Promise VTRAK J300S User manual

VTRAK
J300 S
P RODUCT M ANUAL
Version 1.4

VTrak J300s Product Manual
ii
Copyright
© 2006 Promise Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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.
This version of the User Manual supersedes all previous versions.
Recommendations
In the manual, the appearance of products made by other companies, including,
but not limited to software, servers and disk drives, is for the purpose of
illustration and explanation only. Promise Technology does not recommend,
endorse, prefer or support any product made by another manufacturer.

iii
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Architectural Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
FCC Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Chapter 2: Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Unpack the VTrak J300s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Mount J300s Unit in a Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Install Disk Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Drive Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Set Up Data Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Basic DAS Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Cascading DAS Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Redundant DAS Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Set Up Serial Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Connect the Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Setup CLI Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Chapter 3: Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Front Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Drive Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
I/O Module Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
CLI Command Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Cable Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Enclosure Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Help Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Link Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Route Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Uptime Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
VPDR Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
? Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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Chapter 4: Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Contact Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Returning Product For Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Appendix A: Second I/O Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

1
Chapter 1: Introduction
• About This Manual (below)
• Overview (page 2)
• Architectural Description (page 3)
• Specifications (page 5)
Thank you for purchasing Promise Technology’s VTrak J300s external disk array
subsystem.
About This Manual
This Product Manual describes how to setup, use and maintain the VTrak J300s
external disk subsystem. It also describes how to use the built-in command-line
interface (CLI) software.
This manual includes a full table of contents, index, chapter task lists and
numerous cross-references to help you find the specific information you are
looking for.
Also included are four levels of notices:
Note
A Note provides helpful information such as hints or alternative
ways of doing a task.
Important
An Important calls attention to an essential step or point required
to complete a task. Important items include things often missed.
Caution
A Caution informs you of possible equipment damage or loss of
data and how to avoid them.
Warning
A Warning notifies you of probable equipment damage or loss of
data, or the possibility of physical injury, and how to avoid them.

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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Overview
The Promise VTrak J300s is optimized for organizations deploying cost effective
small to medium application clusters, disk-to-disk backup and midrange storage
solutions.
Figure 1. VTrak J300s front view
The dual 3Gb SAS host interface ports offer the ease of management and
performance required by companies running popular departmental and back-
office applications including file/print, e-mail, database and Web services
Figure 2. VTrak J300s rear view
The three external SAS ports provide the needed connectivity and bandwidth for
large capacity solutions requiring multiple JBOD boxes cascaded together while
still providing dual server support and host port failover or aggregation.
Drive Carrier LEDs
Drive Carriers Power and Status LEDs
O
I
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Cooling Unit 1Power Supply 1
I/O Module 1
Power Supply 2Cooling Unit 2
I/O Module 2

Chapter 1: Introduction
3
Architectural Description
The VTrak J300s packs up to 12 drives per system, offering industry-leading
capacity in just 2U of standard 19 inches of rack space. The J300’s compact form
factor maximizes density, increasing capacity per unit of rack space.
Multiple J300s systems can also be connected to the same server using standard
SAS features to deliver massive storage to capacity hungry applications such as
disk-to-disk backup, media archiving, video surveillance and compliance storage
Promise has designed the J300s chassis to be fully compatible with all future
Promise external storage products. By using the same chassis, drive carriers,
and cooling units, upgrading the RAID controllers and JBOD modules is fast and
simple.
With the VTrak J300s, Promise has dramatically narrowed the gap between
simple fault tolerance and No Single Point of Failure. The VTrak J300s uses a
fully redundant, hot-swap design and continuously monitors all system
components. It can withstand failures to disks, power supplies, cooling and I/O
modules without interrupting system operation.

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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Features and Benefits
Feature Benefit
2U 19-inch wide enclosure Installs easily in any standard rackmount.
Supports Serial Attached SCSI
disk drives Allows you to use the new dual-port SAS disk drives.
Supports Serial ATA disk drives Allows you to use your legacy SATA disk
drives.
Hot-swap feature for drive carriers,
I/O modules, power supplies and
fans
Allows a defective component to be
replaced without interrupting data
accessibility to the host system.
Tool-less field-replaceable units
(FRUs) All FRUs can be replaced without tools, saving time and effort for support personnel.
Complete cable-less design All components easily plug directly into
boards. No cables to complicate setup or
maintenance.
Redundant, hot-swappable cooling
units Load sharing and full operation even with multiple failed fans.
Redundant, hot-swappable power
supplies Load sharing and full operation even with a failed power supply.
Dual, active/active I/O Modules High level of availability even with a failed
I/O module.
Two host SAS ports Makes it easier to set up clustering.
Single expansion SAS port Enables cascading JBOD subsystems
Command-line interface Control and monitoring with simple,
straightforward interface.
Management through in-band SAS
or serial port Choice of local or network management options
Compatible with leading SAS HBA
and RAID cards Easy, works-the-first-time connections with your current systems

Chapter 1: Introduction
5
Specifications
Drive Capacity: 12 SAS or SATA disk drives (3.5" x 1" form factor only).
External I/O Ports: Dual SAS host ports, single SAS expansion port.
Supported Disk Interfaces: Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA (SATA),
3Gb/s and 1.5Gb/s
Supported Operating Systems:
The list above refers to 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the OS in the Host PC or
server. The actual OS support depends upon your SAS HBA or RAID
adapter. Check your SAS HBA or RAID adapter user documentation.
Current: 8 A @ 100 VAC; 4 A @ 200 VAC (max. rating with two power cords)
Power Consumption: 470 watts
Power Supply: Dual 360W, 100–240 VAC auto-ranging, 50–60 Hz, dual hot swap
and redundant with PFC, N+1 design
Thermal Output: 1604 BTU/hour (max current)
Operating Temperature: 41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C)
Non-operational Temperature: -40° to 140°F (-40° to 60°C)
Relative Humidity: Maximum 90%
Vibration: Random, 0.21 grms, 5 to 500Hz, 30Mins, X, Y, Z axis
Management Tools: Command Line Interface
Management Interfaces: RS232 (Serial)
Notification: Visible alarms
Dimensions: Height, 3.50 in (8.90 cm); Width, 17.56 in (44.60 cm); Depth, 23.50
in (59.70 cm)
Weight: 46.30 lbs (21.00 Kg) without drives; 59.52 lbs (27.00 Kg) with 12 drives
installed
Safety Certifications: CE, FCC Class A, BSMI, VCCi, cUL, TUV, MIC
Limited Warranty: 3 Years
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows 2003
• RedHat Linux
• SuSE Linux
• Novell Netware
• Sun Solaris

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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FCC Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two 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.

7
Chapter 2: Installation
• Unpack the VTrak J300s (below).
• Mount J300s Unit in a Rack (page 9)
• Install Disk Drives (page 11)
• Set Up Data Cable Connections (page 15)
• Set Up Serial Cable Connections (page 19)
• Connect the Power (page 20)
• Setup CLI Connection (page 21)
Unpack the VTrak J300s
The VTrak J300s box contains the following items:
Figure 1. VTrak J300s Front View (bezel removed)
• VTrak J300s Unit
• Quick Start Guide
• Null Modem Cable (1)
• 1.0m (3.3 ft) SAS cable (1)
• Screws for disk drives
(52 including 4 spares)
• 1.5m (4.9 ft) Power cords (2)
•CDwithProduct Manual and Quick
Start Guide
Warning
The electronic components within the J300s unit is sensitive to
damage from Electro-Static Discharge (ESD). Observe
appropriate precautions at all times when handling the J300s unit
or its subassemblies.
Disk Drive Carriers LED Panel

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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Figure 2. VTrak J300s Rear View
Some J300s units ship with a single I/O module and a blank unit installed in the
place of the second I/O module. You can upgrade your J300s unit by installing a
second I/O module. See page 45.
Some J300s units ship with a single power supply and an auxiliary cooling unit
installed in the place of the second power supply to provide a comparable level of
air circulation inside the enclosure.
O
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Cooling Unit 1
Power Supply 1 Power Supply 2
I/O module 2
Cooling Unit 2
I/O module 1

Chapter 2: Installation
9
Mount J300s Unit in a Rack
The VTrak J300s unit installs directly to the rack with or without rails.
Figure 3. Rackmounted J300s unit
Figure 4. Mounting rail installation
The illustrations above show the optional rails available from Promise
Technology. You can also use your existing rails.
Vertical Rack Post VTrak J300s
Mounting rails (not included)
mount inside the rack post
Handles mount
outside the rack post
Inside of post
Rack front post
Rail attaching screw
(not included)
Rail adjustment screw
Rail
Rail attaching screw
(not included) Inside of post
Rack back post
Plate
Front flange
Rail adjustment screw
Rear flange

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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To install the VTrak enclosure into a rack with the supplied mounting rails:
1. Check the fit of the mounting rails in your rack system.
2. Slide the plates out of the mounting rails.
3. Attach one plate to each side of the VTrak enclosure.
Line-up the two studs and six holes in the plate with the corresponding holes
in the enclosure. Attach each plate with six screws (included).
4. Slide one of the rails over the plate on one side of the enclosure.
The rail is designed to slide freely over the plate.
5. Attach a four-hole flange to the rail, with the flange toward the front (disk
drive end) of the enclosure.
Install four rail adjustment screws (included) through the flange into the rail.
6. Attach a two-hole flange to the rail, with the flange toward the back
(connector end) of the enclosure.
Install four rail adjustment screws (included) through the flange into the rail.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 to attach the other rail and flanges to the
enclosure.
8. Place the enclosure with mounting rails into your rack system.
9. Attach the four-hole flanges to the inside of the rack’s front post, using the
attaching screws from your rack system.
10. Attach the two-hole flanges to the inside of the rack’s rear post, using the
attaching screws from your rack system.
11. Square the rails in the rack.
12. Tighten the adjustment screws and the attaching screws.
Cautions
• At least two persons are required to safely lift, place, and
attach the VTrak enclosure into a rack system.
• Do not lift or move the VTrak enclosure by the handles, power
supplies or the controller units. Hold the enclosure itself.
• Do not install the VTrak enclosure into a rack without rails to
support the enclosure.

Chapter 2: Installation
11
Install Disk Drives
Populate the VTrak with 3.5-inch SAS or SATA disk drives.
Install all of the drive carriers into the J300s enclosure to ensure proper airflow,
even if you do not populate all the carriers with disk drives.
Figure 4. J300s unit drive carrier mounting holes
1. Remove the front bezel (drive door).
2. Remove a disk drive carrier.
3. Optional. The AAMUX adapter is recommended for J300s enclosures with
two I/O modules, so that both modules can access a SATA disk drive.
Place the optional AAMUX into the disk drive carrier and attach it with the
four screws.
• Install only the screws supplied with the AAMUX.
• The AAMUX fits into the carrier with the SAS connector at the back. See
Figure 6 on page 13
• Snug each screw. Be careful not to over tighten.
4. Carefully lay the drive into the drive carrier at the front, so that the screw
holes on the bottom line up.
Caution
Use only the counter-sink screws supplied with the J300s unit.
Use of other types of screws can damage the adjacent drives.
WARNING: Counter-sink screws only.
Disk Drive Mounting Holes
without AAMUX
Disk Drive Mounting Holes
with AAMUX
AAMUX
Mounting Holes

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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If you installed an AAMUX, lay the SATA disk drive in the carrier and slide it
so the power and data connectors insert in to the AAMUX. See Figure 6 on
page 13.
5. Insert the screws through the holes in the drive carrier and into the bottom of
the disk drive (see Figure 5).
• Install only the screws supplied with the VTrak.
• Install four screws per drive.
• Snug each screw. Be careful not to over tighten.
6. Reinstall the drive carrier into the VTrak chassis.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 5 until all of your disk drives are installed.
8. Replace the front bezel.
Figure 5. Drive carrier with SAS disk drive
SAS Disk Drive

Chapter 2: Installation
13
Figure 6. Drive carrier with SATA disk drive and AAMUX
Cautions
• If you plan to operate your VTrak with fewer than a full load of
disk drives, install all of the drive carriers into the enclosure, to
ensure proper airflow for cooling.
• A VTrak J300s carrier is similar in appearance but is NOT
interchangeable with a VTrak M500f/i/p drive carrier.
Important
Be sure each drive is securely fastened to its carrier. Proper
installation ensures adequate grounding and minimizes vibration.
Do not install drives with fewer than four screws.
SATA Disk Drive
AAMUX adapter SAS connector

VTrak J300s Product Manual
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Drive Numbering
Each disk drive in the J300s unit is identified by a number that corresponds to the
Port number used for management. See “Link Command” on page 31.
Numbers are stamped above each drive bay for easy indentification.
Figure 7. J300s unit disk drive carriers are numbered as shown
7 865
910 11 12
1 2 3 4

Chapter 2: Installation
15
Set Up Data Cable Connections
The VTrak J300s unit provides Direct Attached Storage (DAS) support to the
Host PC.
Figure 8. VTrak J300s has one or two I/O modules
There can be one or two Input Output Modules (I/O modules) on the J300s unit.
• If your J300s has two I/O modules, I/O module 1 (on the left) is the default
primary.
• If your J300s has only one I/O module, that I/O module is the default primary.
Under SAS specifications, both I/O modules are active at the same time. The
terms primary and secondary are for enclosure management purposes only. To
verify which I/O module is the default primary, see “Enclosure Command” on
page 28.
Figure 9. VTrak J300s I/O modules have two table-routed ports and one
subtractive-routed port
Each I/O module has two table-routed external receptacles (CN1 and CN2) and
one subtractive-routed external receptacle (CN3).
Note
SAS HBA cards are User-supplied items. They are not included
with the VTrak unit.
O
I
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I
I/O module 2
I/O module 1
(default primary)
Subtractive-Routed Port
Table-Routed Ports
CN1 CN2
CN3

VTrak J300s Product Manual
16
Basic DAS Connection
Figure 10. An example of a basic DAS connection between one Host PC
and one VTrak J300s unit
The arrangement above is the minimum DAS system with a single SAS HBA
card in the Host PC. Connect the SAS card to the table-routed port (CN1) on the
I/O module.
Use a SFF-8470 4X to 4X external SAS cable with thumbscrew connectors
(supplied with the J300s unit).
Because the Host SAS HBA card is an end device, you can connect it to any of
the three SAS ports (CN1, CN2 or CN3) on the J300s unit’s I/O module.
O
I
O
I
PC
SAS HBA Card
VTrak J300s
Subtractive-Routed Port
SFF-8470 external
4X to 4X SAS cable