Rocstor BIGROC 1S User manual

store your future
BIGROC 1S
User Manual
4-Bay RAID - 1U Rack Mount System
SAS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
IMPORTANT NOTICES.................................................................................................................5
SAFETY NOTICES ..........................................................................................................................5
GENERAL NOTICES........................................................................................................................5
CAPACITY DISCLAIMER...................................................................................................................5
CARE AND HANDLING....................................................................................................................5
PRECAUTIONS FOR THE RAID SYSTEM …………………………………….…………………………..…….…….…..6
GENERAL.....................................................................................................................................8
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................8
BOX CONTENT.............................................................................................................................9
SPECIAL FEATURES......................................................................................................................10
MINIMUM SYSYTEM REQUIREMENTS ..............................................................................................11
CONNECTORS ............................................................................................................................12
SYSTEM VIEWS .........................................................................................................................12
CONNECTING THE BIGROC RAID SYSTEM TO A COMPUTER .....................................................15
RAID MODES.............................................................................................................................16
RAID MODE COMPARISON LIST ....................................................................................................16
NUMBER OF DISKS SUPPORTING EACH RAID MODE ...........................................................................16
RAID 0(STRIPING) ....................................................................................................................17
RAID 1(MIRRORING).................................................................................................................18
SPAN .....................................................................................................................................19
RAID 5 .......................................................................................ERROR!BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.0
RAID 10 (1+0).........................................................................................................................21
JBOD .....................................................................................................................................22
POWER ON /OFF LED ..............................................................................................................23
RAID ALERT LED ......................................................................................................................23
EXTERNAL BOOTUP (PC AND MAC)...............................................................................................24
DISK VOLUM OVER 2TB ..............................................................................................................25
GLOSSORY ................................................................................................................................26
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CONCERNING RAID SYSTEMS ...........................................................27
SPECIFICATIONS........................................................................................................................30
PARTITIONING AND FORMATTING THE BIGROC 4-BAY DRIVE ON A MAC OS ..........................31
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTITIONING AND FORMATING FAT 32 TO HFS+ (MAC)..........................................32
PARTITIONING AND FORMATTING THE BIGROC 4-BAY DRIVE ON A WINDOWS OS.................41
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTITIONING AND FORMATING FAT 32 TO HFS+ ...................................................44
INTRODUCTION TO FORMATTING............................................................................................51
LIMITED WARRANTY ................................................................................................................53
TECHNICAL SUPPORT................................................................................................................57
TRADEMARKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................58
COPYRIGHTS .............................................................................................................................58
CONTACT INFORMATION .........................................................................................................59
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NOTES:
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IMPORTANT NOTICES
Safety Notices
•The warranty is void if an unauthorized person attempts and/or repairs the hard disk drive.
•Read all Manuals and instructions carefully before using the device.
•Do not spill any liquid or insert any object into the device.
•Use the device within the specifications indicated, including but not limited to: power
requirements, temperature, humidity, sunlight and magnetism from other devices such as
computers and televisions.
•Please visit the Rocstor website, www.rocstor.com for further information concerning
specifications and use of the device.
General Notices
•Consistently make multiple backup copies of your data for your protection. Hard disk drives
are subject to failure at any time.
•Rocstorage, Inc. shall not be held liable for loss of data or the restoration or recovery of
data on the device. Please view complete Limited Warranty Information in this manual or
on the Rocstor website (www.rocstor.com) for further details.
Capacity Disclaimer
Actual accessible hard drive capacity will indicate up to 10% lower than stated under different
Operating Systems and formatting.
The storage volume is measured in total bytes before formatting. References to round
numbers of gigabytes or terabytes are an approximation only. For example, a disk drive labeled
as having 500GB (gigabytes) has space for approximately 500,000,000,000 bytes before
formatting. After formatting, the drive capacity is reduced by about 5% to 10% depending on
the operating system and formatting used.
Care and Handling
The following instructions concern the proper care and handling of the Bigroc 4-Bay RAID.
Please take a moment to review these instructions.
•As with any storage solution, it is recommended that all data be backed up regularly.
•Ensure that you follow the proper removal procedure to disconnect the RAID.
•Do not move or disconnect this device from your computer while it is reading or writing
data. This may cause damage to the RAID.
•Do not place this device near a heat source or expose it to direct flame.
•Do not place the device near any equipment generating strong electromagnetic fields.
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Exposure to strong electromagnetic fields may cause the device to malfunction or data to
be corrupted.
•Do not drop or cause shock to your RAID.
•Do not spill any liquid or insert any object into the device.
•Do not attempt to disassemble and service the Rocpro drive during the warranty period.
•Please read the Safety Notices and Limited Warranty information in this Manual and on the
Rocstor website (www.rocstor.com) for further details.
PRECAUTIONS FOR THE RAID SYSTEM
The main circuit board of the RAID System is susceptible to static electricity. Proper
grounding is required to prevent electrical damage to the RAID System unit or other connected
devices, including the host computer. Always place the RAID System unit on a smooth surface
and avoid all dramatic movement, vibration and percussion.
•Any loss, corruption, or destruction of data is the sole responsibility of the owner/user(s).
Under no circumstances will the manufacturer be held liable for the recovery, restoration,
loss … of any data.
•Installation of RAID MASTER Software in the host computer is required for proper
operation.
•Do NOT allow water to enter the RAID System unit.
•Installation of additional equipment in the host computer may be required. Visit our
website to download the latest product information updates.
•Do NOT attempt to service this unit yourself. Disassembling the RAID System’s inner parts
will expose you to dangerous voltages or other hazards.
•Do NOT block the ventilation. Proper airflow is required to ensure reliable operation and to
prevent overheating.
•Do unplug the RAID System unit from the electrical outlet when not in use to provide an
ecological friendly environment.
•Use only the power supply cable provided with the RAID System unit.
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Please thoroughly read and follow the instructions provided in this manual. Failure to
do so may result in damage to the RAID System, and any or all of the connected
devices.
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GENERAL
Introduction
Bigroc 5C
4 - Bay Desktop RAID SAS
The new Bigroc 4-Bay RAID system provides massive storage in a compact storage device. The
Bigroc delivers extraordinary performance via a mini SAS 6.0 Gbits/s port. Specifically designed
for demanding audio/video professionals, the new Bigroc contains fast SATA high capacity 3.5”
drives in heat dissipating aluminum case. Silent fans assure quiet operation while providing
maximum airflow for cooling purposes. The tray-less function ensures swift and simple hot-
swapping.
RAID configuration is provided by Host Computer or Server
Choose Rocstor drives and store your future.
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BOX CONTENTS
•4-Bay RAID SAS 1U Rack Mount System
•US power cable
•Quick Start Guide
•
Please keep (store) all package contents and packaging material during the limited warranty
period.
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SPECIAL FEATURES
•Supports current SATA II compliant HDDs, fully backward compatible with SATA 1.0 and
SATA 1.0a compliant HDDs
•Connects flexibly via a SAS port
•RAID requires SAS host support
•Monitors system status via LED indicators
•Features a tray-less function and user-friendly design enables effortless HDD hot-swapping
•Maximizes airflow with silent fans and mechanical designs
•Supports hot-plug and HDD hot-swap depending on RAID
•Supports both online and offline rebuild
Any loss, corruption, or destruction of data is the sole responsibility of the user of the
RAID System. Under no circumstances will the manufacturer be held liable for the
recovery or restoration of any data.
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MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR MAC AND WINDOWS OS
Mac Users: Window Users:
3.5” SATA compatible hard drive is required for the RAID System unit. Once the HDDs
are formatted, the actual available storage capacity can vary depending on the
selected operating environment (normally 5-10 % less).
Hardware: SAS RAID Controller
Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows
XP, 2003, Vista, Widows 7, 8
CPU: 266 MHz (Vista 800 MHz)
RAM:1 GB RAM
Hardware: SAS RAID Controller
Mac: PowerPC or Intel processor running
Mac OS 10.5 and later
RAM:1 GB RAM
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CONNECTORS
•Mini SAS port x1
•AC Power IN (220 / 110 - Switch accordingly)
SYSTEM VIEWS
Front View
The status indication of each LED indicator is listed under the LED INDICATORS section below.
Rear View
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INSERTING/REPLACING THE HARD DRIVES IN THE RAID SYSTEM
Place the system with its front view facing you. Open the front panel door.
Insert the hard drive(s) as indicated in the image below:
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Closing the front panel:
To remove the hard drive(s) simple pull the lever above the hard drive slot; the hard drive will
slide out and ready to be removed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: all hard drives installed MUST be RAID compatible hard drives, with
same capacities and speeds of 7,200 R.P.M. or higher and preferably from the same
manufacturer of hard drives.
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CONNECTING THE RAID SYSTEM TO A COMPUTER
Complete the following steps to connect the RAID System to a host computer.
The RAID System should only be connected to a host computer via one interface only.
Connect the AC/DC power adapter.
Insert each ends of the mini SAS cable into the mini SAS port of the host (computer / server)
and the other end to Bigroc 1S.
You are now ready to begin using your RAID System!
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RAID MODES
A Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID) is a system that utilizes
multiple hard drives to share or replicate data among the disks. The benefit, depending on the
selected RAID Mode (combinations of disks), is one or more of the following: increased data
integrity, fault-tolerance, and throughput or capacity when compared to single drives.
Deleting the current partition prior to changing RAID modes is highly recommended.
Identical RAID Compatible hard drives with the same capacity and speeds (Not less
than 7,200rpm - from the same manufacturer is recommended) must be utilized.
RAID Mode Comparison List
RAID mode
Size
Safe
Fast
RAID 0 (Striping)
RAID 1 (Mirroring)
RAID 5
RAID 1+0 (10)
Span
JBOD
NUMBER OF DISKS SUPPORTING EACH RAID MODE
RAID Modes Number of Disk in RAID
RAID 0 (Striping)
2 to 4
RAID 1 (Mirroring)
2
Span
2 to 4
Clone
2 to 4
RAID 5
3 or 4
RAID 1+0
4
JBOD
1 to 4
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RAID 0 (Striping)
RAID 0 (Striping) is a performance-oriented, non-redundant data mapping technique. It
combines multiple hard drives into a single logical unit. Instead of seeing several different hard
drives, the operating system sees only one large drive. Striping splits data evenly across two or
more disks simultaneously, dramatically increasing performance.
Striping can be implemented in disks of differing sizes, but the storage space added to the array
by each disk is limited to the size of the smallest disk. Although Striping is an easily
implemented simple configuration, Striping should never be used for mission critical
applications. The speed of operation is excellent in comparison to other RAID modes.
In Striping mode, it is not possible to see the HDDs as more than one unit. If you
choose to insert all 4 HDDs, it will still be viewed as one single storage unit. When you
choose to insert only two HDDs, there is not limitation on the order of drive insertion or
the slot number.
In Striping mode, if one disk in the RAID System fails, all data in installed disks will be
lost.
When operating under Striping mode, it is not recommended to do HDD Hot Swap. Any
attempt to do so may result in complete loss of all data.
Always maintain a Backup of your files/data
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RAID 1 (Mirroring)
RAID 1 (Mirroring) consists of at least two drives storing duplicate copies of the same data. In
this mode, the data is simultaneously written to two disks. Thus, the storage capacity of a two-
disk array is combined into a single disk and the capacity is limited to the size of the smallest
disk. The speed of operation is slower in comparison to other RAID modes.
During rebuild, the first HDD inserted into one of the HDD slots is recognized by the RAID
System as the source HDD. To rebuild existing data from a source HDD to a backup HDD (target
HDD), the source HDD must first be inserted into one of the HDD slots. After the host detects
the source HDD, the target HDD should then be inserted in one of the other HDD slot. The RAID
System will then recognize the target HDD and the rebuild process will begin when the HDD LED
starts blinking.
In Mirroring mode, only 2 HDDs are allowed for the function to perform properly.
There is no limitation on the order of insertion or the slot number. However, if all 4
HDDs are inserted, the RAID System can only do Mirroring in the HDDs positioned in
HDD 1 and HDD 2. It is not possible to process two sets of HDDs at the same time.
In Mirroring mode, if one of the disks fails, either source or backup, the data is still
available. However, if the source disk fails during the rebuild process, the data in both
disks will be lost.
It is NOT recommended to do Hot Swap for the source disk during the rebuild process
because the data in both disks will be lost.
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SPAN (combine Mode)
Spanning provides another maximum capacity solution, which some call it as “Large”. Spanning
combines multiple hard drives into a single logical unit. Unlike Striping, Spanning writes data to
the first physical drive until it reaches full capacity. When the first disk reaches full capacity,
data is written to the second physical disk. Spanning provides the maximum possible storage
capacity, but does not increase performance.
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RAID 5
RAID 5 uses block-level striping with parity data distributed across all member disks. It is also
called Parity RAID. Every time a block is written to a disk in a RAID 5 disk array, a parity block is
generated within the same stripe. A block is composed of many consecutive sectors on a disk.
A series of blocks (a block from each of the disks in an array) is collectively called a "stripe." The
parity information inside the parity block is not the identical copy of the source data. It is
generated via parity calculation. RAID 5 mode provides decent data protection and fault
tolerance. The speed of operation is average in comparison to other RAID modes.
Three or four disks are supported by RAID 5. The storage capacity will become all disks
in total, minus 1. The capacity is limited to the size of the smallest disks.
If one of the disks fails, the data can be reconstructed through parity calculation once
the broken disk is replaced with a new one.
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