Promise FAST TRAK100TM User manual

User Manual

TM

Copyright
Copyright by Promise Technology, Inc. (“Promise”), 2000. No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the
expressed, written permission of Promise.
Trademarks
All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Important data protection information
You should back up all data before installing any drive controller or storage
peripheral. Promise is not responsible for any loss of data resulting from
the use, disuseor misuse of this or any other Promise product.
Notice
Although Promise 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, Inc.
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 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 reserves the right to make changes in the product design,
layout, and driver revisions without notification to its users.

FastTrak100 User Manual
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................1
WHAT IS THE FASTTRAK100 RAID CARD?..........................................................1
KEYS FEATURESANDBENEFITS.........................................................................3
GETTING STARTED.......................................................................................6
UNPACKING YOUR FASTTRAK100......................................................................6
INSTALLING THECARD.....................................................................................7
INSTALLING THEHARD DRIVES...........................................................................8
CHECKINGCMOS SETTINGS...........................................................................10
CREATINGYOUR DISKARRAY .........................................................................11
USING FASTBUILD™ CONFIGURATION UTILITY...........................................17
VIEWING FASTTRAK100 BIOS SCREEN.............................................................17
NAVIGATING THE FASTBUILD™ SETUP MENU.......................................................18
CREATINGARRAYS AUTOMATICALLY................................................................19
VIEWING DRIVE ASSIGNMENTS .........................................................................21
MANUALLY CREATING AN ARRAY ....................................................................22
DELETINGAN ARRAY.....................................................................................28
REBUILDING A MIRRORED ARRAY.....................................................................30
VIEWING CONTROLLERSETTINGS......................................................................32
INSTALLING DRIVERS.................................................................................34
WINDOWS2000 ...........................................................................................34
MICROSOFT MILLENNIUM.................................................................................36
WINDOWS95/98..........................................................................................38
DOS/WINDOWS 3.1X....................................................................................41
WINDOWSNT4 ............................................................................................42
USING THE FASTCHECK™ MONITORING UTILITY.........................................44
INSTALLING FASTCHECK ................................................................................44
RUNNING FASTCHECK ....................................................................................45
CLOSING FASTCHECK ....................................................................................45
USING FASTCHECK ARRAY WINDOW ................................................................46
SYNCHRONIZINGAN ARRAY............................................................................50
REBUILDING AN ARRAY..................................................................................52
USING CONTROLLER WINDOW .........................................................................55
USING OPTIONSWINDOW ...............................................................................58
UNDERSTANDING DISK ARRAY CONCEPTS................................................65
ABOUT FASTTRAK100 DISK ARRAY ADAPTER....................................................65
ABOUT ADAPTERBIOS..................................................................................65
FASTBUILD™ AUTO MENU SETUP .....................................................................65
RESERVEDSECTOR.......................................................................................65

FastTrak100 User Manual
DISKARRAY TERMS ......................................................................................66
ABOUT RAID LEVELS....................................................................................67
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS.......................................................................71
MOTHERBOARDISSUES..................................................................................71
SYSTEM CMOS ISSUES.................................................................................72
DRIVE-RELATEDERRORS ...............................................................................72
OPERATING SYSTEM-RELATED ERRORS.............................................................76
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ..............................................................81
PRE-INSTALLATION .......................................................................................81
DRIVE ISSUES ..............................................................................................83
INSTALLATION ISSUES....................................................................................84
POST-INSTALLATION .....................................................................................85
Contacting Promise Support........................................................... APPENDIX A
Limited Warranty........................................................................... APPENDIX B
Returning Product For Repair.......................................................... APPENDIX C

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1
Introduction
Thank you for your recent purchase.The PC which you are using either already
contains a Promise TechnologyFastTrak100 RAID card installed by a third-party
or you have acquired a FastTrak100 retail box for your existing PC and will be
installing the card yourself.
For PC owners wishing to install their Promise TechnologyFastTrak100, proceed
to the Getting Started section (see page 6).
For PCs with a Promise TechnologyFastTrak100 card already installed, consult
the Troubleshooting section of the manual (see page 71) if you are experiencing
any difficulties with the hard drive being recognized by the card. If your operating
system has crashed for some reason or you have downloaded updated drivers from
the Promise website (www.promise.com), you may wish to reinstall software
drivers for the FastTrak100 card. Use the Installing Drivers section (see page 34).
What is the FastTrak100 RAID Card?
Promise designed its FastTrak100 card to provide a cost-effective, high
performance RAID card that adds performance and/or reliability to PC desktops
and/or servers using Ultra ATA/100, Ultra ATA/66, Ultra ATA/33 or EIDE drives.
FastTrak100 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
performance. Mirroring increases read performance through load balancing and
elevator seek 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 FastTrak100 striped array can double the sustained data transfer rate of Ultra
ATA/100 drives. FastTrak100 fully supports Ultra ATA/100 specification of up to
100 MB/sec per drive, depending on individual drive specifications.
FastTrak100 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. FastTrak100 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, FastTrak100 uses the mirrored drive (which contains identical
data) to assume all data handling. When a new replacement drive is later installed,
FastTrak100 rebuilds data to the new drive from the mirrored drive to restore fault
tolerance.

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2
FastTrak100'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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3
Keys Features and Benefits
The following information offers an overview of the major features of your new
Promise FastTrak100. It is divided into two areas: Advanced Hardware Design, and
Compatibility.
Advanced Hardware Design
Features Benefits
Supports data striping (RAID 0), mirroring
(RAID 1), and striping/mirroring
combination (RAID 0+1)
Providesdramatic increase in drive
performance and/or fault tolerant options.
Offers performance customization and
data rebuilds from the BIOS menu.
Supports Ultra DMA 5/4/3/2/1/0,
DMA 2/1/0 Burst data transfer rates up to 100MB/sec from Ultra ATA/100 drives to boost overall
system performance.
PCI Plug-n-Play, PCI Interrupt sharing and
coexistswith mainboard IDE controllers Easy to install; support four ATA drives on the FastTrak100 while still supporting 4
devices on motherboard ATA controller.
Supports concurrent dual IDE controller
operation Drive workload is distributed in parallel between members of the array.
Supports IDE bus master operation
Allows multiasking during disk transfers
which increase CPU efficiency. The CPU
is free to process tasks during IDE data
transfers through the PCI Bus to/from
system memory.
Utilizes FastBuildTMautomenu from the
FastTrak100 onboard BIOS 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.
Displays status and error checking
messages during bootup
Notifies user of possible errors and allows
for recovery of mirrored drive arrays directly
from FastBuildTM .
Employs the latest Promise PCI
Ultra ATA/100 ASIC technology.
Fully supports Ultra ATA/100 specifications
with 100 MB/sec timing and CRC error-
checking at high speeds.
Mirroring supports automatic background
rebuilds
Fault tolerance can be restored
automatically without rebooting

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4
Compatibility
Features Benefits
Complies with PCI v2.1 Local Bus
standard Provides highest level of hardware compatibility.
Compliant with PCI IDE Bus Master
standard. PCI IDE Bus Master support for
Windows 98/95, Windows NT 3.5x, 4.0
Provides 32-bit I/O, IDE Bus Master, and
Ultra ATA performance for optimal system
performance.
Tested compatiblity to coexist with
Mainboards that have integrated IDE
controllers
Improves system performance of new and
existing installations including
mainboards with Intel chipsets.
Compatible with Ultra ATA/100, Ultra
ATA/66, Ultra ATA/33, EIDE and Fast ATA-2
drives supporting multi-word DMA
Works with newest and current IDE drive
specifications. Promise engineers
experienced with IDE devices perform
verification testing with major drive
manufacturers and development partners.
Features LBA and Extended Interrupt13h
drive translation in controller onboard
BIOS
Breaks capacity barriers for support of
drives greater than 8.4GB in capacity.
Offers flexible storage options for space
demanding applications.

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5
NOTES

FastTrak100 User Manual
6
Getting Started
This section is designed to get you started for installation of your FastTrak100.
Unpacking Your FastTrak100
When you receive the FastTrak100, the package should contain the items listed
below:
•FastTrak100 Ultra ATA/100 RAID Card
•FastTrak100 User’s Manual
•Registration Card
•FastTrak100 Driver floppy diskette, utility diskette
•Two Internal 80-wire/40-pin Ultra ATA/100 hard drive cables (18” length)
If ANY of the contents are missing or appear to be damaged, please contact your
dealer or distributor immediately.
WARNING: Before installing the adapter into an existing system,
backup any necessary data. Failure to follow this accepted PC
practice could result in data loss.
NOTE: FastTrak100, like every other valuable part of your system, is subject to
static electricity. Be sure that you’re properly grounded (Promise recommends that
you wear an anti-static strap, or touch a grounded object), and that your system is
unplugged before installing FastTrak100.

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7
Installing The Card
Installing the FastTrak100 controller card in a system is a simple process. The
card fits into any available 32-bit PCI slot on the system’s motherboard (see figure
below).
1. Remove the cover of your system.
2. Remove the inside slot cover of an available 32-bit PCI slot on the motherboard.
3. Install the FastTrak100 controller card into the open slot (see Figure 1 below).
4. Attach your system case’s 2-or 4-pin LED cable to the LED connector on the
FastTrak100 controller card (see figure next page). Make sure that pin 1 on the
connector is aligned with pin 1 of the cable.
5. Fasten the controller card bracket to the system case (see below).
Figure 1

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8
Installing The Hard Drives
WARNING: If you wish to include your current bootable drive using
the Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 operating system as part of
a bootable Mirrored (RAID 1) array on your FastTrak100, do NOT
connect the hard drive to the FastTrak100 controller yet. You
MUST install the Windows NT4 or 2000 driver software first (see
page 34) to this drive while it is still attached to your existing hard drive controller.
For all other Operating Systems, proceed here.
Hard drives must be Ultra ATA/100, Ultra ATA/66, Ultra ATA/33, EIDE and/or Fast
ATA-2 compatible to operate with the FastTrak100 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.
1. Promise recommends using identical drives as part of a FastTrak100 array. If
striping for performance, use up to four new drives. If mirroring for protection,
you can use two new drives OR use an existing drive and a new drive (the new
drive must be the same size or larger than the existing drive).
2. Configure the jumpers of the hard drive you’re preparing to connect to the
FastTrak100 using the correct “Master” or “Cable-Select” settings in the
positions described in the table below.
NOTE: Sometimes the Master drive with no slave attached is called “Single.”
The master slave setting differentiates two drives chained on the same
connector.
Jumper Settings
# of Drives IDE Channel 1 IDE Channel 2
1M----
2MM
3M & S M
4M & S M & S
M = Master, S = Slave
3. Install the hard drives into the hard drive bays of your system, including the
power cables.

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9
4. Attach one Ultra ATA cable to each hard drive. Then attach one cable to each
of the IDE connectors on the FastTrak100 controller card. The colored edge of
the cable(s) indicates pin 1 (see below), and the blue cable connector must be
attached to the FastTrak100 or Ultra100 ATA connector.
NOTE: You must use an 80-wire, 40-pin cable when connecting an
Ultra ATA/100 hard drive to the FastTrak100 controller card. The
FastTrak100 package contains two 80-wire, 40-pin cables.

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10
Checking CMOS Settings
No changes are necessary in the Mainboard CMOS Setup for resources or drive
types. Since FastTrak100 is a PCI Plug-n-Play (PnP) device, the Interrupt and Port
address resources are automatically assigned by the Mainboard’s PCI PnP BIOS.
The FastTrak100 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
FastTrak100 card can be set for the same IRQ as other PCI cards that support PCI
interrupt sharing.
For the FastTrak100 to be the bootable IDE controller, confirm in the mainboard’s
Standard CMOS Setup that the drive types (for hard disk drives) are set for
“Unknown Device” or “Not Installed” (see below). If there is a “Hard-Disk Drive
Sequence,” place the FastTrak controller as the second choice in searching for a
bootable device. No changes are needed for CD-ROM drives that are attached to
the mainboard IDE controller.
Processor ID: MHz
Cache: BIOS version: xxx ServerTag: xxxxx
System Time 18:50:37
System Date Tue May 02, 2000
Diskette Drive A: 3.5 inch, 1.44 MB
Diskette Drive B: Not Installed
Primary Drive 0 Unknown Device
Primary Drive 1 Unknown Device
Secondary Drive 0 CD-ROM Reader
Secondary Drive 1 Unknown Device
Hard-Disk Drive Sequence <ENTER>
Boot Sequence <ENTER>

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11
Creating Your Disk Array
You will now use the onboard FastBuild BIOS utility to create your array using the
attached drives. There are three different scenarios in creating this array. You can
create an array for performance, you can create a Security array using new hard
drives (recommended), or you can create a Security array using an existing hard
drive and a new hard drive.
WARNING: If creating a Security array using an existing hard drive,
backup any necessary data. Failure to follow this accepted PC
practice could result in data loss.
1. Boot your system. If this is the first time you have booted with the FastTrak100
card and drives installed, the Promise onboard BIOS will display the following
screen.
FastTrak100 (tm) BIOS Version 1.xx (Build xxxx)
(c)1995-2000 Promise Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No array defined . . .
Press <Ctrl-F> to enter FastBuild (tm) Utility
Or press <ESC> key to continue booting the system.
2. Press <Ctrl-F> keys to display the FastBuild (tm) Utility Main Menu
3. Press “1” to display the Auto Setup Menu below. This is the fastest and
easiest method to creating your first array.
FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-2000 PromiseTechnology, Inc.
[Auto Setup Options Menu]
Optimize Array for: Performance
Typical Application usage: A/V Editing
[ Auto Setup Configuration ]
Mode..................................................Stripe
Drives used in Array................................2
Array Disk Capacity .........................16126
[ Keys Available ]
[↑] Up [↓] Down [←, →, Space] Change Option [ESC] Exit [Ctrl-Y] Save

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12
NOTE: If you wish to customize certain settings at a later time, you may do so by
manually creating your array (see page 15 Using FastBuild Configuration Utility).

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13
Creating an Array for Performance
NOTE: FastTrak100 allows users to create striped arrays with 1, 2, 3, or 4 drives.
To create an array for best performance, follow these steps:
1. Using the Spacebar, choose “Performance” under the Optimize Array for
section.
2. Select how you will use your PC most under the Typical Application usage
section The choices are A/V Editing, Server, and Desktop (the default).
3. Press <Ctrl-Y> keys to Save and create the array.
4. Reboot your system.
5. Once the array has been created, you will need to FDISK and format the array
as if it were a new single hard drive.
6. Proceed to Installing Drivers section of the manual (see page 34).
Creating a Security Array With New Drives
NOTE: FastTrak100 permits only two drives to be used for a single Mirrored array
in Auto Setup. If more drives are physically attached to the card, the Mirroring
option will not be available at all in Auto Setup.
To create an array for data protection using new hard drives, follow these steps:
1. Using the Spacebar, choose “Security” under the Optimize Array for section.
2. Press <Ctrl-Y> keys to Save your selection.
3. The window below will appear.
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another? (Yes/No)
Y -Create and Duplicate
N -Create Only
4. Press “N” for the Create Only option.
5. A window will appear almost immediately confirming that your Security array
has been created. Press any key to reboot the system
Array has been created.
<Press Any Key to Reboot>
6. Proceed with normal FDISK and format procedures as if you had just installed
a new hard drive.
7. Once the arrayed drives have been formatted, proceed to the Installing Driver
chapter on page 34 to install your operating system and/or FastTrak100 driver.

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14
Creating a Security Array With An Existing Data Drive
NOTE: FastTrak100 permits only two drives to be used for a single Mirrored array
in Auto Setup. If more drives are physically attached to the card, the Mirroring
option will not be available.
You would use this method if you wish to use a drive that already contains data
and/or is the bootable system drive in your system. You will need another drive of
identical or larger storage capacity.
WARNING: Backup any necessary data before proceeding. Failure
to follow this accepted PC practice could result in data loss.
WARNING: If you wish to include your current bootable drive using
the Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 operating system as part of
a bootable Mirrored (RAID 1) array on your FastTrak100, do NOT
connect the hard drive to the FastTrak100 controller yet. You
MUST install the Windows NT4.0 or 2000 driver software first (see
page 34) to this drive while it is still attached to your existing hard drive controller.
For all other Operating Systems, proceed here.
Follow these steps:
1. Using the Spacebar, choose “Security” under the Optimize Array for section.
2. Press <Ctrl-Y> keys to Save your selection. The window below will appear.
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another? (Yes/No)
Y -Createand Duplicate
N -Create Only
3. Press “Y” for the Create and Duplicate option. The window below will appear
asking you to select the Source drive to use. FastBuild will copy all data from
the Source drive to the Target drive.
Source Disk
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)
Target Disk
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)
[Please Select A Source Disk]
Channel:ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)
1 :Master QUANTUMCR8.4A 8063
2 :Master QUANTUMCR8.4A 8063
[↑] Up [↓] [ESC] Exit [Ctrl-Y] Save

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4. Use the arrow keys to choose which drive contains the existing data to be
copied.
5. Press [Ctrl-Y] keys to Save selection and start duplication. The following
progress screen will appear.
Start to duplicate the image . . .
Do you want to continue? (Yes/No)
Y –Continue N -Abort
6. Select “Y” to continue. If you choose “N” , you will be returned to step 1.
7. Once complete, the following screen will appear confirming that your Security
array has been created. Press any key to reboot the system
Array has been created.
<Press Any Key to Reboot>
8. Proceed to the Installing Driverchapter on page 34to install the FastTrak100
driver and/or operating system.

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NOTES