.

Installation and User's Guide

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers
Released
August 2019

Revision History
Revision Revision
Date

Details of Change

6

August2019

Updated for 2019.2 release.

5

January
2019

Updated for 2019.1 release.

4

June 2017

Updated supported OSes; add DKMS installation instructions.

3

October2016

Add support for 8405E and 8805E SAS RAID controllers.

2

September
2016

Update supported OSes, Installing driver on Solaris, and Technical Specification.

1

April 2016

Update supported OSes; add backup unit status, SGPIO/IPBI LED blink pattern, DKMS drivers, misc corrections.

Microsemi Proprietary and Confidential. Installation and User's Guide Revision 6

ii

Limited 3-Year Hardware Warranty

Limited 3-Year Hardware Warranty
1. Microsemi Corporation (“Microsemi”) warrants to the purchaser of this product that it will be free fromdefects in material and workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase. If the
product should become defective within the warranty period, Microsemi, at its option, will repair or
replace the product, or refund the purchaser's purchase price for the product, provided it is deliveredat the purchaser's expense to an authorized Microsemi service facility or to Microsemi.
2. Repair or replacement parts or products will be furnished on an exchange basis and will either be newor reconditioned and will be subject to original warranty term. All replaced parts or products shallbecome the property of Microsemi. This warranty shall not apply if the product has been damaged by
accident, misuse, abuse or as a result of unauthorized service or parts.
3. Warranty service is available to the purchaser by delivering the product during the warranty period toan authorized Microsemi service facility or to Microsemi and providing proof of purchase price and date.
The purchaser shall bear all shipping, packing, and insurance costs and all other costs, excluding laborand parts, necessary to effectuate repair, replacement or refund under this warranty.
4. For more information on how to obtain warranty service, click on the Services & Support link at
microsemi.com.
5. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY PRODUCT WHICH HAS BEEN DAMAGED AS A
RESULT OF ACCIDENT, MISUSE, ABUSE, OR AS A RESULT OF UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE OR PARTS.
6. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER EXPRESS WARRANTIES WHICH NOW OR HEREAFTER MIGHT
OTHERWISE ARISE RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT. IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THOSE OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT SHALL (A) HAVENO GREATER DURATION THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, (B) TERMINATE AUTOMATICALLYAT THE EXPIRATION OF SUCH PERIOD AND (C) TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW BE EXCLUDED. IN
THE EVENT THIS PRODUCT BECOMES DEFECTIVE DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE PURCHASER'S
EXCLUSIVE REMEDY SHALL BE REPAIR, REPLACEMENT OR REFUND AS PROVIDED ABOVE. INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM
BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY ARE NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MICROSEMI AND,TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED BOTH FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND TO
THE EXTENT NOT UNCONSCIONABLE, FOR PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGE.
7. WITHIN THE US, SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS, AND SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW
LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSIONS
MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
8. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH
VARY DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU RESIDE.
9. FOR AUSTRALIA RESIDENTS, IF THE PRODUCT SHOULD BECOME DEFECTIVE WITHIN THE WARRANTYPERIOD, MICROSEMI, AT ITS OPTION, WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE THE PRODUCT, OR REFUND THE
PURCHASER'S PURCHASE FOR THE PRODUCT, PROVIDED IT IS DELIVERED AT THE PURCHASER'S EXPENSEBACK TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE AFTER MICROSEMI TECHNICAL SUPPORT HAS ISSUED AN INCIDENTNUMBER. IN ADDITION TO THE WARRANTIES SET FORTH HEREIN, OUR GOODS COME WITH GUARANTEESTHAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED UNDER THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER LAW. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A
REPLACEMENT OR REFUND FOR A MAJOR FAILURE AND FOR COMPENSATION FOR ANY OTHER
REASONABLY FORESEEABLE LOSS OR DAMAGE. YOU ARE ALSO ENTITLED TO HAVE THE GOODS REPAIREDOR REPLACED IF THE GOODS FAIL TO BE OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY AND THE FAILURE DOES NOT AMOUNTTO A MAJOR FAILURE.

Microsemi Proprietary and Confidential. Installation and User's Guide Revision 6iii

Regulatory Compliance Statements

Regulatory Compliance Statements
Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement
Attention: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
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 harmfulinterference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmfulinterference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur ina particular installation. However, if this equipment does cause interference to radio or television equipment
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try tocorrect the interference by one or more of the following measures:• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.
• Use a shielded and properly grounded I/O cable and power cable to ensure compliance of this unit to
the specified limits of the rules.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.
UL Compliance Statement
Microsemi Adaptec products are tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. to UL 60950-1 Second Edition andIEC-60950-1 Second Edition standards, file numbers E175975. Microsemi Adaptec products are for use only with UL listed
ITE.
Microsemi Corporation

Use only with the listed ITE:

ASR-8405/ASR-8405E/ASR-8805/ASR-8805E/ASR-8885/
ASR-8885Q/ASR-81605Z/ASR-81605ZQ/
AFM-700

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Regulatory Compliance Statements

European Union Compliance Statement
This Information Technology Equipment has been tested and found to comply with EMC Directive 2014/30/EU, in accordance
with:•

EN55032 (2014) Emissions:◦•

EN55024 (2010) Immunity:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

•

Class B ITE radiated and conducted emissions
EN61000-4-2 (2009) Electrostatic discharge: ±4 kV contact, ±8 kV air
EN61000-4-3 (2010) Radiated immunity: 3V/m
EN61000-4-4 (2012) Electrical fast transients/burst: ±1 kV AC, ±0.5 kV I/O
EN61000-4-5 (2014) Surges: ±1 kV differential mode, ±2 kV common mode
EN61000-4-6 (2014) Conducted immunity: 3 V
EN61000-4-11 (2004) Supply dips and variations: 30% and 100%

EN50581 (2012) Technical Documentation:◦

For the assessment of electrical and electronic products with respect to the restriction of hazardous substances

In addition, all equipment requiring U.L. listing has been found to comply with EMC Directive 2014/35/EU, in accordancewith EN60950 with amendments A1, A2, A3, A4, A11, A12.

Australian/New Zealand Compliance Statement
This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to the Australian/
New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3548 set out by the Spectrum Management Agency.

Canadian Compliance Statement
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Japanese Compliance (Voluntary Control Council Initiative)
This equipment complies to class B Information Technology equipment based on VCCI (Voluntary Control Council for Interface). This equipment is designed for home use but it may causes radio frequency interference problem if used too nearto a television or radio. Please handle it correctly per this documentation.

Korean Compliance (KCC) Statement
Microsemi Adaptec products are tested and certified by KCC:

KCC-REM-KHK-ASR-6xx5
KCC-REM-KHK-ASR-7xxx5
KCC-REM-KHK-ASR-6xx5
KCC-REM-KHK-ASR-7xxx5
MSIP-REM-KHK-ASR-8xxx5
The above certification covers the following series:

ASR-8405, ASR-8405E, ASR-8805, ASR-8805E, ASR-8885
ASR-8885Q, ASR-81605Z, ASR-81605ZQ
AFM-700

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Regulatory Compliance Statements

This equipment is home use (Class B) electromagnetic wave suitability equipment and to be used mainly at home andit can be used in all areas.

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Contents

Contents
1 About This Guide...............................................................................................................................1
1.1 What You Need to Know Before You Begin.........................................................................................................1
1.2 Terminology Used in this Guide..........................................................................................................................1
1.3 How to Find More Information...........................................................................................................................1

2 Kit Contents and System Requirements............................................................................................3
2.1 Kit Contents........................................................................................................................................................3
2.2 System Requirements ........................................................................................................................................3

3 About Your RAID Controller...............................................................................................................4
3.1 Standard RAID Controller Features.....................................................................................................................4
3.1.1 Array-level Features.............................................................................................................................4
3.1.2 Advanced Data Protection Suite..........................................................................................................4
3.2 Adding a Flash Backup Module...........................................................................................................................5
3.3 Upgrading the Controller Firmware....................................................................................................................5
3.4 About the RAID 8405.........................................................................................................................................6
3.5 About the RAID 8405E.......................................................................................................................................7
3.6 About the RAID 8805.........................................................................................................................................8
3.7 About the RAID 8805E.......................................................................................................................................9
3.8 About the RAID 8885/8885Q ..........................................................................................................................10
3.9 About the RAID 81605Z/81605ZQ...................................................................................................................11

4 Getting Started................................................................................................................................12
4.1 Choosing a RAID Level......................................................................................................................................12
4.2 Selecting Disk Drives and Cables ......................................................................................................................124.2.1 Disk Drives.........................................................................................................................................124.2.2 Cables................................................................................................................................................12
4.3 Replacing the Full-Height Bracket with a Low-Profile Bracket..........................................................................13
4.4 Installation Options...........................................................................................................................................14
4.5 Basic Installation Steps.....................................................................................................................................144.5.1 Installing with an Operating System..................................................................................................15
4.5.2 Installing on an Existing Operating System........................................................................................15

5 Installing the Controller and Disk Drives..........................................................................................16
5.1 Before You Begin...............................................................................................................................................16
5.2 Installing the Controller....................................................................................................................................16
5.2.1 Installing a RAID Controller without Zero Maintenance Cache Protection........................................16
5.2.2 Installing a RAID Controller with Zero Maintenance Cache Protection ..........................................17
5.3 Connecting Disk Drives to Your Controllers......................................................................................................20
5.3.1 Connecting Drives Directly to the Controller.....................................................................................20
5.3.2 Connecting Drives to a System Backplane.........................................................................................20
5.3.3 Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs) ................................................................................................20
5.4 Connecting External Devices ............................................................................................................................22
5.5 Next Steps.........................................................................................................................................................22

6 Creating a Bootable Array ...............................................................................................................23
6.1 Setting the Boot Controller...............................................................................................................................23
6.2 Creating an Array..............................................................................................................................................23
6.2.1 Creating an Array with the ARC Utility...............................................................................................23
6.2.2 Creating an Array with maxView Storage Manager...........................................................................25

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6.3 Making Your Array Bootable.............................................................................................................................26

7 Installing the Driver and an Operating System ...............................................................................27
7.1 Before You Begin...............................................................................................................................................27
7.2 Creating a Driver Disk.......................................................................................................................................27
7.3 Installing with Windows ...................................................................................................................................28
7.4 Installing with Red Hat Linux or CentOS...........................................................................................................28
7.5 Installing with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server ....................................................................................................28
7.6 Installing with Ubuntu Linux.............................................................................................................................29
7.7 Installing with VMware ....................................................................................................................................30
7.8 Installing with Citrix XenServer ........................................................................................................................31

8 Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating System ....................................................................32
8.1 Before You Begin...............................................................................................................................................32
8.2 Creating a Driver Disk.......................................................................................................................................32
8.3 Installing on Windows ......................................................................................................................................32
8.4 Installing on Red Hat, CentOS, SuSE, or Fedora Linux.......................................................................................33
8.5 Installing on Ubuntu Linux................................................................................................................................33
8.6 Installing on VMware........................................................................................................................................34
8.7 Installing on Citrix XenServer............................................................................................................................34

9 Installing Dynamic Kernel Module Support.....................................................................................36
9.1 Installing the DKMS Deb Package on Ubuntu Systems.....................................................................................36
9.2 Installing the DKMS RPM Package....................................................................................................................36
9.3 DKMS Reference...............................................................................................................................................37

10 Managing Your Storage Space.......................................................................................................38
10.1 About maxView Storage Manager..................................................................................................................38
10.1.1 Installing maxView Storage Manager..............................................................................................38
10.2 About the RAID Controller Configuration Utility............................................................................................38
10.3 About the RAID Configuration Utility.............................................................................................................38
10.4 About the Adaptec Flash Utility......................................................................................................................39
10.5 Which Utility Should I Use?............................................................................................................................39

11 Solving Problems ..........................................................................................................................40
11.1 Troubleshooting Checklist...............................................................................................................................40
11.2 Monitoring Disk Drives Status........................................................................................................................40
11.3 Silencing the Alarm ........................................................................................................................................40
11.4 Recovering from a Disk Drive Failure .............................................................................................................40
11.4.1 Failed Disk Drive Protected by a Hot Spare .....................................................................................41
11.4.2 Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare ..............................................................................41
11.4.3 Failure in Multiple Arrays Simultaneously ......................................................................................41
11.4.4 Disk Drive Failure in a RAID 0 Array ................................................................................................41
11.4.5 Multiple Failures in the Same Array ................................................................................................42
11.4.6 Failed SSD in maxCache Device........................................................................................................42
11.5 Resetting the Controller .................................................................................................................................42

Appendix A Introduction to SAS.........................................................................................................43
A.1 Terminology Used in This Appendix ................................................................................................................43
A.2 What is SAS?.....................................................................................................................................................43
A.3 How Do SAS Devices Communicate?................................................................................................................43
A.4 What’s a Phy?...................................................................................................................................................44
A.5 What’s a SAS Port?...........................................................................................................................................44
A.6 What’s a SAS Address?.....................................................................................................................................44
A.7 What’s a SAS Connector?.................................................................................................................................45
A.8 What do SAS Cables Look Like?........................................................................................................................45
A.9 How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS? ............................................................................................................45

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A.10 What are the SAS Connection Options?.........................................................................................................45
A.10.1 Direct-attach Connections...............................................................................................................45
A.10.2 Backplane Connections...................................................................................................................46
A.10.3 SAS Expander Connections..............................................................................................................46
A.11 How is SAS Different from Parallel SCSI? .......................................................................................................47

Appendix B Understanding RAID........................................................................................................48
B.1 Understanding Drive Segments........................................................................................................................48
B.2 Non-redundant Arrays (RAID 0)........................................................................................................................48
B.3 RAID 1 Arrays ...................................................................................................................................................49
B.4 RAID 1 Enhanced Arrays...................................................................................................................................49
B.5 RAID 10 Arrays..................................................................................................................................................50
B.6 RAID 5 Arrays....................................................................................................................................................51
B.7 RAID 5EE Arrays................................................................................................................................................52
B.8 RAID 50 Arrays..................................................................................................................................................53
B.9 RAID 6 Arrays....................................................................................................................................................54
B.10 RAID 60 Arrays................................................................................................................................................54
B.11 Comparing RAID Levels...................................................................................................................................55

Appendix C Using the RAID Configuration Utility..............................................................................56
C.1 Introduction to the ARC Utility.........................................................................................................................56
C.1.1 Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? .............................................................................................................................56
C.1.2 Running the ARC Utility.....................................................................................................................56
C.2 Using the ARC Utility to Create and Manage Arrays.........................................................................................57
C.2.1 Creating a New Array.........................................................................................................................57
C.2.2 Managing Existing Arrays...................................................................................................................57
C.2.3 Initializing Disk Drives........................................................................................................................59
C.2.4 Rescanning Disk Drives......................................................................................................................59
C.2.5 Secure Erasing Disk Drives.................................................................................................................59
C.2.6 Uninitializing Disk Drives...................................................................................................................60
C.2.7 Managing Global Hot Spares.............................................................................................................60
C.3 Using the ARC Utility to Modify Controller Settings.........................................................................................60
C.3.1 Opening the Controller Settings Tool ................................................................................................60
C.3.2 Applying Changes and Exiting............................................................................................................60
C.3.3 Modifying Your Controller’s Configuration........................................................................................61
C.3.4 Checking Backup Unit Status.............................................................................................................65
C.4 Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives................................................................................................................65
C.5 Locating Disk Drives..........................................................................................................................................65
C.6 Identifying Disk Drives .....................................................................................................................................66
C.7 Setting the Drive Write-Cache Policy................................................................................................................66
C.8 Updating the Controller Firmware....................................................................................................................66
C.9 Updating the Controller CPLD...........................................................................................................................67
C.10 Creating a Support Archive.............................................................................................................................67
C.11 Viewing the Event Log ...................................................................................................................................67

Appendix D Using the Adaptec Flash Utility.......................................................................................69
D.1 System Requirements.......................................................................................................................................69
D.1.1 Compatibility Notes...........................................................................................................................69
D.2 Before You Begin..............................................................................................................................................69
D.2.1 Obtaining the Firmware.....................................................................................................................69
D.2.2 Creating the Firmware Update Disk ..................................................................................................69
D.3 Running the Menu-based AFU.........................................................................................................................70
D.4 Running the AFU from the Command Line......................................................................................................70
D.4.1 AFU Commands.................................................................................................................................71
D.5 Updating the Flash Using the AFU Command Line...........................................................................................73

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Appendix E Safety Information...........................................................................................................74
E.1 Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)............................................................................................................................74

Appendix F Technical Specifications...................................................................................................75
F.1 Environmental Specifications............................................................................................................................75
F.2 DC Power Requirements...................................................................................................................................75
F.3 Current Requirements ......................................................................................................................................75
F.4 Supercapacitor Ratings .....................................................................................................................................75

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1

About This Guide
This Installation and User's Guide explains how to install your Microsemi® Adaptec® RAID controller. It also
describes the utilities included in your controller kit, and provides a basic overview of Serial Attached SCSI(SAS) and Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) technology.
These Serial Attached SCSI RAID (ASR) controller models are described in this guide:• ASR-8405, ASR-8405E• ASR-8805, ASR-8805E• ASR-8885, ASR-8885Q• ASR-81605Z, ASR-81605ZQ

1.1

What You Need to Know Before You Begin
You should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, RAID technology, and SAS and Serial ATA(SATA) technology. (For more information about SAS technology, see Introduction to SAS.)You should also be familiar with direct-attached storage (DAS) concepts and technology.
Note: Because this guide covers multiple RAID products, some of the features andfunctions described may not be available for your controller. For more information, see
About Your RAID ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of the features of your ..

1.2

Terminology Used in this Guide
Because you can use your to manage data storage in a variety of configurations, the generic term “storage
space” is used to refer to controller(s) and disk drives being managed with maxView Storage Manager™
(called simply maxView Storage Manager in the remainder of this guide) or the other utilities described inthis guide.
Many of the terms and concepts referred to in this guide are known to computer users by multiple names.
This guide uses these terms:• Controller (also known as adapter, board, or card)• Disk drive (also known as hard disk, hard drive, or hard disk drive)• Solid State Drive (also known as SSD or non-rotating storage media)• Enclosure (also known as a RAID enclosure, storage enclosure, or disk drive enclosure)• Array (also known as a container, logical device, or logical drive)
Note: maxView Storage Manager refers to arrays as logical drives. Your RAID
controller creates arrays, which your operating system (and maxView Storage
Manager) recognizes as logical drives. For more information, refer to the maxView
Storage Manager User’s Guide.

1.3

How to Find More Information
You can find more information about your and utilities software by referring to these documents, available
for download at start.microsemi.com.
• Readme.txt—Includes updated product information and known issues.
• maxView Storage Manager User’s Guide for Microsemi ARC-Family Controllers—Describes how to
install and use the maxView Storage Manager software (see About maxView Storage Manager) tomanage direct attached storage on Microsemi Adaptec Series 8 controllers.
Note: In the remainder of this guide, this manual is referred to simply as the maxView
Storage Manager User's Guide.

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1About This Guide• maxView Storage Manager Online Help—Describes how to use the maxView Storage Manager software;accessible from the main window of maxView Storage Manager.
• RAID Controller Command Line Utility User's Guide—Describes how to use the included RAID Controller
Configuration (ARCCONF) command line utility (see About the RAID Controller Configuration Utility)
to perform basic array and configuration management functions.
• Event Monitor User's Guide—Describes how to use the Event Monitor utility to monitor the storage
controllers installed on your system

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Kit Contents and System Requirements

2

Kit Contents and System Requirements
This chapter describes the contents of your kit and the system requirements that must be met for you to
successfully install and use your controller.

2.1

Kit Contents•• Cables (Not included in 'Single' product. If your kit includes cables, the type and quantity vary—for
more information, see Cables on page 12.)• (Select models only) Low-profile bracket
Note: The latest firmware, controller drivers, utilities (maxView Storage Manager,
ARCCONF CLI) and documentation can be downloaded at start.microsemi.com. See Creatinga Driver Disk on page 27 for information about downloading drivers.

2.2

System Requirements• PC-compatible computer with Intel Pentium, or equivalent, processor• Motherboard with these features:◦ Support for multi-function devices where one of the devices is a PCI bridge◦ Large memory-mapped address ranges
Refer to the Readme for additional motherboard compatibility information.
• One of these operating systems:◦ Microsoft® Windows® Server, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7◦ Red Hat® Enterprise Linux◦ CentOS◦ SuSE Linux Enterprise Server◦ Ubuntu Linux◦ Oracle Linux◦ Citrix Xenserver◦ VMware ESXi
Note: Refer to the Readme for up-to-date operating system version support, orcheck the Knowledgebase at www.adaptec.com. From the main menu, selectSupport>Knowledgebase> Answers>Advanced Search. Select your controller, limit
the category by OS Support, then click Search.
• 4 GB of RAM minimum• Available compatible PCIe slot (depending on your controller model—see the descriptions in AboutYour RAID ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of the features of your .)• 350 MB of free disk drive space• USB flash drive or CD burner, for creating driver disks and bootable media

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3About Your RAID Controller

3

About Your RAID Controller
This chapter provides an overview of the features of your .

3.1

Standard RAID Controller Features
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•

Support for SAS and SATA Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD)
Flash ROM for updates to controller firmware, BIOS, and the RAID Configuration utility
Disk drive hot-swapping
Event logging and broadcasting, including email notification messages
Multiple options for creating and managing RAID arrays—A browser-based software application(maxView Storage Manager), a BIOS-based utility (ARC), a command line utility (ARCCONF) (seeManaging Your Storage Space)
Native command queuing (NCQ), which lets disk drives arrange commands into the most efficientorder for optimum performance
Support for disk drive enclosures with SES2 enclosure management hardware
Support for a flash backup module (see Adding a Flash Backup Module)
Support for maxCache™ SSD read and write caching (see Modifying Cache Settings on page 58)
Note: maxCache is supported on Series Q controllers only.

• Power-management of disk drives in your storage space to reduce cooling and electricity costs (seeModifying Power Management Settings)• Audible alarm• I/O statistics logging

3.1.1

Array-level Features
Note: Not all features are supported by all controllers. For more information, see themaxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
••••

Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, RAID 50, and simple volumes
Support for hybrid RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays comprised of hard drives and Solid State Drives (SSDs)
Support for hot spares (global and dedicated)
Support for automatic failover, so arrays are automatically rebuilt when a failed drive is replaced(applies to redundant arrays in SES2- or SAF-TE-enabled disk drive enclosures only)• Optimized disk utilization, which ensures that the full capacity of all disk drives can be used, even if
the disk drives vary in size
• Online capacity expansion, so you can increase the capacity of an array without recreating it• Support for array migration from one RAID level to another

3.1.2

Advanced Data Protection Suite• Copyback Hot Spare—You can use this feature to move data from a hot spare back to its original
location after a failed disk drive is replaced.
• Striped Mirror (RAID 1E)—A RAID 1 Enhanced array is similar to a RAID 1 array except that data is bothmirrored and striped, and more disk drives can be included.
• Dual Drive Failure Protection (RAID 6)—A RAID 6 array is similar to a RAID 5 array except that it includes
two independent sets of parity data instead of one.
• Dual Drive Failure Protection (RAID 60)—A RAID 60 array is similar to a RAID 50 array except that it
includes four independent sets of parity data instead of two.

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4About Your RAID Controller

3.2

Adding a Flash Backup ModuleThis table shows the flash backup module (or "zero maintenance cache protection") supported by your
RAID controller. To purchase a flash backup module, visit www.adaptec.com.

3.3

RAID Controller

Flash Module

RAID 8405/8805/8885

Flash Backup Module AFM-700 with Supercapacitor module (optional)

RAID 8885Q

Flash Backup Module AFM-700 with Supercapacitor module (pre-installed)

RAID 81605Z/81605ZQ

Flash Backup Module AFM-700 with Supercapacitor module (integrated)

Upgrading the Controller Firmware
You can upgrade the firmware on your using the Adaptec Flash Utility or from the computer's uEFI BIOS.
Follow the instructions in Using_the_Adaptec_Flash_Utility or Updating the Controller Firmware on page
66. You can also upgrade the controller firmware with maxView Storage Manager and the ARCCONF
command-line utility. Refer to the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide and the Command Line Interface
User's Guide for more information. If the firmware upgrade is unsuccessful, follow the instructions in
Resetting the Controller.

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3.4

About the RAID 8405
The RAID 8405 is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
1 internal mini-SAS HD connector

PCIe x8 connector
HDA mode connector

Daughterboard
connector

Mounting bracket

Form Factor

Low-profile MD2

Bus compatibility

PCIe 3.0

PCIe bus widthx8

Data transfer rate

12 Gb/s per port

Phys (Unified Serial Ports)

4Standard cache1024 MB DDR3

Connectors, internal

1 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)

Maximum number of disk drives

4 direct-attached (or up to 256 with expanders)

Enclosure Support

IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)

Onboard speaker

Yes

Zero Maintenance Cache Protection Module

Flash Backup Module AFM-700 (optional, sold separately)

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About the RAID 8405E
The RAID 8405E is a SAS RAID controller with these features:

1 internal mini-SAS HD connector

CNO

3.5

PCIe x8 connector
HDA mode connector
Mounting bracket

Form Factor

Low-profile MD2

Bus compatibility

PCIe 3.0

PCIe bus widthx8

Data transfer rate

12 Gb/s per port

Phys (Unified Serial Ports)

4Standard cache1024 MB DDR3

Connectors, internal

1 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)

Maximum number of disk drives

4 direct-attached

Enclosure Support

IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)

Onboard speaker

Yes

Zero Maintenance Cache Protection Module

No

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3.6

About the RAID 8805
The RAID 8805 is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
2 internal mini-SAS HD connectors

PCIe x8 connector

Daughterboard
connector

HDA mode connector
Mounting bracket

Form Factor

Low-profile MD2

Bus compatibility

PCIe 3.0

PCIe bus widthx8

Data transfer rate

12 Gb/s per port

Phys (Unified Serial Ports)

8Standard cache1024 MB DDR3

Connectors, internal

2 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)

Maximum number of disk drives

8 direct-attached (or up to 256 with expanders)

Enclosure Support

IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)

Onboard speaker

Yes

Zero Maintenance Cache Protection Module

Flash Backup Module AFM-700 (optional, sold separately)

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About the RAID 8805E
The RAID 8805E is a SAS RAID controller with these features:

CN1

2 internal mini-SAS HD connectors

CNO

3.7

PCIe x8 connector
HDA mode connector
Mounting bracket

Form Factor

Low-profile MD2

Bus compatibility

PCIe 3.0

PCIe bus widthx8

Data transfer rate

12 Gb/s per port

Phys (Unified Serial Ports)

8Standard cache1024 MB DDR3

Connectors, internal

2 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)

Maximum number of disk drives

8 direct-attached

Enclosure Support

IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)

Onboard speaker

Yes

Zero Maintenance Cache Protection Module

No

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3.8

About the RAID 8885/8885Q
The RAID 8885/8885Q is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
2 internal mini-SAS HD connectors

2 external
mini-SAS HD
connectors

Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
HDA mode connector
Mounting bracket

Form Factor

Low-profile MD2

Bus compatibility

PCIe 3.0

PCIe bus widthx8

Data transfer rate

12 Gb/s per port

Phys (Unified Serial Ports)

16Standard cache1024 MB DDR3

Connectors, internal

2 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)

Connectors, external

2 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8644)

Maximum number of disk drives

16 direct-attached (or up to 256 with expanders)

maxCache SSD support

8885Q: Up to 8 solid state drives, 2TB capacity, max. See the maxCache compatibility list at www.adaptec.com/compatibility.

Enclosure Support

IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)

Onboard speaker

Yes

Zero Maintenance Cache Protection Module

Flash Backup Module AFM-700 (8885: optional, sold separately; 8885Q: standard,
pre-installed)

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3.9

About the RAID 81605Z/81605ZQ
The RAID 81605Z/81605ZQ is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
2 internal mini-SAS HD connectors
Stiffener (back of board)

2 internal
mini-SAS HD
connectors

Reserved

HDA modeconnector

PCIe x8 connector

Flash backup
moduleconnector

Mounting bracket

Form Factor

Low-profile MD2

Bus compatibility

PCIe 3.0

PCIe bus widthx8

Data transfer rate

12 Gb/s per port

Phys (Unified Serial Ports)

16Standard cache1024 MB DDR3

Connectors, internal

4 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)

Maximum number of disk drives

16 direct-attached (or up to 256 with expanders)

maxCache SSD support

81605ZQ: Up to 8 solid state drives, 2TB capacity, max. See the maxCache compatibility list at www.adaptec.com/compatibility.

Enclosure Support

IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)

Onboard speaker

Yes

Zero Maintenance Cache Protection Module

Integrated Flash Backup Module AFM-700

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Getting Started

4

Getting Started
This chapter provides the basic information you need to set up your disk drives and arrays the way you
want them. It describes the options you have for installing your RAID controller and disk drives and creatingarrays for storage. It also describes how to prepare your controller for installation into a low-profile computer
cabinet.

4.1

Choosing a RAID Level
This section provides a brief overview of the RAID levels supported by your RAID controller, including theminimum and maximum number of disk drives required by each.
Note: Before you begin, familiarize yourself with your controller's physical features andthe RAID levels that it supports (see Standard RAID Controller Features on page 4).
• RAID 0 (Non-redundant Array)—Stripes data across multiple disk drives. Improved performance but
no redundancy (see RAID 0).
• RAID 1 Array—Created from two disk drives where one disk drive is a mirror of the other (the samedata is stored on each disk drive). Redundancy, but reduced capacity (see RAID 1).
• RAID 1E Array—Similar to a RAID 1 array except that data is mirrored and striped, and more disk drives
can be included (see RAID 1E).
• RAID 5 Array—Stripes data for improved performance and uses parity data to provide redundancy(see RAID 5).
• RAID 10 Array—Built from two or more equal-sized RAID 1 arrays, stripes and mirrors data acrossmultiple disk drives. Redundancy and improved performance (see RAID 10).
• RAID 50 Array—Built from multiple disk drives configured as two or more RAID 5 arrays, stripes stored
data and parity data across all disk drives (see RAID 50).
• RAID 6 Array—Similar to a RAID 5 array except that it includes two independent sets of parity data
instead of one (see RAID 6).
• RAID 60 Array—Similar to a RAID 50 array except that it includes four independent sets of parity data
instead of two (see RAID 60).
See Selecting the Best RAID LevelUse this table to select the RAID levels that are most appropriate for the
logical drives on your storage space, based on the number of available disk drives and your requirementsfor performance and reliability. to see how many disk drives you must connect to your RAID controller tosupport the RAID level you want.

4.2

Selecting Disk Drives and Cables

4.2.1

Disk Drives
Your RAID controller supports SAS disk drives, SATA disk drives, and SATA and SAS Solid State Drives (SSDs).
When selecting disk drives for your RAID array, ensure that all the disk drives have the same performancelevel. You can use different-sized disk drives in the array, but the array will be limited to the capacity of thesmallest and slowest disk drive. For more information about arrays, refer to the maxView Storage Manager
User’s Guide or online Help. For more information about compatible disk drives, refer towww.adaptec.com/compatibility.

4.2.2

CablesDepending on your requirements, you can use any of the cables listed below. Cable connectors are keyedso that you can't insert them incorrectly. For more information about cabling options for your , visit
www.adaptec.com.
Note: We recommend using only SAS cables.

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SAS HD Cables (Series 8 controllers)Internal SAS HD to SAS HD (SFF-8643 to SFF- 8643)—Connects toa backplane or enclosure.

External SAS HD to SAS HD (SFF-8644 to SFF- 8644)—Connects toa backplane or enclosure.

4.3

Replacing the Full-Height Bracket with a Low-Profile Bracket
If you are installing your into a low-profile computer cabinet, replace the original full-height bracket withthe low-profile bracket included in your distribution kit. The full-height bracket is mounted on the front of
the controller, the low-profile bracket is mounted on the back of the controller, as shown in the figure
below.
Full-height bracket
Low-profle bracket

Back of board

Front of board

To replace the full-height bracket with the low-profile bracket:
1. Remove the full-height bracket from the controller board. The full-height bracket is installed on thefront side of the controller, with the mounting screws inserted from the back of the controller, as shownin the Figure 1.
Using a Phillips head screw driver, remove the mounting screws, as shown in Figure 2, then set thescrews aside for use in the next step.

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Getting Started

Remove mounting
screws with Phillips
screw driver

Back of board

Front of board

Figure 1
Figure 2

2. Attach the low-profile bracket to the controller board. The low-profile bracket is installed on the backside of the controller, with the mounting screws inserted from the front of the controller, as shown the
Figure 3.
Insert the screws through the holes on the front of the controller, then fasten the screws to the bracket
with a Phillips screw driver.
Caution: The mount points on the low-profile bracket have a smooth or flat side anda raised side that looks like a spacer (see Figure 3). Be sure to install the bracket withthe flat side against the controller PCB and the raised side facing away from the PCB.

Flat side of bracket

Front of board
Back of board

Raised side of bracket

Figure 3

Caution: The torque on the mounting screws should be a maximum of 3.0-4.0 lbf-in
to avoid deformation. Be sure that the controller is not bent after attaching the
low-profile bracket to the controller board.

4.4

Installation Options
When you install your RAID controller, you can choose to create a bootable array and then install youroperating system and the controller driver on that array.
Alternatively, you can complete a standard installation, where the controller driver is installed on an existing
operating system.

4.5

Basic Installation Steps
This section describes the installation process. Follow the steps for the installation option you’ve chosen.

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Getting Started

4.5.1

Installing with an Operating System
1. Install and connect your controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller and Disk Drives).
If your controller has an external connector, you can connect external disk drives as well (or instead).
2. Set the boot controller (see Setting the Boot Controller).
3. Create a bootable array (see Creating an Array).
4. Install your operating system and the controller driver (see Installing the Driver and an Operating System.)
5. Install maxView Storage Manager and begin to manage your data storage (see Managing Your Storage
Space).

4.5.2

Installing on an Existing Operating System
1. Install and connect your controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller and Disk Drives).
If your controller has an external connector, you can connect external disk drives as well (or instead).
2. Install the controller driver (see Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating System).
3. Install maxView Storage Manager and begin to manage your data storage (see Managing Your Storage
Space).

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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

5

Installing the Controller and Disk Drives
This chapter explains how to install your , and how to install and connect internal and external disk drives.

5.1

Before You Begin• Read Safety Information.
• Familiarize yourself with your 's physical features and the RAID levels that it supports (see Standard
RAID Controller Features).
• Ensure you have the right number of disk drives for the RAID level you want to use for your arrays (seeSelecting Disk Drives and Cables).
• If you are installing the into a low-profile computer cabinet, replace the original full-height bracket
with the low-profile bracket included in the kit (see Replacing the Full-Height Bracket).

5.2

Installing the Controller
This section describes how to install the RAID controller into your computer cabinet. RAID controllers comein two basic configurations: standard and zero maintenance cache protection with batteryless backup(ZMCP). ZMCP uses flash memory and a supercapacitor module to protect the cache without a battery.
Follow one of these sets of instructions:• To install a RAID controller without zero maintenance cache protection, see the next section.
• To install a RAID controller with zero maintenance cache protection, see To install a RAID Controller
with Zero Maintenance Cache Protection.
Caution: Be sure to handle the controller by its bracket or edges only.

5.2.1

Installing a RAID Controller without Zero Maintenance Cache Protection
To install a RAID controller without zero maintenance cache protection:
1. Turn off your computer and disconnect the power cord. Open the cabinet, following the manufacturer's
instructions.
2. Select an available PCIe expansion slot that's compatible with your and remove the slot cover, as shown
below. (PCIe bus compatibility is marked to the controller figures in About Your RAID ControllerThis
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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

3. Insert the into the expansion slot and press down gently but firmly until it clicks into place. Wheninstalled properly, the should appear level with the expansion slot.
Caution: Touch a grounded metal object before handling the .

4. Secure the bracket in the expansion slot, using the retention device (for instance, a screw or lever)supplied with your computer.
5. Prepare and install your internal disk drives, following the instructions in Connecting Disk Drives to Your
Controllers.
If you are not installing internal disk drives, close your computer cabinet, reattach the power cord, thencontinue with Connecting External Devices.

5.2.2

Installing a RAID Controller with Zero Maintenance Cache Protection
RAID controllers with zero maintenance cache protection include a flash module daughterboard and asupercapacitor module. On Series Q controllers, the daughterboard is pre-installed. On RAID controllers
with optional zero maintenance cache protection (see Adding A Flash Backup Module), the daughterboard
is user installed. The supercapacitor module is always user installed.
The following instructions describe how to install the RAID controller and supercapacitor module on a
Series 8/8ZQ controller using the mounting plate method. It assumes that the daughterboard is alreadyinstalled.
Warning: Do NOT remove or insert a fully charged supercapacitor module. Always
discharge the unit first to avoid damage to the controller or flash backup module. The
factory ships with discharged units, so they are safe to install when you receive them. To
ensure that an installed unit is discharged, switch your system OFF, then wait 5 minutes.
After a dirty shutdown, wait 3 minutes after backup is complete, then remove the unit.
To install a RAID controller with zero maintenance cache protection:
1. Assemble the mounting plate and attach the supercapacitor module:
a. Attach the full-height bracket and mounting clip to the mounting plate. The full-height bracket isinstalled on the front side of the mounting plate (the side with the bents), with the mounting screws
inserted from the back, as shown in the figure below. (Be sure to attach the mounting plate to thebracket with recessed side at the bottom!) Attach the mounting clip to the front of the mounting
plate with four (4) Phillips screws. The large friction clip should face the front of the mounting plate.

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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

Large friction
clip

Recessed side
Mounting clip

b. Insert the supercapacitor module into the mounting clip. The supercapacitor module snaps securely
into place between the large and small friction clips, as shown in the figure below. Be sure to orient
the supercapacitor module such that the connecting cable faces the rear of the mounting plate.

c. Set the mounting plate aside; continue with the steps below.
2. Turn off your computer and disconnect the power cord. Open the cabinet, following the manufacturer's
instructions.
3. Select an available PCIe expansion slot that's compatible with your RAID controller and remove the slot
cover, as shown in the figure below. (PCIe bus compatibility is marked on the controller figures in AboutYour RAID ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of the features of your ..) Be sure to choose aslot in the backplane with an empty slot next to it; you will use the empty slot to install the supercapacitor
mounting plate, after you install the controller. Remove the slot cover for the mounting plate, thencontinue with the next step.

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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

4. Insert the RAID controller into the expansion slot and press down gently but firmly until it clicks into
place. When installed properly, the RAID controller should appear level with the expansion slot. Secure
the bracket in the expansion slot, using the retention device (for instance, a screw or lever) suppliedwith your computer.
Caution: Touch a grounded metal object before handling the RAID controller.
5. Attach the supercapacitor module to the RAID controller by inserting the connector into the socket on
the flash module daughterboard, as shown in the figure below. (The connector attaches to the socket
in only one direction.) Use the included extender cable if you need extra length to reach the connector
on the daughterboard.
Extender cable

6. Install the mounting plate in the empty slot next to the controller, as shown in the next figure. After
securing the mounting plate to the card cage, verify that the supercapacitor module and mounting plate
sit above (and do not touch) the PCIe slot.

Gap

7. Prepare and install your internal disk drives, following the instructions in Connecting Disk Drives to Your
Controllers.
If you are not installing internal disk drives, close your computer cabinet, reattach the power cord, thencontinue with Connecting External Devices.
8. Restart your computer.
The supercapacitor starts charging automatically. It should reach full charge in 5-6 minutes.

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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

5.3

Connecting Disk Drives to Your Controllers
You can connect SAS disk drives, SATA disk drives, and SATA and SAS Solid State Drives (SSDs) to your . (Seewww.adaptec.com/compatibility for a list of compatible drives.) There are no jumpers or switches to set
before installation.
If you plan to build a bootable array, ensure that you install at least the minimum number disk drives
required to support the RAID level you want. See Choosing a RAID Level for more information.
Note: Although you can connect both SAS and SATA disk drives to your SAS controller,
we recommend that you do not combine SAS and SATA disk drives within the same array.
See What is SAS? for more information.
You have two connection options:• To connect directly to the controller, see the following section.
• To connect to a backplane, see Connecting Drives to a System Backplane.
To connect Solid State Drives to your controller, see Connecting SSDs.

5.3.1

Connecting Drives Directly to the Controller
In a direct-attach connection, SAS or SATA disk drives are connected directly to a SAS card with SAS cables.
The number of direct-attached disk drives is limited to four per internal SAS connector. (For more information
about direct-attach connections, see How Disk Drives are Identified in SAS.)
1. Install your internal SAS or SATA disk drives, following the instructions in your system's documentation.
2. Use internal SAS, mini-SAS, or mini-SAS HD cables to attach the disk drives to the controller, as required.
3. When all internal disk drives have been installed and attached to the controller, close your computer
cabinet, reattach the power cord, then continue with Connecting External Devices.

5.3.2

Connecting Drives to a System Backplane
In a backplane connection, disk drives and SAS cards are attached to and communicate with each otherthrough a system backplane.
The number of disk drives is limited to the number of slots available on the backplane. Some backplanes
have embedded SAS expanders and can support up to 128 end devices. (For more information about
backplane and expander connections, see How Disk Drives are Identified in SAS.)
1. Connect one or more internal SAS or SATA disk drives to the backplane. (Refer to your system's
documentation for more information.)
2. Use an internal mini-SAS or mini-SAS HD cable to connect the controller to the backplane, as required.
3. When all internal disk drives have been installed and connected, close your computer cabinet, reattach
the power cord, then continue with Connecting External Devices.

5.3.3

Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs)
To connect a Solid State Drive to your controller, you can use a direct-attached connection or a backplaneconnection, as required. If your server does not have a standard 2.5-inch drive tray, you must use abracket/SLED which enables the SSD to fit properly.
Note: For maxCache applications or hybrid RAID arrays (comprised of hard drives andSSDs) you can use any Solid State Drive on the compatibility list. See
www.adaptec.com/compatibility for a list of compatible SSDs. maxCache is supported on
Series Q controllers only.

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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

In a direct-attach connection (described in the steps below), you connect SSDs directly to the controller
with SAS cables (mini-SAS to SATA). In a backplane connection, use the appropriate cable for your backplane
type (see Connecting Drives to a System Backplane for more about backplane connections). For maxCache
caching applications, you can connect a maximum of 8 maxCache-compatible SSDs to a controller. For RAID
arrays, controllers support a maximum of 256 drives, including SSDs (for details, see About Your RAID
ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of the features of your .).
1. Install the SSDs in your server. For servers with a standard 2.5-inch drive tray, install the SSD directly
into the tray. If your server does not have a standard 2.5-inch drive tray, use a bracket or adapter whichenables it to fit properly.
Use a 2.5” to 3.5” adapter toinstall your SSD if server does
not have 2.5” tray.

Typical SSD installation

2. Use an internal mini-SAS or mini-SAS HD to SATA cable, as required, to attach the SSD(s) to the controller,
as shown in the example below.
To other SSDs
Internal x4 mini-SAS HD connector

Single-port connector

SSD connected to controller withinternal mini-SAS HD to SATA Fanout cable

3. When all SSDs have been installed and connected, close your computer cabinet, reattach the power
cord, then continue with Connecting External Devices.

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Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

5.4

Connecting External Devices
Note: If you are not connecting any external devices, see the following section, Next
Steps.
Use high-quality cables to connect your controller to your external device(s), such as disk drives or disk
drive enclosures.
We recommend using only cables. For more information about cabling options for your controller, see
Cables on page 12.

5.5

Next Steps
If you are installing the controller driver and an operating system onto a bootable array, continue with
Creating a Bootable Array.
If you are completing a standard installation onto an existing operating system, continue with Installing the
Driver on an Existing Operating System.

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Creating a Bootable Array

6

Creating a Bootable Array
This chapter explains how to set your controller to be the boot controller, and how to create a bootable
array.
Note: If you are completing a standard installation onto an existing operating system,
you don't have to complete this task. Skip to Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating
System.

6.1

Setting the Boot Controller
Note: If your system won't contain more than one bootable controller, skip to the next
section, Creating an Array.
Your RAID controller supports bootable disk drives and bootable arrays. To enable your system to bootfrom either a disk drive or an array connected to your controller:
1. Enter the system setup.
2. Navigate to the drive boot sequence.
3. Move the boot controller to the top of the list.
For more information, refer to your computer documentation.

6.2

Creating an Array
This section explains how to create an array.
A RAID 5 array is created in the examples shown in this section because RAID 5 provides the most security
and best performance with a minimum of three disk drives. However, you can choose to create an arraywith a different RAID level; you can also change array level later, after the operating system is installed.
You can create an array using any of these tools:• RAID Configuration Utility (ARC)—BIOS-based menus and keyboard navigation (see the following
section).
• maxView Storage Manager—Graphical software application (running from a bootable USB image) thatyou can navigate with your mouse (see About maxView Storage Manager).
• ARCCONF—Command line utility. For instructions, refer to the RAID Controller Command Line Utility
User's Guide.
You can use any of these tools, but the ARC utility is the quickest and easiest tool for this task.
Note: We recommend that you do not combine SAS and SATA disk drives within the samearray. maxView Storage Manager displays a warning if you try to create a logical driveusing a combination of SAS and SATA disk drives. See What is SAS? for more information.

6.2.1

Creating an Array with the ARC Utility
The ARC utility is menu-based. Instructions for completing tasks appear on-screen. Menus can be navigatedusing the arrows, Enter, Esc, and other keys on your keyboard.
To create a RAID 5 array:
1. Power on your computer. When prompted, press Ctrl+A to enter the ARC utility.
Note: On computers that support the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or uEFI,ARC utility options are presented with a uEFI/HII interface rather than the Ctrl-A

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Creating a Bootable Arrayinterface described below. To begin using the ARC utility with the uEFI/HII interface,see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 56.
2. If you have more than one controller of the same model or family in your computer, select your controller,
then press Enter .
3. Select Logical Device Configuration, then press Enter .
4. Select Initialize Drives, then press Enter .
5. Select at least three disk drives for the array, press Insert for each selected disk drive, then press
Enter.
Caution: During initialization, all data is deleted from the disk. Before continuing,back up any data you want to keep.
6. Press Y , then press Enter .
The selected disk drives are initialized, then the Logical Device Configuration screen appears.
7. Select Create Array, then press Enter .
8. Select the disk drives that were just initialized, press Insert for each selected disk drive, then press
Enter .
9. When the Array Properties screen opens, follow the instructions in the following table.
Property Line

Entry or Selection

Array Type

Select RAID 5, then press Enter .

Array Label

Type a name, then press Enter .

Array Size

Press Enter , then press Enter again to use the default granularity of GB.

Stripe Size

Press Enter to use the default (256 KB).
Note: This property applies only to striped arrays (RAID 0, 1E, 10, 5, 50, 5EE, 6,
and 60).

Read Caching

Press Enter to use the default (Enable).

Write Caching

Press Enter to use the default (Enable always), then press Y to confirm.

Create RAID via

Press Enter to use the default (Build/Verify).

MaxCache Read

Press Enter to use the default (Enable)

MaxCache Write

Press Enter to use the default (Disable)[Done]

Press Enter .

10. When a cache warning message displays, type Y .
11. Once the array is created, a message displays telling you that the array can now be used. Press any key
to return to the Logical Device Configuration menu.
You can start using the array immediately. However, performance is reduced until the build process iscomplete.
12. Press Esc until the Exit utility window appears.
13. Select Yes, then press Enter.
The computer restarts.

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Creating a Bootable Array

14. Continue with Making Your Array Bootable.

6.2.2

Creating an Array with maxView Storage Manager
This section describes how to use the maxView Storage Manager configuration wizard to build an array.
Note: Before you begin, download the maxView Storage Manager bootable USB image
at start.microsemi.com, then copy the bootable image to a USB flash drive. For details,
refer to the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
To create a RAID 5 array:
1. Insert the bootable USB drive on the machine you want to configure.
The Boot menu opens in a shell window.
2. Select Launch maxView from the menu.
After a minute or so, the maxView Storage Manager login screen opens in a browser window.
3. Enter root/root for the login credentials.
4. On the ribbon, in the Logical Disk group, click Create Logical Drive.

5. When the wizard opens, ensure that Express Configuration is selected, then click Next.

6. Review the logical drive configuration summary.
Note: maxView Storage Manager uses the term logical drive when referring to anarray (see Terminology Used in this Guide).
The following example shows a RAID 5 array, ready to be created.

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Creating a Bootable Array

7. Click Finish.
maxView Storage Manager builds the logical drives.
8. Partition and format the logical drive(s).
The logical drives you created appear as a physical disk drives on your operating system. You must
partition and format these logical drives before you can use them to store data.
9. Close all windows, remove the bootable USB drive, then restart your system.
For information about installing and using maxView Storage Manager as a full software application, see
the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
10. Continue with the following section.

6.3

Making Your Array Bootable
Use the ARC Utility to make the array bootable (see Creating Bootable Arrays).
Then continue with Installing the Driver and an Operating System.

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Installing the Driver and an Operating System

7

Installing the Driver and an Operating System
This chapter explains how to install your driver and an operating system on a bootable array (see Creating
a Bootable Array).
Note:
1. To install the driver on an existing operating system, see Installing the Driver on an
Existing Operating System.
2. To install the Linux drivers from source with Dynamic Kernel Module Support (forpersistence across across kernel updates), download the Linux Driver Source Codepackage from the support page for your product at start.microsemi.com, then follow
the instructions in the embedded Readme.

7.1

Before You Begin• Install and connect your RAID controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller and Disk
Drives).
• Create a bootable array (see Creating a Bootable Array).
• Download drivers from the web• Create a driver disk (see the following section)

7.2

Creating a Driver Disk
Download the latest drivers from the Web, then create a driver disk by completing the steps below. You
will need a USB flash drive to complete this task. If the driver binary is an iso image, use a writable CD
instead of a flash drive.
To download drivers and create a driver disk:
1. Open a browser window, then type start.microsemi.com in the address bar.
2. Select your RAID controller family and controller model.
3. Select your operating system version, then select the appropriate driver from the list.
Note: For Linux OSs, the list of drivers typically includes a rpm file and an Images file.
Select the Images file only if you are installing the driver on an existing operating
system (for more information, see Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating
System).
4. Click Download Now and accept the license agreement.
5. When the download completes, extract the contents of the driver archive file to a temporary location.
If the archive includes drivers for multiple operating system versions (Windows, for instance), eachdriver is stored in a separate folder.
6. Change to the folder for your operating system version, as needed.
7. Copy the driver binary file or the entire driver folder contents to a USB flash drive. For Debian, Ubuntu,
and Fedora Linux, be sure to extract the contents of the .tgz files first.
If the driver binary is an iso image, see Step [ 8 ] .
8. If the driver binary is an iso image ̶ for instance, for Citrix XenServer ̶ burn the iso to a writeable CD.
Use whatever tool you prefer to burn the CD, such as an interactive, GUI-based, tool or the Linuxcommand line.
Note: For VMware ESXi 5.5 and VMware ESXi 6.0, see Installing with VMware ESXi .

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9. Remove and label the driver disk.
10. Continue the installation with the instructions for your operating system.

7.3

Installing with Windows
Note: The following instructions apply to all supported Windows operating systems. You
need the Windows installation DVD (or equivalent virtual media/iso image) to complete
this task.
To install the driver while installing Windows:
1. Insert your Windows DVD, then restart the computer.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the Windows installation.
3. When prompted to specify a location for Windows, select Load Driver.
4. Insert the USB driver disk, browse to the driver location, then click OK.
5. When the driver is found, press Next.
Note: You may see the message ‘No drives were found’. Repeat Step 3, Step 4 (browse
to driver location), and Step 5. On the second attempt, the driver will load successfully.
6. Click Next again to accept the default partition configuration, or refer to your Windows documentation
to configure partitions manually.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
8. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

7.4

Installing with Red Hat Linux or CentOS
Note: You will need the Installation DVD (or equivalent virtual media/iso image) for youroperating system to complete this task. You must have root privilege to install the driver
image.
To install the driver while installing Red Hat Linux or CentOS:
1. Insert your installation DVD.
2. Restart your computer.
3. When the first installation screen appears, insert the USB driver disk.
4. Type this command at the Boot: prompt, then press Enter:
linux dd

5. Select Yes to indicate that you have a driver disk, browse the USB drive (typically, /dev/sda1), thenselect the driver image.
6. Verify that the driver is loaded, then complete the installation following the on-screen instructions.
7. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

7.5

Installing with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server
Note: You need the SuSE installation DVD (or equivalent virtual media/iso image) tocomplete this task.
To install the driver while installing SuSE Linux:
1. Insert the SuSE Installation DVD.

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2. Restart your system.
3. When the installation selection screen appears, choose the type of installation you want, press F5 (SuSE10) or F6 (SuSE 11), then select Yes to indicate that you have a driver disk.
4. Insert the USB driver disk.
5. (SuSE 11 SP3 only) Add 'brokenmodules=aacraid dud=1' to the Boot menu. This step ensures that the
installer loads from the driver disk, not the in-box driver.
6. When prompted to "Please choose the Driver Update medium", highlight the USB partition, then selectOK.
Note: If the "choose Driver Update medium" screen is displayed again, assume thatthe driver was accepted; select Back, then press Enter.
7. (SuSE 11 SP3 only) On the "Welcome screen", switch to the console by typing CTRL+ALT+F2, then typethis command:
insmod ./update/000/modules/aacraid.ko

Press CTRL+ALT+F7 to return to the Welcome screen.
8. Complete the installation, following the on-screen instructions.
9. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

7.6

Installing with Ubuntu Linux
Note: You need the Ubuntu installation DVD (or equivalent virtual media/iso image) tocomplete this task. You must have root privilege to install the driver image.
To install the driver while installing Ubuntu Linux:
1. Insert the Ubuntu Installation DVD, then restart your computer.
2. When the installation menu appears, select Install Ubuntu Server. Continue the installation until the"Configure Network" screen appears, then type CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console.
3. Insert the USB driver disk, then type the following command to scan for the device:fdisk -l4. Assuming the USB drive is assigned to /dev/sda1, type the following commands to begin loading thedriver:mkdir mnt2 /AACRAID
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt2
cp -R /mnt2/* /AACRAID
umount /mnt2

Note: The following steps assume you are installing Ubuntu 12 or higher.
5. Copy the driver file to the /lib/modules directory:
rmmod aacraid
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko/lib/modules/3.16.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko

6. Remove the USB drive.

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7. Install the loadable module:
insmod /lib/modules/3.16.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko

8. Press CTRL+ALT+F1 to switch back to the installation screen, then follow the on-screen prompts tocontinue the installation.
Note: Do not press Continue at the end of the installation until you complete Step [9]!
9. When prompted to reboot the system, press CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console.
10. Type the following commands to complete the driver installation:
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko/target/lib/modules/3.16.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
chroot /target/sbin/depmod -a 2.6.32-28-server
update-initramfs -u -v
exit

11. Press CTRL+ALT+F1 to switch back to the installation screen, then reboot.
12. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

7.7

Installing with VMware
Note: You will need a writable CD or USB flash drive to complete this task. You must haveadministrator privileges to create the driver disk and install the driver image.
To install the driver with VMware ESXi 6.0 or VMware ESXi 6.5, you must create a custom boot image using
the ESXi-Customizer tool. This tool automates the process of customizing the ESXi install-ISO and runs as ascript under Microsoft PowerShell.
You can download the ESXi-Customizer tool, ESXi-Customizer-PS-v2.5.ps1, fromhttps://www.v-front.de/p/esxi-customizer-ps.html and other locations on the Web.
Note: Be sure to install the prerequisite software first, including Powershell and VMware
POWERCLI, before you install ESXi-Customizer.
Note: VMware 6.0 driver supports VMware 6.5.
To install the driver while installing VMware:
1. Download and install Microsoft PowerShell and VMware POWERCLI, as needed. You can download
PowerShell from the Microsoft Download Center at www.microsoft.com/download, and POWERCLI
from my.vmware.com.
Note: PowerShell is pre-installed on many Windows systems, including Windows
Server 2012 and Windows Server 2016.
2. Download the ESXi-Customizer tool from https://www.v-front.de/p/esxi-customizer-ps.html or other
Web location. Then, unpack the archive to a local directory on your Windows system;
C:\ESXi-Customizer, for instance.
3. Copy the VMware driver vib for your OS version to a temp directory, such as C:\temp\pkg. The driver
vib files (listed below, where xxxxxxx is the driver version number) should be in the driver download
directory on your Windows system (see Creating a Driver Disk).
OptionDescription
ESXi 6.5/6.0

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OptionDescription
vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-600.6.2.1.XXXXX.-1.0.6.2159203.x86_64.vib

4. Run ESXi-Customizer from the installation directory:
C:\ESXi-Customizer>ESXi-Customizer.cmd

5. In PowerShell, enter the following command:.\ESXi-Customizer-PS-v2.5.ps1 –Vxx -pkgDir C:\temp\pkg

where Vxx is the VMware OS version: V60 for VMmare 6.0, V65 for VMware 6.5.
PowerShell begins creating the custom ESXi install-ISO with embedded RAID controller driver. It displays"All done" when the ISO is ready.
6. Burn the custom ISO image to a writable CD or USB drive.
Note: Use whatever tool you prefer to burn the CD or USB drive.
Remove the CD or USB drive after you finish burning the image.
7. On the VMware ESXi machine, insert the custom boot CD/USB, then restart your computer.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the VMware installation.
9. Complete the VMware installation, following the on-screen instructions.
10. Remove the custom boot CD or USB drive, then reboot your computer.

7.8

Installing with Citrix XenServer
Note: To install the driver with Citrix XenServer, you must burn the XenServer driver iso
image to a writeable CD; USB driver disks are not supported for XenServer (see Creatinga Driver Disk on page 27). You will be prompted to insert the XenServer driver CD twice.
You need the XenServer installation DVD (or equivalent virtual media/iso image) tocomplete this task. You must have administrator privilege to install the driver image.
To install the driver while installing Citrix XenServer:
1. On the machine where you want to install the OS and driver, insert the XenServer installation DVD,
then restart your computer.
2. When prompted to add a driver, press F9.
3. Remove the XenServer installation DVD and insert the driver CD.
4. When the driver update is complete, remove the driver CD and insert the XenServer installation DVD.
5. Continue the XenServer installation, following the on-screen instructions.
6. When prompted to add a driver (at the end of the OS installation),remove the XenServer installation
DVD and insert the driver CD.
7. Complete the XenServer installation, following the on-screen instructions.
8. Remove the driver CD, then reboot your computer.

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8

Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating System
This chapter explains how to install your driver on an existing operating system.
Note:
1. To install the driver while you're installing an operating system, see Installing the
Driver and an Operating System
2. To install the Linux drivers from source with Dynamic Kernel Module Support (forpersistence across across kernel updates), download the Linux Driver Source Codepackage from the support page for your product at start.microsemi.com, then follow
the instructions in the embedded Readme.

8.1

Before You Begin• Install and connect your RAID controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller and Disk
Drives).
• Download drivers from the web site
• Create a driver disk (see the following section)

8.2

Creating a Driver Disk
Download the latest drivers from the Web, then create a driver disk by completing the steps below. You
will need a USB flash drive to complete this task.
To download drivers and create a driver disk:
1. Open a browser window, then type start.microsemi.com in the address bar.
2. Select your RAID controller family and controller model.
3. Select your operating system version, then select the appropriate driver from the list.
Note: For Linux OSs, the list of drivers typically includes a rpm file and an Images file.
You can use either one to install the driver on an existing operating system. The
instructions in this chapter use the rpm.
4. Click Download Now and accept the license agreement.
5. When the download completes, extract the contents of the driver archive file to a temporary location.
If the archive includes drivers for multiple operating system versions (Windows, for instance), eachdriver is stored in a separate folder, including one each for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
6. Change to the folder for your operating system version, as needed.
7. Copy the driver binary file or the entire driver folder contents to a USB flash drive.
Note: For VMware and Citrix XenServer, use a remote copy utility to copy the driverto the local machine; see Installing on VMware and Installing on XenServer..
8. Remove and label the driver disk.
9. Continue the installation with the instructions for your operating system.

8.3

Installing on Windows
Note: The following instructions apply to all supported Windows operating systems.
To install the driver on Windows:

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1. Start or restart Windows.
2. In the Control Panel, launch the Device Manager, right-click your , then select Update Driver Software.
3. Insert the driver disk, then select Browse my computer for driver software.
4. Browse to the driver disk location, then click Next.
5. Select the driver from the list, then click Next.
6. When the installation is complete, remove the driver disk and restart your computer.
7. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

8.4

Installing on Red Hat, CentOS, SuSE, or Fedora Linux
Note: If your Red Hat 7, SLES 11 SP3, or SLES 12 system is booted with uEFI Secure Boot,
you will need to add a public key to the MOK list (Machine Owner Key) before completingthe steps below. See the Readme for more information.
To install the driver on Red Hat Linux, CentOS, SuSE Linux, or Fedora Linux:
1. Insert and mount the driver disk (assuming the USB drive is /dev/sda1):
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb

2. Install the module RPM:
rpm -ivh mount-point/xxx/yyy.rpm

where mount-point is the mount point on the Linux system, xxx is the driver path, and yyy.rpm is therpm file name.
3. Reboot your computer to ensure the driver loaded correctly.
4. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

8.5

Installing on Ubuntu Linux
Note: For driver installation on Ubuntu Linux, you may need to create the root accountand password. Enter these commands: sudo bash; sudo passwd root. You musthave root privilege to install the driver image.
Note: Microsemi's pre-built driver supports the kernel that is delivered as part of theISO. For other kernels, use DKMS process.
To install the driver on Ubuntu Linux:
1. Update the Ubuntu package index:
sudo apt-get update

2. Load the Ubuntu unpacking tools:
sudo apt-get install build-essential

3. Insert and mount the driver disk (assuming the USB drive is /dev/sda1):
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb

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4. Install the DEB driver package (where xxxxx is the build number):
Ubuntu 11:
sudo dpkg -i/mnt/usb/aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx-Ubuntu11.10+12.04+12.04.1+12.04.2-all.deb

Ubuntu 14:
sudo dpkg -i /mnt/usb/aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx-Ubuntu14.10-x86_64.deb

Ubuntu 16:
sudo dpkg -i /mnt/usb/aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx-Ubuntu16.10-x86_64.deb

5. Reboot your computer to ensure the driver loaded correctly.
6. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space.

8.6

Installing on VMware
Note: You must remove the old driver before you can install the new one. You must haveroot privilege to install the new driver.
Note: To copy the driver VIB file to the VMware ESXi server (in Step 2 below), you musthave access to a remote copy utility, such as WinSCP, putty, or Linux scp.
To install the driver on VMware:
1. At the VMware console screen, type these commands to remove the old driver from a VMware system:
esxcli software vib list | grep -i aacraid (list driver packages)
esxcli software vib remove --vibname=scsi-aacraid --maintenance-mode (remove
package)

2. Using a remote copy utility, copy the driver VIB file for your operating system version to a local directoryon the ESXi server. This example uses Linux scp to copy the driver to /tmp/aacraid (where xxxxx is thebuild number):scp/mnt/sda1/linux/driver/vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-600.6.2.1.xxxxx.-1.0.6.2159203.x86_64.vib
root@<esx-server-ip>:/tmp/aacraid

3. Install the VIB module (where xxxxx is the build number):
esxcli software vib install -f -v
file:/tmp/aacraid/vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-600.6.2.1.xxxxx.-1.0.6.2159203.x86_64.vib

4. Reboot your computer.

8.7

Installing on Citrix XenServer
Note: To copy the driver RPM file to XenServer (in Step 1 below), you must have accessto a remote copy utility, such as WinSCP, putty, or Linux scp. You must have root privilege
to install the driver.
To install the driver on XenServer (where xxxxx is the build # and .x is the OS version):
1. Using a remote copy utility, copy the driver RPM file to a local directory on XenServer. This example
uses Linux scp to copy the driver to /tmp/aacraid:

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scp /mnt/sda1/linux/driver/citrix-aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx.xen-6.x.rpm
root@<xen-server-ip>:/tmp/aacraid

2. Install the driver module rpm:
rpm -ivh /tmp/aacraid/citrix-aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx.xen-6.x.rpm

3. Reboot your computer.

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Installing Dynamic Kernel Module Support

9

Installing Dynamic Kernel Module Support
This chapter explains how to install the DKMS driver.

9.1

Installing the DKMS Deb Package on Ubuntu Systems
The following steps are for installing the DKMS deb package on an Ubuntu System.
1. Since DKMS involves changing system-level kernel files, it requires superuser permissions.
$sudo su

2. DKMS requires build-essential (which installs all packages that are required to build an executable on
Ubuntu), the current kernel headers, and DKMS.
# apt-get install dkms build-essential linux-headers-`uname -r`

3. Once the dependency packages have been installed, the DKMS deb package can be installed. Now DPKG
calls DKMS internally, which builds the driver and installs it to the current kernel. XXXXX is the driver
release version.
# dpkg -i aacraid-dkms_1.2.1.XXXXX_all.deb

4. After the DKMS install is done, the system needs to be rebooted for the new driver to take effect.
# apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`

Note: When the Ubuntu Linux kernel is updated, then DKMS will attempt to build thedriver for the newly updated kernel and fail, since the headers for the new kernel
have not been installed yet. Reboot the system and select the newly updated kernel.
Once it boots up, previous command will install headers for the updated kernel andinstall AACRAID driver on it as well.

9.2

Installing the DKMS RPM Package
The DKMS executable package is available in the EPEL repository.
1. Retrieve the EPEL repository file (the "X" denotes the major version).
$ wget https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-X.noarch.rpm

2. Install the EPEL repository.
$ sudo rpm -Uvh epel-release-latest-X.noarch.rpm

3. Install DKMS.
$ sudo yum install dkms

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9.3

DKMS ReferenceThis section contains information on the other functions of DKMS.
1. Build and install a driver.
# dkms add -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.XXXXX# dkms build -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.XXXXX# dkms install -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.XXXXX

2. Build a driver for a different system other than native.
# dkms build -k 2.4.21-4.ELsmp -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.XXXXX# dkms install -k 2.4.21-4.ELsmp -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.XXXXX

3. Make a driver disk from a set of built drivers.
# dkms mkdriverdisk -k 2.4.21-4.ELBOOT,2.4.21-4.ELsmp,2.4.21-4.EL \-d redhat -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.52009# dkms mkdriverdisk -k 2.6.11.4-20a-default,2.6.11.4-20a-smp \-d suse -m aacraid -v 1.2.1.52009

4. Check current status of DKMS.
# dkms status

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10

Managing Your Storage Space
Once you have installed your RAID controller, disk drives (or other devices), and device driver, you canbegin to build and manage your storage space.
This chapter introduces maxView Storage Manager, and describes the other utilities included with your
RAID controller.

10.1

About maxView Storage Manager
maxView Storage Manager is a browser-based software application that helps you build a storage spacefor your online data, using RAID controllers and disk drives.
With maxView Storage Manager, you can group disk drives into logical drives and build in redundancy toprotect your data and improve system performance.
From a single workstation, you can use maxView Storage Manager to monitor and manage all the controllers
and disk drives in your storage space.
When maxView Storage Manager is installed on a computer, the maxView Storage Manager Agent (andother related services) is also installed automatically. The Agent is designed to run in the background,
without user intervention. Its job is to monitor system health, manage event notifications, task schedules,
and other on-going processes on a system. It sends notices when tasks are completed successfully, andnotifies you when errors or failures occur on that system.
If your storage space includes systems that won't be connected to monitors (and therefore won't require
the graphical user interface), you can choose to run the Agent only on those systems instead of the full
application. For more information, refer to the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.

10.1.1

Installing maxView Storage Manager
For details about installing maxView Storage Manager on different operating systems, refer to the maxView
Storage Manager User’s Guide.

10.2

About the RAID Controller Configuration Utility
The RAID Controller Configuration (ARCCONF) is a command line utility that you can use to perform basic
array and configuration management functions.
With ARCCONF, you can:• Create and delete logical drives• Modify and copy configuration settings• Recover from disk drive failures and troubleshoot your system
For information about installing and using ARCCONF, refer to the RAID Controller Command Line Utility
User's Guide.

10.3

About the RAID Configuration Utility
The RAID Configuration (ARC) utility is a BIOS-based utility that you can use to create and manage controllers,
disk drives and other devices, and arrays. The ARC utility comprises these tools:• Logical Device Configuration—For creating and managing arrays, and initializing and rescanning disk
drives.
• Controller Settings—For modifying your controller and disk drive settings.
• Disk Utilities—For formatting or verifying disk drives.

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The ARC utility is included in your controller's BIOS. For more information, see Using the RAID Configuration
Utility.
Note: The ARC utility is primarily intended for pre-operating system installation
configuration.

10.4

About the Adaptec Flash Utility
The Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU) is a text-based DOS utility that you can use to update, save, or verify your
RAID controller's firmware.
Caution: Although the AFU contains safeguards to prevent you from accidentally damaging
your RAID controller's flash contents, it is still important to use the AFU carefully andcorrectly to avoid rendering your RAID controller inoperable. We recommend that only
advanced users familiar with working in DOS use the AFU. You can also use maxView
Storage Manager to update the controller firmware. See the maxView Storage Manager
User’s Guide for more information.

10.5

Which Utility Should I Use?
To create a bootable array, we recommend that you use the BIOS-based ARC utility (See Using the RAID
Configuration Utility).
For subsequent storage management tasks on most supported operating systems, including VMware Guest
OSs, we recommend that you install and use maxView Storage Manager (see About maxView Storage
Manager). As a full-featured software application with a graphical user interface, it is the easiest to use
and offers the widest range of management functions. For operating systems that do not support the
maxView Storage Manager GUI, such as FreeBSD, use the ARCCONF command line utility to configure andmanage arrays.

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Solving Problems

11

Solving Problems
This chapter provides basic troubleshooting information and solutions for solving controller problems.

11.1

Troubleshooting Checklist
If you encounter difficulties installing or using your , check these items first:• With your computer powered off, check the connections to each disk drive, power supply, LED
connector, and so on.
• Try disconnecting and reconnecting disk drives from the .
• Check that your is installed in a compatible PCIe expansion slot. To double-check the bus compatibilityof your controller, see About Your Adaptec RAID ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of thefeatures of your ..
• Ensure that your is firmly seated and secured in the PCIe expansion slot.
• If your is not detected during system boot, try installing it in a different compatible expansion slot.
(See Installing the Controller for instructions.)• Did the driver install correctly?
• If you have external disk drives (or other devices), are they powered on?
• Check the Readme for compatibility issues and known problems.
If you are still unable to resolve a problem, you can find additional troubleshooting information and directionat www.adaptec.com or the Support Knowledgebase at ask.adaptec.com.

11.2

Monitoring Disk Drives Status
You can use the ‘blink’ feature in the ARC utility and maxView Storage Manager to monitor the status ofyour SAS and SATA disk drives. When you blink a specific disk drive or set of disk drives, the LED(s) on theselected disk drives flash.
This table describes the LED flash states.
Controller Device State

Slot StateLED Flash State

FailedDevice is faulty

On

Rebuilding

Device is rebuilding

Slow flash

Blink

Identify the device

Fast flash

Other

No errorOff

For more information about using maxView Storage Manager to monitor your disk drives, refer to themaxView Storage Manager User's Guide or the online Help.

11.3

Silencing the Alarm
If your includes an alarm, the alarm will sound when an error occurs. To silence the alarm, use maxView
Storage Manager (see Managing Your Storage Space.) OR the ARC utility (see Modifying Your Controller
Configuration.)

11.4

Recovering from a Disk Drive FailureThis section explains how to recover when a disk drive or SSD fails:

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Solving Problems• If the array was protected by a hot spare, see Failed Disk Drive Protected by a Hot SpareWhen an arrayis protected by a hot spare, if a disk drive in that array fails the hot spare is automatically incorporated
into the array and takes over for the failed drive. .
• If the array was not protected by a hot spare, see Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare.
• If there is a disk drive failure in more than one array simultaneously, see Failure in Multiple Arrays
Simultaneously.
• If it is a RAID 0 array, see Disk Drive Failure in a RAID 0 Array.
• If multiple disk drives fail within the same array, see Multiple Failures in the Same Array.
• If the drive is part of the maxCache Device, see Failed Drive in maxCache Device .
Note: maxView Storage Manager uses the term logical drives or logical devices whenreferring to arrays (see Terminology Used in this Guide).

11.4.1

Failed Disk Drive Protected by a Hot SpareWhen an array is protected by a hot spare, if a disk drive in that array fails the hot spare is automaticallyincorporated into the array and takes over for the failed drive.
To recover from the failure:
1. Remove and replace the failed disk drive.
2. If copyback is not enabled—In maxView Storage Manager, remove the ‘hot spare’ designation from theoriginal hot spare (the disk drive that was built into the array). Then, designate a new hot spare toprotect the arrays on that controller.
If copyback is enabled—Data is automatically moved back to its original location once the controller
detects that the failed drive has been replaced. No action is required.

11.4.2Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot SpareWhen an array is not protected by a hot spare, if a disk drive in that array fails, remove and replace thefailed disk drive. The controller detects the new disk drive and begins to rebuild the array.
If the controller fails to rebuild the array, check that the cables, disk drives, and controllers are properly
installed and connected. Make sure that the new disk drive is equal or greater in size than the failed disk
drive. Then, if necessary, use maxView Storage Manager to rebuild the array. For instructions, refer to themaxView Storage Manager User’s Guide or the online Help.

11.4.3

Failure in Multiple Arrays Simultaneously
If there's a disk drive failure in more than one array at the same time (one failure per array), and the arrays
have hot spares protecting them, the controller rebuilds the arrays with these limitations:• A hot spare must be of equal or greater size than the failed disk drive it's replacing.
• Failed disk drives are replaced with hot spares in the order in which they failed. (The array that includes
the disk drive that failed first is rebuilt first, assuming an appropriate hot spare is available—see bullet
above.)
If there are more disk drive failures than hot spares, see Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare.
If copyback is enabled, data is moved back to its original location once the controller detects that the failed
drive has been replaced.

11.4.4

Disk Drive Failure in a RAID 0 Array
Because RAID 0 volumes do not include redundancy, if a disk drive fails in a RAID 0 array, the data can’t berecovered.
Correct the cause of the failure or replace the failed disk drives. Then, restore your data (if available).

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Solving Problems

11.4.5Multiple Failures in the Same Array
Except in RAID 6 and RAID 60 arrays (see Understanding RAIDUse this table to select the RAID levels thatare most appropriate for the logical drives on your storage space, based on the number of available disk
drives and your requirements for performance and reliability.), if more than one disk drive fails at the sametime in the same array, the data normally can't be recovered.
You may be able to recover the data by forcing the logical drive online or by recreating the logical drive
without the initialization step. You can use the BIOS utility, ARC (see About the RAID Configuration Utility),
the command-line utility, ARCCONF, or maxView Storage Manager. For more information, refer to the
RAID Controller Command Line Interface User’s Guide and maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
Note: In some instances, RAID 10 and RAID 50 arrays may survive multiple disk drive
failures, depending on which disk drives fail.

11.4.6

Failed SSD in maxCache Device
Because the maxCache Device is a redundant logical device, comprised of SSDs only, it is rebuilt automaticallywhen a failed SSD is replaced, just like an ordinary array. Once you identify the failed SSD, for example, byusing maxView Storage Manager's rapid fault isolation feature, replace it with a new one (see ConnectingSSDs). The controller detects the new SSD and begins rebuilding the maxCache Device.

11.5

Resetting the Controller
You may need to reset, or flash, your if it becomes inoperable or if a firmware upgrade is unsuccessful. s
support a reset protocol called HDA mode flash. For information about HDA mode, see the Readme orcontact your support representative. To locate the flash jumper on your RAID controller board, see theillustrations in About Your RAID ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of the features of your ..

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Introduction to SASAIntroduction to SAS
This section provides a basic overview of the main features of SAS, introduces some common SAS terms,
and explains how SAS differs from parallel SCSI.
Note: For technical articles and tutorials about SAS, refer to the SCSI Trade Association(STA™) Web site at www.scsita.org.

A.1

Terminology Used in This Appendix
For convenience, SAS HBAs and SAS RAID controllers are referred to generically in this chapter as SAS cards.
HBAs, RAID controllers, disk drives, and external disk drive enclosures are referred to as end devices andexpanders are referred to as expander devices.
For convenience, this chapter refers to end devices and expander devices collectively as SAS devices.

A.2

What is SAS?
Legacy parallel SCSI is an interface that lets devices such as computers and disk drives communicate witheach other. Parallel SCSI moves multiple bits of data in parallel (at the same time), using the SCSI commandset.
SAS is an evolution of parallel SCSI to a point-to-point serial interface. SAS also uses the SCSI command set,but moves multiple bits of data one at a time. SAS links end devices through direct-attach connections, or
through expander devices.
SAS cards can typically support up to 128 end devices and can communicate with both SAS and SATA devices.
(You can add 128 end devices—or even more—with the use of SAS expanders. See SAS Expander Connections.)
Note: Although you can use both SAS and SATA disk drives in the same SAS domain (seeSAS Expander Connections), we recommend that you do not combine SAS and SATA disk
drives within the same array or logical drive. The difference in performance between the
two types of disk drives may adversely affect the performance of the array.
Data can move in both directions simultaneously across a SAS connection (called a link—see How SAS
Devices Communicate). Link speed is 300 MB/sec in half-duplex mode. Therefore, a SAS card with eightlinks has a bandwidth of 2400 MB/sec.
Although they share the SCSI command set, SAS is conceptually different from parallel SCSI physically, andhas its own types of connectors, cables, connection options, and terminology, as described in the rest of
this chapter.
To compare SAS to parallel SCSI, see How is SAS Different from Paralle SCSI?.

A.3

How Do SAS Devices Communicate?
SAS devices communicate with each other through links. A link is a physical connection between two phys.
As shown in the following figure, SAS devices contain ports (see What is a SAS Port), ports contain phys,and each phy contains one transmitter and one receiver—one transceiver. A phy can belong to one port
only.

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Introduction to SAS

SAS Device

SAS Devicelink

Narrow
ReceiverPhy TransmitterPort

SAS Device

Wide
Port

ReceiverPhy Transmitter

Phy

Transmitter
ReceiverPhy

Transmitter
ReceiverPhy

Transmitter
ReceiverPhy

Narrow
Port

Wide
Port

ReceiverTransmitter

SAS Device

Wide
Port

A.4

ReceiverPhy Transmitter

Transmitter
ReceiverPhy

ReceiverPhy Transmitter

Transmitter
ReceiverPhy

ReceiverPhy Transmitter

Transmitter
ReceiverPhy

ReceiverPhy Transmitter

Transmitter
Receiver

Phy

Wide
Port

What’s a Phy?
Phys are part of the physical communication connection between SAS devices. Each phy contains a transceiverthat sends data back and forth between SAS devices.
When a connection is formed between two end devices, a link is established from a phy in one port to aphy in the other port. As shown in the figure above, a wide port can support multiple independent links
simultaneously.
Phys are internal, within SAS connectors (see What's a SAS Connector?).
SAS cables physically connect one or more phys on one SAS device to one or more phys on another SAS
device.

A.5

What’s a SAS Port?
Note: Because the physical link between SAS devices is from phy to phy, rather than port
to port, a “port” is more of a virtual concept, different from what is normally considereda port on other types of RAID controllers and storage devices.
A port is one or more phys. A narrow port contains one phy. A wide port typically contains four phys.
Each port has its own unique SAS address (see How are Disk Drives Identified?), and all the phys in a port
share that same SAS address.
SAS card port options vary. A SAS card with four phys could be configured with one wide port, with twowide ports that comprise two phys, or with four narrow ports each containing one phy. (A wide port withfour phys is referred to as a 4-wide or 4x port.)

A.6

What’s a SAS Address?
Each SAS port is identified with a unique SAS address, which is shared by all phys on that port.
For example, a SAS disk drive might have two narrow ports. Each port has one unique SAS address. The
single phy in each port uses its port’s SAS address.
In another example, a SAS device might have one 4-wide port. That port has one SAS address, which isshared by all four phys in the port.

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Introduction to SAS

Unlike SCSI devices and SCSI IDs, SAS devices self-configure their SAS addresses. User intervention is not
required to set SAS addresses, and SAS addresses cannot be modified.

A.7

What’s a SAS Connector?
A SAS or mini-SAS connector is the physical plug or receptacle that you see on a SAS device. It's what you
plug a SAS cable into, or the end of the SAS cable that’s being plugged in. (See See Cables.)A connector is what forms physical links between phys. Some SAS connectors can support multiple links.
The number of links a SAS connector can support is referred to as its width. Narrow connectors support asingle link; wide connectors supports more than 1 link.
A single SAS device may have one or more connectors. A single SAS connector may help form links between
more than two SAS devices. (For instance, as shown in the figure in Connecting Drives Directly to theController, the 4-wide internal SAS connector forms links with four independent disk drives.)

A.8

What do SAS Cables Look Like?
Internal standard SAS cables are narrower than internal parallel SCSI cables. The connectors vary in size
depending on the number of links they support, from single link connectors to 4-wide (or larger) connectors.
Internal fan-out cables let you attach four disk drives to a single 4-wide connector.
Mini-SAS connectors support both internal and external SAS connections. The mini-SAS connectors are
smaller than the standard SAS internal and external connectors. Mini-SAS connectors support single andmultilinks with the ability to scale to future speed needs.
For examples of some internal SAS/mini-SAS cables and an external SAS/mini-SAS cables, see Cables.

A.9

How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS?
In the BIOS and in the management utilities (see Identifying Disk Drives), disk drives are identified in thefollowing formats:• CNX:DevY = Device Y is attached to Connector X (see Direct-Attach Connections for more information)• BoxX:SlotX = Enclosure X is attached to a disk drive in Slot X (see Backplane Connections for more
information)• ExpX:PhyX = Expander X is attached to Phy X (see SAS Expander Connections for more information)
where X is the count number.
Note: Devices other than disk drives (CDROM, tape drives, etc...) are listed in order after
your system disk drives.
In parallel SCSI, XX is the disk drive’s channel number, YY is the target number, and ZZ is the logical unit
number (LUN).

A.10

What are the SAS Connection Options?
You can connect end devices to each other through direct cable connections and through backplaneconnections. When you use one or more expander devices (see SAS Expander Connections), you can create
large configurations.

A.10.1

Direct-attach Connections
In a direct-attach connection, SAS or SATA disk drives are connected directly to a SAS card with SAS or
mini-SAS cables. One disk drive is attached to one SAS/mini-SAS connector with one SAS/mini-SAS cable(or multiple disk drives are attached to one SAS/mini-SAS connector with one fan-out cable). The figure inConnecting Drives Directly to the Controller shows an example of direct-attach connections.

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Introduction to SAS

The number of direct-attached disk drives is limited to the number of phys supported by the SAS card. (Notethat there may be multiple phys within a single connector. See SAS Expander Connections.)

A.10.2

Backplane Connections
In a backplane connection, disk drives and SAS cards are attached to and communicate with each otherthrough a system backplane.
There are two types of backplane connections, passive and active. When connecting to either backplane,
it's important to properly connect your disk drive LEDs in order to identify disk drive conditions. See AboutYour RAID ControllerThis chapter provides an overview of the features of your . for your RAID controller
Activity LED connections and locations.
Once you have connected to a backplane, use maxView Storage Manager to manage your disk drives. For
more information, refer to the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
The number of end devices is limited to the number of slots available on the backplane.
Some backplanes support daisy-chain expansion to other backplanes, allowing you to connect multiple
enclosures to a single SAS card in a host system.

A.10.3

SAS Expander Connections
A SAS expander device literally expands the number of end devices that you can connect together. Expander
devices, typically embedded into a system backplane (see Backplane Connections), support large
configurations of SAS end devices, including SAS cards and SAS and SATA disk drives. With expander devices,
you can build large and complex storage topologies.
There are two types of SAS expanders: fanout expanders and edge expanders. Each performs a differentrole in a storage system. (For more information about how SAS expanders work, refer to the STA Web siteat www.scsita.org.)
You can connect up to 128 SAS ports to an edge expander. (A single edge expander can therefore support
up to 128 SAS addresses.)
You can connect up to 128 edge expanders to a fanout expander.
You can use only one fanout expander in any single SAS domain (a topology of SAS—and possibly SATA—end
devices and expander devices). A single SAS domain can therefore comprise up to 16,384 SAS ports (andtherefore up to 16,384 SAS addresses including the fanout expander).
The next figure illustrates (in very basic terms) a SAS domain and shows how SAS cards, SAS and SATA disk
drives, and expander devices can fit together in a large data storage topology.

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Introduction to SAS

A.11

How is SAS Different from Parallel SCSI?
In summary, although SAS and parallel SCSI both use the SCSI command set, how they move data from one
place to another is very different. To support point-to-point serial data transport, SAS introduces new typesof connectors, cables, connection options, and terminology.
Generally speaking, SAS is faster and more flexible than parallel SCSI, and provides more options for building
your storage space. SAS lets you mix SAS and SATA disk drives together, and lets you connect many, many
more devices.
This table describes many of the main differences between the two interfaces.
Parallel SCSI

Serial Attached SCSI

Parallel interface

Serial interface

Maximum speed 320 MB/sec shared by all devices on thebus

Maximum speed 300 MB/sec per phy when in half-duplex mode

Supports SCSI devices only

Supports SATA and SAS disk drives simultaneously

Up to 16 devices per SCSI channel

More than 100 disk drives per SAS card, using an expander (seeSAS Expander Connections) or 50 SATAII disk drives.

Supports single-port devices only

Supports single- and dual-port devices

Uses SCSI IDs to differentiate between devices connectedto the same adapter

Uses unique SAS addresses to differentiate between devices

User intervention required to set SCSI IDs

SAS addresses self-configured by SAS devices

Requires bus termination

Requires no bus termination

Standard SCSI connectors

SAS connectors (see Cables)

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Understanding RAID

B

Understanding RAID
When you create arrays (or logical drives), you can assign a RAID level to protect your data.
Each RAID level offers a unique combination of performance and redundancy. RAID levels also vary by the
number of disk drives they support.
This appendix describes the RAID levels supported by your RAID controller, and provides a basic overview
of each to help you select the best level of protection for your data storage.

B.1

Understanding Drive Segments
A drive segment is a disk drive or portion of a disk drive that is used to create an array. A disk drive can
include both RAID segments (segments that are part of an array) and available segments. Each segment
can be part of only one logical device at a time. If a disk drive is not part of any logical device, the entire
disk is an available segment.

B.2

Non-redundant Arrays (RAID 0)
An array with RAID 0 includes two or more disk drives and provides data striping, where data is distributed
evenly across the disk drives in equal-sized sections. However, RAID 0 arrays do not maintain redundantdata, so they offer no data protection.
Compared to an equal-sized group of independent disks, a RAID 0 array provides improved I/O performance.
Drive segment size is limited to the size of the smallest disk drive in the array. For instance, an array withtwo 250 GB disk drives and two 400 GB disk drives can create a RAID 0 drive segment of 250 GB, for a totalof 1000 GB for the volume, as shown in this figure.

Disk Drive 1

250 GB

Disk Drive 2

250 GB

Disk Drive 3

400 GB

Drive Segment Size
(Smallest Disk Drive)

Disk Drive 1

1 5 . . . 997

Disk Drive 2

2 6 . . . 998

Disk Drive 3

3 7 . . . 999
Unused Space = 150 GB

Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 44 8 . . . 1000

400 GB

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

Unused Space = 150 GB
RAID 0 Logical Drive = 1000 GB

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Understanding RAID

B.3

RAID 1 Arrays
A RAID 1 array is built from two disk drives, where one disk drive is a mirror of the other (the same data isstored on each disk drive). Compared to independent disk drives, RAID 1 arrays provide improved
performance, with up to twice the read rate and an equal write rate of single disks. However, capacity is
only 50 percent of independent disk drives.
If the RAID 1 array is built from different- sized disk drives, the free space, drive segment size is the size ofthe smaller disk drive, as shown in this figure.

Drive Segment Size
(Smallest Disk Drive)

Disk Drive 1

Disk Drive 2

250 GB

400 GB

Disk Drive 1

1 – 250

Disk Drive 2

1 – 250
Unused Space = 150 GB
RAID 1 Logical Drive = 250 GB

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

B.4

RAID 1 Enhanced Arrays
A RAID 1 Enhanced (RAID 1E) array—also known as a striped mirror—is similar to a RAID 1 array except thatdata is both mirrored and striped, and more disk drives can be included. A RAID 1E array can be built fromthree or more disk drives.
In this example, the large bold numbers represent the striped data, and the smaller, non-bold numbers
represent the mirrored data stripes.

Disk Drive 1

400 GB

Disk Drive 2

400 GB

Disk Drive 3

400 GB

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

Disk Drive 1

3

6

Disk Drive 2

1

4

Disk Drive 3

2

5

RAID 1E Logical Drive = 600 GB

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Understanding RAID

B.5

RAID 10 Arrays
A RAID 10 array is built from two or more equal-sized RAID 1 arrays. Data in a RAID 10 array is both striped
and mirrored. Mirroring provides data protection, and striping improves performance.
Drive segment size is limited to the size of the smallest disk drive in the array. For instance, an array withtwo 250 GB disk drives and two 400 GB disk drives can create two mirrored drive segments of 250 GB, fora total of 500 GB for the array, as shown in this figure.

Disk Drive 1

250 GB

Disk Drive 2

250 GB

Disk Drive 3

400 GB

Drive Segment Size
(Smallest Disk Drive)

Disk Drive 1

1 3. . . 499

Disk Drive 2

2 4. . . 500

Disk Drive 3

1 3. . . 499
Unused Space = 150 GB

Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4

2 4. . . 500

400 GB

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

Unused Space = 150 GB
RAID 10 Logical Drive = 500 GB

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Understanding RAID

B.6

RAID 5 Arrays
A RAID 5 array is built from a minimum of three disk drives, and uses data striping and parity data to provide
redundancy. Parity data provides data protection, and striping improves performance.
Parity data is an error-correcting redundancy that’s used to re-create data if a disk drive fails. In RAID 5
arrays, parity data (represented by Ps in the next figure) is striped evenly across the disk drives with thestored data.
Drive segment size is limited to the size of the smallest disk drive in the array. For instance, an array withtwo 250 GB disk drives and two 400 GB disk drives can contain 750 GB of stored data and 250 GB of parity
data, as shown in this figure.

Disk Drive 1

250 GB

Disk Drive 2

250 GB

Disk Drive 3

400 GB

Drive Segment Size
(Smallest Disk Drive)

Disk Drive 1

1 4

.. .

P

Disk Drive 2

2 5. . . 748

Disk Drive 3

3 P. . . 749
Unused Space = 150 GB

Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4

P 6. . . 750

400 GB

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

Unused Space = 150 GB
RAID 5 Logical Drive = 750 GB plus Parity

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Understanding RAID

B.7

RAID 5EE Arrays
A RAID 5EE array—also known as a hot space—is similar to a RAID 5 array except that it includes a distributed
spare drive and must be built from a minimum of four disk drives.
Unlike a hot spare, a distributed spare is striped evenly across the disk drives with the stored data andparity data, and can’t be shared with other logical disk drives. A distributed spare improves the speed atwhich the array is rebuilt following a disk drive failure.
A RAID 5EE array protects your data and increases read and write speeds. However, capacity is reduced by
two disk drives’ worth of space, which is for parity data and spare data.
In this figure, S represents the distributed spare, P represents the distributed parity data.

Disk Drive 1

250 GB

Disk Drive 2

250 GB

Disk Drive 3

400 GB

Drive Segment Size
(Smallest Disk Drive)

Disk Drive 1

1 S

.. .

P

Disk Drive 2

2 P. . . 449

Disk Drive 3

S 3

.. .

S
Unused Space = 150 GB

Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4

P 4. . . 500

400 GB

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

Unused Space = 150 GB
Based on the drive segment sizes used:
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Understanding RAID

B.8

RAID 50 Arrays
A RAID 50 array is built from six to forty-eight disk drives configured as two or more RAID 5 arrays, andstripes stored data and parity data across all disk drives in both RAID 5 arrays. (For more information, see
RAID 5 Arrays.)
The parity data provides data protection, and striping improves performance. RAID 50 arrays also provide
high data transfer speeds.
Drive segment size is limited to the size of the smallest disk drive in the array. For example, three 250 GB
disk drives and three 400 GB disk drives comprise two equal-sized RAID 5 arrays with 500 GB of stored data
and 250 GB of parity data. The RAID 50 array can therefore contain 1000 GB (2 x 500 GB) of stored data
and 500 GB of parity data.
In this figure, P represents the distributed parity data.

RAID 50
Logical Drive=
1000 GBplus Parity

RAID 5A

Each RAID 5 Logical Drive has
500 GB Data Storage
250 GB Parity Data

1, 5, P3, P, 9P, 7, 11

Drive 1250 GB

Drive 2250 GB

Drive 3250 GBRAID 5
B

2, 6, P4, P, 10P, 8, 12

Drive 4400 GB

Drive 5400 GB

Drive 6400 GB

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Space = 150 GB

53Understanding RAID

B.9

RAID 6 Arrays
A RAID 6 array—also known as dual drive failure protection—is similar to a RAID 5 array because it uses
data striping and parity data to provide redundancy. However, RAID 6 arrays include two independent setsof parity data instead of one. Both sets of parity data are striped separately across all disk drives in thearray.
RAID 6 arrays provide extra protection for your data because they can recover from two simultaneous disk
drive failures. However, the extra parity calculation slows performance (compared to RAID 5 arrays).
RAID 6 arrays must be built from at least four disk drives. Maximum stripe size depends on the number ofdisk drives in the array.

Disk Drive 1

250 GB

Disk Drive 2

250 GB

Disk Drive 3

400 GB

Drive Segment Size
(Smallest Disk Drive)

Disk Drive 1

1 P1 . . . P2

Disk Drive 2

2 P2 . . . 449

Disk Drive 3

P1 3 . . . P1
Unused Space = 150 GB

Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4

Disk Drives in Logical Drive

B.10

P2 4 . . . 500

400 GB

Unused Space = 150 GB

Based on the drive segment sizes used:
RAID 6 Logical Drive = 500 GB plus parity(P1 & P2)

RAID 60 Arrays
Similar to a RAID 50 array (see RAID 50 Arrays), a RAID 60 array—also known as dual drive failure
protection—is built from eight disk drives configured as two or more RAID 6 arrays, and stripes stored data
and two sets of parity data across all disk drives in both RAID 6 arrays.
Two sets of parity data provide enhanced data protection, and striping improves performance. RAID 60
arrays also provide high data transfer speeds.

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Understanding RAID

B.11

Comparing RAID Levels
Use this table to select the RAID levels that are most appropriate for the logical drives on your storage
space, based on the number of available disk drives and your requirements for performance and reliability.
RAID Level

Redundancy

Disk Drive

Read Performance

Write Performance

Built-in Hot
Spare

Minimum

Usage

Disk Drives

RAID 0

No

100%

***

***

No

2

RAID 1

Yes

50%

**

**

No

2

RAID 1(ADM)

Yes

33%

**

**

No

3

RAID 1E

Yes

50%

**

**

No

3

RAID 10

Yes

50%

**

**

No

4

RAID 10(ADM)

Yes

33%

**

**

No

6

RAID 5Yes

67 – 94%

***

*

No

3

RAID 5EE

Yes

50 – 88%

***

*

Yes

4

RAID 50

Yes

67 – 94%

***

*

No

6

RAID 6

Yes

50 – 88%

**

*

No

4

RAID 60Yes

50 – 88%

**

*

No

8

Disk drive usage, read performance, and write performance depend on the number of drives in the logicaldrive. In general, the more drives, the better the performance.

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Using the RAID Configuration Utility

C

Using the RAID Configuration Utility
The RAID Configuration (ARC) utility is a BIOS-based utility that you can use to create arrays and manage
controllers, disk drives and other devices.

C.1

Introduction to the ARC Utility
The ARC utility comprises these tools:• Logical Device Configuration—For creating and managing arrays, and initializing and rescanning disk
drives (see Using the ARC Utility to Create and Manage Arrays on page 57).
• Controller Settings—For modifying your controller settings (see Using the ARC Utility to Modify Controller
Settings on page 60).
• Disk Utilities—For formatting or verifying disk drives (see Drives), locating disk drives, or setting thedrive-specific write cache policy.
• Administration (uEFI only)—For flashing the controller, updating the CPLD, and creating a support
archive (see Updating the Controller Firmware on page 66).

C.1.1

Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII?
Your supports two interfaces to the BIOS-level RAID configuration options of the ARC utility: Ctrl-A anduEFI/HII. On computers that support the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or uEFI (version 2.10 or
higher), the BIOS-level RAID configuration options are presented with a HII interface, or Human Interaction
Infrastructure, rather than the Ctrl-A interface described in this chapter. uEFI/HII provides anarchitecture-independent mechanism for initializing add-in cards, like the , and rendering contents to thescreen in a uniform way.
In the uEFI/HII interface, access to the configuration options is provided through the computer's standard
BIOS. How you access the BIOS varies, depending on the computer manufacturer, but typically it's started
by simply pressing DEL. Once you enter setup, navigate to the "PMC maxView Storage Manager" option,
typically on the BIOS' "Advanced" menu, then scan for and select a controller.
From that point on, the uEFI/HII menus and the Ctrl-A menus for configuring your are almost identical. For
example, the top-most menu contains the same three options: Logical Device Configuration, Controller
Settings, Disk Utilities (described above). But it also contains the Administration option, which is available
only in the uEFI/HII menu. Options in the lower-level menus are also similar.
In both interfaces, all the tools are menu-based and instructions for completing tasks appear on-screen.
Menus can be navigated using the arrows, Enter, Esc, and other keys on your keyboard.
This chapter provides instructions for navigating and completing tasks with the Ctrl-A interface. To completetasks with the uEFI/HII interface:• Refer to the on-screen instructions for keyboard navigation and selection options.
• Refer to the option descriptions in this chapter for details about individual RAID configuration settings
and tasks.
Note: Some RAID configuration options are available only in the uEFI/HII interface. uEFi
options are noted in the task descriptions below.

C.1.2

Running the ARC Utility
If your controller is connected to a RAID enclosure, power on your enclosure (or enclosures) before you
power on your computer.
Start or restart your computer. When prompted, press Ctrl+A.
During boot up, if your system has insufficient memory this message displays:

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Using the RAID Configuration Utility“Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility will load after, system initialization. Pleasewait... Or press <Enter> Key to attempt loading the utility forcibly [Generally,
not recommended]”“RAID Configuration Utility will load after, system initialization. Please wait...
Or press <Enter> Key to attempt loading the utility forcibly [Generally, notrecommended]”

Note: The first time you power on your computer after you install a new controller, theBIOS may display a configuration that doesn't match your system's configuration. This isnormal.

C.2

Using the ARC Utility to Create and Manage Arrays
To use the ARC utility to create and manage arrays, start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility), selectyour controller (if you have more than one), then press Enter. Select Logical Device Configuration fromthe ARC main menu, then press Enter.
Follow the on-screen instructions to create and manage arrays, and initialize, rescan, and erase disk drives.

C.2.1

Creating a New Array
To begin creating an array, select Create Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
Only disk drives that can be used in a new array are available for selection. (Disk drives must be initialized
before they can be used in an array. See Initializing Disk Drives for more information.)
Note:• To create a hybrid array that leverages the performance benefits of the SSDs in yoursystem, you must select an equal number SSDs and HDDs. You can create a hybrid
RAID1 or hybrid RAID10 only.
• When you create an all SSD array, we recommend disabling all caching, including
maxCache caching. If any caching is enabled when you create the array, you will beprompted to turn caching off.
Use the Array Properties menu to modify the array's RAID level, size, name, stripe size, cache settings, andmaxCache settings.
Note: For more information about RAID levels and using disk drives to create arrays, see
Choosing a RAID Level. For more information about maxCache, see Modifying Cache
Settings.

C.2.2

Managing Existing Arrays
To view or modify existing arrays, select Manage Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
From the Manage Arrays menu, you can:• View the properties of an array.
Note: Failed drives are displayed in a different text color.
• Make an array bootable (see Creating Bootable Arrays).
• Assign or remove hot spares.
• Modify power management settings.
• Change the cache settings for an array.
• Delete an array.
Caution: Before deleting an array, back up the data to avoid permanently losing it.

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C.2.2.1

Creating Bootable Arrays
Note: You may need to change the system BIOS to modify the boot order. For more
information, refer to your computer documentation.
The controller always uses the lowest numbered array as its bootable array.
To make an array bootable:
1. Select Manage Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
2. Select the array that you want to make bootable, then press Ctrl+B.
Note: You cannot make an array bootable while it's building, verifying, or rebuilding.
The array's number changes to Array 00, which makes this array the controller's boot array.
3. Restart your computer.

C.2.2.2

Modifying Power Management Settings
Power management settings switch the array to low power state when it is inactive for a specific time.
To modify power management settings:
1. Select Manage Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
2. Select the array, then press Ctrl+W.
In the power management console, enter these details:
OptionDescription

Power Management

When enabled, switches the array to low power state, when the array/drive is inactive.

Slow Down Drive After

The duration of inactive state of the array/drive after which it is slowed down to low power
mode. This is an optional setting.
Note: The disk drive should support low power mode.

Power Off Drive After

The duration of inactive state of the array/drive after which it is powered off. This is an optional setting.
Note: Power Off Drive After duration should be greater than Slow Down
Drive After Duration.

Verify Drive After

C.2.2.3

The regular time interval at which the system performs a health check of the array/drive.

Modifying Cache Settings
You can modify the read and write cache settings for an array. You can also modify the maxCache settings.
maxCache uses the compatible Solid State Drives (SSDs) in your system as fast cache memory to improve
performance for both read and write operations in I/O-intensive applications with mixed workloads.
Note: maxCache SSD Caching is supported on Series Q controllers only.
To modify the cache settings for an array:
1. Select Manage Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
2. Select the array, then press Ctrl+C.
The Modify Cache Settings window opens.

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3. Enable or disable read caching.
4. Press Tab.
5. Enable or disable write caching:• Select Enable always for “write-back” caching• Select Enable with Backup Unit if your controller has a zero-maintenance cache protection module• Select Disable for “write-through” caching
6. Press Tab.
7. Select the maxCache Read Cache setting (Enable/Disable).
8. Select the maxCache Write Cache setting (Enable/Disable).
9. Press Enter to accept the values.

C.2.3

Initializing Disk Drives
If a disk drive appears grayed-out (unavailable for use in a new array), it may need to be initialized.
To begin initializing a disk drive, select Initialize Drives from the Logical Device Configuration menu. You
can initialize one drive or multiple drives. If an error occurs during initialization, the message “Initializing
drives...FAILED x of n” is displayed. Press Enter to see a list of drives that failed to initialize. Press Esc tocontinue.
Caution: Do not initialize a disk drive that is part of an array. Initializing a disk drive that's
part of an array may make the array unusable. Back up all data from your disk drive before
you initialize it.

C.2.4

Rescanning Disk Drives
To begin rescanning a disk drive, select Rescan Drives from the Logical Device Configuration menu.

C.2.5

Secure Erasing Disk Drives
When you perform a secure erase on a disk drive, all data on that disk drive is completely and irretrievably
eradicated. Secure erase performs three distinct writing passes to the disk drive being erased—it does notjust write zeros.
Performing a secure erase takes up to six times longer than clearing (or zeroing) a disk drive; on a 2TB or
3TB drive, often it takes hours, possibly as long as a day! You may want to perform a secure erase only on
disk drives that contain confidential or classified information.
Note: To erase (or zero) a disk drive with non-classified information, you may choose toformat it (see Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives) instead, or initialize it using maxView
Storage Manager—both options take much less time than the secure erase option.
To begin a secure erase, select Secure Erase from the Logical Device Configuration menu, then select Y(yes). To return to the main Logical Device Configuration menu once the secure erase has begun, press Esc.
Note: For newer SATA drives, you can choose to perform a Secure ATA Erase, which
implements the secure erase feature at the drive firmware level. To start a Secure ATA
Erase, select a SATA drive, then type Ctrl-S to open the Secure ATA Erase dialog. You
will see this dialog only if the drive supports Secure ATA Erase.
The selected disk drive(s) cannot be used until the erase is complete.

C.2.5.1

Stopping a Secure Erase
To stop a secure erase in progress:
1. In the Logical Device Configuration menu, select Secure Erase.

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2. Select the disk drive being secure erased, then press Ctrl+Q.
The secure erase stops and you return to the main Logical Device Configuration menu.

C.2.6

Uninitializing Disk Drives
Uninitializes one or more physical drives. This option clears metadata and reserved space and any OSpartitions from a drive; any existing data on the drive is destroyed. Drives can uninitialized only if they are
not part of any array.
Note: Uninitialized drives are surfaced to the OS as RAW Pass Through Devices. Typically,
they are used with the controller in HBA mode. Uninitialized drives are also compatible
with any HBA and can be exchanged with drives on the motherboard's SATA interface.
For more information about uninitialized devices and controller modes, see General
Controller Settings on page 61.
To begin uninitializing a disk drive, select Uninitialize Drives from the Logical Device Configuration menu,
then type Y to continue.

C.2.7

Managing Global Hot Spares
A hot spare is a disk drive that automatically replaces any failed drive in a logical drive. A global hot spare
is not assigned to a specific logical drive. It protects any logical drive on the controller (except RAID 0 logicaldrives). You can create and delete global hot spares even if no arrays exist.
To create and delete global hot spares:
1. Select Global Hotspares from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
The Global Hotspare Management window opens.
2. Using the arrow keys, select a drive from the list. Existing hot spares are highlighted.
3. Press Ins to create a new global hot spare. Press Del to delete a hot spare.
4. Press Enter to save your changes and return to the main menu.

C.3

Using the ARC Utility to Modify Controller Settings
The ARC Controller Settings tool allows you to modify the settings of your controller and the disk drives
connected to it.

C.3.1

Opening the Controller Settings Tool
To open the ARC Controller Settings tool, start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility on page 56),
select Controller Settings from the ARC main menu, then press Enter.
Follow the on-screen instructions to modify the settings of your controller and connected disk drives, as
needed.

C.3.2

Applying Changes and Exiting
1. To exit the Controller Settings tool, press Esc until you are prompted to exit.
If you modified any settings, you are prompted to save the changes before you exit.
2. Select Yes to exit, then press any key to restart your computer.
Any changes you made take effect after the computer restarts.

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C.3.3

Modifying Your Controller’s Configuration
Note: Default controller settings are suitable for most computers. We recommend thatyou do not change the default setting.
To modify your controller's basic settings, select Controller Configuration from the main Controller Settingsmenu.
To modify your controller's power management settings, select Advanced Configuration.
Some options may not be available for your controller.

C.3.3.1

General Controller Settings
Note: Default settings are shown in bold type.
OptionDescription

Drive's Write Cache

When set to Enable All, write cache is enabled on all disk drives on the controller. (Enabling
the write cache overrides any individual drive settings in maxView Storage Manager or the
BIOS.) When set to Disable All, write cache is not used on the disk drives. When set to Drive
Specific, write cache is enabled/disabled on a per-drive basis. Default is Drive Specific.
Caution: When write cache is enabled, there is a slight possibility ofdata loss or corruption during a power failure.

Runtime BIOS

When enabled, the controller BIOS allows the controller to act as a bootable device. Disabling
the BIOS allows another controller to act as a bootable device.

Automatic Failover

When enabled, the controller automatically rebuilds an array when a failed disk drive is replaced. When disabled, the array must be rebuilt manually.

Array Background Consistency Check

When enabled, the controller constantly verifies a redundant array. Note that there may be
a significant performance reduction. Default is disabled.

Device-based BBS Support

When enabled in systems that support BBS, the controller presents attached bootable devices
up to the BIOS for boot device selection. This is relevant for logical arrays. Default is disabled.

SATA Native Command Queuing(NCQ)

When enabled, NCQ is enabled. Only available with SATA II disk drives.

Physical Drives Display During POST

When enabled, connected disk drives are displayed during system Power On Self Test (POST). Displaying the disk drives adds a few seconds to the overall POST time. Default is disabled.

DVD/CD-ROM Boot Support

When enabled, the system can be booted from a bootable DVD/CD. (This setting is notavailable on all models.)

Removable Media Devices Boot
SupportWhen enabled, removable media devices, such as CD drives, are supported. (This setting is
not available on all models.)

Alarm Control

When enabled, the alarm sounds. Default is enabled.
Note: When the alarm is turned off (disabled), it will remain off after areboot.

Default Background Task Priority

Sets the default priority for background tasks on the controller (such as logical drive creation)
to High, Medium, or Low. Default is High.
Note: This setting applies to new tasks. It does not affect currently
running tasks.

Backplane Mode

Series 8 Controllers:

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OptionDescription
When set to Default, controller automatically sets the backplane mode to IBPI. To set the
backplane mode explicitly, select IBPI, SGPIO, or Disabled. Default is IBPI.
Note: With the default IBPI setting, the firmware sends a SGPIO "Backplane_TYPE" signal if it recognizes that a SGPIO Backplane is connected.
If any connected SGPIO backplane does not support the "Backplane_TYPE" signal, or it does not support the IBPI protocol, you can manually
set the Backplane Mode to "SGPIO".

Table 1 • IBPI LED Blink Pattern
Interpretation

2 LEDs per Slot

3 LEDs per Slot

Activity LED

Status LED

Activity LED

Locate LED

Fail LED

Drive notpresent

Off

X

Off

X

X

Drive
present, noactivity

On

X

On

X

X

Drive
4 Hz (Blink)present, activity

X

4 Hz (Blink)

X

X

Locate (Identi- 4 Hz (Blink)fy)

4 Hz (Blink)

X

4 Hz (Blink)

Off

Fail

X

On

X

Off

On

Rebuild

X

1 Hz (Blink)

X

Off

1 Hz (Blink)

Table 2 • SGPIO LED Blink Pattern
Interpretation

Activity LED

Locate LED

Fail LED

ActivityOn

X

X

No activity

Off

X

X

Locate (Identify)

X

On

Off

Fail

X

Off

On

Rebuild

X

On

On

Selectable Performance Mode

When set to Dynamic, performance criteria adjusts automatically based on controller usage,
RAID level, and disk drive type. When set to OLTP/Db, performance criteria is optimized fortransaction-oriented applications, such as data entry and retrieval. When set to Big Block Bypass, DRAM write cache is bypassed based on IO write size; performance criteria is optimized
for serving Web pages, file serving, and data retrieval. When set to User Defined, you areprompted to use the OS tools to set individual parameters (contact support for more information). Default is Dynamic.

Controller Mode•••

When set to RAID: Expose RAW mode, all RAID functions of the controller are enabled.
Attached drives without metadata are surfaced to the host operating system as RAW Pass
Through devices (similar to JBODs on legacy Adaptec controllers).
When set to RAID: Hide RAW mode, all RAID functions of the controller are enabled, but
RAW devices are not exposed to the operating system.
When set to HBA Mode, attached drives are surfaced as RAW devices. The intent of thismode is to allow the RAID controller to act and be used as an HBA. Changing into HBA
mode is allowed only if there are no drives with metadata attached to the controller,

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OptionDescription••

including hot spare drives (see Uninitializing Disk Drives on page 60 for more information).
Uninitialized drives are compatible with any HBA and can be exchanged with drives on
the motherboard's SATA interface.
When set to Auto Volume Mode, attached drives without metadata, but with an OSpartition, are surfaced to the host operating system as RAW devices, where the RAID
layer of the controller firmware is bypassed when the host issues commands to the device.
Attached drives without meta-data and without OS partitions, are automatically configured as Simple Volumes (single drives with meta-data). In Auto Volume Mode, you cancreate up to a maximum of 128 Simple Volumes; no other RAID types are supported. Auto
Volume Mode enables DRAM caching on rotating media to help reduce latency and accelerate performance.
When set to Simple Volume mode, you can create Simple Volumes only (up to a maximumof 128 volumes); no other RAID types are supported.
Note: Before you can change into Auto Volume mode or Simple Volume mode, you must delete existing RAID arrays, maxCache Devices,and hot spares drives (if any).

Default is RAID: Expose RAW mode.
Max Link Speed (uEFI only)

C.3.3.2

Sets the maximum connection speed for SAS devices to 6 Gb/s or 12 Gb/s. Default is takenfrom firmware.

Power Management Settings
Note: Default settings are shown in bold type.
OptionDescription

Power Management Settings

When enabled, switches the system to low power state, based on the specified settings.

Time Zone

The time zone of the place in which the system is located. Time specific power management
settings are implemented based on the set time zone. By default, it is set to 00:00.
The valid range for the time zone settings is -12:00 to +12:00.

Stay Awake Start

The time from which the system should operate in the full power mode, irrespective of otherpower management settings, daily. By default it is set to 00:00.
The valid range is 00:00 to 23:59.

Stay Awake End

The time until which the system should operate in the full power mode, irrespective of otherpower management settings, daily. By default it is set to 00:00.
The valid range is 00:00 to 23:59.

C.3.3.3

Spin Up Limit (Internal)

The number of internal drives to be spun up at wakeup. By default it is set to 0. In the default
setting, all the internal drives will spin up.

Spin Up Limit (External)

The number of external drives to be spun up at wakeup. By default it is set to 0. In the default
setting, all the external drives will spin up.

Preserving the Controller Cache
Note: This option is available in the uEFI interface only.
Follow the on-screen instructions to toggle the controller's cache preservation policy; clear the preserved
cache for one or more logical drives; and check the controller cache preservation state.

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C.3.3.3.1

Enabling and Disabling Controller Cache Preservation
This option toggles the controller cache preservation state. With cache preservation enabled, the systempreserves the controller's DDR cache to prevent data loss in the event of (1) a power failure or unsafe
shutdown of external enclosures while the host system, with the controller, still has power; and (2)connectivity problems with drives.
"Dirty pages" (data that have not been committed to disk) are restored to the cache when power is restored
and the logical drives on the controller are back online. Once the preserved cache is restored, the controller
flushes the data to disk using its normal scheduling mechanism.
Note: You cannot enable maxCache read and/or write caching on a controller with cachepreservation enabled. In addition, the following operations are not permitted on acontroller in the cache preserved state:• Creating a logical drive• Changing the Performance mode
• Running a consistency check• Changing the RAID Level of a logical drive• Forcing a logical drive online or offline• Changing the cache page size
To enable controller cache preservation:
1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Scan for controllers, then select the controller you want.
3. Select Controller Settings.
4. Select Controller Configuration, then select Cache Preservation.
5. Select Enabled.

C.3.3.3.2

Clearing the Controller Cache
You can clear the preserved dirty cache (data not committed to disk) for a specific logical drive or for all
logical drives on the controller if you expect a failed enclosure or logical drive to remain offline.
To clear the cache for all logical drives on the controller:
1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Scan for controllers, then select the controller you want.
3. Select Controller Settings.
4. Select Clear Cache Preserved on Controller.
To clear the cache for a specific logical drive:
1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Scan for controllers, then select the controller you want.
3. Select Logical Device Configuration, then select a logical drive.
4. Select Clear Cache Preserved.

C.3.3.3.3

Checking the Cache Preservation Status
To check the controller's cache preservation status, select Controller State from the Controller Settings,
Advanced Configuration menu. With cache preservation enabled, the controller enters the Cache Preserved
state; otherwise, it remains in the Optimal state.

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C.3.4

Checking Backup Unit Status
To check the status of the controller's flash backup unit, select Backup Unit Status from the Controller
Settings menu. Table 1 on page 65 describes the backup unit states. This option is available only if thecontroller is configured with a flash backup unit.
Table 3 • Backup Unit Status

C.4

StatusMeaning

Not Present, Not Ready

Supercapacitor not present, suffered a fatal error, or backup unit
temperature exceeded allowed maximum.

Preparing

Backup unit preparing the NAND flash for backup. The supercapacitor can take up to 10 minutes to charge to 100% from zerocharge and report Ready status.

Ready

Backup unit is ready to be enabled if NAND is prepared and supercapacitor is charged.

Invalid, Not Supported

Green backup feature not enabled in firmware.

Failed, Fatal

Firmware could not retrieve backup unit information or configuration due to hardware issues, over-voltage, etc.

Health Normal/Low/DeadIndicates overall energy holding ability of the supercapacitor. Deadstatus means that supercapacitor should be replaced.

Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives
You can use the ARC Disk Utilities tool to low-level format or verify your disk drives. (New disk drives are
low-level formatted at the factory and do not need to be low-level formatted again.)
Caution: Before you format a disk drive, back up all data. Formatting destroys all dataon a disk drive.
To format or verify a disk drive:
1. Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
3. Select Disk Utilities.
4. Select the disk drive you want, then press Enter.
5. Select Format Disk or Verify Disk Media.

C.5

Locating Disk Drives
You can use the Identify Drive feature to physically locate a disk drive by blinking the LED.
Note: This feature is only available with disk drives that have an activity LED.
To locate a disk drive:
1. Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
3. Select Disk Utilities.
4. Select the disk drive you want, then press Enter.
5. Select Identify Drive, then press Enter.

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6. When you have finished locating your disk drive, press any key to stop the blinking.

C.6

Identifying Disk Drives
You can identify disk drives by viewing the list of disk drives on your system. Only physical drives that display
during POST are shown.
To identify a disk drive:
1. Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
3. Select Disk Utilities.
The Disk Utilities view provides you with the following information:
Location

Model

Rev#

Speed

Size

CN1=DEV1

The manufacturer information.

The revision numberof the disk drive.

The speed of the disk
drive.

The size of the disk
drive.

Box0=Slot0
Exp0=phy0

The location information of a disk drive is determined by three types of connections:• Direct attached drives—The connection is determined by the cable connected to a device, forexample CN1 (connector 1) is connected to DEV1 (device 1). For more information, see Direct-attach
Connections.
• Storage Enclosure Processor (SEP) managed devices—The connection is determined by an active
backplane. Box0 (enclosure 0) is connected to slot0 (disk drive slot 0 in the enclosure). For more
information, see Backplane Connections.
• Expanders—The connections is determined by an expander. Exp0 (expander 0) is connected tophy0 (phy 0 within a connector). For more information, see SAS Expander Connections.
Note: Devices other than disk drives (CDROM, tape drives, etc...) are listed in order
after your system disk drives.

C.7

Setting the Drive Write-Cache Policy
If the global write cache policy is set to "Drive Specific" (see General Controller Settings on page 61), you
can set the write-cache policy for individual disk drives on the controller. (If the global write-cache policy
is set to Enable All or Disable All, this option is grayed out.)
To set the drive-specific write-cache policy:
1. Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
3. Select Disk Utilities.
4. Select the disk drive you want, then press Enter.
5. Select Write Cache, then choose the policy for the drive: Write-Back (Enable) or Write-Through (Disable).
6. Select Submit.

C.8

Updating the Controller Firmware
Note: This option is available in the uEFI interface only.
Use this option to flash the controller's firmware.

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To update the controller firmware:
1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 56).
2. Select Administration, then select FW update from Media.
3. Select the device you want to flash, then press Enter.
4. Browse the folder hierarchy, select the firmware update (.UFI) file, then press Enter.
5. Select Update Firmware.
The firmware is sent to the controller and the system verifies the operation to ensure that it was
successful.
6. When the verification is complete, press Enter to reboot the server.

C.9

Updating the Controller CPLD
Note: This option is available in the uEFI interface only.
Use this option to update the controller CPLD. (The CPLD includes reset logic, determines board type andfeature set, and also provides cable management functions.) You should update the CPLD if the version
running on the controller is lower than the version in flash.
Note: CPLD Update is for advanced users only. It is typically used in manufacturing by an
OEM/ODM/System Integrator when building a new machine. For more information,
contact Support.
To update the controller CPLD:
1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 56).
2. Select Administration, then select CPLD Information.
The system displays the current (running) version of the CPLD and the version available in flash.
3. If the version in flash is newer than the running version, select Update CPLD.
4. When prompted, restart the computer.

C.10

Creating a Support Archive
Note: This option is available in the uEFI interface only.
Use this option to save configuration and status information to help Customer Support diagnose a problem
with your system. Saved information includes (but is not limited to) device logs, drive logs, event logs, error
logs, controller logs, and statistics.
To create a support archive:
1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 56).
2. Select Administration, then select Save Support Archive.
3. Select the device where the support archive information will be gathered and stored, then press Enter.
The system gathers the logs and statistics for the device and displays the path where the information
is saved.
4. Press any key to complete the operation and exit.

C.11

Viewing the Event Log
The BIOS-based event log records all firmware events, such as configuration changes, array creation, andboot activity.

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Some events are not stored indefinitely—the event log is cleared of any non-persistent events each time
you restart your computer; additionally, once the log is full, new events overwrite old events.
To view the event log:
1. Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility).
2. Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
3. When the ARC utility menu appears, press Ctrl+P.
4. Select Controller Log Information, then press Enter.
The current event log opens.

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D

Using the Adaptec Flash Utility
This chapter describes how to use the Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU), a text-based DOS utility that you can use
to update, save, or verify the RAID controller's firmware.
Caution: Although the AFU contains safeguards to prevent you from accidentally damaging
your RAID controller's flash contents, it is still important to use the AFU carefully andcorrectly to avoid rendering your RAID controller inoperable. We recommend that only
advanced users familiar with working in DOS use the AFU. For more information, seeManaging Your Storage Space.

D.1

System Requirements• DOS version 5.0 or later.
Note: You can’t run the AFU from a DOS command prompt window under any version
of Windows.
• At least 8 MB of extended memory.

D.1.1

Compatibility Notes• Supports HIMEM.SYS; compatible with other DOS drivers running under HIMEM.SYS (for example,
SMARTDRV.SYS and SETVER.SYS).
• Does not support DOS extenders installed in memory, such as EMM386.SYS and DOS4GW.

D.2

Before You Begin
1. Obtain the firmware (see the following section).
2. Create firmware disk (see Creating the Firmware Update Disk).
There are two ways to run the AFU:
1. Using the AFU menus (see Running the Menu-based AFU)
2. From the command line (see Running the AFU from the Command Line)

D.2.1

Obtaining the Firmware
To obtain RAID controller firmware, you can:
• Download a new firmware file from the Web to get the most recent version of firmware/BIOS and the
AFU executable (AFU.exe). The flash image comprises a single User Flash Image (UFI) file.
Visit www.adaptec.com for more information.

D.2.2

Creating the Firmware Update Disk
To create the firmware update disks:
1. Copy these files to a USB flash drive or writable CD:• AFU.exe• Axxxx01.ufi
where xxx is the model number of your controller.
Note: Most controller model numbers have a suffix. Check that the .ufi file is thecorrect file for your controller before copying.

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2. To use a menu-based AFU, see the following section.
To run the AFU from the command line, see Running the AFU from the Command Line.

D.3

Running the Menu-based AFU
To run the menu-based AFU:
1. Shut down your operating system and reboot to DOS from from a DOS partition on a bootable drive.
(You can use a disk drive connected to the controller you are updating.) If your computer isn't set up
to boot from a bootable device other than a disk drive, enter the system setup utility to change thesetting.
2. Insert the firmware update disk (created using the steps above) containing AFU.exe
3. At the DOS command prompt, type AFU with no arguments.
The AFU's main menu is displayed.
4. Select Select Controllers, then select the RAID controller(s) to be flashed.
To update multiple RAID controllers in the same system, update the boot controller's flash first, restart
the computer, then update the flash for the remaining controllers.
5. Select Select an Operation.
6. Choose the operation you want, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the task:• Update flash image—Updates all the flash components on a RAID controller with the flash image
data from the UFI file.
• Save flash image—Reads the contents of a RAID controller's flash components and saves the data
to a UFI file, which you can use to restore a RAID controller's flash if required.
• Verify flash image—Reads the contents of a RAID controller's flash components and compares itto the contents of the specified UFI file.
• Display flash information—Displays version information about a RAID controller's flash components.
7. Complete the flash operation and restart your computer before trying to use the RAID controller again.
(You can not use your RAID controller while you are updating its flash.)
The AFU processes the selected command and reports either success or an error message code.

D.4

Running the AFU from the Command Line
Note: You can also run a menu-based AFU (see Running the Menu-based AFU).
To run the AFU from the command line:
1. Shut down your operating system and reboot to DOS from a DOS partition on a bootable drive. (Youcan use a disk connected to the controller you're updating.) If your computer isn't set up to boot froma bootable device other than a disk drive, enter the system setup utility to change the setting.
2. Insert the firmware update disk containing AFU.exe.
3. At the DOS command, type AFU followed by a command (see AFU CommandsThis section lists theavailable AFU commands.) and any switches you want.
Note: To find a controller number, type AFU LIST, then press Enter.
The AFU processes the command and reports either success or an error message code.
To update a RAID controller's flash using the command line utility ARCCONF, see Updating the Flash using
the AFU Command Line.

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Using the Adaptec Flash Utility

D.4.1

AFU Commands
This section lists the available AFU commands.

D.4.1.1

List
Displays the AFU-supported RAID controllers installed on your computer. Also displays the ID numbers
assigned to each controller.
You don’t have to restart the computer after completing this command.
This example shows a typical system response to a LIST command:
A:\> AFU LIST
Adaptec Flash Utility V4.0-0 B5749 (c)Adaptec Inc. 1999–2005. All
Rights Reserved.
Controllers Detected and Recognized:
Controller #0 (03:05:00) Adaptec RAID 51645

D.4.1.2

Save
Saves the contents of a RAID controller's flash in a UFI file. The name of the UFI file is based on the controller
type and can't be changed.
You must restart the computer following a SAVE command.
The command syntax for the SAVE command is:
AFU SAVE [/C<Controller ID>] [/D <UFI File Path>]

These switches are available:• /C <Controller ID>—One or more RAID controller IDs representing the set of RAID controllers on whichto perform the specified command. The default is 0; if the computer has multiple RAID controllers, theAFU defaults to controller 0 unless you specify otherwise.
For example:
To specify a single RAID controller ID: /C 0
To specify multiple IDs separated by commas: /C 0,2
To indicate all RAID controllers:ALL
If you are using multiple RAID controllers, you must specify the controller you want by using the /C
switch; otherwise, the AFU displays an error message and exits.
• /D <UFI File Path>—Specifies the path where the UFI files are located. If you do not specify the /D
switch, the AFU looks for (or creates) its UFI files in the default location.
You cannot specify the name of a UFI file, only its path. UFI filenames are predefined, based on the
RAID controller type.
In this example, the AFU saves flash contents from RAID controller 0 to a UFI file in the current default
drive and directory:
A:\> AFU SAVE /C 0

In this example, the AFU saves flash contents from Controller 1 to a UFI file in C:\UFI_FILES:
A:\> AFU SAVE /C 1 /D C:\UFI_FILES

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D.4.1.3

UpdateUpdates the flash components of one or more RAID controllers on your computer from the flash image
data in a UFI file. You must restart the computer following an UPDATE command.
The command syntax for the UPDATE command is:
AFU UPDATE [/C<Controller ID>] [/D <UFI File Path>]

This example shows a typical system response after an update.
A:\> AFU UPDATE /C 0
Adaptec Flash Utility V4.0-0 B5749(c)Adaptec Inc. 1999–2005. All Rights Reserved.
Updating Controller 0 (Adaptec RAID 31205)
Reading flash image file (Build 5749)
AFU is about to update firmware on controllers Adaptec RAID 51645***PLEASE DO NOT REBOOT THE SYSTEM DURING THE UPDATE***
This might take a few minutes.
Writing Adaptec RAID 51645 (4MB) Flash Image to controller 0...OK.
Verifying...OK
Please restart the computer to allow firmware changes to take effect.

D.4.1.4

VerifyCompares the contents of each of the flash components on a RAID controller to the corresponding image
in a UFI file, and indicates whether they match. After using the VERIFY command, you must restart thecomputer.
The command syntax for the VERIFY command is as follows:
AFU VERIFY [/C<Controller ID>] [/D <UFI File Path>]

This example shows a typical system response after a VERIFY command.
A:\> AFU VERIFY /C 0
Adaptec Flash Utility V4.0-0 B5749 (c)Adaptec Inc. 1999–2005. All
Rights Reserved.
Reading flash image file (Build 5748) Controller #0: Adaptec RAID
51645
ROM: Checksum: 797B [VALID] (Build 5748)
File: Checksum: 797B [VALID] (Build 5748)
Image Compares Correctly

D.4.1.5

Version
Displays version information about the flash components on a RAID controller. After using the VERSION
command, restart your computer.
The command syntax for the VERSION command is:
AFU VERSION [/C<Controller ID>]

This example displays version information about all supported RAID controllers.
A:\> AFU VERSION /C 0
Adaptec Flash Utility V4.0-0 B5749 (c)Adaptec Inc. 1999–2005.
All Rights Reserved.
Version Information for Controller #0 (Adaptec RAID 51645)
ROM: Build 5748 [VALID] Fri Sep 27 13:28:40 EDT 2005
A:\> AFU VERSION /C ALL

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D.4.1.6

Help
Displays a summary of AFU functions and command switches.
For example:
A:\> AFU HELP

A:\> AFU /?

D.5

Updating the Flash Using the AFU Command Line
1. Create the firmware update disk (see Creating the Firmware Update Disk).
2. Shut down your operating system and reboot to DOS from a DOS partition on a bootable drive. (Youcan use a disk connected to the controller you're updating.) If your computer isn't set up to boot froma bootable device other than a disk drive, enter the system setup utility to change the setting.
3. Insert the firmware update disk containing AFU.exe
4. At the DOS command, if you have multiple controllers and you don't know the number of the controller
you want to update, type AFU LIST, then press Enter. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
5. At the DOS command, type AFU followed by a command (see AFU CommandsThis section lists theavailable AFU commands.) and any switches you want.
6. Update the flash using the instructions suitable for your requirements:• To update a single RAID controller:
AFU UPDATE /C <cont_number>

Where <cont_number> is the number of the RAID controller whose firmware you are updating. For
example, to upgrade Controller 0, type AFU UPDATE /C 0
• To update multiple RAID controllers:
AFU UPDATE /C <cont_number_a>,<cont_number_b>

Where <controller_number_a> and <controller_number_b> are the numbers of the RAID controllers
whose firmware you are updating. For example, to upgrade controllers 0, 2, and 3, type AFU
UPDATE /C 0, 2, 3

• To update all RAID controllers simultaneously:
AFU UPDATE /C all

Note: The UFI file identifies the RAID controllers, so you don't have to worry
about flashing the wrong controller.
7. When prompted, insert the firmware disk.
The AFU processes the command and reports either success or an error message code.

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Safety Information

E

Safety Information
To ensure your personal safety and the safety of your equipment:• Keep your work area and the computer clean and clear of debris.
• Before opening the system cabinet, unplug the power cord.

E.1

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Caution: ESD can damage electronic components when they are improperly handled,and can result in total or intermittent failures. Always follow ESD-prevention procedures
when removing and replacing components.
To prevent ESD damage:• Use an ESD wrist or ankle strap and ensure that it makes skin contact. Connect the equipment end of
the strap to an unpainted metal surface on the chassis.
• Avoid touching the controller against your clothing. The wrist strap protects components from ESD on
the body only.
• Handle the controller by its bracket or edges only. Avoid touching the printed circuit board or theconnectors.
• Put the controller down only on an antistatic surface such as the bag supplied in your kit.
• If you are returning the controller to Product Support, put it back in its anti-static bag immediately.
If a wrist strap is not available, ground yourself by touching the metal chassis before handling the controller
or any other part of the computer.

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Technical Specifications

F

Technical Specifications

F.1

Environmental Specifications
Note: s require adequate airflow to operate reliably. The recommended airflow is 200
LFM (linear feet per minute), minimum. Forced airflow is required.
Ambient temperature with forced airflow

0 °C to 55 °C

Ambient temperature with Flash Backup Unit

0 °C to 55 °C

Relative humidity

10% to 90%, non-condensing

Altitude

Up to 3,000 meters

Note: Ambient temperature is measured 1 inch from the processor.

F.2

F.3

F.4

DC Power Requirements
Bus Type

Description

Requirements

PCIe

Ripple and noise

50 mV peak-to-peak (max.)

PCIe

DC voltage

3.3 V ± 9%, 12 V ± 8%

Current Requirements
Controller Model

Typical Current

RAID 8405/8405E

0.1 A at 3.3 VDC; 1.2 A at 12.0 VDC

RAID 8805/8805E

0.1 A at 3.3 VDC; 1.2 A at 12.0 VDC

RAID 8885/8885Q

0.1 A at 3.3 VDC; 1.2 A at 12.0 VDC

RAID 81605Z/81605ZQ

1.0 A at 3.3 VDC; 1.1 A at 12.0 VDCSupercapacitor RatingsSpecification

Flash Backup Module AFM-700

Maximum voltage

5.4 V

Minimum voltage

2.5 V

Maximum rated charge current

0.5 A

Maximum rated discharge current

0.5 A

Charge rate

1C

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Technical Specifications

Specification

Flash Backup Module AFM-700

Discharge rate

1C

Operating temperature

0 °C to 55 °C

Storage temperature–20 °C to 70 °C

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IndexIndex
AC

Adaptec Flash Utility , See AFU
Adaptec RAID Configuration utility 38
Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration utility , See
ARCCONF
adapters , See controllers
advanced data protection vii, 4
AFU 39Alarm Control setting 61
ARC vii, ix, 23, 57–61, 65
checking flash backup unit ix, 65
creating arrays vii, ix, 23, 57
creating bootable arrays 58
HII interface vii, 23
initializing disk drives ix, 59
managing arrays ix, 57
modifying controller settings ix, 61
opening Controller Settings tool ix, 60
rescanning disk drives ix, 59
secure erasing disk drives ix, 59
stopping a secure erase 59
uninitializing disk drives ix, 60
ARC Controller Settings ix, 60
applying changes ix, 60
exiting ix, 60
ARCCONF 4, 38
Array Background Consistency Check setting 61, 63
array migration 4
arrays vii–ix, 23, 25–26, 48–54, 57–58
creating (ARC) vii, ix, 23, 57
creating (maxView Storage Manager) 25
creating bootable arrays 58
making an array bootable viii, 26
managing with ARC ix, 57
non-redundant ix, 48
RAID 1 ix, 49
RAID 10 ix, 50
RAID 1E ix, 49
RAID 5 ix, 51
RAID 50 ix, 53
RAID 5EE ix, 52
RAID 6 ix, 54
RAID 60 ix, 54
arrays (bootable) vii, 23, 26
audible alarm viii, 40
automatic failover 4
Automatic Failover setting 61

cards , See controllers
CD-ROM Boot Support setting 61
checking cache preservation status 64
checking flash backup unit ix, 65
command line interface (flash utility) ix, 70
command line utility 38
concept viii, 38–39
connectors 45, 66
contents of controller kit vii, 3Controller Cache Preservation 64
clearubg 64
enabling 64
controller modes 62
controllers vii–x, 4–5, 11–12, 14, 16, 20, 22–23, 40, 42,
60–61, 63, 67, 69, 75–76
Alarm Control setting 61
Array Background Consistency Check setting 61, 63
array-level features vii, 4Automatic Failover setting 61
CD-ROM Boot Support setting 61
connecting disk drives vii, 20
connecting external devices vii, 22data protection vii, 4descriptions
Device-based BBS Support setting 61
disk drives vii, 12
Drive's Write Cache setting 61
event log ix, 67
figuresfirmware ix, 69
flashing viii, 42
installation options vii, 14
installing vii, 16
modifying general settings 61
modifying settings with ARC ix, 60
Physical Drives Display During POST setting 61
RAID levels vii, 12
Removable Media Devices Boot Support setting 61
resetting viii, 42
Runtime BIOS setting 61
SAS cables vii, 12
setting boot controller vii, 23
specifications x, 75–76
standard features vii, 4
troubleshooting 40
updating firmware ix, 69
upgrading firmware vii, 5

B
backplane connections vii, ix, 20, 46
batteryless backup vii, 16–17
boards , See controllers
boot controller vii, 23
bootable arrays vii–viii, 23, 26, 58
creating vii, 23, 26, 58

D
Device-based BBS Support setting 61
direct-attach connections vii, ix, 20, 45
disk drives vii–ix, 4, 12, 20, 22, 40–42, 45, 59–60, 65–66
connecting to controllers vii, 20
connections 66

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external vii, 22
failure recovery viii, 41–42
multiple arrays viii, 41
multiple disk drives viii, 42
RAID 0 arrays viii, 41
with hot spare viii, 41
without hot spare viii, 41
formatting ix, 65
identifying ix, 66
initializing ix, 59
recovering from failure viii, 40
rescanning ix, 59
SAS identifiers viii, 45
secure erasing ix, 59
stopping a secure erase 59
solid state 4, 12, 20
types of connections 66
uninitializing ix, 60
verifying ix, 65
drive requirements 12
Drive's Write Cache setting 61
driver and operating system installation viii, 27, 31
driver disk viii, 27
driver installation
drivers viii, 28, 30–32
installing on Windows viii, 32
installing with Linux viii, 28
installing with VMware viii, 30
installing with Windows viii, 28
installing with XenServer viii, 31

HBA mode ix, 60
HDA mode 42
HDA mode jumper 42
HII interface ix, 56
hot spares 4
Human Interaction Infrastructure Interface (HII) ix, 56
hybrid RAID 4, 20

I
initializing disk drives ix, 59
installation vii–viii, 14–16, 20, 22, 27–28, 30–32, 35
backplane vii, 20
controllers vii, 16
creating a driver disk viii, 27
direct-attach vii, 20
disk drives vii, 20
driverdriver and Linux viii, 28
driver and operating system viii, 27, 31
driver and VMware viii, 30
driver and Windows viii, 28
driver and XenServer viii, 31
existing operating system vii, 15
external devices vii, 22
installation options vii, 14
solid state drives
with operating system vii, 15K
kit contents vii, 3

Eelectrostatic discharge x, 74
end devices 43
event log ix, 67
expander connections ix, 46
expander devices 43
external devices vii, 22

F

LLinux viii, 28
OS installation viii, 28
low-profile bracket 3, 14
installing 14
low-profile computer cabinet 12

M

failed disk drives viii, 40–42
multiple arrays viii, 41
multiple disk drives viii, 42
RAID 0 arrays viii, 41
without hot spare viii, 41
firmware ix, 69
creating floppy disks ix, 69
firmware upgrades vii, 5
flashing controllers viii, 42
floppy disks for firmware update ix, 69
formatting disk drives ix, 65

H

maxCache cache settings 57
maxCache Solid State Drive vii–viii, 20, 42
failed viii, 42
installing
maxView Storage Manager 25, 38
creating arrays 25
installing 38
mini-SAS 20, 45
direct connection 20
overview 45
mirroring 12Nhard disk 1
hard disk drive 1
hard drive, See disk drive

NCQ 4
non-redundant arrays ix, 48

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online expansion 4
operating system installation viii, 27, 31
operating systems 3

Pparity 12
PHY link rate 63
phys viii, 44
Physical Drives Display During POST setting 61

R
RAID ix, 1, 4, 48–54
non-redundant arrays ix, 48
RAID 0 ix, 48
RAID 1 ix, 49
RAID 10 ix, 50
RAID 1E ix, 4, 49
RAID 5 ix, 51
RAID 50 ix, 53
RAID 5EE ix, 52
RAID 6 ix, 4, 54
RAID 60 ix, 4, 54
RAID controllers , See controllers
RAID levels vii, 12
recovering from disk drive failure viii, 40
Redundant Array of Independent Disks , See RAID
Removable Media Devices Boot Support setting 61
replacing failed disk drives viii, 40
requirements vii, 3, 12
drive 12
rescanning disk drives ix, 59
resetting controllers viii, 42
Runtime BIOS setting 61

Ssafety information x, 74
SAS vii–ix, 1, 12, 43–47
4-wide ports 44
backplane connections ix, 46
cables vii, 12
comparison to parallel SCSI ix, 47
connectors viii, 45
description viii, 43
direct-attach connections ix, 45
disk drives viii, 45
edge expanders 46
end devices 43
expander connections ix, 46
expander devices 43
fanout expanders 46
link speed 43
links viii, 43
narrow connectors 45
narrow ports 44
phys viii, 44

SAS (continued)
ports viii, 43–44
SAS address viii, 44
SAS cards 43
SAS devices 43
SAS domain 46
terminology viii, 43transceivers viii, 43
wide connectors 45
wide ports 44
SAS devices 43
SAS disk drive identifiers viii, 45
secure ATA erase ix, 59
secure erasing disk drives ix, 59
stopping a secure erase 59
Selectable Performance Mode 62
Serial Attached SCSI , See SAS
software 38
Solid State Drive (SSD) vii, 4, 12, 20
installing
specifications x, 75–76
storage management 38–39
Adaptec RAID Configuration utility 38
AFU 39ARCCONF 38
maxView Storage Manager 38
storage space 1
SuSE installation viii, 28
system requirements vii, 3Ttechnical specifications x, 75–76
terminology vii–viii, 1, 43
SAS viii, 43
tools 38–39
Adaptec RAID Configuration utility 38
AFU 39ARCCONF 38
maxView Storage Manager 38
topic viii, 38–39, 43, 47
troubleshooting tips viii, 40, 42

U
uEFI vii, ix, 23, 56
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (uEFI) vii, ix, 23,56
uninitializing disk drives ix, 60
updating firmware ix, 69
upgrading firmware vii, 5utilities 38–39
Adaptec RAID Controller utility 38
AFU 39ARCCONF 38

V
verifying disk drives ix, 65

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OS installation viii, 30

X
XenServer viii, 31
OS installation viii, 31

W
Windows viii, 28, 32
driver installation viii, 32
OS installation viii, 28

Zzero maintenance cache protection vii, 4, 16–17

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