WiebeTech SIS5-UR User manual

SilverSATA V-UR User’s Manual - 1 -
SilverSATA™ V-UR
SCSI Ultra320 to SATA
Disk Subsystem
User’s Manual
Revised March 29, 2007
.

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SilverSATA V-UR User’s Manual - 2 -
WARRANTY
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. We make no warranty of
any kind regarding this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties or
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Furthermore, we shall not be liable for errors
contained herein or for incidental or consequential damage in connection with the furnishing,
performance, or use of this material.
FCC STATEMENT
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, 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.
CE Mark
This equipment is in conformity with EM directive.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction 10
1.1 System Architecture 10
1.1.1 Ultra320 Host Interface(SilverSATA) 10
1.1.2 Serial ATA II Drive Interface 10
1.2 SilverSATA V-UR Controller Board 10
1.2.1 Cache Memory Subsystem 10
1.2.2 User Interface 10
1.2.3 Controller Firmware 11
1.3 RAID Concept 11
1.3.1 RAID Set 11
1.3.2 Volume Set 11
1.3.3 Easy of Use Features 11
1.3.3.1 Instant Availability/Background Initialization 11
1.3.3.2 Array Roaming 12
1.3.3.3 Online Capacity Expansion 12
1.3.4 Online RAID Level and Stripe Size Migration 12
1.4 High availability 12
1.4.1 Creating Hot Spares 12
1.4.2 Hot-Swap Disk Drive Support 12
1.4.3 Hot-Swap Disk Rebuild 12
1.5 Understanding RAID 13
1.5.1 RAID 0 13
1.5.2 RAID 1 13
1.5.3 RAID 10 14
1.5.4 RAID 3 14
1.5.5 RAID 5 15
1.5.6 Summary of RAID Levels 16
2. Hardware Installation 16
2.1 Overview 16
2.2 SilverSATA V-UR Requirements 16
2.3 Step Action 17
2.4 Hot-plug Drive Replacement 19
2.4.1 Recognizing a Drive Failure 19
2.4.2 Replacing a Failed Drive 19
3. Configuration Methods 20
3.1 Using local front panel touch-control keypad 20
3.2 VT100 terminal (Using the controller’s serial port) 21
3.2.1 SilverSATA V-UR RS-232C Port Pin Assignment 21
3.2.2 Start-up VT100 Screen 22

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3.3 Bootable CD VT100 utility (Using the controller’s serial port) 22
3.3.1 Bootable CD VT100 terminal emulation setting value requirement 22
3.3.2 Start-up ROM-DOS VT100 Screen 23
3.4 Web browser-based RAID manager 23
3.4.1 Web browser-based RAID manager via HTTP Proxy (Using the
controller’s serial port) 23
3.4.1.1 Start-up Web Browser-based RAID Management for Local
Administration 24
3.4.1.1.1 For Windows 24
3.4.1.1.2 For Linux 24
3.4.1.2 Start-up Web Browser-based RAID Management for Remote
Administration 25
3.4.2 Firmware-embedded TCP/IP & web browser-based RAID manager
(using the controller’s 10/100 Ethernet LAN port) 25
3.5 Configuration Menu Tree 25
4. LCD Configuration Menu 25
4.1 Starting LCD Configuration Utility 26
4.2 LCD Configuration Utility Main Menu Options 26
4.3 Configuring Raid Sets and Volume Sets 26
4.4 Designating Drives as Hot Spares 27
4.5 Using Quick Volume and Raid Set Setup 27
4.6 Using Raid Set and Volume Set Functions 28
4.7 Navigation Map of the LCD For SilverSATA 29
4.7.1 Quick Volume/Raid Setup 29
4.7.2 Raid Set Function 29
4.7.2.1 Create A New Raid Set 29
4.7.2.2 Delete Existed Raid Set 29
4.7.2.3 Expand Existed Raid Set 30
4.7.2.4 Activate Incomplete Raid Set 30
4.7.2.5 Create Hot Spare Disk 30
4.7.2.6 Delete Hot Spare Disk 30
4.7.2.7 Display Raid Set Information 30
4.7.3 Volume Set Function 30
4.7.3.1 Create Raid Volume Set 31
4.7.3.1.1 Capacity 31
4.7.3.1.2 Raid Level 31
4.7.3.1.3 Stripe Size 31
4.7.3.1.4 Volume Name 31
4.7.3.1.5 SCSI Channel (SilverSATA) 31
4.7.3.1.6 SCSI ID (SilverSATA) 31
4.7.3.1.7 SCSI LUN (SilverSATA) 31
4.7.3.1.8 Cache Mode 32
4.7.3.1.9 Tag Queuing 32
4.7.3.2 Delete Volume Set 32
4.7.3.3 Modify Volume Set 32

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4.7.3.3.1 Volume Set Migration 32
4.7.3.4 Check Volume Set Consistency 32
4.7.3.5 Stop Volume Set Consistency Check 32
4.7.3.6 Display Volume Set Information 32
4.7.4 Physical Drive 33
4.7.4.1 Display Drive Information 33
4.7.4.2 Create Pass-Through Disk 33
4.7.4.3 Modify Pass-Through Disk 33
4.7.4.4 Delete Pass-Through Disk 34
4.7.4.5 Identify Selected Drive 34
4.7.5 Raid System Function 34
4.7.5.1 Mute The Alert Beeper 34
4.7.5.2 Alert Beeper Setting 34
4.7.5.3 Change Password 34
4.7.5.4 JBOD/RAID Configuration 34
4.7.5.5 RAID Rebuild Priority 34
4.7.5.6 Maximum SATA Mode (SilverSATA) 35
4.7.5.7 Disk Capacity Truncation Mode 35
4.7.5.8 Terminal Port Configuration 35
4.7.5.9 Restart Controller 35
4.7.6 U320 SCSI Target Configuration(SilverSATA) 36
4.7.7 Ethernet Configuration (SilverSATA) 36
4.7.8 Show System Events 36
4.7.9 Clear all Event Buffers 36
4.7.10 Hardware Information 36
4.7.11 System Information 36
5. VT-100 Utility Configuration 36
5.1 Configuring Raid Sets and Volume Sets 37
5.2 Designating Drives as Hot Spares 37
5.3 Using Quick Volume /Raid Setup Configuration 37
5.4 Using Raid Set/Volume Set Function Method 38
5.5 Main Menu 39
5.5.1 Quick Volume/RAID Setup 40
5.5.2 Raid Set Function 41
5.5.2.1 Create Raid Set 41
5.5.2.2 Delete Raid Set 42
5.5.2.3 Expand Raid Set 42
• Migrating 42
5.5.2.4 Activate Incomplete Raid Set 43
5.5.2.5 Create Hot Spare 43
5.5.2.6 Delete Hot Spare 44
5.5.2.7 Raid Set Information 44
5.5.3 Volume Set Function 44

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5.5.3.1 Create Volume Set 45
5.5.3.1.1 Volume Name 45
5.5.3.1.2 Capacity 46
5.5.3.1.3 Raid Level 46
5.5.3.1.4 Stripe Size 46
5.5.3.1.5 SCSI Channel 47
5.5.3.1.6 SCSI ID 47
5.5.3.1.7 SCSI LUN 47
5.5.3.1.8 Cache Mode 48
5.5.3.1.9 Tag Queuing 48
5.5.3.1.10 Max Sync Rate 48
5.5.3.2 Delete Volume Set 49
5.5.3.3 Modify Volume Set 49
5.5.3.3.1 Volume Expansion 49
5.5.3.3.2 Volume Set Migration 50
5.5.3.4 Check Volume Set 50
5.5.3.5 Stop Volume Set Check 51
5.5.3.6 Display Volume Set Info 51
5.5.4 Physical Drives 51
5.5.4.1 View Drive Information 51
5.5.4.2 Create Pass-Through Disk 52
5.5.4.3 Modify Pass-Through Disk 52
5.5.4.4 Delete Pass-Through Disk 52
5.5.4.5 Identify Selected Drive 53
5.5.5 Raid System Function 53
5.5.5.1 Mute The Alert Beeper 53
5.5.5.2 Alert Beeper Setting 54
5.5.5.3 Change Password 54
5.5.5.4 JBOD/RAID Configuration 55
5.5.5.5 Disk Capacity Truncation Mode 56
5.5.5.6 Maximum SATA Mode 56
5.5.5.7 Update Firmware 57
5.5.5.8 Restart Controller 57
5.5.6 U320 SCSI Target Configuration (SilverSATA) 58
5.5.7 Ethernet Configuration (SilverSATA) 58
5.5.7.1 DHCP Function 58
5.5.7.2 Local IP address 58
5.5.7.3 Ethernet Address 59
5.5.8 View System Events 59
5.5.9 Clear Events Buffer 60
5.5.10 Hardware Monitor Information 60
5.5.11 System Information 61
6. Web Browser-based Configuration 61

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6.1 Firmware-embedded TCP/IP & web browser-based RAID manager (using
the controller’s 10/100 Ethernet LAN port) 61
6.2 Configuring Raid Sets and Volume Sets 62
6.3 Designating Drives as Hot Spares 62
6.4 Using Quick Volume /Raid Setup Configuration 62
6.5 Using Raid Set/Volume Set Function Method 63
6.6 Configuring Raid Sets and Volume Sets 64
6.6.1 Main Menu 65
6.7 Quick Create 65
6.8 Raid Set Functions 65
6.8.1 Create Raid Set 65
6.8.2 Delete Raid Set 66
6.8.3 Expand Raid Set 66
6.8.4 Activate Incomplete Raid Set 66
6.8.5 Create Hot Spare 66
6.8.6 Delete Hot Spare 66
6.8.7 Rescue Raid Set 66
6.9 Volume Set Functions 66
6.9.1 Create Volume Set 67
6.9.2 Delete Volume Set 68
6.9.3 Modify Volume Set 68
6.9.3.1 Volume Expansion 68
6.9.3.2 Volume Set Migration 68
6.9.4 Check Volume Set 68
6.9.5 Stop Volume Set Check 68
6.10 Physical Drive 68
6.10.1 Create Pass-Through Disk 69
6.10.2 Modify Pass-Through Disk 69
6.10.2.1 For SilverSATA 69
6.10.3 Delete Pass-Through Disk 69
6.10.4 Identify Drive 69
6.11 System Controls 69
6.11.1 System Configuration 69
6.11.1.1 For SilverSATA 69
6.11.2 U320 SCSI Target Config (SilverSATA) 70
6.11.3 Ethernet Config (SilverSATA) 70
6.11.4 Alert By Mail Config (SilverSATA) 71
6.11.5 SNMP Configuration (SilverSATA) 71
6.11.6 View Events/ Mute Beeper 71
6.11.7 Generate Test Event 71
6.11.8 Clear Events Buffer 71
6.11.9 Modify Password 71
6.11.10 Upgrade Firmware 72

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6.11.11 Restart Controller 72
6.12 Information Menu 72
6.12.1 Raid Set Hierarchy 72
6.12.2 System Information 72
6.12.3 Hardware Monitor 72
APPENDIX A 72
Specifications 72
System Architecture 73
SilverSATA 73
RAID Features 73
Disk Bus Interface 73
SCSI-to-SATA Host Bus Interface 73
Monitors / Indicators 73
RAID Management 73
Software Drivers 74
Mechanical 74
Environmental 74
Electrical 74
Appendix B 74
Upgrading Flash Firmware Programming Utility 74
Establishing the Connection for the RS-232 75
Upgrade Firmware Through ANSI/VT-100 Terminal Emulation 75
Upgrade Firmware Through HTTP Proxy Web Browser Manager 75
Appendix C 76
Connector and Pin Definitions 76
Appendix D 76
SNMP Operation & Definition 76
Appendix E 76
Technical Support 76

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1. Introduction
The SilverSATA V-UR controller is designed to fit in a three 5.25” half-height drive bay for easy
integration in any disk array enclosure or server. The controller host base module depends on
varying models with different configurations. (SilverSATA) controller host supports Ultra320 SCSI
channel and five SATA II channels for disk drives. When properly configured, the SilverSATA V-
UR can provide non-stop service with a high degree of fault tolerance through the use of RAID
technology and advanced array management features. The SilverSATA V-UR controller connects
to the host system through an Ultra320 SCSI interface. The host interface on the host may be
located either on the system board, or on a plug-in host bus adapter (HBA) card.
The SilverSATA V-UR allows easy scalability from JBOD to RAID. It can be configured to RAID
levels 0, 1 (0+1), 3, 5, and 6. 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 on the front.
1.1 System Architecture
1.1.1 Ultra320 Host Interface
The Ultra320 SCSI controller board’s host interface appears to the host system as an Ultra320
target device. The Ultra320 SCSI can support transfer rates up to 320MB per second.
1.1.2 Serial ATA II Drive Interface
The controller board communicates directly with the array’s 5 Serial ATA II drives via a built-in
SATA interface. The SilverSATA V-UR uses the SilverSATA V-UR SATA II I/O controller chip on
each SATA channel to allow the controller to simultaneously communicate with the host system,
and read or write data on several drives. Up to five disk drives can be connected to each RAID
controller.
1.2 SilverSATA V-UR Controller Board
SilverSATA controller has a SATA II controller which supports SATA II support with up to 5
SATA hard drives.
1.2.1 Cache Memory Subsystem
The SilverSATA controller high-performance architecture comes from Intel 80321 I/O
processor, a 133MHz/64-bit PCI-X memory architecture. The data flows through
133MHz/64-bit PCI-X bus makes its high data throughput. Data can be transferred between
the controller and the drives through a high-speed 133MHz/64-bit path at a burst rate of up
to 1000MB/S. The system’s overall performance can support one Ultra320 SCSI host
channel. The controller default supports 128MB on-board cache.
1.2.2 User Interface
Manual configuration and monitoring can be done through the LCD front control pane. 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. Users can through this

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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, Dynamic Volume Extension,
Array Roaming, Global Online Spare, Automatic Drive Failure Detection, Automatic Failed
Drive Rebuilding, Disk Hot Spare, and Instant Availability/Background Initialization.
The SilverSATA V-UR 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. 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 information.
1.3 RAID Concept
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 controller. 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 any raid set). If
there are pre-existing raid sets with available capacity and enough disks for specified RAID
levels desired, then the volume set will be created in the existing raid set of the user’s
choice. If physical disk 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 disk capacity available in a RAID Set. Multiple Volume Sets can exist on a group
of disks 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 requiring a reboot and waiting for the initialization completion. Furthermore,
the RAID volume set is also protected against a single disk failure while initializing. In fast
initialization, the initialization process must be completed before the volume set ready for
system access.

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1.3.3.2 Array Roaming
The RAID controller 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 create an additional volume set. The
expansion process is illustrated as a following figure.
The RAID 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 an additional volume set, with a different
fault tolerance setting if the user needs to change it.
1.3.4 Online RAID Level and Stripe Size Migration
Users can Migrate both the RAID level and stripe size of an existing volume set while the
server is online and the volume set is in use. Online RAID level/stripe size migration can
prove helpful during performance tuning activities and in the event that additional physical
disks are added to the RAID controller. For example, in a system using two drives in RAID
level 1, you could increase capacity and retain fault tolerance by adding another drive. You
then have the option of adding the third 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 off.
1.4 High availability
1.4.1 Creating Hot Spares
A hot spare drive is an unused online available drive, which is ready for replacing the failure
disk drive. In a RAID level 1, 0+1, 3, or 5 raid set, any unused online available drive
installed but not belonging to a raid set can be defined as a hot spare drive. Hot spares
permit you to replace failed drives without powering down the system. When the RAID
controller detects a drive failure, the system will automatically do transparent rebuilds using
hot spare drives. The raid set will be reconfigured and rebuilt in the background while the
RAID controller 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.
1.4.2 Hot-Swap Disk Drive Support
The RAID controller has built the protection circuit to support the replacement of SATA II
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
conventional SCSI hard disk RAID controllers. We provide this feature for controllers 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

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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 controller
automatically and transparently rebuilds failed drives in the background with users-definable
rebuild rates. The RAID controller 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, the system
may no longer be fault tolerant. Fault tolerance will be lost until the removed drive is
replaced and the rebuild operation is completed.
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
SilverSATA V-UR 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 SilverSATA V-UR.
The SilverSATA V-UR 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”, is when 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 software applications) are preserved on the other drive. RAID 1
offers extremely high data reliability, but at the cost of doubling the required data storage
capacity.

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1.5.3 RAID 0+1
RAID 0+1 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, combining striping with disk mirroring.
RAID Level 0+1 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 drives for data protection. RAID 0+1
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
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 stripes of the surviving member disk. RAID 3 is best for
applications that require very fast data transfer rates or large data blocks.

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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. 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.

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1.5.6 Summary of RAID Levels
The SilverSATA V-UR RAID controller supports RAID Levels 0, 1, (0+1), 3, 5, and 6. 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 separated disks. RAID 1
is almost always 2 disks.
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 as Block-Interleaved
Parity. Data and parity information is
subdivided and distributed across all
disks. Parity must be 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 as Bit-Interleaved Parity.
Data and parity information is
subdivided and distributed across all
disks. Parity must be 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 as Block-Interleaved
Distributed Parity. Data and parity
information is subdivided and
distributed across all disks. Can
withstand the failure of one drive, and
80& of drive capacity is usable.
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.
6 Two different parity bits are used, to
create double redundancy. Can
withstand the failure of two drives, but
only 60% of drive capacity is usable.
4 5 Higher than
1,10, 5 Slightly less than RAID 5 Slightly less than RAID 5
2. Hardware Installation
2.1 Overview
This chapter describes how to install the SilverSATA V-UR and connect UDMA/SATA drives
to make sure the SilverSATA V-UR is ready to use. The following contains step-by-step
instructions to successfully install your new SilverSATA V-UR in your computer system.
2.2 SilverSATA V-UR Requirements
This is essentially the same form factor as a three 5” full-height hard disk drive. It is designed
to fit into three consecutive 5.25” full-height drive bays located in a server chassis. Standard
mounting holes are located on both sides of the SilverSATA V-UR. The mounting holes
accept commonly available No. 6-32 coarse-thread screws.
2.3 Step Action

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1. Unpack the SilverSATA V-UR and inspect for damage. Make sure all items are in the
package.
2. Identify SilverSATA V-UR parts
3. Turn off the computer
4. Connect host to SilverSATA V-UR
5. Setting UDMA devices
6. Load drives into the drive trays.
7. RAID creation method
8. Turn on the host computer
9. Configure the SilverSATA V-UR
Step 1 Unpacking
Unpack and install the hardware in a static-free environment. The SilverSATA V-UR is
packed inside an anti-static bag between two blocks of foam. Remove it and inspect it for
damage. If the SilverSATA V-UR appears damaged, or if any items of the contents listed
below are missing or damaged, please contact WiebeTech immediately.
Checklist
The SilverSATA V-UR kit includes the following items in the shipping package:
• SilverSATA V-UR
• Mounting hardware required by the SilverSATA V-UR (attachment rails, screws, etc.)
• SCSI cable to interconnect SilverSATA V-UR and system SCSI host.
• SCSI terminator
• RS-232 cable
• Standard power cable
• WiebeTech product CD
Step 2 Identify SilverSATA V-UR part
The following figures illustrate the jumper and connector locations for the SilverSATA V-UR.
Step 3 Power Down the System
Turn off the host computer and disconnect the power code.
Step 4 Loading Drive into the Drive Tray
The SilverSATA V-UR supports five channel SATA II channels. For SATA II drives, each
channel can run up to 300MB/S.
1. Gently take out the drive trays from the SilverSATA V-UR by using the key to unlock
the tray, and pulling out on the lever.
2. Remove the tray blank from hot-swap tray.
3. Make sure the connectors are firmly seated; secure the drive to the hot-swap tray
with the SilverSATA drive screws.
4. After all drives are in the drive tray, place all of them back into the SilverSATA V-UR .
To do this slide in the drive tray making sure the lever is at 90-degree angle from the
SilverSATA. This is important so as not to damage the hot-swap trays.
5. Make sure you let the lever engage by itself.
6. Give a final push of the drive tray to make sure it is seated firmly into the back plane.
7. Once it is seated firmly, click the lever in place.
Step 5 Connecting SilverSATA V-UR Power
Connect a free power cables to the power connector on the rear side of the SilverSATA V-
UR. Below is recommended way to connect module to Power Supply.
Step 6 Connecting SilverSATA V-UR to host SCSI Channel (SilverSATA)
There are two SCSI connectors that are provided on the back of the SilverSATA V-UR for

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connecting the array to SCSI host adapter. Installation of the SilverSATA V-UR is very
similar to the installation of a standard SCSI drive. Refer to your system and/or SCSI host
adapter manual for additional installation procedures that may apply to your system or host
adapter. Install host SCSI Channel and SilverSATA V-UR using the SCSI cables included in
your kits.
Follow these steps to connect host SCSI Channel and SilverSATA V-UR:
1.Plug the SCSI Terminator into one of the ports on the back of the unit
2.Plug the SCSI cable into the other port
3.Hook up power cable into SilverSATA V-UR
4.Turn off the computer, and load the host card into its appropriate slot on the motherboard
5.Plug the other end of the cable into the host card
6.Turn on SilverSATA V-UR
7.Boot up the computer
Step 7 RAID Creation Method
It is necessary to connect LCD panel with 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.
If you need to add the front panel and keypad function, you also need one another drive
bay space. Install the LCD Module on the controller backplane in order to operate the LCD
interface function. For additional information on using the LCD panel and keypad to
configure the SilverSATA V-UR see “LCD Configuration” on Chapter 6.
Method 2: Serial Port Connection
The SilverSATA V-UR 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 SilverSATA V-UR into a 9-pin D-Sub male
connector or the system board, 10-pin header COM2 connector. You can attach a serial
(Character-Based) terminal or server com port to the SilverSATA V-UR for access to the
text-based Setup Menu, note the following:
1. Connect a serial terminal to the port labeled COM1.
2. Connect the host system serial port to the port labeled
COM1.
Step 8 Turn on the host computer Power
Safely check the installation and reinstall the computer cover. Connect all power code. Turn
on the AC power switch at the rear of computer then press the power button at the front of
the host computer.
Step 9 Configure SilverSATA V-UR
You can configure SilverSATA V-UR either through the LCD Configuration utility or
RS232C/LAN port (SilverSATA) out of band management utility. The SilverSATA V-UR
supports VT-100 terminal or CD-ROM bootable VT-100 utility and HTTP Proxy web-
Note: All SCSI buses require termination on both ends of the bus to prevent signal degradation.
Most SCSI card supplies the termination on the origination end of the SCSI bus. Termination for
the opposite end if the bus is provided by the vendor.
Note: There are a variety of failure conditions that cause the SilverSATA V-UR monitoring LED
to light. Table1-1 provides a summary of the front panel LED and SilverSATA V-UR LED.

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LED Normal Status Problem Indication
Power LED Bright Green This LED does not light up after power switched on
BUSY LED Blink yellow during host computer accessing
the SilverSATA V-UR. LED never flickers
FAULT LED LED never light up This LED light up: “Red”, when the disk drive fail
Disk Activity
LED This LED blinks during hard drive read and write activity
Voltage LED This LED will remain on green when the
power is on This LED will blink red if there is a voltage error
Temperature
LED This LED will remain on green when the power is on This LED will blink red if there is a fan problem
Fan LED This LED will remain on green when the
power is on This LED will blink red if the internal temperature rises above the Spec setting
2.4 Hot-plug Drive Replacement
The SilverSATA V-UR 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 RAID rebuilding will be processed
automatically in the background. When a disk is hot swap, the SilverSATA V-UR 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.
2.4.1 Recognizing a Drive Failure
A drive failure can be identified in one of the following ways:
1. An error status message lists failed drives in the.
2. Amber LED illuminates on the front of SilverSATA V-UR system
if failed drives are inside.
2.4.2 Replacing a Failed Drive
With our SilverSATA V-UR 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.
Follow below and refer to the pictures to replace the “Hot-Swap” drive.
Step a. Gently pull-out the HDD tray
(When a HDD error occurs, the HDD LED indicator lights up “Amber”)
Remove the drive tray you wish to replace from the SilverSATA V-UR by firmly pulling on
the drive carrier’s handle and sliding out the drive tray.
Step b. Unscrew
Remove all the mounting screws.
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
SilverSATA V-UR without starting the Automatic Data Rebuild.
3. Configuration Methods

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After the hardware installation, the SATA disk drives connected to the internal SilverSATA V-UR
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
• Using HTTP Proxy through the controller’s serial port to access web browser-based RAID
manager in Windows and Linux system.
• Firmware-embedded & web browser-based RAID manager/SNMP a gent/SMTP via the
controller’s 10/100 Ethernet LAN 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 SilverSATA V-UR allows only one method to access menus at a time.
3.1 Using local front panel touch-control keypad
The front panel keypad and liquid crystal display (LCD) is the primary users interface for the
SilverSATA V-UR. All configuration and management of the controller and its properly
connected disk arrays can be performed from this interface.
The front panel keypad and LCD are connected to the SilverSATA V-UR 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
SilverSATA V-UR is the primary operational interface and monitor display for the disk array
controller. This user interface controls all configuration and management functions for the
SilverSATA V-UR controller and for all UDMA or SATA 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.
The Initial screen is as following:
Function Key Definitions
The four function keys at the button of the front panel perform the following functions:
There are a variety of failure conditions that cause the SilverSATA V-UR monitoring LED to
light. Following the Table provides a summary of the front panel LED and Enclosure LED.
For additional information on using the LCD panel and keypad to configure the RAID
controller see ‘LCD Configuration” on Chapter 4.
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)
Panel
LED Normal Status Problem Indication
Power LED Bright Green This LED does not light up after power
switched on

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Busy LED Blink yellow during host computer accessing the
SilverSATA V-UR. LED never flickers
Fault LED This LED never light up The LED light up: ‘RED’, when disk drive
fails.
3.2 VT100 terminal (Using the controller’s serial port)
The serial port on the controller’s back panel can be used in VT100 mode. The provided
interface cable converts the RS232 signal of the 10-pin header connector on the SilverSATA
V-UR into a 9-pin D-Sub male connector. The firmware-based terminal array management
interface can access the array through this RS-232 port. You can attach a VT-100 compatible
terminal or a PC running a VT-100 terminal emulation program to the serial port for accessing
the text-based Setup Menu.
3.2.1 SilverSATA V-UR RS-232C Port Pin Assignment
To ensure proper communications between the SilverSATA V-UR and the VT-100 Terminal
Emulation, Please configure the VT100 terminal emulation settings to the values shown
below:
The controller 10-pin header assignments are defined as below.
Keyboard Navigation
The following definition is the VT-100 RAID configuration utility keyboard navigation.
Terminal requirement
Connection Null-modem cable
Baud Rate 115,200
Data bits 8
Stop 1
Flow Control None
Action
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
Key Function
Arrow Key Move cursor
Enter Key Submit selection function
ESC Key Return to previous screen
L Key Line draw
X Key Redraw
3.2.2 Start-up VT100 Screen
By connecting a VT100 compatible terminal, or a PC operating in an equivalent terminal
emulation mode, all SilverSATA V-UR 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 and Hyper Terminal. Open Hyper Terminal (requires version 3.0 or higher)