.
Figure 6. Define Array Definition Menu screen
Gigabyte Boundary
The Gigabyte Boundary feature is designed for fault tolerant arrays (RAID 1, 0+1
and 5) in which a drive has failed and the user cannot replace the drive with the
same capacity or larger. Instead, the Gigabyte Boundary feature permits the
installation of a replacement drive that is slightly smaller (within 1 gigabyte) than
the remaining working drive (for example, a 20.5 GB drive would be rounded
down to 20 GB). This can be helpful in the event that a drive fails and an exact
replacement model is no longer available.
Warning
Without this feature enabled, FastTrak SX4000 will not permit
the use of a replacement drive that is slightly smaller than the
remaining working drive.
For the Gigabyte Boundary feature to work, the Gigabyte Boundary feature must
be set to ON when the original array is created. When enabled, the Gigabyte
Boundary feature rounds the drive capacity of all drives to the common whole GB
drive size. For example, with the Gigabyte Boundary feature enabled, the
FastBuild Array Utility 1.10 (c) 2001 Promise Technology, Inc.
Array No
Array 1
Stripe Block:
RAID Level
RAID 5
64 KB
Status
Functional
Gigabyte Boundary: ON
[ Keys Available ]
Down [Space] Change Option [ESC] Exit [Ctrl-Y] SaveUp
[][
]
[ Drive Assignments ]
Channel ID
1:Master
2:Master
3:Master
4:Master
Drive Model
MAXTOR87000A8
MAXTOR87000A8
MAXTOR87000A8
MAXTOR87000A8
Capacity (MB)
-----
-----
-----
-----
Assignment
-----
-----
-----
-----
Total Drv
3
[ Define Array Definition Menu ]

FastTrak SX4000 User Manual
14
remaining working drives can be 20.5 GB and the replacement drive can be 20.3,
since all are rounded down to 20GB. This permits the smaller drive to be used.
Please note that users will lose a small amount of available storage capacity from
each drive in order to arrive at a common drive size.
Creating a RAID 0 Array
In the Define Array Definition Menu section (see Figure 6), use the Spacebar to
cycle through array types and select RAID 0 for RAID Level. You will be joining
the drives you assign to this array together and splitting (or striping) data writes
among the members of the array. Each member of such an array will no longer
be readable as an independent drive if removed from the array. The capacity of
the array will equal the capacity of the smallest drive multiplied by the number of
drives within the array.
Changing Stripe Block Size
For RAID 0 arrays, FastTrak SX4000 will allow you to change the stripe block
size. The default is 64K. However, certain application environments may perform
optimally with different block size. To change the block size, use the Arrow keys
to highlight the field and the Spacebar to cycle through the available size
selections (16, 32 or 64K).
Note
You cannot change the block size after the array has been
created.
Assigning Drives to a RAID 0 Array
Under the Drive Assignments section, highlight a drive and, with the Spacebar,
change the Assignment option to Y to add the drive to the disk array. Press Ctrl-Y
to save the disk array information. The initial Define Array Menu screen will
appear after you have pressed Ctrl-Y. You will see the array defined. You may
select another Array number to define or you may ESC to exit and return to the
Main Menu of FastBuild.
Setting the Gigabyte Boundary
For RAID 0 arrays, FastTrak SX4000 sets the Gigabyte Boundary to OFF.