SSD7110 Hybrid Connectivity M.2 + SAS/SATA Ports, All-in one RAID Controller. User Guide V1.01

Transcription

1 SSD7110 Hybrid Connectivity M.2 + SAS/SATA Ports, All-in one RAID Controller User Guide V1.01 1

2 Table of Contents System Requirements... 3 SSD7101A Hardware... 3 NVMe Drive Installation:... 4 Setting up the SSD7110 for a Windows operating system... 7 Using the HighPoint RAID Manager... 8 Starting the HighPoint RAID Manager... 8 Verify the Controller Status... 9 Manage the RAID Controller... 9 Creating an Array Adding Spare Disks Obtaining Logical Device Information Array Information &Maintenance Options: Normal Status Array Information & Maintenance Options: Critical Status Array Information & Maintenance Options: Disabled Status Expanding an Existing Array Physical Device Information Setting Tab System Settings Password Settings Changing your HRM password Recovering your HRM password Setting Recover Tab (Only for SSD7110 SAS Controller) How to Backup your Recover List How to Reload your Backup Recover List Event Tab Table 1. Event Log Icon Guide SHI (Storage Health Inspector) How to Enable SMART Monitoring How to Change the HDD Temperature Threshold How to Use the Health Inspector Scheduler How to Create a New Verify Task BIOS/Firmware Updates Using the HRM to update the BIOS/Firmware Section 7: Troubleshooting Handling Critical Arrays Rebuilding Stops Due to Bad Sectors Critical array becomes disabled when you removed faulty disk Handling Disabled Arrays Your PC hangs when the card is installed Help Table 1.HRM Icon Guide Table 2. RAID Level Reference Guide HighPoint Recommended List of Hard Drives Contacting Technical Support For any help and support, submit a support ticket online at

3 System Requirements PC Requirements System with an empty x16 PCIe 3.0 slot Windows 10 or later Linux Kernel 3.3 or later SSD7101A Hardware Front View 3

4 NVMe Drive Installation: Step 1. On the rear of the SSD7110, remove the six screws that secure the unit s front panel to the PCB. After removing the screws, carefully remove the front panel from the SSD7110. Step 2. These 3 screws are used to install the NVMe SSD s. 4

5 Step 3. The SSDs should be installed from top to bottom. Remove the top screw. Step 4. Gently insert the SSD into the slot. 5

6 Step 5. Refasten the screw to secure the SSD. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 to install the remaining SSDs. Step 6. Replace the front panel after installing all SSDs Step 7. On the rear of the SSD7110, refasten the 6 screws that were removed in step 1. SAS/SATA Drive Installation SSD7110 has four SFF-8643 Ports. Please connect the SAS/SATA drives via SFF-8643 to SAS/SATA cables. 6

7 Setting up the SSD7110 for a Windows operating system 1. Verifying Installation After booting Windows, open Device Manager, and expand Disk drives. The installed NVMe drive should be displayed: 2. Driver Installation 1) Download the Windows driver package from the HighPoint website: 2) Once downloaded, locate the folder you downloaded the driver to. Extract the driver package. There are two driver packages.exe file for the SSD7110. Please install the driver package one by one: 3) Double click.exe file to start the driver installation. 4) Follow the wizard and reboot system to complete the driver installation. 5) After rebooting, a RocketNVME RAID Controller and a SSD711X RAID Controller entry should be displayed under Storage Controllers: 7

8 3. Installing the HighPoint RAID Manager(HRM) The HighPoint RAID Manager is used to configure and monitor the SSD7110. Download the HighPoint RAID Manager software package from the HighPoint website: 1) Extract the package and double-click the setup.exe program to install the software. 2) After the installation, start HighPoint RAID Manager by double clicking the ICON on the desktop: Using the HighPoint RAID Manager Starting the HighPoint RAID Manager Double click the Desktop ICON to start the Web browser. It will automatically log-in to the HighPoint NVMe Manager using the default password. The password can be set after the first log-in. To change the password, select Setting>Security from the menu bar (see page 15 for more information). 8

9 Verify the Controller Status The Global Tab will display the overall status of the controller. The Virtual Disk is listed under Logic Device Information. The individual M.2 SSDs are listed under Physical Device Information. Manage the RAID Controller SSD7110 has both NVMe and SAS RAID controllers. You may switch between the controllers using the controller selection drop-down menu: 9

10 Creating an Array To create an array: 1. Log into HRM 2. Select the proper controller from the drop down on the top left 3. Click Logical 4. Click Create Array 10

11 Array Type: An array is a collection of physical disks that will be seen as one virtual drive by your Operating System (OS). The SSD7120 is capable of creating the following array types: JBOD Just a Bunch of Disks RAID 0 - Striping RAID 1 - Mirroring RAID 5 Rotating Parity bit RAID 1/0 (Same as RAID10) Striping of Mirrored Drives RAID 5/0 (Same as RAID50) Striping of Distributed Parity RAID 6 Double Parity Bit Note: RAID 1/0, RAID 5/0 and RAID 6 require 4 or more disk drives. The SSD7110 s SAS RAID controller can support these RAID levels. However, the NVMe controller cannot it can only support RAID 0, 1 and 5. 11

12 Each RAID level has its pros and cons based on the application you use it for (Note: Refer to RAID level Quick Reference) Array Name: the name that will be displayed in Logical Device Information (Default: RAID_<level>_<array number>) Initialization Method: Initialization of a disk sets all data bits to 0, essentially clearing all the data on the drive. It is important to initialize disks as previous data physically stored on the drive may interfere with new data. Keep Old Data: This option skips the initialization process and all data on each physical disk of the array will be untouched. Quick Init: This option grants immediate access to the RAID array by skipping the initialization process, but it will delete all data. Note: Skipping initialization is generally not recommended as residual data on disks may interfere with new data in the future. Foreground: The array initialization process will be set at high priority. During this time array is not accessible, but the initialization process will complete much faster. Background: The array initialization process will have a lower priority. During this time the array will be accessible, but the initialization process will take much longer to complete. Note1: Initializing takes a significant amount of time (approximately 2 hours per 1 TB when using hard drives). Background and Foreground Initialization Fully initializing the array will completely zero out the data on the disks, meaning the disk will be completely wiped and every bit on the disk will be set to 0. Foregoing initialization means the array will still be created, and you can still write new data onto the array. But when your array requires rebuilding, residual data left behind may interfere with the 12

13 process. Cache Policy (Default: Write Back) Write Back Any data written to the array will be stored as cache, resulting in better I/O performance at the risk of data failures due to power outages. Data will be stored as cache before it is physically written to the disk; when a power outage occurs, any data in the cache will be lost. Write Through Data written to an array is directly written onto the disk, meaning lower write performance for higher data availability. Without cache acting as a buffer, write performance will be noticeably slower but data loss due to power outages or other failures is significantly minimized. Block Size (default: 512K) [16K or 1024Kare the supported block sizes] Adjusting the block size towards your disk usage can result in some performance gain. In a typical RAID configuration, data of the virtual drive is striped (or spread across) the physical drives. Having a smaller array block size will increase the likelihood of accessing all physical drives when processing large I/O requests. Multiple physical drives working in parallel increases the throughput, meaning better performance. For smaller I/O requests (512 bytes to 4 kilobytes), it is better to have each individual disks handle their own I/O request, improving the IOPS (I/O per second), rather than having one tiny I/O request being handled by multiple disks. A block size of 64k is recommended because it strikes a balance between the two I/O usage scenarios. 13

14 Capacity (Default: Maximum) The total amount of space you want the RAID array to take up. When creating RAID levels, disk capacities are limited by the smallest disk. An example of how disk capacities are limited by smallest disk. You have 3 drives connected to the enclosure. The first drive is 6 TB, the second is 4 TB, and the third drive is 2 TB. After creating a RAID level 5 using all three drives and maximum capacity, the first drive will have 4 TB, the second 2 TB, and the third drive 0 TB of free capacity The free capacity on the first and second drive can be used to create a separate array. You may also choose how much space each array will utilize. You can use the remaining space to create another array (up to 4 arrays are supported). Adding Spare Disks Spare disks are physical disks that will immediately replace critical disks in an array. 14

15 To add spare disks: 1. Log into the HRM 2. Click Logical 3. Click Spare Pool: 4. Check the box for the disk you want as a spare under Available Disks 5. Click Add Spare, and confirm by selecting OK from the pop-up window: 6. The disk has now been assigned as a spare. Click OK to confirm: Disks added to the spare pool will be displayed under Spare Pool and can be removed by checking the box before the target drive, then 15

16 clicking the Remove Spare button. Physical drives marked as a spare will automatically be added to an array whenever there is a disk failure. This feature minimizes the chances of a data loss by reducing the time an array is in the critical status. Obtaining Logical Device Information The Logical device tab is the default page after clicking the Logical tab of the HRM. This page contains information about your RAID arrays and the individual disks your system detects. Logical Device Information Arrays you create and the properties associated with them will appear here. Maintenance Once an array has been created, the Maintenance menu provides options to maintain or edit it. To access the Maintenance menu, click the Maintenance button towards the right-hand side of the array name. Array Information Clicking on the maintenance button will show you the Array information box. Different array statuses (Normal, critical, disabled) will have different maintenance options. 16

17 Array Information &Maintenance Options: Normal Status Arrays with the Normal status are healthy and functioning properly. Arrays with the Normal status will have the following options: Delete deletes the selected RAID array Unplug powers off the selected RAID array once powered off, the physical disks can be safely removed from the RAID controller Verify verifies the integrity of the RAID array Change Cache Policy Toggles between Write through and Write back cache Rename renames the RAID array. ORLM (Online Capacity Expansion / Online RAID Level Migration options)-see Expanding a RAID array for more information. 17

18 Array Information & Maintenance Options: Critical Status Arrays in the Critical status can be accessed and utilized, but are no longer fault tolerant. A Critical array should be rebuilt as soon as possible to restore redundancy. A critical status array has all the normal status options except the following: The Array can no longer be renamed Add Disk replaces the Verify Disk option Once the array status changes to critical, the faulty disk will be taken offline and you can either: Reinsert the same disk Insert new disk Reinserting the same disk should trigger the rebuilding status, since data on the disk would be recognized. If you insert a new disk, clicking Add Disk will give you the option to 18

19 select that disk and add it to the array. If a spare disk is available, an array that has entered the critical state will begin rebuilding using the next available spare disk. Array Information & Maintenance Options: Disabled Status An array with the Disabled status means that the RAID level does not have enough disks to function. Your data will be inaccessible Rebuilding will not trigger, since the RAID array does not have enough parity data to rebuild. Your options in Maintenance are: Delete Unplug Recover 19

20 Delete will delete the array Unplug will take the array offline, making it safe to remove Recover will attempt to recover the array using the Recover List from the Recover tab (for more information, see Recovery Tab.) Expanding an Existing Array Important: It is recommended that the array be Verified/Rebuilt before Expanding or Migrating. Once you start an OCE/ORLM procedure, you can stop the process, but it must be resumed until completion. To add more capacity to your current configuration follows these steps: 1. Log into the HRM 2. Select desired controller from drop down menu on top left 3. Click Logical 4. Click Maintenance for the array you want to change Select a different RAID level to Migrate. For example, if you want to change a RAID 0 array, you will need to select a different RAID level, such as RAID 5 or 6. Select the same RAID level to Expand. For example, if you want to expand the capacity of an existing RAID 5 array, you must select RAID 5 from the menu. 20

21 5. Important: make a note of all the physical drives currently in the target array. 6. Click ORLM 7. Select the physical drives you recorded earlier (step 5) and the drives you want to add 8. Click Submit Upon submission, you will receive a prompt stating ORLM has been successfully configured. The Logical Device Information will change the status to migrating. 21

22 Physical Device Information Location which controller and port the drive is located in Model model number of the drive connected Capacity total capacity of the drive Max Free total capacity that is not configured Rescan Clicking rescan will force the drivers to report the array status. For any disk(s) you hot plug into the device; do not click rescan until all physical drives are detected and appear under Logical Device Information. Beeper Mute The controller emits a beeping sound whenever: An array enters a critical status An array enters a disabled status You unplug a disk Your disk fails due to bad sectors SMART sensors anticipate drive failure If the device is currently beeping, clicking Beeper Mute will mute the sound immediately. Note: This button does not permanently mute the alarm. In order to permanently mute the alarm, go to: Setting>Enable audible alarm>disabled. See Setting Tab for more information. 22

23 System Setting Using this tab, you can change the following: Enable auto-rebuilding Enable rebuilding on error Turn audible alarm on/off Set spindown time for idle disks Restrict to localhost Set rebuild priority Change port number Change HRM password 23

24 System Settings Enable auto rebuild (default: Enabled) When a physical drive fails, the controller will take the drive offline. Once you re-insert or replace the disk, the controller will not automatically rebuild the array unless this option is enabled. Enable continue rebuilding on error (default: Enabled) When enabled, the rebuilding process will ignore bad disk sectors and continue rebuilding until completion. When the rebuild is finished, the data may be accessible but may also be inconsistent, due to any bad sectors that were ignored during the procedure. If this option is enabled, HighPoint recommends checking the event log periodically for bad sectors warnings. Enable audible alarm (default: Enabled) When a physical disk fails, the controller will emit an audible sound signaling failure. This option mutes the alarm. Set Spindown Idle Disk (minutes) (default: Disabled) When set, physical drives will spindown a certain amount of time after disk activity ceases. Only 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 minutes setting are available. Restrict to localhost access (default: Enabled) Remote access to the controller will be restricted when enabled; other users in your network will be unable to remotely log in to the HRM. Rebuild Priority (default: Medium) You can specify the amount of system resources you want to dedicate to rebuilding the array. There are 5 levels of priority [Lowest, Low, Medium, High, Highest] 24

25 Port Number (default: 7402) The default port that the HighPoint HRM listens on is You may change it to any open port. Password Settings Changing your HRM password Under Password Setting, type your new password, confirm it, then click Submit. Recovering your HRM password If you wish to revert to the default password: hpt, delete the file hptuser.dat. For Windows Users: 1. Open file explorer 2. Navigate to C:/Windows/ 3. Delete hptuser.dat 4. Reboot Setting The following topics are covered under SMTP Setting Adding Recipients 25

26 You can instruct the controller to send an out to the recipients of your choosing when certain events trigger (for more information, see Event Tab). SMTP settings 26

27 To set up alerts: 1. Check the Enable Event Notification box. 2. Enter the ISP server address name or SMTP name 3. Type in the address of the sender ( account that is going to send the alert) 4. Type in the account name and password of the sender 5. Type in the SMTP port (default: 25) 6. Check support SSL box if SSL is supported by your ISP (port value will change to 465). Note: After you click Change Setting, the password box will become blank. How to Add Recipients You can add multiple addresses as receivers of a notice. 1. Type the of the recipient in the text box 2. Type the name of the recipient in the Name text box 3. Check which type(s) of events will trigger an using the respective Event Level check boxes. 4. (Optional) Click test to confirm the settings are correct by sending out a test 5. Click add to add the recipient to recipient list 6. The added recipient will display in under Recipients 27

28 The will include the output recorded in the event log. Example message: Figure 1. Example event log Recover Tab (Only for SSD7110 SAS Controller) Previously created arrays will be stored under this tab. Recovering an array from here will attempt to recover a Disabled array and make it Normal. The Recover List will list all your previous and current arrays. Each entry includes the following properties: Array name RAID level 28

29 Array Capacity Time created ( YYYY/MM/DD, HH/MM/SS, 24 hr clock format) Location of physical drives Model of physical drives Important: When recovering an array it is important to note the location and model of each physical drive in order to successfully recover an array, these attributes must match the original configuration. How to Backup your Recover List The recover list is a record of your previously created arrays, and contains the model and location information of your physical drives. Recovering from this list may help restore a disabled array to the normal status for emergency data retrieval. To backup your recover list: 1. Log into the HRM 2. Click Recover Tab 3. Click Backup to File Note: The file will be saved as hptrec.rec How to Reload your Backup Recover List If the recover list has been cleared, or does not appear for any reason, you can restore it using a saved list. To reload your recover list Note: loading a back up recover list will completely replace the current recover list. 29

30 1. Log into the HRM 2. Click Recover Tab 3. Under Update Recover List click Browse 4. Locate your previously saved hptrec.rec file and select it 5. Click Submit Event Tab In the event tab, you can see log entries associated with the HighPoint device. The event log provides useful information when troubleshooting your set up. In the event tab, there are four options available: Download Save the log file on your computer Clear Clears all log entries Prev View previous log page Next View next log page Table 1. Event Log Icon Guide Icon Name Definition Information Includes general administrative tasks: Create/delete arrays Configuring 30

31 spares Rebuilding arrays Configuring event notifications Configuring maintenance Warning Alerts issued by the Host Adapter: High temperatures Sector errors Communication errors Verification errors Error Hardware related problems Hard disk failure Broken errors Memory failure The event view is a basic error logging tool built into the HighPoint HRM. SHI (Storage Health Inspector) S.M.A.R.T Attributes HDD Temperature Threshold Storage Health Inspector Scheduling 31

32 SHI outputs information collected using SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) Hard Drive Technology. The data provided on this tab helps you to anticipate any disk failures based on a variety of monitored hard disk properties. How to Enable SMART Monitoring To access SMART attributes of an individual disk: 1. Log in to the HRM 2. Select the proper controller using the drop down menu on the top left 3. Click the SHI tab 4. Click SMART on the desired disk 5. Click Enable to enable SMART monitoring 32

33 When you switch to the NVMe controller, the SHI Tab will show the NVMe drives SMART information. The TBW (Total Bytes Written) information can be used to monitor the lifespan of the NVMe drives. Disabling SMART monitoring You have the option the disable SMART monitoring on each individual disk. To disable: 1. Select the proper controller using the drop down menu on the top left 2. Click the SHI tab 3. Click SMART on desired disk 4. Click Disable Note: Disabling SMART will prompt the Storage Health Inspector to change the disk status to Failed. The alarm will not alert you when this setting is changed. And any potential warnings due to S.M.A.R.T attribute technology will not How to Change the HDD Temperature Threshold To ensure hard disk temperatures remain cool, enable SMART to monitor disk temperatures. In SHI, you can set a threshold so that the HRM or controller alarm (if enabled) can warn you when physical disks get too hot. 33

34 1. Log into the HRM 2. Select the controller from the drop down on the top left 3. Click SHI 4. Type the desired hard disk temperature threshold ( F) 5. Click Set How to Use the Health Inspector Scheduler The Health Inspector Scheduler (HIS) enables you to schedule disk/array checkups to ensure disks/array are functioning optimally. How to Create a New Verify Task All arrays will appear under New Verify Task 1. Log into the HRM 34

35 2. Select the proper controller from the top left drop down 3. Click SHI 4. Click Schedule 5. Select the array you want to schedule the verify task 6. Type the name in Task Name entry box 7. Choose whether you want to schedule 8. One time verify task on specific date (YYYY-MM-DD) at (HH:MM:SS, 24-hr clock) 9. Or a specific schedule you can adjust based on Daily, Weekly, or Monthly options 10. Click Submit 11. Your entry will appear under Tasks List Note: New Verify Task box only appears if you have normal status arrays. If you have a critical array, New Rebuild Task will replace New Verify Task. BIOS/Firmware Updates Note: We recommend updating the BIOS using the HighPoint HRM. (See Installing HighPoint HRM). Having the latest BIOS ensures you have the latest firmware stability and performance improvements. Updating the BIOS may fix boot up or system resource issues; make sure to read the README before making any changes. Using the HRM to update the BIOS Locate the latest firmware on our webpage at 35

36 1. The BIOS file will be in a zipped package with a naming convention such as SSD7110_v###_xxxx.zip (name of the file is subject to change) 2. Extract the contents of the file 3. Read the readme (if included) to make sure you have the correct firmware for your HBA Note: Your HBA name and properties can be found in the HRM>Physical Tab. 4. Locate the proper BIOS file (eg. SSD7110_bios.v10, refer to the README for accuracy) 5. Select your controller in the drop down menu on the top left. 6. Click the Physical tab; update firmware will be on the bottom of the page. 7. Click Choose File and browse to the BIOS file 8. Click Submit 9. Reboot the system. Section 7: Troubleshooting This section provides guidelines to some problems you may encounter: Handling Critical Arrays Handling Disabled Arrays PC hangs when card is installed. 36

37 Handling Critical Arrays When your disk status turns critical, your array as a whole is still accessible, but one or more disks is faulty (depending on your RAID level), and the array is in danger of failing. Common scenarios for critical status Unplugging a disk that is part of an array Bad sector is detected on a disk that is part of an array Unrecoverable data during rebuilding Defective port or cable interrupts rebuilding process To recover from this situation, 1. Backup your existing data. 2. Identify which disk is faulty. You can refer to the LED lights on the enclosure Refer to the HRM Logical tab and Event tab. 3. Re-insert the faulty disk or replace with a new disk. The array will rebuild automatically if your auto-rebuild setting is enabled and you reseated the faulty disk. Note: Click Rescan if the array still does not rebuild automatically. 4. If the new disk is added and it does not automatically start rebuilding, you can manually add the disk in maintenance. Log into the HRM Click Logical Tab 37

38 Click Maintenance>Add Disk> select the appropriate disk 5. Rebuild should now start. If rebuild does not start, click Rescan on the left hand panel. Note: Rebuilding an array takes on average 2 hours per 1 Terabyte of disk capacity. The process will scan through the entire disk, even if you have very little used disk space. Rebuilding Stops Due to Bad Sectors If rebuilding fails to complete due to bad disk sector errors (check in the Event Log), there is an option to continue rebuilding on error in the HighPoint HRM. 1. Log into the HRM 2. Click Setting tab 3. Under System Setting, change Enable Continue Rebuilding on Error to Enabled This option will enable rebuilding to ignore bad sectors and attempt to make your data accessible. It is important to backup immediately after backup is complete and replace or repair the disks with bad sectors. Critical array becomes disabled when you removed faulty disk If this is the case, you may have removed the wrong disk. When you remove the wrong disk from a critical array, the array status may become disabled. Data is inaccessible for disabled arrays. Follow these steps to restore the array to the previous state. 1. Shut down your PC 38

39 2. Shut down the RocketStor6618T Enclosure 3. Place all disks back to original configuration 4. Boot up PC Your array should be back to Critical status. Identify the correct disk and rebuild from there. Handling Disabled Arrays If two or more disks in your array go offline due to an error or physical disconnection your array will become disabled. Disabled arrays are difficult to recover, so it is important to fix any critical status as soon as possible. To recover a disabled array, using the Recover Tab will yield the best results. To utilize the Recover tab, you will need to insert the exact physical drives that are listed under the recover list. How to recover from a Disabled Array 1. Log into the HRM 2. Click Maintenance for the array that is disabled 3. Click Recover Alternatively: 1. Log into the HRM 2. Click Maintenance for the array that is disabled 3. Click delete 4. Click Recover Tab 5. Select the RAID configuration you want to recover 6. Click Recover Array 39

40 Your PC hangs when the card is installed The moment you power on your PC the system BIOS will load and your PC will enter POST (Power On Self Test). If you hang at this screen it may be a system resources issue. There are two methods to fix this problem. 1. Update your motherboard BIOS 2. Update your RAID Controller BIOS Update your motherboard BIOS To update your motherboard BIOS, refer to your motherboard manufacturer s user manual or website. Update the Controller BIOS To update the Controller BIOS, refer to either of these sections: Using a Bootable USB drive to update the BIOS Updating the BIOS through HRM. Note: Press END to bypass the Controller BIOS splash screen so you can boot up windows and access the HRM. Online Array Roaming One of the features of all HighPoint RAID controllers is online array roaming. Information about the RAID configuration is stored on the physical drives. So if a card fails or you wish to switch cards, the RAID configuration data can still be read by another HighPoint card. 40

41 Help Online Help Register Product Online Help redirects you to additional documentation concerning the HighPoint HRM. Register Product takes you to the HighPoint Online Web Support Portal. On this page you can create a new customer profile where you can register your product, or post an online support ticket. 41

42 Table 1.HRM Icon Guide Critical missing disk A disk is missing from the array bringing it to critical status. The array is still accessible but another disk failure could result in data loss. Verifying The array is currently running a disk integrity check. Rebuilding The array is currently rebuilding meaning you replaced a failed disk or added a new disk to a critical state array. Critical rebuild required The array has all disks, but one disk requires rebuilding. Disabled The icon represents a disabled array, meaning more than one disk failed and the array is no longer accessible Initializing The array is initializing. The two types of initialization are Foreground and Background. (See Initialization) Uninitialized The array initialization process has been interrupted, and the process is incomplete. Not Initialized Disk is not initialized yet, and needs to be initialized before use OCE/ORLM Array is performing a OCE/ORLM operation OCE/ORLM has stopped The array expansion process has been stopped. Legacy An existing file system has been detected on the disk. These disks are classified as legacy drives. 42

43 Spare The device is a spare drive, it will automatically replace any failed drive part of an array. Normal The array status is normal Initializing The array is initializing, either foreground or background initialization Initialization Stopped The initialization has been stopped. Current status is uninitialized. Critical Inconsistency Data in the array is inconsistent and needs to be rebuilt. Critical missing disk A disk has been removed or experienced failure, and user needs to reinsert disk or add a new disk. Rebuilding The array is currently rebuilding. Verifying The array is performing a data consistency check. Array status will show verifying. Disabled The array does not have enough disks to maintain the RAID level. A disabled array is not accessible. OCE/ORLM Array is expanding its capacity or migrating to a different raid 43

44 level. Status will display Expanding/Migrating OCE/ORLM stopped The Expansion/Migrating process has been stopped. The status will display Need Expanding/Migrating Critical OCE/ORLM A disk member is lost during the OCE/ORLM process. Critical OCE/ORLM - rebuild The expanding/migrating array requires a rebuild. 44

45 Table 2. RAID Level Reference Guide Type Description Min. Usable disks space JBOD Just a bunch of disk 1 100% RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 10 RAID 5 Disk Striping 2 100% Disk Mirroring 2 50% Disk Mirroring followed by stripe Disk Striping with Rotating parity 4 50% % Advantage Disadvantage Application Each drive can be accessed as a single volume Offers the highest performance Provides convenient low-cost data redundancy for smaller systems and servers High read performance and medium write performance with data protection for up to 2-drive failures High read performance, and medium write performance with data protection with a single drive failure No fault tolerance - failure of one drive results in complete data loss No fault tolerance - failure of one drive results in complete data loss Useable storage space is 50% of total available capacity. Can handle 1 disk failure. Useable storage capacity equals total capacity of all drives in the array minus two Not recommended for database applications that require frequent/heavy write sessions. Can handle 1 disk failure. Backup Temporary file, performance driven application. Operating system, backup, and transaction database. Fast database and application servers which need performance and data protection Data archives, and ideal for application that require data protection RAID 50 RAID 6 Disk Mirroring followed by RAID5 Disk Striping with dual rotating parity % % High read performance, and medium write performance with data protection in case of up to two drives failure High read performance, and medium write performance with data protection in case of up to two drives failure Not recommended for applications that require frequent/heavy write sessions. Not recommended for applications that require frequent/heavy write sessions. Data archives and ideal for application that requires data protection Data archives and ideal for application that requires data protection 45

46 HighPoint Recommended List of Hard Drives HighPoint maintains a list of tested hard drives and SSD suitable for RAID applications. Since not every drive in the market can be tested, this list is meant to be a general guideline for selecting hard drives and SSD operating in a RAID environment. Regular, desktop grade drives are highly not recommended for RAID use. patibility_list.pdf Contacting Technical Support For any help and support, submit a support ticket online at 46