Sans Digital ES208X12HP User manual

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Copyright ©2014
This guide and any accompanying software and firmware are copyrighted. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored on
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without
prior written consent except for copies retained by the purchaser for backup purposes.
All rights eserved
Notice
We make no warranties with respect to this documentation either express or implied and provide it "as it". This includes but is not
limited to any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The information in this document is subject
to change without notice. We assume no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
The manufacturer shall not be liable for any damage, or for the loss of information resulting from the performance or use of the
information contained herein.
Trademarks
Product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective companies. All
trademarks or registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

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Regulatory information
For Europe
This drive is in conformity with the EMC directive.
Federal Communications Commission FCC) Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC ules.
Those limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment
generate, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, 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 reception, 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:
eorient or relocate the receiving antennas.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circlet different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Warning:
A shielded-type power cord is required in order to meet FCC emission limits and also to prevent interference to the nearby radio and
television reception. It is essential that only the supplied power cord be used.
Use only shielded cables to connect I/O devices to this equipment.
You are cautioned that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void your
authority to operate the equipment.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1. Overview................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Unparalleled Performance for 12Gb/s SAS .................................................................................................................... 7
Unsurpassed Data Availability ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Maximum Interoperability ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Easy AID Management ................................................................................................................................................. 7
1.2. Features .................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Controller Architecture .................................................................................................................................................. 8
2. Hardware Installation ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.1. Before You First Installing....................................................................................................................................... 9
Package Contents ........................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2. Board Layout ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
2.3. Tools equired ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
System equirement .................................................................................................................................................... 10
Installation Tools .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Personal Safety Instructions ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Electrostatic Discharge ................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.4. Installation ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.5. Hot-plug Drive eplacement ................................................................................................................................ 14
2.6. Summary of the installation ................................................................................................................................. 14
Mc AID Storage Manager ............................................................................................................................................ 15
ArcHTTP Proxy Server ................................................................................................................................................... 15
CLI Utility ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15
SNMP Manager Console Integration ............................................................................................................................ 16
Out of Band-Using LAN Port Interface ......................................................................................................................... 16
In-Band-Using PCIe Host Bus Interface ........................................................................................................................ 16
Single Admin Portal (SAP) Monitor .............................................................................................................................. 16
3. McBIOS AID Manager ................................................................................................................................................. 16
3.1. Starting the McBIOS AID Manager ..................................................................................................................... 16
3.2. McBIOS AID manager ......................................................................................................................................... 18
3.3. Configuring aid Sets and Volume Sets ................................................................................................................ 18
3.4. Designating Drives as Hot Spares ......................................................................................................................... 18

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3.5. Using Quick Volume/ aid Setup Configuration ................................................................................................... 18
3.6. Using aid Set/Volume Set Function Method ...................................................................................................... 19
3.7. Main Menu ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
4. Driver Installation ......................................................................................................................................................... 53
4.1. Driver Installation for Windows ........................................................................................................................... 54
4.2. Driver Installation for Linux .................................................................................................................................. 56
4.3. Driver Installation for FreeBSD ............................................................................................................................. 57
4.4. Driver Installation for Solaris ................................................................................................................................ 57
4.5. Driver Installation for Mac OS X ........................................................................................................................... 57
Making Volume Sets Available to Mac OS X ................................................................................................................. 59
5. ArcHTTP Proxy Server Installation ................................................................................................................................ 60
5.1. For Windows ........................................................................................................................................................ 61
5.2. For Linux ............................................................................................................................................................... 62
5.3. For FreeBSD .......................................................................................................................................................... 64
5.4. For Solaris 10 ........................................................................................................................................................ 64
5.5. For Mac OS X ........................................................................................................................................................ 64
5.6. ArcHTTP Configuration ......................................................................................................................................... 64
6. Web Browser-based Configuration .............................................................................................................................. 67
6.1. Start-up Mc AID Storage Manager ...................................................................................................................... 68
6.2. Mc AID Storage Manager .................................................................................................................................... 69
6.3. Main Menu ........................................................................................................................................................... 70
6.4. Quick Function ...................................................................................................................................................... 70
6.5. AID Set Functions ............................................................................................................................................... 71
6.6. Volume Set Functions ........................................................................................................................................... 75
6.7. Physical Drive ....................................................................................................................................................... 82
6.8. System Controls .................................................................................................................................................... 85
6.9. Information........................................................................................................................................................... 96
Appendix A ........................................................................................................................................................................... 98
A-1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................................... 98
A-2 Upgrading Firmware Through Mc AID Storage Manager ......................................................................................... 98
A-3 Upgrading Firmware Through nflash DOS Utility ....................................................................................................... 99
A-4 Upgrading Firmware Through CLI ............................................................................................................................ 100
Appendix B ......................................................................................................................................................................... 100

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B-1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................................. 100
B-2 FBM Components..................................................................................................................................................... 100
B-3 FBM Outline ............................................................................................................................................................. 101
B-4 Status of FBM ........................................................................................................................................................... 101
B-5 Installation ............................................................................................................................................................... 102
B-6 Flash-based Backup Capacity ................................................................................................................................... 103
B-7 Operation ................................................................................................................................................................. 103
B-8 FBM Functionality Test Procedure: .......................................................................................................................... 103
B-9 FBM Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 103
Appendix C ......................................................................................................................................................................... 103
C-1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................................. 103
C-2 BBM Components .................................................................................................................................................... 103
C-3 Status of BBM ........................................................................................................................................................... 104
C-4 Installation ............................................................................................................................................................... 104
C-5 Battery Backup Capacity .......................................................................................................................................... 104
C-6 Operation ................................................................................................................................................................. 105
C-7 Changing the Battery Backup Module ..................................................................................................................... 105
C-8 Battery Functionality Test Procedure: ..................................................................................................................... 105
C-9 BBM Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 105
Appendix D ......................................................................................................................................................................... 106
D-1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................................. 106
D-2 SNMP Definition ...................................................................................................................................................... 106
D-3 SNMP Installation .................................................................................................................................................... 107
7. Appendix E .................................................................................................................................................................. 113
Appendix F .......................................................................................................................................................................... 115
AID Set .......................................................................................................................................................................... 115
Volume Set ..................................................................................................................................................................... 115
Ease of Use Features ...................................................................................................................................................... 116
High availability .............................................................................................................................................................. 118
High eliability ................................................................................................................................................................ 120
Data Protection .............................................................................................................................................................. 121
Appendix G ......................................................................................................................................................................... 121
Understanding AID ....................................................................................................................................................... 121

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AID 0 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 121
AID 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 122
AID 10(1E) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 122
AID 3 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 123
AID 5 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 123
AID 6 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 123
AID x0 ........................................................................................................................................................................... 124
JBOD ............................................................................................................................................................................... 124
Single Disk (Pass-Through Disk) ...................................................................................................................................... 124
Summary of AID Levels ................................................................................................................................................. 124

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1. Introduction
This section presents a brief overview of the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller. PCIe 3.0 to 12Gb/s SAS AID controllers.
1.1.Overview
The 12Gb/s SAS interface supports both 12Gb/s SAS disk drives for data-intensive applications and 6Gb/s SATA
drives for low-cost bulk storage of reference data.
When used with 12Gb/s SAS expanders, the controller can provide up to (256) devices through one or more 12Gb/s
SAS JBODs, making it an ideal solution for enterprise-class storage applications that called for maximum
configuration flexibility.
Unparalleled Performance for 12Gb/s SAS
The 12Gb/s SAS AID controllers raise the standard to higher performance levels with several enhancements
including new high performance 1.2 GHz dual core OC processor, a DD 3-1866 memory architecture and high
performance PCIe 3.0 interface bus interconnection. The controllers by default support on-board 2G of ECC
DD 3-1866 SD AM memory.The 12Gb/s SAS is designed for backward compatibility with 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s
SAS/SATA hard drives. egardless of the drive speed, 12Gb/s SAS AID controllers will provide maximum read/write
performance improvements for the most performance-hungry database and IT applications.
The Sans Digtial 12Gb/s SAS expander that incorporates the latest enhancements in SAS along with new LSI DataBolt
bandwidth optimizer technology. This is designed to help facilitate the industry transition to 12Gb/s SAS-enabled
systems by allowing users to take advantage of 12Gb/s speeds while utilizing existing 6Gb/s drives and backplanes.
Using DataBolt, the Sans Digital SAS Expander buffers 6Gb/s data and then transfers it out to the host at 12Gb/s
speeds in order to match the bandwidth between faster hosts and slower SAS or SATA devices
Unsurpassed Data Availability
Designed and leveraged with Sans Digital’s existing high performance AID solution, the AID controller provides
superior levels performance and enterprise level data protection for the most demanding next-generation server
and storage environments. It supports the hardware AID 6 engine to allow two HDDs failures without impact the
existing data and performance. It allows users to hot swap drive in the event of a drive failure with zero downtime.
The optional flash-based backup module provides power to transfer the cache data from the SD AM memory to the
NAND flash memory if it contains data not yet written to the drives when power is lost. The AID controller also
supports traditional Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery backup module (BBM) to protect cached data on AID adapters.
Board-level hardware encryption manages any kinds of drives attached to AID controller cards for higher levels of
security. API code supports for third-party Enterprise Key Management systems to easy integrate and manage
encryption function.
Maximum Interoperability
The 12Gb/s SAS AID controller support broad operating system including Windows, Linux (Open Source), FreeBSD
(Open Source), Solaris (Open Source), Mac, VMware and more, along with key system monitoring features such as
enclosure management (SES2, SMP, & SGPIO) and SNMP function. Our products and technology are based on
extensive testing and validation process.
Easy RAID Management
The controllers contain an embedded McBIOS AID manager that can access via hot key at M/B BIOS boot-up
screen. This pre-boot McBIOS AID manager can use to simplify the setup and management of AID controller. The

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controller firmware also contains a browser-based Mc AID storage manager which can be accessed through the
Ethernet port or ArcHTTP proxy server in Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and more environments. The Mc AID storage
manager allows local and remote for all storage configuration and management needs from standard web browser.
The Single Admin Portal (SAP) monitor utility can support one application to scan multiple Sans Digital AID units in
the network.
1.2.Features
Controller Architecture
•Dual core AID-on-Chip ( OC) 1.2GHz processor
•PCIe 3.0 x8 lane host interface
•2GB on-board DD 3-1866 SD AM with ECC
•Write-through or write-back cache support
•8 external 12Gb/s SAS ports
•Multi-adapter support for large storage requirements
•BIOS boot array support for greater fault tolerance
•Supports up to 256 SATA or SAS devices using SAS expanders
•Boot support for the uEFI host BIOS
•edundant flash image for controller availability
•Support flash-based or battery backup module (FBM/BBM) ready (optional)
•oHS compliant
1.2.1. RAID Features
•AID level 0, 1, 10(1E), 3, 5, 6, 30, 50, 60, Single Disk or JBOD
•Multiple AID 0 and AID 10(1E) support ( AID 00 and AID100)
•Multiple AID selection
•Configurable stripe size up to 1024KB
•Support HDD firmware update
•Online array roaming
•Online AID level/stripe size migration
•Online capacity expansion and AID level migration simultaneously
•Online volume set growth
•Instant availability and background initialization
•Support global and dedicated hot spare
•Automatic drive insertion/removal detection and rebuilding
•Support for native 4K and 512 byte sector SAS and SATA devices
•Multiple pairs SSD/HDD disk clone function
•SSD automatic monitor clone (AMC) support
•Controller level hardware encryption support
•Support intelligent power management to save energy and extend service life
1.2.2. Monitors/Notification
•System status indication through global HDD activity/fault connector, individual activity/fault connector,
LCD/I2C connector and alarm buzzer

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•SMTP support for email notification
•SNMP support for remote manager
•Enclosure management (SES-2, SMP and SGPIO) ready
1.2.3. RAID Management
•Field-upgradeable firmware in flash OM
•In-Band Manager
•Hot key "boot-up" McBIOS AID manager via M/B BIOS
•Web browser-based Mc AID storage manager via ArcHTTP proxy
•server for all operating systems
•Support Command Line Interface (CLI)
•API library for customer to write monitor utility
•Single Admin Portal (SAP) monitor utility
1.2.4. Out-of-Band Manager
•Firmware-embedded web browser-based Mc AID storage manager, SMTP manager, SNMP agent and
Telnet function via Ethernet port
•API library for customer to write monitor utility
•Operating System
•Windows 8/Server 2012/7/2008/Vista/XP/2003
•Linux
•FreeBSD
•VMware (only driver package available w/o in-band management utility)
•Solaris 10/11 x86/x86_64
•Mac OS X 10.4.x or higher
For latest supported OS listing visit http://www.sansdigital.com
2. Hardware Installation
This section describes the procedures for installing the 12Gb/s SAS AID controllers.
2.1.Before You First Installing
This user manual gives simple step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller.
To ensure personal safety and to protect your equipment and data, reading the following information package list
carefully before you begin installing.
Package Contents
If your package is missing any of the items listed below, contact your point of purchases or contact us at
[email protected] before you install.
•1 x 12Gb/s SAS AID controller in an ESD-protective bag
•1 x Installation CD – containing driver, relative software, an electronic version of this manual and other
related manual

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•1 x User manual
•1 x Low-profile bracket
2.2. Board Layout
This section provides the board layout and connector/ jumper for the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller.
Connector Type Description
J2 Flash-based/Backup Module Connector 14-pin box header
J I2C/LCD Connector 7-pin header
J4 Ethernet Port RJ45
SCN1 Mini SAS HD 5-8 ports (External) SFF-8644
SCN2 Mini SAS HD 1-4 ports (External) SFF-8644
2.3.Tools Required
An ESD grounding strap or mat is required. Also required are standard hand tools to open your system’s case.
System Requirement
The 12Gb/s SAS AID controller can be installed in an universal PCIe slot and requires a motherboard
that Comply with the PCIe 3.0 x8 lanes. It can work on the PCIe 3.0 x1, x4, x8, and x16 signal with x8 or
x16 mechanical slot M/B. Backward-compatible with PCIe 1.0/2.0
Installation Tools
The following items may be needed to assist with installing the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller into an
available PCIe expansion slot.
•Small screwdriver

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•Host system hardware manuals and manuals for the disk or enclosure being installed
Personal Safety Instructions
Use the following safety instructions to help you protect your computer system from potential damage
and to ensure your own personal safety.
•Always wear a grounding strap or work on an ESD-protective mat.
•Before opening the system cover, turn off power switches and unplug the power cords. Do not
reconnect the power cords until you have replaced the covers.
Electrostatic Discharge
Static electricity can cause serious damage to the electronic components on this 12Gb/s SAS AID
controller. To avoid damage caused by electrostatic discharge, observe the following precautions:
•Do not remove the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller from its antistatic packaging until you are ready
to install it into a computer case.
•Handle the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller by its edges or by the metal mounting brackets at its
each end.
•Before you handle the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller in any way, touch a grounded, anti-static
surface, such as an unpainted portion of the system chassis, for a few seconds to discharge any
built-up static electricity.
2.4.Installation
Use the instructions below to install a 12Gb/s SAS AID controller.
2.4.1. npack
Unpack and remove the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller from the package. Inspect it carefully, if anything is
missing or damaged, contact your local dealer.
2.4.2. Power PC/Server Off
Turn off computer and remove the AC power cord. emove the system’s cover. For the instructions,
please see the computer system documentation.
2.4.3. Install the 12Gb/s SAS RAID Controllers
To install the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller, remove the mounting screw and existing bracket from the
rear panel behind the selected PCIe 3.0 slot. Align the gold-fingered edge on the card with the selected
PCIe 3.0 slot. Press down gently but firmly to ensure that the card is properly seated in the slot, as
shown in Figure 2. Then, screw the bracket into the computer chassis. The AID controllers require a
PCIe 3.0 x8 slot for better performance.

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2.4.4. Install SAS Cable
Connect the external mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) to mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) cable from the controller’s
external port to the external storage. Please note:
•SAS Expander model only require to connect one cables, that includes:
oMobileSTO Tower SAS Expander models
oAccuSTO ackmount SAS Expander models
oEliteSTO ackmount SAS Expander models
•Direct connect / Passive backpane model require to connect one cables per every 4 drives, that
includes:
oMobileSTO Tower Direct Connect models
oTowerSTO Tower Direct Connect models
oEliteSTO ackmount Direct Connect models
2.4.5. Adding a FBM/BBM Backup Module (Optional)
Please refer to Appendix B and Appendix C of the user manual for installing the flash-based/battery
backup module (FBM/BBM) in your 12Gb/s SAS AID controller.
2.4.6. Power up the System
Thoroughly check the installation, reinstall the computer cover, and reconnect the power cord cables.
Turn on the power switch at the rear of the computer (if equipped) and then press the power button at
the front of the host computer.
2.4.7. Install the Controller Driver
For a new system:

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•Driver installation usually takes places as part of operating system installation. Please refer to
Chapter 4 “Diver Installation” of the user manual for the detailed installation procedure.
In an existing system:
•To install the controller driver into the existing operating system. For the detailed installation
procedure, please refer to the Chapter 4 “Driver Installation” of the user manual.
2.4.8. Install ArcHTTP Proxy Server
The 12Gb/s SAS AID controller firmware has embedded the web-browser Mc AID storage manager.
ArcHTTP proxy server will launch the web-browser Mc AID storage manager. It provides all of the
creation, management and monitor 12Gb/s SAS AID controller status. Please refer to the Chapter 5 of
the user manual for the detail ArcHTTP Proxy Server Installation. For SNMP agent function, please refer
to Appendix D of the user manual.
2.4.9. Configure Volume Set
The controller configures AID functionality through the McBIOS AID manager. Please refer to Chapter
3 of the user manual, Mc-BIOS AID Manager, for the detail. The AID controller can also be configured
through the Mc AID storage manager with ArcHTTP proxy server installed or through on-board LAN
port and LCD module (refer to LCD manual). For Mc AID storage manager option, please refer to
Chapter 6 of the user manual, Web Browser-Based Configuration.
2.4.10. Determining the Boot Sequences
•For PC system:
12Gb/s SAS AID controller is a bootable controller. If your system already contains a bootable
device with an installed operating system, you can set up your system to boot a second
operating system from the new controller. To add a second bootable controller, you may need
to enter setup of motherboard BIOS and change the device boot sequence so that the new AID
controller heads the list. If the system BIOS setup does not allow this change, your system may
be not configurable to allow the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller to act as a second boot device.
•For Intel-based Mac system:
12Gb/s SAS AID controller support the EFI BIOS on the PCIe 3.0 12Gb/s SAS AID controller.
You have other alternatively to add volumes on the Intel-based Mac bootable device listing. You
can follow the following procedures to add 12Gb/s SAS AID controller on the Mac bootable
device listing.
1. Set the BIOS selection in System Controls: Advance Configuration to “EFI” option for
Intel-based MacPro boot.
2. Download OS X Mavericks and DiskMaker X. Follow the Disk Maker X to make a
bootable OS X Mavericks USB install drive.
3. estart your Mac and after you hear the chime sound, press the Option (Alt) key until
you see the option to choose the flash drive to boot from.

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4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete Volume Upgrade and Clean Install of OS X
Mavericks. Power up the Intel-based Mac and volume will be added in the
bootable device automatically.
2.5.Hot-plug Drive Replacement
The AID controller supports the ability of performing a hot-swap drive replacement without powering down the
system. A disk can be disconnected, removed, or replaced with a different disk without taking the system off-line.
The AID rebuilding will be processed automatically in the background. When a disk is hot swap, the AID controller
may no longer be fault tolerant. Fault tolerance will be lost until the hot swap drive is subsequently replaced and the
rebuild operation is completed.
2.5.1. Recognizing a Drive Failure
A drive failure can be identified in one of the following ways:
•An error status message lists failed drives in the event log.
•A fault LED illuminates on the front of AID subsystem if failed drives are inside (Available only
on SAS expander model).
2.5.2. Replacing a Failed Drive
With AID subsystem drive tray, you can replace a defective physical drive while your computer is still
operating. When a new drive has been installed, data reconstruction will be automatically started to
rebuild the contents of the disk drive. The controller always uses the smallest hotspare that “fits”. If a
hotspare is used and the defective drive is exchanged on-line, the new inserted HDD will automatically
assign as a hotspare HDD.
Note: The capacity of the replacement drives must be at least as large as the capacity of the other drives
in the AID set. Drives of insufficient capacity will be failed immediately by the controller without
starting the “Automatic Data ebuild”.
2.6.Summary of the installation
The flow chart below describes the installation procedures for 12Gb/s SAS AID controllers. These procedures
include hardware installation, the creation and configuration of a AID volume through the McBIOS/Mc AID
manager, OS installation and installation of 12Gb/s SAS AID controller software.

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The table below shows the software components that configure and monitor the 12Gb/s SAS AID controllers.
Configuration Utility
Operating Systems Supported
McBIOS RAID Manager OS-Independent
McRAID Storage Manager (Via Ethernet port) OS-Independent
McRAID Storage Manager (Via ArcHTTP proxy
server)
Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris and Mac OS X
ArcHTTP Proxy Server Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris and Mac OS X
CLI Utility Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris and Mac OS X
SNMP Manager Console Integration Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris
SAP Monitor (Single Admin Portal to scan for
multiple RAID units in the network, via
ArcHTTP proxy server)
Windows
Table 1: Configuration Utility and Operating Systems Support
McRAID Storage Manager
Before launching the firmware-embedded web browser, Mc AID storage manager through the PCIe
bus, you need first to install the ArcHTTP proxy server on your server system. If you need additional
information about installation and start-up of this function, see the Mc AID Storage Manager section in
Chapter 6 of the user manual.
ArcHTTP Proxy Server
ArcHTTP has to be installed for GUI AID console (M AID storage manager) to run. It is used to launch
the web browser Mc AID storage manager. It also runs as a service or daemon in the background that
allows capturing of events for mail and SNMP traps notification. If you need additional information
about installation and start-up of this function, see the ArcHTTP Proxy Server Installation section in
Chapter 5 of the user manual.
CLI Utility
CLI (Command Line Interface) lets you set up and manage AID controller through a command line
interface. CLI performs many tasks at the command line. You can download CLI manual from Sans Digital
website or software CD <CD OM>\ DOCS directory.

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SNMP Manager Console Integration
There are two ways to transport SNMP data on the 12Gb/s SAS AID controller: in-band PCIe host bus
interface or out-of-band built-in LAN interface. Enter the “SNMP Tarp IP Address“ option on the
firmware-embedded SNMP configuration function for user to select the SNMP data agent-side
communication from the out-ofband built-in LAN interface. To use in-band PCIe host bus interface, keep
blank on the “SNMP Tarp IP Address“ option.
Out of Band-Using LAN Port Interface
Out-of-band interface refers to transport SNMP data of 12Gb/s SAS controllers from a remote station
connected to the controller through a network cable. Before launching the SNMP manager on the client,
you need firstly to enable the firmware-embedded SNMP agent function and no additional agent
software inquired on your server system. If you need additional information about installation and
start-up this function, see the section 6.8.4 "SNMP Configuration" of the user manual.
In-Band-Using PCIe Host Bus Interface
In-band interface refers to management of the SNMP data of 12Gb/s SAS controllers from a PCIe host
bus. In-band interface is simpler than out-of-band interface for it requires less hardware in its
configuration. Since the 12 Gb/s SAS AID controller is already installed in the host system, no extra
connection is necessary. Just load the necessary in-band Sans Digital SNMP extension agent for the
controllers. Before launching the SNMP agent in the sever, you need first to enable the
firmware-embedded SNMP community configuration and install Sans Digital SNMP extension agent in
your server system. If you need additional information about installation and start-up the function, see
the SNMP Operation & Installation section in the Appendix D of the user manual.
Single Admin Portal SAP) Monitor
This utility can scan for multiple AID units on the network and monitor the controller set status. For
additional information, see the utility manual (SAP) in the packaged CD or download it from the web site
http://www.sansdigital.com.
3. McBIOS RAID Manager
The system mainboard BIOS automatically configures the following SAS AID controller parameters at power-up:
• I/O Port Address,
• Interrupt Channel (I Q) and
• Controller OM Base Address.
Use McBIOS AID manager to further configure the SAS AID controller to suit your server hardware and operating
system.
3.1.Starting the McBIOS RAID Manager
This section explains how to use the McBIOS AID manager to configure your AID system. The McBIOS AID
manager is designed to be user-friendly. It is a menu-driven program, residing in the firmware, which allows you to
scroll through various menus and sub-menus and select among the predetermined configuration options.

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When starting a system with a SAS AID controller installed, it will display the following message on the monitor
during the start-up sequence (after the system BIOS startup screen but before the operating system boots):
The McBIOS AID manager message remains on your screen for about nine seconds, giving you time to start the
configuration menu by pressing Tab or F6. If you do not wish to enter configuration menu, press ESC to skip
configuration immediately. When activated, the McBIOS AID manager window appears showing a selection dialog
box listing the SAS AID controllers that are installed in the system.
The legend at the bottom of the screen shows you what keys are enabled for the windows.
Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select the controller you want to configure. While the desired controller is
highlighted, press the Enter key to enter the main menu of the McBIOS AID manager.
Note: The default password is set to 0000; This password can be modified by selecting Change Password in the AID
System Function section.

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3.2.McBIOS RAID manager
The McBIOS AID manager is firmware-based and is used to configure AID sets and volume sets. Because the utility
resides in the SAS AID controller firmware, operation is independent of any operating systems on your computer.
This utility can be used to:
•Create AID sets,
•Expand AID sets,
•Add physical drives,
•Define volume sets,
•Modify volume sets,
•Modify AID level/stripe size,
•Define pass-through disk drives,
•Modify system functions
•Designate drives as hot spares.
3.3.Configuring Raid Sets and Volume Sets
You can configure AID sets and volume sets with McBIOS AID manager automatically. Using “Quick Volume/ aid
Setup” or manually using “ aid Set/Volume Set Function”. Each configuration method requires a different level of
user input. The general flow of operations for AID set and volume set configuration is:
3.4.Designating Drives as Hot Spares
Any unused disk drive that is not part of a AID set can be designated as a hot spare. The “Quick Volume/ aid
Setup” configuration will add the spare disk drive and automatically display the appropriate AID level from which
the user can select. For the “ aid Set Function” configuration option, the user can use the “Create Hot Spare” option
to define the hot spare disk drive. When a hot spare disk drive is being created using the “Create Hot Spare” option
(in the “ aid Set Function”), all unused physical devices connected to the current controller appear:
•Choose the target disk by selecting the appropriate check box.
•Press Enter key to select a disk drive, and press Yes in the “Create Hot Spare” to designate it as a hot
spare.
3.5.Using Quick Volume/Raid Setup Configuration
“Quick Volume / aid Setup configuration” collects all available drives and includes them in a AID set. The AID set
you created is associated with exactly one volume set. You will only be able to modify the default AID level, stripe
size and capacity of the new volume set. Designating drives as hot spares is also possible in the “ aid Level”
selection option. The volume set default settings will be:
Parameter Default Setting
Volume Name VOL#00
SCSI Channel/SCSI ID/SCSI LUN 0/0/0
Cache Mode Write-Back
Tag Queuing Yes
Table 2: Quick Volume efault Setting
The default setting values can be changed after configuration is completed.

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3.6.Using Raid Set/Volume Set Function Method
In “ aid Set Function”, you can use the “Create aid Set” function to generate a new AID set. In “Volume Set
Function”, you can use the “Create Volume Set” function to generate an associated volume set and configuration
parameters. . Follow the steps below to create arrays using the “ aid Set / Volume Set” method:
1. Choose “Quick Volume / aid Setup” from the main menu. The available AID levels with hot spare for the
current volume set drive are displayed.
2. It is recommended that you use drives of the same capacity in a specific array. If you use drives with
different capacities in an array, all drives in the AID set will be set to the capacity of the smallest drive in
the AID set. The numbers of physical drives in a specific array determines which AID levels that can be
implemented in the array. AID 0 requires 1 or more physical drives. AID 1 requires at least 2 physical
drives. AID 10(1E) requires at least 3 physical drives. AID 3 requires at least 3 physical drives. AID 5
requires at least 3 physical drives. AID 3 +Spare require at least 4 physical drives. AID 5 + Spare require at
least 4 physical drives. AID 6 requires at least 4 physical drives. AID 6 + Spare require at least 5 physical
drives. Highlight the desired AID level for the volume set and press the Enter key to confirm.
3. The capacity for the current volume set is entered after highlighting the desired AID level and pressing the
Enter key. The capacity for the current volume set is displayed. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to set the
capacity of the volume set and press the Enter key to confirm. The available stripe sizes for the current
volume set are then displayed.
4. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to select the current volume set stripe size and press the Enter key to
confirm. This parameter specifies the size of the stripes written to each disk in a AID 0, 1, 10(1E), 5 or 6
volume set. You can set the stripe size to 4 KB, 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB, 256KB, 512KB, or 1024KB.
A larger stripe size provides better read performance, especially when the computer performs mostly
sequential reads. However, if the computer performs random read requests more often, choose a smaller
stripe size.
5. When you are finished defining the volume set, press the Yes key to confirm the “Quick Volume And aid
Set Setup” function.
6. Foreground (Fast Completion) Press Enter key to define fast initialization or selected the Background
(Instant Available) or No Init (To escue Volume). In the “Background Initialization”, the initialization
proceeds as a background task, the volume set is fully accessible for system reads and writes. The operating
system can instantly access to the newly created arrays without requiring a reboot and waiting the
initialization complete. In “Foreground Initialization”, the initialization proceeds must be completed before
the volume set ready for system accesses. In “No Init”, there is no initialization on this volume.
7. Initialize the volume set you have just configured.
8. If you need to add additional volume set, using main menu “Create Volume Set” function.
9. Choosing Foreground (Fast Completion) Press Enter key to define fast initialization or selected the
Background (Instant Available) or No Init (To escue Volume). In the “Background Initialization”, the
initialization proceeds as a background task, the volume set is fully accessible for system reads and writes.
The operating system can instantly access to the newly created arrays without requiring a reboot and