Promise FastTrak SX4000 Lite User manual

FastTrak
SX4000Lite
QuickStartGuide
Version 3.4

FastTrak SX4000 Lite
2
Copyright
© 2003, 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.
Contents
Step 1: Unpack Your FastTrak Card ................................................................... 3
Step 2: Memory Module Test .............................................................................. 4
Step 3: Install the FastTrak Card......................................................................... 5
Step 4: Install the Hard Drives............................................................................. 6
Step 5: Create Your Disk Array ........................................................................... 8
Step 6: Install Software Drivers ......................................................................... 11

Quick Start Guide
3
Step 1: Unpack Your FastTrak Card
When you receive the FastTrak SX4000 Lite, the package should contain the
items listed below:
• FastTrak SX4000 Lite Controller Card
• Quick Start Guide
• FastTrak SX4000 Lite driver diskette
• Four Internal 18 inch (46 cm) Ultra ATA, 80-wire/40-pin hard drive
cables
• Two Y-cable power splitters
• CD with Drivers, Promise Array Management (PAM) utility, PAM User
Manual and FastTrak S150 SX4 / SX4000 / SX4000 Lite User Manual
If any of the items are missing or appear damaged, please contact your dealer
or distributor immediately.
Note
The Promise card is a PCI Plug-n-Play (PnP) device. No
changes are necessary in the motherboard CMOS/BIOS Setup
for resources or drive types in most applications.
Warning
Before installing the adapter into an existing system, backup any
important or useful data. Failure to follow this accepted PC
practice could result in data loss.
Warning
The FastTrak card, like other parts of your system, is subject to
damage by static electricity. Be sure that you’re properly
grounded (Promise Technology recommends that you wear an
anti-static strap or touch a grounded object) and that you unplug
your system before installing FastTrak.

FastTrak SX4000 Lite
4
Step 2: Memory Module Test
The FastTrak SX4000 Lite RAID Controller card ships without a Dual Inline
Memory Module (DIMM) for Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
(SDRAM). A DIMM of 64 MB to 256 MB capacity must be installed in order for
the FastTrak Card to function.
The DIMM you select must pass a test prepared by Promise Technology to
verify that your DIMM is fully compatible with the FastTrak card. An incompatible
DIMM can appear to work properly, only to experience unexpected errors that
may result in data loss or controller malfunction.
Promise recommends testing for all DIMMs being used in a FastTrak controller,
including those from the above list. Follow this procedure to verify your DIMM's
compatibility with your FastTrak RAID Controller card.
1. Prepare a DOS Boot diskette.
2. Copy the Promise Test Utility files to a second diskette.
3. Install your SDRAM DIMM into the Cache Memory socket of the FastTrak
card.
4. Plug in FastTrak card into a PCI slot on a desktop PC or server.
5. Boot the PC with the DOS Boot diskette.
6. Remove the DOS Boot diskette and insert the diskette with the Promise
Test Utility files.
7. At the DOS prompt, type memtest and press Enter. The test begins.
• If the DIMM is OK, the program will show a PASS message similar to
the one below:
Promise Memory Test Utility V1.3
05/24/2003 18:07:50
Controller Type ................. : FastTrak
SX4000
Memory Speed .................... : 100MHz
Memory Size ..................... : 128MB
Memory Type ..................... : Non-ECC
Memory Test Result ( HOST ) ..... : PASS
Memory Test Result ( HDMA ) ..... : PASS
Memory Test Result ( XOR ) ..... : PASS
The PASS message means you can use the DIMM that is currently
installed.
• If there is any error, the program will stop and return to DOS and show
error message. Do not use the DIMM.
• If the program halts for more than 20 seconds, there may be an error.
Check the FastTrak card, DIMM, and your system BIOS. Then run the
test again.

Quick Start Guide
5
Step 3: Install the FastTrak Card
The FastTrak RAID Controller card fits into any available:
• 33-MHz, 32-bit PCI slot (must be PCI 2.2 compliant)
• The 33-MHz, 32-bit portion of a 64-bit PCI slot
on the PC’s motherboard (see Figure 1 below).
1. Remove the cover of your system.
2. Remove the inside slot cover of an available 33-MHz, 32-bit PCI slot on the
motherboard.
3. Install the FastTrak card into the open slot (see Figure 1 below). Secure the
bracket to the system’s frame.
4. Attach your system case’s 2- or 4-pin LED cable to the LED connector on
the FastTrak card (see Figures 2 and 3, below). Make sure that pin 1 on the
connector is aligned with pin 1 of the cable.
5. Fasten the FastTrak card bracket to the system case (see below).
Figure 1. Insert the FastTrak card into an open PCI slot.

FastTrak SX4000 Lite
6
Step 4: Install the Hard Drives
Important
If you wish to include your current bootable Serial ATA drive
using the Windows XP operating system as part of a bootable
Mirrored (RAID 1) array on your FastTrak card, do NOT connect
the hard drive to the FastTrak yet.
You MUST install the Windows XP driver software first onto this
drive while it is still attached to your existing hard drive controller.
The FastTrak SX4000 Lite RAID Controller card supports only (Parallel) ATA
hard drives.
If you are striping (RAID 0) for performance, use up to four new drives. If
mirroring (RAID 1) 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). If you are planning a RAID 5 array, use three or four
new drives.
1. Set your hard drives to Master, Cable-Select or Single (depending on drive
specification).
2. Install the hard drives into the hard drive bays of your system.
Caution
Use of removable hard drive enclosures other than Promise
Technology’s SuperSwap is not supported and may result in
performance loss or other undesired results.
3. Attach the black end of the Ultra ATA cable to each hard drive. Then attach
the blue end to the ATA connectors on the FastTrak card (see Figure 2,
below).

Quick Start Guide
7
SX4000 Lite
FastTRAK
11
1 1
J1
Figure 2. FastTrak SX4000 Lite card.
4. Attach the Y-cable power splitters to each of the hard drives.
Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Buzzer LED Pins
Cache Memory Socket SDRAM DIMM
(Not included.
See Step 2)

FastTrak SX4000 Lite
8
Step 5: Create Your Disk Array
You will now use the onboard FastBuild BIOS utility to create your first array
using the attached drives. For an explanation of the array options, see Chapter 3
of the FastTrak S150 SX4 / SX4000 / SX4000 Lite User Manual.
Important
Even if you plan to use the Promise Array Management Utility to
manage your array, you must still create your first array using
the FastBuild Utility, as described here.
1. Boot your system. If this is the first time you have booted with the FastTrak
card and drives installed, the Promise onboard BIOS will display the
following screen.
FastTrak S150 SX4 (tm) BIOS Version 1.10.02
(c) 2002 Promise Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.
Installed DIMM Size: 128 MB
No Array is defined...
Press <Ctrl-F> to enter FastBuild (tm) Utility...
Press <ESC> to continue booting...
<
2. Press the Ctrl-F keys to display the FastBuild Utility Main Menu (below).
FastBuild Array Utility 2.xx (c) 2002-2005 Promise Technology, Inc.
[ Main Menu ]
View Drive Assignments .......[ 1 ]
View/Define Array.............[ 2 ]
Delete Array..................[ 3 ]
Controller Configuration......[ 4 ]
Press 1..4 to Select Option [ESC]..Exit
[ Keys Available ]
3. Press 2 on the Main Menu screen to display, the Define Array Menu
appears (below).

Quick Start Guide
9
FastBuild Array Utility 2.xx (c) 2002-2005 Promise Technology, Inc.
[ Define Array Menu ]
[ Keys Available ]
Array No RAID Level Total Drv Capacity (MB) Status
Array 1 ----- ----- ----- -----
Array 2 ----- ----- ----- -----
Array 3 ----- ----- ----- -----
Array 4 ----- ---- ----- -----
Note: * --Bootable Array
[ ] Up [ ] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select [Space] Change Boot Drive
4. Press the arrow keys to highlight an array number you wish to define and
press Enter to select it. The Define Array Definition Menu will next appear
(below).
FastBuild Array Utility 2.xx (c) 2002-2005 Promise Technology, Inc.
[ Define Array Definition Menu ]
Array No RAID Level Total Drv Status
Array 1 RAID 5 3 Functional
Stripe Block: 64 KB Initialize Array: ON Gigabyte Boundary: ON
[ Drive Assignments ]
Channel ID Drive Model Capacity (MB) Assignment
1: SEAGATEST380023AS 80630 Array 1
2: SEAGATEST380023AS 80630 Array 1
3: SEAGATEST380023AS 80630 Array 1
4: SEAGATEST380023AS 80630 Free
[ Keys Available ]
[ ] Up [ ] Down [Space] Change Option [ESC] Exit [Ctrl-Y] Save
5. Choose the RAID Level you want. In the Define Array Definition Menu
section, press the Spacebar to cycle through array types:
•RAID 0 (Striping)
•RAID 1 (Mirroring)
•RAID 0+1 (Striping / Mirroring)
•RAID 5 (Data / Parity Striping)
•JBOD (Single Drive)

FastTrak SX4000 Lite
10
6. Press the arrow keys to move to the next option. Option choices depend on
the RAID Level you selected.
•Initialize Array, zero the disk drives. RAID 5 only.
•Stripe Block Size, the default 64KB is best for most applications.
•Gigabyte Boundary, allows use of slightly smaller replacement drives.
7. Press the arrow keys to move to Disk Assignments. Press the spacebar to
toggle between N and Y for each available drive.
Assign the appropriate number of disk drives to your array. Refer to the
chart below:
Level Number of Drives
RAID 0 2, 3 or 4
RAID 1 2 only
RAID 0+1 4 only
RAID 5 3 or 4
JBOD 1, 2, 3 or 4
A disk drive that is not assigned to an array will automatically function as a
Hot Spare Drive.
8. Press Ctrl-Y to save your array configuration.
9. Press Esc to exit to the Main Menu. Press Esc again to exit the Utility.
10. Press Y to confirm the new array and restart the computer.
You have successfully created a new RAID array.
Important
You must be partition and format your new array before you can
use it. Use the same method of partitioning and formatting on an
array as you would any other fixed disk added to your computer
system.
.

Quick Start Guide
11
Step 6: Install Software Drivers
Drivers for the Windows operating systems are included on the software CD and
driver diskette that came with your FastTrak SX4000 Lite Controller. Please
download the latest drivers from the Promise website at www.promise.com.
Windows systems usually recognize the FastTrak Controller, prompt you for the CD
or diskette and perform the driver installation automatically.
If you are installing the FastTrak Controller at the same time as your operating
system or you prefer to read step-by-step directions, see Chapter 4 of the FastTrak
S150 SX4 / SX4000 / SX4000 Lite User Manual on the software CD.
Drivers and installation instructions for other Operating Systems are downloadable
from the Promise website at www.promise.com.