Promise FastTRAK66 User manual

User manual
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Manual de l’utilisateur
Manual di consultazione
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User manual
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Cover 5 talen 27-07-1999 15:20 Pagina 1

Copyright
Copyright by PromiseTechnology, Inc. 1999. All rights reserved. No part of
this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the
expressed written permission of Promise Technology, Inc.
Promise Technology is not liable for any errors contained herein or incidental
or consequential damages in connection with furnishing this material.
The published material in this manual is subject to change without notice.
Promise reserves the right to make changes in the product design, layout, and
driver revisions without notification to its users.
Trademarks
All trademarks are properties of their respective holders.
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RADIOFREQUENCYINTERFERENCESTATEMENT
Each FastTrak66 Ultra ATA/66 RAID card is equipped with an FCC com-
pliance label and shows an FCC identification number. The full text of the
associated label is:
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to the FastTrak66 not expressly
approved by PROMISE TECHNOLOGY, INC. could void the user’s aut-
hority to operate this equipment.
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 recep-
tion, 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 interfe-
rence, 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.
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction 5
What is the FastTrak/FastTrak66 RAID Card? 5
Key Features and Benefits 6
2 Getting Started 9
Unpacking Your FastTrak66 9
Quick Installation 10
3 Hardware Installation 13
Install the FastTrak66 Card 13
Set IDE Drive Jumper Settinngs 13
Attaching Drives to Connectors 13
Drive Attachment Order by Connector 14
Installation Scenarios 14
4 FastBuild™ Configuration Setup 17
BIOS Startup Screen 17
FastBuildTM SetupMenu Navigation 17
Main Menu 18
Auto Setup 19
View Drive Assignments 21
Define Array 21
Delete Array Menu 26
Rebuild Array 27
Controller Configuration 29
5 FastCheckTM Win 95/98/NT Monitoring Utility 31
Installation 31
Running FastCheck 32
FastCheck Monitoring Utility Main Screen 33
Array Window 33
Array Synchronization 35
Array Rebuild 37
Rebuild Wizard 38
Controller Window 40
Options Window 42
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Table of Contents
6 Understanding Disk Array Concepts 45
Disk Array Adapter 45
Adapter BIOS 45
FastBuild™ Auto Menu Setup 45
Reserved Sector 45
Disk Array Terms 46
Supported Disk Array Types 47
7 Operating System Installation 51
DOS 51
Microsoft Windows 3.1x 52
Windows 95/98 Driver 52
Windows NT 3.5x & NT 4.0 53
Installing Driver in Existing Windows NT System 53
Removing Driver From Windows NT 3.5x 54
Installing in Existing Windows NT 4.x System 54
Removing Driver From Windows NT 4.x 55
8 Troubleshooting & Tips 57
Troubleshooting 57
Tips for Audio/Video Editing 60
Appendices
A Frequently Asked Questions 63
Pre-Installation (Speed, Device Types, Capacity, Cabling) 63
Installation Issues
(NT, I2O Drivers, Capacity, Booting, IRQ Settings) 66
Post-Installation
(Power Up, BIOS , Memory, Caching, Booting) 67
B Contacting Technical Support 69
C Warranty Information 71
Limited Warranty 71
Disclaimer of Other Warranties 71
D Returning a Product for Repair 73
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Congratulations on choosing Promise Technology's innovative FastTrak66
Ultra ATA/66 RAID card for IBM PC compatible systems. This card is
designed to boost sustained transfer rates and/or provide fault tolerance for the
latest Ultra ATA/66 hard drives, while being backward-compatible with Ultra
ATA/33, Enhanced IDE, and Fast ATA-2 high performance hard disk drives.
What is the FastTrak66 RAID Card?
Promise designed its FastTrak66 card to provide a cost-effective, high perfor-
mance RAID card that adds performance and/or reliability to PC desktops
and/or servers using Ultra ATA/66, Ultra ATA/33, or EIDE drives.
FastTrak66 supports striping (RAID 0), mirroring (RAID 1), striping/-
mirroring (RAID 0+1), or spanning (JBOD) operation , respectively. With
striping, identical drives can read and write data in parallel to increase perfor-
mance. Mirroring increases read performance through load balancing and
elevator sorting while creating a complete backup of your files. Striping with
mirroring offers both high read/write performance and error tolerance.
Spanning uses the full capacity of all attached drives without requiring
identical drive size, but offers no other RAID functionality.
A FastTrak66 striped array can double the sustained data transfer rate of Ultra
ATA/66 drives. FastTrak66 fully supports Ultra ATA/66 specification of up to
66 MB/sec per drive, depending on individual drive specifications.
FastTrak66 also offers fault tolerant, data redundancy for entry-level network
file servers or simply for desktop PC users wanting to continually protect
valuable data on their PC. FastTrak66 offers RAID 1 mirroring (for two drives)
and RAID 0+1 mirroring and striping (for four drives) to protect data. Should
a drive that is part of a mirrored array fail, FastTrak66 uses the mirrored drive
(which contains identical data) to assume all data handling. When a new
replacement drive is later installed, FastTrak66 rebuilds data to the new drive
from the mirrored drive to restore fault tolerance.
FastTrak66's bootable BIOS supports individual drives larger than 8.4GB.
With FAT32 and NTFS partitioning, the array can be addressed as one large
single volume.
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Introduction
Key Features and Benefits
The following information offers an overview of the major features of your
new Promise FastTrak. It is divided into two areas: Advanced Hardware
Design, and Compatibility.
6
Advanced Hardware Design
Features
Supports data striping (RAID 0), mirroring
(RAID 1), and striping/ mirroring combina-
tion (RAID 0+1)
Supports Ultra DMA 4/3/2/1/0, DMA 2/1/0
PCI Plug-n-Play, PCI Interrupt sharing and
coexists with mainboard IDE controllers
Supports concurrent dual IDE controller ope-
ration
Supports IDE bus master operation
Utilizes FastBuild™ automenu from the
FastTrak66 onboard BIOS
Displays status and error checking messages
during bootup
Employs the latest Promise PCI Ultra
ATA/66 ASIC technology.
Mirroring supports automatic background
rebuilds
Benefits
Provides dramatic increase in drive perfor-
mance and/or fault tolerant options. Offers
performance customization and data rebuilds
from the BIOS menu.
Burst data transfer rates up to 66MB/sec
from Ultra ATA/66 drives to boost overall
system performance.
Easy to install; support four IDE drives on
the FastTrak66 while still supporting 4 IDE
devices on the mainboard IDE controllers.
Drive workload is distributed in parallel
between members of the array.
Allows multiasking during disk transfers
which increase CPU efficiency. The CPU is
free to process tasks during IDE data transf-
ers through the PCI Bus to/from system
memory.
Offers pre-set application specific settings
which can be optimized for Desktop, Server,
or A/V Editing. Has "Auto Setup" option for
quick and easy array builds.
Notifies user of possible errors and allows for
recovery of mirrored drive arrays directly
from FastBuildTM .
Fully supports Ultra ATA/66 specifications
with 66MB/sec timing and CRC error-chec-
king at high drive speeds.
Fault tolerance can be restored automatically
without rebooting.
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Introduction
7
Features
Complies with PCI v2.1 Local Bus standard
Compliant with PCI IDE Bus Master stan-
dard. PCI IDE Bus Master support for
Windows95, Windows NT 3.5x, 4.0
Tested compatiblity to coexist with
Mainboards that have integrated IDE control-
lers
Compatible with Ultra ATA/66, Ultra
ATA/33, EIDE and Fast ATA-2 drives sup-
porting multi-word DMA
Features LBA and Extended Interrupt13
drive translation in controller onboard BIOS
Benefits
Provides highest level of hardware compati-
bility.
Provides 32-bit I/O, IDE Bus Master, and
Ultra ATA performance for optimal system
performance.
Improves system performance of new and
existing installations including mainboards
with Intel chipsets.
Works with newest and current IDE drive
specifications. Promise engineers experien-
ced with IDE devices perform verification
testing with major drive manufacturers and
development partners.
Breaks capacity barriers for support of drives
greater than 8.4GB in capacity. Offers flexi-
ble storage options for space demanding
applications.
Compatibility
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Chapter 2
Getting Started
This section is designed to get you started for installation of your FastTrak66.
Unpacking Your FastTrak66
When you receive the FastTrak66, the package should contain the items listed
below:
• FastTrak66 Ultra ATA/66 RAID Card
• FastTrak66 User’s Manual
• Registration Card
• FastTrak66 Driver floppy diskette
• Two Internal 80-wire/40-pin Ultra ATA/66 hard drive cables (18” length)
CAUTION IN HANDLING AND INSTALLING!
Before installing the adapter into an existing system, backup any necessary
data. Failure to follow this accepted PC practice could result in data loss.
Power off the system. Be careful when handling the controller. The FastTrak,
like any valuable part of your computer system, is susceptible to static elec-
tricity. Be sure you are well grounded for the installation.
If ANY of the contents are missing or appear to be damaged, please contact
your dealer or distributor immediately.
9
Board Layout
IDE 2 IDE 1
Connectors
First IDE channel IDE1
Second IDE channel IDE2
4-pin LED connector: LED
Pin1PWR, Pin2 GND,
Pin3 GND, Pin4PWR
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Getting Started
Quick Installation
This section is designed to get you started for quick installation of your
FastTrak66.Use drives that are preferably the same model and capacity. NOTE:
If using older IDE drives (less than 300MBs), check with the manufacturer if it
supports Multi-DMA transfers.
[ 1 ] Install FastTrak66 and Drives
Power off the system and ground yourself by
touching exposed metal of the PC chassis.
Connect 18” 80-wire/40-pin cables to the
FastTrak66 and hard disk drives. Make sure the
blue plastic connector is used for the FastTrak66
slots. Attach the darker connectors to the drives.
Note that the colored cable edge indicates Pin 1.
Jumper and install the drives with proper mas-
ter/slave jumper settings recommended by the
drive manufacturer. When 2 drives are attached,
configure each drive as a master (with no slave
attached) and each drive on a separate channel.
Check drive instructions for details on Master &
Slave settings.
Attach the case LED 2-pin or 4-pin cable to the
FastTrak66 4-pin power/ground connector labe-
led LED. Be sure to align pin 1 of the LED cable
to pin 1 of the connector.
Insert and secure the FastTrak66 into an open
PCI slot. Re-check cabling for proper connec-
tion.
10
FastTrak66 Drive Setup
Total Drives IDE1 IDE2
One M ---
Two M M
Three M & S M
Four M & S M & S
LED
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Quick Installation
[ 2 ] Set Mainboard CMOS Setup
No changes are necessary in the Mainboard CMOS Setup for resources or
drive types. Since FastTrak66 is a PCI Plug-n-Play (PnP) device, the Interrupt
and Port address resources are automatically assigned by the Mainboard’s PCI
PnP BIOS.
For the FastTrak66 to be the bootable IDE controller, confirm in the main-
board’s Standard CMOS Setup that the drive types (for hard disk drives) are set
for “Not Installed” or “None”. Or use “Boot to SCSI” option, if this setting is
available in the motherboard’s BIOS. No changes are needed for CD-ROM dri-
ves that are attached to the mainboard IDE controller.
[ 3 ] Configuring FastBuild BIOS Setup
Drives types are identified as “Not Installed” or
“Boot to SCSI” (if available)
During bootup, the FastBuild BIOS appears on the screen and displays BIOS
version information.
1) Press <Ctrl-F> to enter the FastBuild utility.
2) Press <1> for Auto Setup.
• Under the “Optimize Array for” option, choose the “Performance”, “Fault
Tolerance”, or “Capacity”.
• For the “Typical Application Usage” option, select the appropriate setting
with the <Space> key.
See Chapter 4 for details on FastBuild Configuration Setup.
3) Press <Ctrl-Y> to save and “Yes” to save and reboot the system. NOTE: the
disk array will be seen as one physical drive by the operating system.
11
Main Advanced
System Date
System Time
Floppy Options
Primary IDE Master
Primary IDE Slave
Secondary IDE Master
Secondary IDE Slave
Language
Boot Options
Video Mode
Mouse
Base Memory
Extended Memory
Bios Version
Security Exit
Jan 1 1999
09:00:00
Press Enter
Not Installed
Not Installed
Not Installed
Not Installed
English (US)
Press Enter
EGA / VGA
Installed
640KB
31744KB
1.00.00.00
Manual EN 05-08-1999 11:30 Pagina 11

Quick Installation
[ 4 ] Starting the Operating System
See the steps below for a new operating system installation. For other suppor-
ted operating systems, see Chapter 7 for instructions.
1) Boot to Disk 1 of the DOS installation diskettes or manually partition and
format new drives with standard DOS FDISK and FORMAT utilities.
2) Install DOS, Windows, and/or Windows95/98 using the “Setup.exe” utility
found on the Microsoft installation diskettes.
Driver Installation
For DOS and Windows 3.1x: No drivers need to be installed. The FastTrak66
BIOS will provide enhanced operation.
Windows95/98 setup will show a “New Hardware Found” dialog box. Under
versions 4.00.950 and 4.00.950 an “Unknown PCI Device” will be detected.
Under versions 4.00.950 B “PCI RAID Controller” will be displayed.
NOTE: Obtain theWindows95/98 version number as follows: 1) Under the
My Computer icon, click Control Panel; 2) click the System icon. Note the
version number that appears here.
1) In the dialog box, choose “Driver from disk provided by hardware manu
facturer” button. In the a: drive, insert the FastTrak66 utility diskette and
type in “A:\” where prompted for the directory.
2) Select “Promise Technology, Inc. PCI FastTrak66 Driver” and click on
Next. The FastTrak66 driver is now copied onto the system and entered into
the Windows95/98 driver database.
3) When the "System Settings Change" dialog box appears, remove the floppy
diskette and click on “Yes” to restart the system. Windows95/98 will then
restart for the driver installation to take effect.
Confirming Windows95/98 Installation
From Windows95/98, open the Control Panel from My Computer followed by
the System icon. Choose the “Device Manager” tab and click the “+” in front
of the “SCSI Controllers” hardware type. The driver “Promise Technology, Inc.
PCI FastTrak66 Driver” driver should be installed.
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Chapter 3
Hardware Installation
Install the FastTrak66 Card
Insert and secure the FastTrak66 card into a PCI Bus Master slot. There are no
hardware configurable jumpers or settings to change due to the adapter’s Plug-
n-play (PnP) features.
The FastTrak66 system resources including port address, interrupt, and BIOS
address are automatically determined by the system PnP BIOS.
To customize IRQ settings, enter the Mainboard BIOS’s Advanced PCI setup
and follow the manufacturer’s procedures. When the system is limited by IRQ
resources, the FastTrak66 card can be set for the same IRQ as other PCI cards
that support PCI interrupt sharing.
Set IDE Drive Jumper Settings
Drives must be Ultra ATA/66, Ultra ATA/33, EIDE and/or Fast ATA-2 compa-
tible to operate with the FastTrak66 RAID Adapter. For optimal performance,
install all identical drives of the same model and capacity. The drives’matched
performance allows the array to function better as a single drive.
Refer to the drive manufacturer documentation for proper Master / Slave set-
tings. Note that sometimes the Master drive with no slave attached is called
“Single.” The master slave setting differentiates two drives chained on the same
connector.
Attaching Drives to Connectors
Attach drives with the supplied 18” 80-wire/40-pin UltraATA/66 cables. Only
these cables will support data transfers up to 66MB/sec and must be used with
UltraATA/66 drives. Use all available connectors before chaining a slave drive.
This is recommended for better performance since data can be processed in
parallel.
For maximum IDE Fault tolerance, each mirrored pair should be installed on
separate IDE connectors. Drives Attachment Order By Connector
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Hardware Installation
Drives Attachment Order By Connector
The following table shows the order in which drives should be connected to the
FastTrak66 card.
M = Master
S = Slave
Installation Scenarios
Examine the following installation scenarios which may apply to your system.
Then proceed to Chapter 4 which covers operation of the card’s BIOS utility
and array creation.
FastTrak66 coexisting with onboard ATAPI CD-ROM
Do NOT attach ATAPI devices to FastTrak66. FastTrak66 is for hard drives
only.
ATAPI IDE CD-ROM drives or other devices can be installed on Mainboard or
add-on IDE controllers.
No configuration is necessary on the mainboard BIOS setup.
14
Total Drives IDE 1 IDE 2
One M -
Two M M
Three M&S M
Four M&S M&S
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Hardware Installation
FastTrak66 coexisting with hard drives on onboard IDE
controller
The FastTrak66 can coexist with
onboard or add-on IDE control-
ler(s) and hard drives installed.
If the motherboard’s CMOS has a
“boot to SCSI” option, it is possi-
ble to boot from the FastTrak66
and still recognize the onboard
non-bootable drives.
If the motherboard CMOS does
not allow booting to SCSI, the
boot drive must be attached on
the onboard IDE controller
FastTrak66 Coexists with SCSI controller
The FastTrak66 is bootable with a
SCSI controller in the system. The
adapter with the lower BIOS
address will be bootable. If it is
necessary to change the boot
sequence, swap the FastTrak66
PCI slot position with that of the
SCSI card’s PCI slot.
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