XtendLan XL-RAID-2123ISSA User manual

XL-RAID-2123ISSA
iSCSI, USB and eSATA to SATA II
RAID Subsystem
User Manual

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
2
Table of Contents
Preface........................................................................................................... 5
Before You Begin.........................................................................................6
Safety Guidelines........................................................................................................................................................................6
Controller Configuration.........................................................................................................................................................6
Packaging, Shipment and Delivery.....................................................................................................................................6
Unpacking the Subsystem .....................................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................8
1.1 Key Features ......................................................................................................................................................................9
1.2 Identifying Parts of the RAID Subsystem..........................................................................................................10
1.2.1 Front View .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
1.2.1.1 Disk Trays ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.2.1.2 LCD Front Panel.......................................................................................................................................... 12
1.2.2 Rear View................................................................................................................................................................ 13
1.3 Technical Specifications.............................................................................................................................................15
1.4 RAID Concepts ..............................................................................................................................................................16
1.5 Array Definition.............................................................................................................................................................21
1.5.1 Raid Set ................................................................................................................................................................... 21
1.5.2 Volume Set ............................................................................................................................................................ 21
1.5.3 Easy to Use Features.........................................................................................................................................22
1.5.3.1 Instant Availability/Background Initialization................................................................................. 22
1.5.3.2 Array Roaming ............................................................................................................................................22
1.5.3.3 Online Capacity Expansion .................................................................................................................... 22
1.3.3.4 Online RAID Level and Stripe Size Migration..................................................................................... 23
1.5.4 High Availability .................................................................................................................................................24
1.5.4.1 Creating Hot Spares..................................................................................................................................24
1.5.4.2 Hot-Swap Disk Drive Support...............................................................................................................24
1.3.4.3 Hot-Swap Disk Rebuild ................................................................................................................................... 24
Chapter 2 Getting Started ...................................................................25
2.1 Preparing the Subsystem and Powering On ...................................................................................................25
2.2 Installing Hard Drives.................................................................................................................................................25
Chapter 3 RAID Configuration ......................................................... 27
3.1 Configuring Through a Terminal................................................................................................................................... 27

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
3
3.3 Menu Diagram...............................................................................................................................................................33
3.4 Web browser-based Remote RAID management via R-Link Port.............................................................39
3.5 Quick Create............................................................................................................................................................................41
3.6 Raid Set Functions.......................................................................................................................................................42
3.6.1 Create Raid Set.....................................................................................................................................................42
3.6.2 Delete Raid Set.....................................................................................................................................................43
3.6.3 Expand Raid Set ...................................................................................................................................................44
3.6.4 Offline Raid Set.....................................................................................................................................................46
3.6.5 Activate Incomplete Raid Set .........................................................................................................................47
3.6.6 Create Hot Spare .................................................................................................................................................49
3.6.7 Delete Hot Spare .................................................................................................................................................49
3.6.8 Rescue Raid Set .............................................................................................................................................................50
3.7 Volume Set Function..................................................................................................................................................51
3.7.1 Create Volume Set ..............................................................................................................................................51
3.7.2 Delete Volume Set ..............................................................................................................................................54
3.7.3 Modify Volume Set.............................................................................................................................................55
3.7.3.1 Volume Expansion.......................................................................................................................................56
3.7.4 Volume Set Migration.......................................................................................................................................56
3.7.5 Check Volume Set........................................................................................................................................................57
3.7.6 Stop Volume Set Check ....................................................................................................................................58
3.8 Physical Drive................................................................................................................................................................59
3.8.1 Create Pass-Through Disk........................................................................................................................................59
3.8.2 Modify Pass-Through Disk ..............................................................................................................................60
3.8.3 Delete Pass-Through Disk........................................................................................................................................61
3.8.4 Identify Selected Drive ......................................................................................................................................61
3.9 System Controls...........................................................................................................................................................62
3.9.1 System Configuration .................................................................................................................................................62
3.9.2 iSCSI Configuration......................................................................................................................................................65
3.9.3 EtherNet Config....................................................................................................................................................66
3.9.4 Alert By Mail Config...................................................................................................................................................68
3.9.5 SNMP Configuration ..........................................................................................................................................69
3.9.6 NTP Configuration .......................................................................................................................................................70
3.9.7 View Events/Mute Beeper........................................................................................................................................71
3.9.8 Generate Test Event.....................................................................................................................................................72
3.9.9 Clear Event Buffer.........................................................................................................................................................73
3.9.10 Modify Password...............................................................................................................................................74
3.9.11 Upgrade Firmware .............................................................................................................................................74
3.9.12 Shutdown Controller .......................................................................................................................................75
3.9.13 Restart Controller..............................................................................................................................................75
3.10 Information Menu ....................................................................................................................................................76

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
4
3.10.1 RaidSet Hierarchy....................................................................................................................................................... 76
3.10.2 System Information................................................................................................................................................... 78
3.10.3 Hardware Monitor.............................................................................................................................................79
3.11 Creating New Raid Set or Reconfiguring an Existing Raid Set ............................................................ 80
3.12 Upgrading the Firmware..........................................................................................................................................81
Chapter 4 Appendix. ............................................................................87
4.1 Upgrading from Single Power Supply Mode to Redundant Mode (Optional) ..................87

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
5
Preface
About this manual
This manual provides information regarding the quick installation and hardware
features of the RAID subsystem. This document also describes how to use the
storage management software. Information contained in the manual has been
reviewed for accuracy, but not for product warranty because of the various
environment/OS/settings. Information and specifications will be changed without
further notice.
This manual uses section numbering for every topics being discussed for easy and
convenient way of finding information in accordance with the user’s needs. The
following icons are being used for some details and information to be considered in
going through with this manual:
NOTES:
These are notes that contain useful information and tips
that the user must give attention to in going through with
the subsystem operation.
Copyright
IMPORTANT!
These are the important information that the user must
remember.
WARNING!
These are the warnings that the user must follow to avoid
unnecessary errors and bodily injury during hardware and
software operation of the subsystem.
CAUTION:
These are the cautions that user must be aware to prevent
damage to the equipment and its components.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent.
Trademarks
All products and trade names used in this document are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
Changes
The material in this document is for information only and is subject to change without
notice.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
6
Before You Begin
Before going through with this manual, you should read and focus to the following
safety guidelines. Notes about the subsystem’s controller configuration and the
product packaging and delivery are also included.
Safety Guidelines
To provide reasonable protection against any harm on the part of the user and to
obtain maximum performance, user is advised to be aware of the following safety
guidelines particularly in handling hardware components:
Upon receiving of the product:
❖Place the product in its proper location.
❖To avoid unnecessary dropping out, make sure that somebody is around for
immediate assistance.
❖It should be handled with care to avoid dropping that may cause damage to the
product. Always use the correct lifting procedures.
Upon installing of the product:
❖Ambient temperature is very important for the installation site. It must not exceed
30˚C. Due to seasonal climate changes; regulate the installation site temperature
making it not to exceed the allowed ambient temperature.
❖Before plugging-in any power cords, cables and connectors, make sure that the
power switches are turned off. Disconnect first any power connection if the power
supply module is being removed from the enclosure.
❖Outlets must be accessible to the equipment.
❖All external connections should be made using shielded cables and as much as
possible should not be performed by bare hand. Using anti-static hand gloves is
recommended.
❖In installing each component, secure all the mounting screws and locks. Make sure
that all screws are fully tightened. Follow correctly all the listed procedures in this
manual for reliable performance.
Controller Configuration
This RAID subsystem supports single controller configuration.
Packaging, Shipment and Delivery
❖Before removing the subsystem from the shipping carton, you should visually
inspect the physical condition of the shipping carton.
❖Unpack and verify that the contents of the shipping carton are complete and in
good condition.
❖Exterior damage to the shipping carton may indicate that the contents of the
carton are damaged.
If any damage is found, do not remove the components; contact the dealer where you
purchased the subsystem for further instructions.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
7
Unpacking the Subsystem
The package contains the following items:
RAID Subsystem Unit
Two (2) power cords
One(1) RJ45 Ethernet cable
One(1) external serial cables RJ11-to-DB9
One(1) USB Cable
Two(2) external SATA cable
User Manual
NOTE: If any damage is found, contact the dealer or vendor for assistance.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
8
Chapter 1 Introduction
The RAID Subsystem
Unsurpassed Value
▪ Most cost-effective SATA II RAID Subsystem
Application Flexibility
▪ Multiple interface, extends useful life by adapting to future IT requirements
Easy Installation, upgrade & Maintenance
▪ Provide a fast and easy way to install and upgrade the storage. Simplified
maintenance reduces ongoing IT labor costs.
Exceptional Manageability
▪ Graphical User Interface (GUI) provides easy way for users to remotely manage
and configure the storage
▪ Menu-driven interface make user a convenient way to maintain the storage by
locally LCD front console
Green Power Concept
▪ Saves power by adopting the new technology “MAID” (Massive Arrays of Idle
Disks).

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
9
1.1 Key Features
Subsystem Features:
▪ USB 2.0 (480Mbps) / eSATA (3Gbps) / iSCSI (AoE)
▪ Multiple Volumes for host access
▪ Over 2TB support
▪ Supports hot spare and automatic hot rebuild
▪ Allows online capacity expansion within the enclosure
▪ Local audible event notification alarm
▪ Supports password protection
▪ Ethernet Port interface for remote event notification
▪ eSATA Support NCQ 32 Command, USB & iSCSI TCQ 256 Command
▪ Transparent data protection for all popular operating systems
RAID Management:
▪ Smart-function LCD panel
▪ Environmental monitoring unit
▪ Real time drive activity and status indicators
▪ Web-based GUI management utility

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
10
1.2 Identifying Parts of the RAID Subsystem
The illustrations below identify the various parts of the subsystem.
1.2.1 Front View

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
11
1.2.1.1 Disk Trays
HDD Status Indicator
Part
Function
HDD Activity LED
This LED will blink blue when the hard drive is being accessed.
HDD Fault LED
Green LED indicates power is on and hard drive status is good
for this slot. If hard drive is defective or failed, the LED is Red.
LED is off when there is no hard drive.
Lock Indicator
Every Disk Tray is lockable and is fitted with a lock indicator to indicate
whether or not the tray is locked into the chassis or not. Each tray is also fitted with an
ergonomic handle for easy tray removal.
When the Lock Groove is horizontal, this indicates that the Disk Tray is locked. When
the Lock Groove is vertical, then the Disk Tray is unlocked.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
12
1.2.1.2 LCD Front Panel
Smart Function Front Panel
The smart LCD panel is an option to configure the RAID subsystem. If you are
configuring the subsystem using the LCD panel, press the Select button to login and
configure the RAID subsystem.
Parts
Function
Up and Down
Arrow buttons
Use the Up or Down arrow keys to go through
the information on the LCD screen. This is also
used to move between each menu when you
configure the subsystem.
Select button
This is used to enter the option you have
selected.
Exit button EXIT
Press this button to return to the previous
menu.
Environment Status LEDs
Power LED
Activity LED
Parts
Function
Power LED
Green LED indicates power is ON.
Activity LED
This LED will blink blue when the Disk Array
is busy or active.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
13
1.2.2 Rear View
Redundant Power Supply
Single Power Supply

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
14
1. eSATA Port - The subsystem has two external SATA II port for connecting to the host system or
server.
Link LED: Green LED indicates eSATA is linking.
Access LED: The LED will blink blue when the eSATA is being accessed.
2. USB Port - The subsystem has one USB 2.0 port for connecting to the host system or server.
3. R-Link / iSCSI Port: Remote Link through RJ-45 Ethernet for remote management -
The subsystem is equipped with one 10/100/1000 Ethernet RJ45 LAN port. You use a web browser
to manage the RAID subsystem through Ethernet for remote configuration and monitoring.
The R-Link Port is also used for accessing LUN via iSCSI (AoE) protocol.
4. Monitor Port - The subsystem is equipped with a serial monitor port allowing you to connect a
PC or terminal.
5. Toggle Switch - Use the toggle switch to change the power supply mode, from Single Mode to
Redundant Mode, and vice versa.
6. Power Supply Unit - The subsystem has dual or single power supply unit.
NOTE: In order to maintain the system I/O performance, it is not
recommended to access the storage from the different host
interfaces at the same time.
NOTE: After power on, when the Power On LED is green, the two PSU
Power On/Fail LEDs are also green, and the PSU Power Fail LEDs are
orange. When one Power Supply Module fails, the Power On LED will
be blinking green and the PSU Power Fail LED will not light. The PSU
Power On/Fail LED on left side is related to the upper PSU Power Fail
LED, while the PSU Power On/Fail LED on right side is related to the
lower PSU Power Fail LED.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
15
1.3 Technical Specifications
Form-factor
2U 19-inch rackmount chassis
RAID processor
400MHz storage I/O processor
RAID level
0, 1, 10, 3, 5, 6 and JBOD
Cache memory
256MB
No. of Channels (Host and
Drive)
4 +12
Host bus interface
USB 2.0 / eSATA x 2 / R-Link (iSCSI)
Drive bus interface
SATA II (Up to 3.0Gbps)
Data transfer rate
Support up to 480Mbps (USB 2.0)
Support up to 3.0Gbps (SATA II)
Support 10 / 100 / 1000 Mbps Ethernet
Hot-swap drive tray
Twelve (12) 1-inch trays
Power supplies
400W x1(upgradeable) or 400W x2
Redundant power supplies w/PFC
Cooling fan
2
Password protection
Yes
Audible alarm
Yes
Failed drive indicators
Yes
Failed drive auto rebuild
Yes
Online consistency check
Yes
Online expansion
Yes
Array Roaming
Yes
Online RAID level/ stripe size
migration
Yes
Instant availability and
background initialization
Yes
Environment monitor
Yes
Auto spare support
Yes
Bad block auto-remapping
Yes
Remote management
Yes
MAID support
Yes
Over 2TB support
Windows OS which supports GPT
(Windows XP/x64, 2003/SP1 or 64-bit,
Vista,2008)
Mac OS 10 or later, Linux Kernel 2.6 or later
Power requirements
AC 100V ~ 240V full range
8A ~ 4A, 47Hz ~ 63Hz
Relative Humidity:
10% ~ 85% Non-condensing
Operating Temp:
10oC ~ 40oC (50oF ~ 104oF)
Physical Dimensions:
88(H) x 482(W) x 500(D)mm

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
16
1.4 RAID Concepts
RAID Fundamentals
The basic idea of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is to combine multiple
inexpensive disk drives into an array of disk drives to obtain performance, capacity and
reliability that exceeds that of a single large drive. The array of drives appears to the host
computer as a single logical drive.
Five types of array architectures, RAID 1 through RAID 5, were originally defined; each
provides disk fault-tolerance with different compromises in features and performance. In
addition to these five redundant array architectures, it has become popular to refer to a
non-redundant array of disk drives as a RAID 0 arrays.
Disk Striping
Fundamental to RAID technology is striping. This is a method of combining multiple drives
into one logical storage unit. Striping partitions the storage space of each drive into
stripes, which can be as small as one sector (512 bytes) or as large as several megabytes.
These stripes are then interleaved in a rotating sequence, so that the combined space is
composed alternately of stripes from each drive. The specific type of operating
environment determines whether large or small stripes should be used.
Most operating systems today support concurrent disk I/O operations across multiple
drives. However, in order to maximize throughput for the disk subsystem, the I/O load
must be balanced across all the drives so that each drive can be kept busy as much as
possible. In a multiple drive system without striping, the disk I/O load is never perfectly
balanced. Some drives will contain data files that are frequently accessed and some drives
will rarely be accessed.
By striping the drives in the array with stripes large enough so that each record falls
entirely within one stripe, most records can be evenly distributed across all drives. This
keeps all drives in the array busy during heavy load situations. This situation allows all
drives to work concurrently on different I/O operations, and thus maximize the number of
simultaneous I/O operations that can be performed by the array.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
17
Definition of RAID Levels
RAID 0 is typically defined as a group of striped disk drives without parity or data
redundancy. RAID 0 arrays can be configured with large stripes for multi-user
environments or small stripes for single-user systems that access long sequential records.
RAID 0 arrays deliver the best data storage efficiency and performance of any array type.
The disadvantage is that if one drive in a RAID 0 array fails, the entire array fails.
RAID 1, also known as disk mirroring, is simply a pair of disk drives that store duplicate
data but appear to the computer as a single drive. Although striping is not used within a
single mirrored drive pair, multiple RAID 1 arrays can be striped together to create a
single large array consisting of pairs of mirrored drives. All writes must go to both drives
of a mirrored pair so that the information on the drives is kept identical. However, each
individual drive can perform simultaneous, independent read operations. Mirroring thus
doubles the read performance of a single non-mirrored drive and while the write
performance is unchanged. RAID 1 delivers the best performance of any redundant array
type. In addition, there is less performance degradation during drive failure than in RAID 5
arrays.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
18
RAID 3 sector-stripes data across groups of drives, but one drive in the group is
dedicated to storing parity information. RAID 3 relies on the embedded ECC in each sector
for error detection. In the case of drive failure, data recovery is accomplished by
calculating the exclusive OR (XOR) of the information recorded on the remaining drives.
Records typically span all drives, which optimizes the disk transfer rate. Because each I/O
request accesses every drive in the array, RAID 3 arrays can satisfy only one I/O request
at a time. RAID 3 delivers the best performance for single-user, single-tasking
environments with long records. Synchronized-spindle drives are required for RAID 3
arrays in order to avoid performance degradation with short records. RAID 5 arrays with
small stripes can yield similar performance to RAID 3 arrays.
Under RAID 5 parity information is distributed across all the drives. Since there is no
dedicated parity drive, all drives contain data and read operations can be overlapped on
every drive in the array. Write operations will typically access one data drive and one
parity drive. However, because different records store their parity on different drives,
write operations can usually be overlapped.
Dual-level RAID achieves a balance between the increased data availability inherent in
RAID 1 and the increased read performance inherent in disk striping (RAID 0). These
arrays are sometimes referred to as RAID 10.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
19
RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5 in that data protection is achieved by writing parity
information to the physical drives in the array. With RAID 6, however, two sets of parity
data are used. These two sets are different, and each set occupies a capacity equivalent to
that of one of the constituent drives. The main advantage of RAID 6 is High data
availability –any two drives can fail without loss of critical data.
In summary:
* RAID 0 is the fastest and most efficient array type but offers no fault-tolerance. RAID
0 requires a minimum of one drive.
* RAID 1 is the best choice for performance-critical, fault-tolerant environments. RAID 1
is the only choice for fault-tolerance if no more than two drives are used.
* RAID 3 can be used to speed up data transfer and provide fault-tolerance in single-
user environments that access long sequential records. However, RAID 3 does not
allow overlapping of multiple I/O operations and requires synchronized-spindle drives
to avoid performance degradation with short records. RAID 5 with a small stripe size
offers similar performance.
* RAID 5 combines efficient, fault-tolerant data storage with good performance
characteristics. However, write performance and performance during drive failure is
slower than with RAID 1. Rebuild operations also require more time than with RAID 1
because parity information is also reconstructed. At least three drives are required for
RAID 5 arrays.
* RAID 6 is essentially an extension of RAID level 5 which allows for additional fault
tolerance by using a second independent distributed parity scheme (two-dimensional
parity). Data is striped on a block level across a set of drives, just like in RAID 5, and a
second set of parity is calculated and written across all the drives; RAID 6 provides for
an extremely high data fault tolerance and can sustain multiple simultaneous drive
failures. It is a perfect solution for mission critical applications.

USB and eSATA to SATA II RAID Subsystem
User Manual
20
RAID Management
The subsystem can implement several different levels of RAID technology. RAID levels
supported by the subsystem are shown below.
RAID Level
Description
Min. Drives
0
Block striping is provide, which yields higher
performance than with individual drives. There
is no redundancy.
1
1
Drives are paired and mirrored. All data is 100%
duplicated on an equivalent drive. Fully
redundant.
2
3
Data is striped across several physical drives.
Parity protection is used for data redundancy.
3
5
Data is striped across several physical drives.
Parity protection is used for data redundancy.
3
10
Combination of RAID levels 1 and 0. This level
provides redundancy through mirroring and
striping.
4
6
Data is striped across several physical drives.
Parity protection is used for data redundancy.
Requires N+2 drives to implement because of
two-dimensional parity scheme
4