WiebeTech RT5 User manual

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RT5™
User’s Manual
(revised 5/10/07)
Contents
1. Features
3
1.1 System Architecture
3
1.1.1 Ultra ATA/133 & SATA 1.0 Host Interface
3
1.1.2 Ultra ATA/133 Drive Interface
3
1.2 RAID Subsystem Controller Board
4
1.2.1 Cache Memory Subsystem
4
1.2.2 User Interface
4
1.2.3 Controller Firmware
4
1.3 Array Definition
5
1.3.1 RAID Set
5
1.3.2 Volume Set
5
1.3.3 Ease of Use Features
5
1.3.3.1 Instant Availability / Background Initialization
5
1.3.3.2 Array Roaming
6
1.3.3.3 Online RAID Capacity Expansion
6
1.3.3.4 Online RAID Level and Stripe Size Migration
7
1.4 High availability (Hot Spare Feature)
7
1.4.1 Creating Hot Spares
7
1.4.2 Hot-Swap Disk Driver Support
7
1.4.3 Hot-Swap Disk Rebuild
7
1.4.4 Recognizing a Drive Failure
7
1.4.5 Replacing a Failed Drive
7
1.5 Understanding RAID
8
1.5.1 RAID 0
8
1.5.2 RAID 1
8
1.5.3 RAID 0+1
9

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1.5.4 RAID 3
9
1.5.5 RAID 5
9
1.5.6 Summary of RAID Levels
1
0
2. Installing The Hardware
1
1
2.1 Overview
1
1
2.2 Step-by-Step Instructions
1
1
3. Local Configuration Methods
1
5
3.1 Overview
1
5
3.2 Using local front panel touch-control keypad
1
5
3.3 VT100 terminal(Using the controller's serial
port)
1
6
3.3.1 RAID Subsystem RS-232C Port Pin Assignment
1
6
3.3.2 Start-up VT100 Screen
1
7
3.4 Bootable CD VT100 utility (Using the
controller's serial port)
17
3.4.1 Bootable CD VT100 terminal emulation setting
value requirement
17
3.4.2 Start-up ROM-DOS VT100 Screen
18
3.5 Web browser-based RAID management via
HTTP Proxy(Using the controller's serial port)
18
3.6 Configuration Menu Tree
19
4. LCD Configuration
19
5. Serial Configuration
32
6. Web Browser-based Configuration
53
Appendix A: Specifications
63
Appendix B: Firmware Utility
6
4
Appendix C: Connector and Pin Definitions
6
6

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1. Features
The RT5 RAID subsystem is a high-performance IDE drive bus disk array
controller. When properly configured, the RAID subsystem can provide non-stop
service with a high degree of fault tolerance through the use of RAID technology
and advanced array management features.
The RT5 RAID subsystem has FireWire or SATA Interfaces for the host and five
IDE channels for disk drives. The interface on the host may be located either on
the system board or on a plug-in host bus adapter (HBA) card.
The RAID subsystem allows easy scalability from JBOD to RAID. It can be
configured to RAID levels 0, 1 (0+1), 3, and 5. The RAID function allows one
HDD failure without impact on the existing data and failed drive data can be
reconstructed from the remaining data and parity drives. RAID configuration and
monitoring can be done through the LCD front control panel or serial port. The
controller unit is a cost-effective IDE hard drive RAID subsystem with completely
integrated high-performance and data-protection capabilities, which meets the
performance and features of a midrange storage product at an entry-level price.
1.1 System Architecture
1.1.1 FireWire 800 & USB2.0 / SATA Host Interface
The FireWire-to-IDE controller board’s host interface appears to the host system as a FireWire
removable device. FireWire 800 can support transfer rates up to 80MB per second. SATA can
support transfer rates up to 150MB per second. FireWire 800, USB2.0, and SATA 1.0 can
concurrently access different volume sets (logical drives).
1.1.2 Ultra ATA/133 Drive Interface
The controller board communicates directly with the array’s five Ultra ATA/133 drives via a built-
in Ultra ATA/133 interface. When the host is directly controlling the drives, the RAID subsystem
controller board translates all communications between the host FireWire 800 and UDMA
devices. The RAID subsystem uses the RAID subsystem IDE I/O controller chip on each IDE
channel to allow the controller to simultaneously communicate with the host system, and read or
Host
RAID Subsystem
Controller Board
ATA/133 Drives
(Max 5)
FireWire (1394b & USB2.0) /
SATA
ATA/133

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write data on several drives. Up to five disk drives can be connected to each RAID controller. It
supports the ATA/133 standard, which is backward compatible with earlier ATA standards.
1.2 RAID subsystem Controller Board
The controller has an IDE controller which supports an ATA/133 host interface section, and a
drive interface to five Ultra ATA/133 hard drives. The IDE controller supports a XOR engine
parity generator/checker, one RS-232 interface for system management (Remote Control and
Local Monitor), and an interface to a display/operation panel. Within the array, the controller
acts as a bridge between host IDE channels and drive IDE channels via Ultra ATA/133 bus, and
implements the RAID function.
1.2.1 Cache Memory Subsystem
The RAID subsystem new high-performance architecture comes from its low power 64-bit RISC
processor, a 66MHz/32-bit PCI, and 64-bit memory architecture. The data flow at 66MHz/32-bit
PCI bus and 64-bit ECC SDRAM makes its high data throughput more than sufficient for an
entry-level or high-end PC. Data can be transferred between the controller and the drives
through a high-speed 66MHz/32-bit path at a burst rate up to 266MB/sec. The system's overall
performance can support up to 133MB/second per ATA drive channel. The RAID subsystem is
configured with 64 Megabytes of SDRAM cache on the controller board. The system supports
Write-Through and Write-Back cache. In Write-Through Cache, the controller sends a data
transfer completion signal to the host operating system when the data is written to the ATA
Drive. This caching method is considered more secure, but a Write-Through cache has a lower
performance than Write-Back cache. In Write-Back Cache, the controller sends a data transfer
completion signal to the host operating system when the controller cache has received all the
data in a transaction. If a power failure occurs before the data is written to the disk drives, data
in the cache memory will be lost. Therefore, it is recommended that a backup power source (for
example, UPS) be used when enabling the write-back caching mode option.
1.2.2 User Interface
Manual configuration and monitoring can be done through the LCD front control panel. The
firmware also contains an embedded management program that can support the RS-232C
(Serial Console) port out-of-band management. The controller can use any of the interfaces to
simplify the setup and management of their associated disk drives. This out-of-band method is
a convenient platform-independent management utility. You can use this port to implement
Bootable CD VT-100, VT-100 Terminal and HTTP Proxy browser-based management utility.
1.2.3 Controller Firmware
The system provides RAID levels 0, 1 (0+1), 3, and 5 RAID configurations. It can be managed
either through the LCD control panel or by the system-embedded configuration utilities. Its high
data availability and protection derives from the following capabilities: Online Capacity
Expansion, Online RAID Level Migration, Logical Drive Capacity Extension, Array Roaming,
Global Online Spare, Automatic Drive Failure Detection, Automatic Failed Drive Rebuilding,
Disk Hot Spare, and Instant Availability/Background Initialization. The RAID subsystem firmware
is stored on the controller flash ROM and is executed by the RISC CPU. The firmware can also
be updated through the RS-232 port without the need to replace any hardware chips. During the
controller ROM flash process, it is possible for a problem to occur resulting in corruption of the
controller firmware. A corrupted firmware in the controller firmware would make the controller
inoperable and bring the system down. The Redundant Flash provides a unique redundancy
feature that helps ensure against controller availability. This reduces the risk of system failure
due to firmware crash. In addition to the stored programs in ROM, the NVRAM stores data on

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RAID Set 1 (3 Individual Disks)
Disk 0 Disk 1 Disk 2
Free Space
Volume 1 (RAID 5)
Volume 0 (RAID 0+1)
the current configuration of the controller and its attached disk drives. As the disk drive
configurations change, the NVRAM keeps a record of the changes.
1.3 Array Definition
1.3.1 RAID Set
A RAID Set is a group of disks containing one or more volume sets. It has the following features
in the RAID subsystem controller:
1. Up to five RAID Sets are supported per RAID subsystem controller.
2. From one to five drives can be included in an individual RAID Set.
3. It is impossible to have multiple RAID Sets on the same disks.
A Volume Set must be created either on an existing RAID set or on a group of available
individual disks (disks that are not yet a part of an RAID set). If there are pre-existing RAID sets
with available capacity and enough disks for specified RAID level desired, then the volume set
will be created in the existing RAID set of the user’s choice. If physical disks of different capacity
are grouped together in a RAID set, then the capacity of the smallest disk will become the
effective capacity of all the disks in the RAID set.
1.3.2 Volume Set
A Volume Set is seen by the host system as a single logical device. It is organized in a RAID
level with one or more physical disks. RAID level refers to the level of data performance and
protection of a Volume Set. A Volume Set capacity can consume all or a portion of the disk
capacity available in a RAID Set. Multiple Volume Sets can exist on a group of disks in a RAID
Set.Additional Volume Sets created in a specified RAID Set will reside on all the physical disks
in the RAID Set. Thus each Volume Set on the RAID Set will have its data spread evenly across
all the disks in the RAID Set.
1. Volume Sets of different RAID levels may coexist on the same RAID Set.
2. The maximum addressable size of a single volume set is 2 TB.
3. Up to sixteen volume sets can be created in a RAID set.
In the illustration below, Volume 1 can be assigned a RAID 5 level of operation while Volume 0
might be assigned a RAID 0+1 level of operation.
1.3.3 Ease of Use Features
1.3.3.1 Instant Availability/Background Initialization
RAID 0 and RAID 1 volume set can be used immediately after the creation. But the RAID 3 and
5 volume sets must be initialized to generate the parity. In the Normal 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

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Before Array Expansion
120GB Array
Free Space = 40GB
Volume 1 = 40GB (D:)
Volume 0 = 40GB (C:)
Disk 0
(40GB)
Disk 1
(40GB)
Disk 2
(40GB)
After Array Expansion (Adding One Disk)
160GB Array
Free Space = 80GB
Volume 1 = 40GB (D:)
Volume 0 = 40GB (C:)
Disk 0
(40GB)
Disk 1
(40GB)
Disk 2
(40GB)
Disk 3
(40GB)
requiring a reboot and waiting for the initialization to complete. Furthermore, the RAID volume
set is also protected against a single disk failure while initialing. In Fast Initialization, the
initialization proceeds must be completed before the volume set ready for system accesses.
1.3.3.2 Array Roaming
The RAID subsystem stores configuration information both in NVRAM and on the disk drives. It
can protect the configuration settings in the case of a disk drive or controller failure. Array
roaming allows the administrators the ability to move a complete RAID set to another system
without losing RAID configuration and data on that RAID set. If a server fails to work, the RAID
set disk drives can be moved to another server and inserted in any order.
1.3.3.3 Online Capacity Expansion
Online Capacity Expansion makes it possible to add one or more physical drive to a volume set
while the server is in operation, eliminating the need to store and restore after reconfiguring the
RAID set. When disks are added to a RAID set, unused capacity is added to the end of the
RAID set. Data on the existing volume sets residing on that RAID set is redistributed evenly
across all the disks. A contiguous block of unused capacity is made available on the RAID set.
The unused capacity can be used to create additional volume sets. The expansion process is
illustrated in the following figure.
The RAID subsystem controller redistributes the original volume set over the original and newly
added disks, using the same fault-tolerance configuration. The unused capacity on the
expanded RAID set can then be used to create additional volume sets, with a different fault
tolerance setting if desired.
1.3.3.4 Online RAID Level and Stripe Size Migration
You can migrate both the RAID level and stripe size of an existing volume set, while the server

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is online and the volume set is in use. Online RAID level/stripe size migration can prove helpful
during performance tuning activities as well as in the event that additional physical disks are
added to the RAID subsystem. For example, in a system using two drives in RAID level 1, you
could add capacity and retain fault tolerance by adding one drive. With the addition of third disk,
you have the option of adding this disk to your existing RAID logical drive and migrating from
RAID level 1 to 5. The result would be parity fault tolerance and double the available capacity
without taking the system offline.
1.4 High availability
1.4.1 Creating Hot Spares
A hot spare drive is an unused but available online drive, ready to replace a failed hard drive. In
a RAID level 1, 0+1, 3, or 5 RAID set, any unused, available drive installed but not belonging to
a RAID set can be defined as a hot spare. Hot spares permit you to replace failed drives without
powering down the system. When the RAID subsystem detects a UDMA drive failure, the
system will automatically and transparently rebuild using hot spare drives. The RAID set will be
reconfigured and rebuilt in the background, while the RAID subsystem continues to handle
system requests. During the automatic rebuild process, system activity will continue as normal;
however, the system performance and fault tolerance will be affected.
Important
The hot spare must have at least the same capacity as the drive it replaces.
1.4.2 Hot-Swap Disk Drive Support
The RAID subsystem has built the protection circuit to support the replacement of UDMA hard
disk drives without having to shut down or reboot the system. The removable hard drive tray
can deliver “hot swappable,” fault-tolerant RAID solutions at prices much less than the cost of
conventional SCSI hard disk RAID subsystems. We provide this feature for subsystems to
provide the advanced fault tolerant RAID protection and “online” drive replacement.
1.4.3 Hot-Swap Disk Rebuild
A Hot-Swap function can be used to rebuild disk drives in arrays with data redundancy such as
RAID level 1(0+1), 3, and 5. If a hot spare is not available, the failed disk drive must be replaced
with a new disk drive so that the data on the failed drive can be rebuilt. If a hot spare is
available, the rebuild starts automatically when a drive fails. The RAID subsystem automatically
and transparently rebuilds failed drives in the background with user-definable rebuild rates. The
RAID subsystem will automatically restart the system and the rebuild if the system is shut down
or powered off abnormally during a reconstruction procedure condition. When a disk is Hot
Swapped, although the system is functionally operational it may no longer be fault tolerant. Fault
tolerance will be lost until the removed drive is replaced and the rebuild operation is completed
1.4.4 Recognizing a Drive Failure
A drive failure can be identified in the following way:
Amber LED illuminates on the front of RT5 if failed drives are inside.
1.4.5 Replacing a Failed Drive
RT5 drive trays are hot-swappable, meaning you can replace a defective physical drive while
your computer is still operating. When a new drive has been installed, data reconstruction will
automatically start to rebuild the contents of the drive.

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Step A: Gently pull out the drive tray
(When a HDD error occurs, the HDD LED indicator lights up "Amber")
Remove the drive tray you wish to replace from the RAID subsystem by firmly pulling on the
drive carrier’s handle and sliding out the drive tray.
Step B: Unscrew the drive
Remove all the four mounting screws before remove the power and data cables.
Step C: Unplug the Cables
Unplug the power and data cable and remove the defective disk drive from the tray. Please
remove the data cable carefully to avoid bending the pins on the drive’s IDE connector.
Note: The capacity of the replacement drives must be at least as large as the capacity of the
other drives in the RAID set. Drives of insufficient capacity will be failed immediately by the
RAID subsystem without starting the Automatic Data Rebuild.
1.5 Understanding RAID
RAID is an acronym for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. It is an array of multiple
independent hard disk drives that provide high performance and fault tolerance. The RAID
subsystem controller implements several levels of the Berkeley RAID technology. An
appropriate RAID level is selected when the volume sets are defined or created. This decision is
based on disk capacity, data availability (fault tolerance or redundancy), and disk performance.
The following lists the various RAID levels supported in the RAID subsystem. The RAID
subsystem controller makes the RAID implementation and the disks’ physical configuration
transparent to the host operating system. This means that the host operating system drivers and
software utilities are not affected, regardless of the RAID level selected. Correct installation of
the disk array and the controller requires a proper understanding of RAID technology and the
concepts.
1.5.1 RAID 0
RAID 0, also referred to as striping, writes data across multiple disk drives instead of just one
disk drive. RAID 0 does not provide any data redundancy, but does offer the best high-speed
data throughput. RAID 0 breaks up data into smaller blocks and then writes a block to each
drive in the array. Disk striping enhances performance because multiple drives are accessed
simultaneously; but the reliability of RAID Level 0 is less than any of its member disk drives due
to its lack of redundancy.
1.5.2 RAID 1
In RAID 1, also known as “disk mirroring”, data written to one disk drive is simultaneously
written to another disk drive. Read performance may be enhanced if the array controller can
parallel access both members of a mirrored pair. During writes, there will be a minor
performance penalty when compared to writing to a single disk. If one drive fails, all data (and

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software applications) are preserved on the other drive. RAID 1 offers extremely high data
reliability at the cost of doubling the required data storage capacity.
1.5.3 RAID 10 (0+1)
RAID 10 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, combining striping with disk mirroring. RAID
Level 10 combines the fast performance of Level 0 with the data redundancy of Level 1. In this
configuration, data is distributed across several disk drives, similar to Level 0, which are then
duplicated to another set of drive for data protection. RAID 10 provides the highest read/write
performance of any of the Hybrid RAID levels, but at the cost of doubling the required data
storage capacity.
1.5.4 RAID 3
RAID 3 provides disk striping and complete data redundancy through a dedicated parity drive.
RAID 3 breaks up data into smaller blocks, calculates parity by performing an exclusive-or on
the blocks, and then writes the blocks to all but one drive in the array. The parity data created
during the exclusive-or is then written to the last drive in the array. If a single drive fails, data is
still available by computing the exclusive-or of the contents corresponding strips of the surviving
member disk. RAID-3 is best for applications that require very fast data transfer rates or long
data blocks
1.5.5 RAID 5
RAID 5 is sometimes called striping with parity at byte level. In RAID 5, the parity information is
written to all of the drives in the subsystems rather than concentrated on a dedicated parity disk.

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If one drive in the system fails, the parity information can be used to reconstruct the data from
that drive. All drives in the array system can be used to seek operation at the same time, greatly
increasing the performance of the RAID system. This relieves the write bottleneck that
characterizes RAID 4, and is the primary reason that RAID 5 is more often implemented.
1.5.6 Summary of RAID Levels
The RT5 supports RAID Levels 0, 1, (0+1), 3, and 5. RAID level 5 is most commonly used by customers
seeking an optimal balance of speed and data safety. The following table provides a summary of RAID
levels.
RAID Features and Performance
RAID
Level
Description
Min.
Drives
Max.
Drives
Data
Reliability
Data Transfer
Rate
I/O Request Rates
0 Also known as striping. Data
distributed across multiple drives
in the array. There is no data
protection
1 5 No data
Protection
Very high Very high for both
reads and writes
1 Also known as mirroring. All data
replicated on N Separated disks.
N is almost always 2.
This is a high availability solution,
but due to the 100% duplication, it
is also a costly solution.
2 2 Lower than
RAID 6;
Higher than
RAID 3, 5
Reads are
higher than a
single disk;
Writes are
similar to a
single disk
Reads are twice as
fast as a single
disk.
Writes are similar
to a single disk.
0+1 Also known Block-Interleaved
Parity. Data and parity information
is subdivided and distributed
across all disk. Parity must be the
equal to the smallest disk capacity
in the array. Parity information
normally stored on a dedicated
parity disk.
3 5 Lower than
RAID 6;
Higher than
RAID 3, 5
Transfer rates
are more like
RAID 1 than
RAID 0
Reads are twice as
fast as a single
disk.
Writes are similar
to a single disk.
3 Also known Bit-Interleaved Parity.
Data and parity information is
subdivided and distributed across
all disk. Parity must be the equal
to the smallest disk capacity in the
array. Parity information normally
stored on a dedicated parity disk.
3 5 Lower than
RAID 1, 10, 6;
Higher than a
single drive
Reads are
similar to RAID
0; Writes are
slower than a
single disk
Reads are almost
twice that of a
single disk.
Writes are similar
to a single disk.
5 Also known Block-Interleaved
Distributed Parity. Data and parity
information is subdivided and
distributed across all disk. Parity
must be the equal to the smallest
disk capacity in the array. Parity
information normally stored on a
dedicated parity disk.
3 5 Lower than
RAID 1, 10, 6;
Higher than a
single drive
Reads are
similar to RAID
0; Writes are
slower than a
single disk
Reads are similar
to RAID 0.
Writes are slower
than a single disk.

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2. Installing the Hardware
2.1 Overview
This chapter describes how to install the RT5 RAID Subsystem and connect UDMA
drives to make the unit ready to use. The following contains step-by-step instructions to
successfully install your new RT5 in your computer system.
2.2 Step-by-Step Installation
These are the steps you will follow, in brief. Fuller explanation follows.
1. Unpack the RT5 RAID subsystem and inspect for damage. Make sure all items are in
the package.
2. Identify the various parts of the unit.
3. Turn off the computer.
4. Configure your hard drives.
5. Load the drives into the drive trays.
6. Connect the RT5 to the host computer.
7. Power on the RT5.
8. Configure the RT5.
9. Power on the host computer.
Step 1: Unpack
Unpack and install the hardware in a static-free environment. The RT5 is packed inside an anti-
static bag between two foam or plastic sheets. Remove it and inspect it for damage. If the unit
appears damaged, or if any items of the contents listed below are missing or damaged, please
contact your dealer or distributor immediately.
Checklist
The RT5 kit should include the following items:
•RT5 unit
•5 drive trays (inside the unit. They will be pre-configured with drives if so ordered)
•Packet of keys and screws
•FireWire 800 to 800 cable
•FireWire 800 to 400 cable
•USB2.0 cable
•Serial communications null-modem cable
•AC power cord
•User’s Manual (on CD)

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Step 2: Identify the parts of the RT5
The following figures illustrate the connector locations for the RT5.
Front View of RT5: Rear View of RT5:
Tray Module:
Step 3: Power Down the Host Computer
Turn off the host computer and disconnect the power cord.
Step 4: Configure Your Hard Drives
Each UDMA drive installed in the RAID subsystem must be configured as a “Master” drive for
your system. If your UDMA drive is configured as a “Slave” or “Cable Select” drive, you must
change it to a “Master” drive. Changing jumper settings on the drive can switch from slave to
master mode. Most new hard drives are shipped with the Master jumper setting enabled.
Step 5: Load the Drives into the Drive Trays
The RT5 supports five Ultra ATA/133 IDE channels. Each channel can run up to 133MB/s.
5a. Gently take out the drive trays from the RT5 by pulling out on the lever.

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5b. Attach the drive tray’s power cable to the disk drive first, and then carefully push the tray’s
data cable (IDE ribbon cable) into the disk drive. Be careful not to bend the pins on the
drive’s IDE connector. The connectors are keyed and will only fit one way.
5c. Make sure the connectors are firmly seated. Secure the drive to the tray with the included
screws.
5d. After all drives are in the drive trays, place all of them back into the RT5.
5e. Once it is seated firmly, lock the drive tray with the included key.

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Step 6: Connect the RT5 to the Host Computer. Plug the power cord into a grounded
electrical outlet. WiebeTech recommends the use of a surge protector to reduce the chance of
damage to the RT5.
Step 7: Power on the RT5
Turn on power to the unit using the switch on the back panel.
Step 8: Configure the RT5 (Set up your RAID)
You must use either the LCD panel and keypad or a serial device (terminal emulation) in order
to create the RAID system.
Method 1: LCD Panel with Keypad
The LCD status panel informs you of the Disk Array's current operating status at a glance. For
additional information on using the LCD panel and keypad to configure the RAID subsystem see
“LCD Configuration” in Chapter 6.
Note: There are a variety of failure conditions that cause the RAID subsystem monitoring LED to
light. Table 1-1 provides a summary of the front panel LED and RAID subsystem LED.
LED
Normal Status
Problem Indication
Power LED Bright Green This LED does not light until power is
switched on
Temperature LED LED lights up bright green Blinks red if the internal temperature
rises above the Spec setting
Fan LED LED lights up bright green Blinks red if there is a fan problem
HDD LED Indicator LED lights up bright green when HDD
is ready
Blinks red if there is a disk error
Host Access LED Blinks green when host computer is
accessing the RAID subsystem
LED never flickers
Table 1-1
Method 2: Serial Port Connection
The RAID subsystem can be configured via a VT-100 compatible terminal or a PC running a
VT-100 terminal emulation program. The provided interface cable converts the RS232 signal of
the 10-pin header connector on the RAID subsystem into a 9-pin D-Sub male connector. You
can attach a serial (Character-Based) terminal or server com port to the RAID subsystem for
access to the text-based Setup Menu. The following setup is connecting the server com port to
the RAID subsystem for access to the text-based Setup Menu.
Note: Use the RS-232 cable supplied with the kit to connect the RT5 to the host system.

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You can configure the RT5 either through the LCD Configuration utility or RS232C out of band
management utility. The RAID subsystem supports VT-100 terminal or CD-ROM bootable VT-
100 utility and HTTP Proxy web-browser management through the RS-232C port. Please refer
to Chapters 4, 5, and 6 for configuration instructions.
Step 9: Power on the Host Computer
You may now use the host computer to format volume sets. After formatting, the volumes will
be ready to use.
3. Configuration Methods
3.1 Overview
After the hardware installation, the UDMA disk drives connected to the internal RAID subsystem
must be configured and the volume set units initialized before they are ready to use. This can be
accomplished by one of the following methods:
•Front panel touch-control keypad
•Bootable CD VT100 utility connected through the controller’s serial port
•VT100 terminal connected through the controller’s serial port
•Web browser-based RAID management via HTTP Proxy through the controller’s serial
port
Those user interfaces can access the built-in configuration and administration utility that resides
in the controller’s firmware. They provide complete control and management of the controller
and disk arrays, eliminating the need for additional hardware or software.
Note: The internal RAID subsystem allows only one method to access menus at a time.
3.2 Using local front panel touch-control keypad
The front panel keypad and liquid crystal display (LCD) is the primary user interface for the
RAID subsystem. All configuration and management of the controller and its properly connected
disk arrays can be performed from this interface.

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The front panel keypad and LCD are connected to the RAID subsystem to access the built-in
configuration and administration utility that resides in the controller’s firmware. Complete control
and management of the array’s physical drives and logical units can be performed from the front
panel, requiring no additional hardware or software drivers for that purpose. This technical
manual provides, in quick reference form, procedures that use the built-in LCD panel to
configure and operate the controller.
A touch-control keypad and a liquid crystal display (LCD) mounted on the front panel of the
RAID subsystem is the primary operational interface and monitor display for the disk array
controller. This user interface controls all configuration and management functions for the RAID
subsystem controller and for all UDMA disk array subsystems to which it is properly connected.
The LCD provides a system of screens with areas for information, status indication, or menus.
The LCD screen displays up to two lines at a time of menu items or other information.
3.3 VT100 terminal (Using the controller’s serial port)
The serial port on the controller’s back panel can be used in VT100 mode. The RAID subsystem
comes with a 10-pin RS-232 serial port which, using a null modem cable, can be connected to
any COM port on a host computer for VT-100 terminal management purposes. It can also
transfer to external for a VT100 compatible terminal (or a PC running appropriate terminal
emulation software). The firmware-based terminal array management interface can access the
array through this RS-232 port.
Note: You may connect to a terminal while the RAID subsystem is powered on.
To ensure proper communications between the RAID subsystem and the VT-100 Terminal
Emulation, please configure the VT100 terminal emulation settings to the values shown below:
Terminal requirement
Connection Null-modem cable
Baud Rate 115,200
Data bits 8
Stop 1
3.3.1 RAID subsystemRS-232C Port Pin Assignment
To ensure proper communications between the RAID subsystem and the VT-100 Terminal
Emulation, Please connect one end of the DB9 female-to-female Cable to the Serial port on the
computer and connect the other end of the DB9 female-to-female cable to the Serial port on the
RAID subsystem. The RS-232C pin assignments are defined as below.
RS-232C Pin Assignments
Pin Description Pin Description
1 N/C 6 TXD
2 TXD 7 CTS
3 RXD 8 RTS
4 DSR 9 N/C
5 GND 10 N/C

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3.3.2 Start-up VT100 Screen
By connecting a VT100 compatible terminal, or a PC operating in an equivalent terminal
emulation mode, all RAID subsystem monitoring, configuration and administration functions can
be exercised from the VT100 terminal. There are a wide variety of Terminal Emulation
packages, but for the most part they should be very similar. The following setup procedure is an
example Setup VT100 Terminal in Windows system using Hyper Terminal use Version 3.0 or
higher.
Step 1: From the Desktop open the Start menu. Pick Programs Accessories 
Communications Hyper Terminal. Open Hyper Terminal (requires version 3.0 or higher)
Step 2: Open HYPERTRM.EXE.
Step 3: Enter a name for your Terminal. Click OK.
Step 4: Select an appropriate connecting port in your Terminal. Click OK
Step 5: Configure the port parameter settings. Bits per second: “115200”, Data bits: “8”, Parity:
“None”, Stop bits: “1”, Flow control: “None”. Click OK
Step 6: Open the File menu, and then open Properties.
Step 7: Open the Settings Tab.
Step 8: Open the Settings Tab. Function, arrow and ctrl keys act as: Terminal Keys, Backspace
key sends: Crtl+H, Emulation: VT100, Telnet terminal: VT100, Back scroll buffer lines: 500.
Click OK.
Now the VT100 is ready to use. After you have finished the VT100 Terminal setup, you may
press "X" key (in your Terminal) to link the RAID subsystem and Terminal together.
Press “X’ key to display the disk array Monitor Utility screen on your VT100 Terminal.
3.4 Bootable CD VT100 utility (Using the controller’s serial port)
The RAID subsystem now offers an alternative means of communication for the internal RAID
Subsystem - Bootable CD VT-100 emulation program. The traditional RS-232C method
configures the controller via a dedicated VT-100 terminal or system starting up running the
Hyper Terminal utilities. Bootable CD VT-100 emulation has more flexibility. You can access the
built-in configuration without needing VT-100 terminal or system starting up running the Hyper
Terminal. The Bootable CD VT-100 emulation program is an X86-based system utility used to
configure RAID volumes prior to OS installation without needing a front panel touch-control
keypad. The RAID subsystem CD-ROM provides information on OS-independent Bootable CD
VT-100 setting utilities. The utilities discussed below are run directly from the CD-ROM. A
Bootable CD VT100 compatible terminal is used to access to the built-in configuration and
administration utility that resides in the controller’s firmware.
3.4.1 Bootable CD VT100 terminal emulation setting value requirement
To ensure proper communications between the RAID subsystem and the Bootable CD Terminal
Emulation, Please connect the RAID subsystem series RS-232 serial port, to any COM port on
a host computer and configure the Bootable CD VT100 terminal emulation settings to the values
shown below:

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Terminal requirement
Baud Rate 115,200
Data bits 8
Stop bits 1
3.4.2 Start-up ROM-DOS VT100 Screen
Change the main board BIOS setup so that your system boots from the CD-ROM. Insert the
RAID subsystem CD-ROM into the system CD-ROM drive and power on the system. The ROM-
DOS Startup Menu appears and follows the step to setup the ROM-DOS VT-100 terminal
emulation parameter.
If you copy the file to floppy and boot from Floppy, then you can use the <F9-File>
Function to save the new setting to the floppy disk.
Step 1: Configure the port parameter settings. COM port: 1, Baud rate: “115200”, Data bits: “8”,
Parity: “None”, Stop bits: “1”.
Step 2: Press the “ESC” key to go back to the previous screen.
Step 3: After you have finished the VT100 Terminal setup, you may press [Ctrl] + [D] keys to
link the Disk Array and Terminal together.
Press" Ctrl "+ “D” keys to display the disk array Monitor Utility screen on your VT100 emulation
Terminal.
3.5 Web browser-based RAID management via HTTP Proxy
(Using the controller’s serial port)
If you need to boot the operating system from a RAID system, you must first create a RAID
volume by using front panel touch-control keypad, Bootable CD VT-100 utility at X86-based
system or VT-100 terminal. Configuration of the internal RAID subsystem web browser-based
RAID management is an HTTP-based application which utilizes the browser installed on your
operating system. Web browser-based RAID management can be used to manage all RAID
functions. For detailed procedures see Chapter 6 (Web Browser-based configuration method).

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3.6 Configuration Menu Tree
The following is an expansion of the menus in the configuration utility that can be accessed
through the LCD panel and RS-232 serial port.
Note: Regarding LCD panel configuration,VT100 utility configuration and Web
browser-based configuration, please refer to the detail manual in appendix CD
title chapter 4, 5, 6.
4. LCD Configuration Menu
The RAID subsystem LCD configuration utility is a character-based utility that you can run after
powering the unit. Use LCD Configuration Utility to:
•Create RAID set,
•Expand RAID set,
Main Menu
Volume Set Function
Quick Volume/RAID Setup
RAID Set Function
Physical Drives
RAID System Function
Show System Events
Clear All Event Buffers
Hardware Monitor
System Information
•
Create RAID Set
•Delete RAID Set
•Expand RAID Set
•Create Hot Spare
•Delete Hot Spare
•
•
Create Volume Set
•Delete Volume Set
•Modify Volume Set
•Check Volume Set Consistency
•Stop Volume Set Consistency
•
•
View Drive Information
•Create Pass-Through Disk
•Modify Pass-Through Disk
•Delete Pass-Through Disk
•Identify Selected Drive
•
•
Mute the Alert Beeper
•Alert Beep Setting
•Change Password
•RAID Rebuilding Priority
•Maximum ATA Mode
•COMA Configuration
•Update Firmware
•

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•Define volume set,
•Add physical drive
•Modify volume set
•Modify RAID level/stripe size,
•Define pass-through disk drives,
•Modify system function and
•Designate drives as hot spares.
The LCD front panel function keys are the primary user interface for the RAID subsystem.
Except for the Firmware Update, all configurations can be performed through this interface.
Function Key Definitions
The four buttons near the LCD on the front panel perform the following functions:
Key
Function
Up Arrow Use to scroll the cursor Upward / Rightward
Down Arrow Use to scroll the cursor Downward / Leftward
ENT Key Submit Select ion Function (Confirm a selected item)
ESC Key Return to Previous Screen (Exit a selection configuration)
4.1 Starting LCD Configuration Utility
The main menu appears on the LCD screen. Use the up and down arrow buttons to move left
and right and highlight a menu item. Press ENT to select the highlighted item. Press UP/DOWN
to browse the selection. Press ESC to return to the previous screen.
4.2 LCD Configuration Utility Main Menu Options
Select an option and the related information or submenu items display beneath it. The
submenus for each item are explained on the section 4.8.3. The configuration utility main menu
options are:
4.3 Configuring RAID Sets and Volume Sets
You can configure RAID sets and volume sets with LCD configuration utility using Quick Volume
and RAID Set Setup, RAID Set Functions/Volume Set Functions configuration method. Each
configuration method requires a different level of user input. The general flow of operations for
RAID set and volume set configuration is:
Option
Description
Quick Volume And RAID
Set Setup
Create a default configurations which are based on the number of
physical disk installed
RAID Set Functions Create a customized RAID set
Volume Set Functions Create a customized volume set
Physical Drive Functions View individual disk information
RAID System Functions Setting the RAID system configurations
Views System Events Record all system events in the buffer
Clear Event Buffer Clear all event buffer information
Hardware Monitor Show all system environment status
System Information View the controller information