RAIDTech USER S MANUAL Revised October 3, 2006 Features Simple, hardware-based RAID (levels 0 or 1) On-the-fly data protection: RAID 1 makes backing up as painless as possible. The data is mirrored in real time to both drives while you work. Drive auto-duplication clone the contents of a source drive to a target drive. No computer needed! Plug and Play with Windows XP and Mac OS X. RAIDTech works right out of the box with no new drivers needed. Connects via fast FireWire 800 or widely-available USB 2.0. Includes a converter cable for backwards compatibility with FireWire 400 ports. Hot swappable trays allow you to replace a failed drive without shutting off the RAIDTech or restarting your computer LCD screen monitors status of drives, fan, and temperature All-metal construction, including the removable trays Power supply accepts 100-240VAC for usage anywhere Contents Warnings and Notices 2 Hardware Installation Instructions 2 Special RAID Instructions 4 Operation on a Mac 5 Operation on a Windows Computer 5 LCD Messages 6 Questions & Answers 7 Technical Specifications 8 RAIDTech User Manual - 1 -
Warnings and Notices The RAIDTech supports drives of various specifications and different capacities. However, we recommend using drives of the same brand and type for optimal performance. If drives of different capacities are used, the unit will consider both drives to have the same capacity as the smaller drive. In RAID 1 mode, trying to duplicate or rebuild from a larger drive to a smaller drive will cause an error. Use only hard drives that are in perfect condition. Avoid using drives that have ever developed bad sectors during previous usage. This could lead to possible device failure or loss of data. Use IDE drives with a minimum capacity of 3.2GB and which are at least Ultra DMA 33/66. You should carefully consider and select your RAID type before using this device. Once you have put data onto the hard drives, changing the RAID type will corrupt or delete that data. You must reformat the volume after changing the RAID. RAID level 0 will allow you to use the full capacity of both drives. However, RAID 0 offers no protection for the data. If one drive fails in a RAID 0, the data on both drives is irretrievably lost. Installation Instructions 1. Check the accessories packaged with your RAIDTech. Please contact WiebeTech if any items are missing or damaged. The box should contain: RAIDTech 1 Removable trays (inside RAIDTech) 2 1394b (FireWire 800) cable 1 FireWire 800 to 400 converter cable 1 USB Cable 1 RAIDTech RS-232 Cable 1 Accessories bag containing screws and keys 1 Manual and Warranty information (on CD) 2. Consider your RAID configuration. If you purchased the RAIDTech with drives pre-installed and pre-configured, you can skip to step 6. The RAIDTech supports both RAID 0 and RAID 1 in hardware. Consider which RAID type best suits your specific needs. RAID 0 In this mode, the unit will configure the drives in a striped RAID. This will split your data between the drives, allowing you to use the full capacity of the drives in a single volume. RAID 1 In this mode, the unit will mirror the two drives for best data protection. In this mode, you will work with a single volume equal in size to the capacity of one drive. When you copy data to the volume, the RAIDTech will simultaneously write the data to both drives. If one drive were to fail, your data would still be preserved on the other drive. After replacing a failed drive, the unit will automatically rebuild the RAID so that your data is once again redundant and secure. RAIDTech User Manual - 2 -
The RAID type can be changed via a switch on the back of the RAIDTech. The default setting is RAID 1. Note: if you are installing a drive that contains existing data you wish to preserve, check the Special RAID Instructions section of this manual before proceeding. Warning: Always back up data before switching RAID types. You must reformat your hard drives afterwards. 3. If using IDE (Parallel-ATA) drives, configure the jumpers on your hard drive. IDE drives must be set to the Master setting. The specific method differs between manufacturers, so consult the instructions for your drive (some drives display configuration information on the drive s label). A few drives have both Master with Slave Present and Master without Slave options. Choose the latter in this case. In rare cases, if the Master setting does not work then try Cable Select. Rear of hard drive (Example) IDE interface Jumper Pins Power 4. Install your hard drives into the trays. For each tray, connect the power and data cables from the tray into the back of the drive. Lay the drive into the tray, making sure it lays flat. Make sure the power connector wires and the data cable are not under the HDD and are tucked down to avoid any hindrance when inserting or removing the tray. Secure the drive with the included screws by driving them through the bottom of the tray. Installing IDE drives Secure drive with screws Slide the tray into the RAIDTech. If desired, lock it in place with the enclosed key. RAIDTech User Manual - 3 -
5. Plug in the FireWire or USB cable. One end connects to the back of the unit. Insert the other end into the corresponding port on the host computer. Note: The RS232 cable is not required for normal operation. Only connect the RS232 cable when using the RAIDGuide software for Windows. 6. Plug in the power cable. One end connects to the back of the unit. Plug the other end into a grounded electrical outlet. Turn on the power switch on the back of the unit. Note: Hard drives will need to be formatted before they can be used. Special RAID Instructions Keeping existing data The RAIDTech allows you to incorporate existing drive data into a new RAID 1 configuration. The data you wish to keep must all be on one of the drives. This data will be mirrored (cloned) to the second drive to establish a RAID 1. If you wish to do this, the new (2 nd ) drive you are adding must be newer and have a capacity at least as large as the old (1 st ) drive containing the data. If possible, use a new drive that is the same brand, capacity, and model of the old drive. It is not necessary for the new drive to be blank, but any data on the new drive will be erased during RAID initialization. Follow these steps: 1. Install the old drive (with the data you wish to keep) into one of the unit s removable trays. With the unit s power turned off, insert the tray into the first (top) position inside the unit. 2. Turn on the unit s power. Because no secondary drive is installed, RAIDTech s buzzer will sound. To switch off the alarm, use a sharp pointed object to turn off the buzzer on the front panel. The LCD should show PRI HDD: OK, SEC HDD: OFF. 3. Insert the new (second) drive and tray into the bottom slot inside the unit. After approximately 10 to 15 seconds, the RAIDTech will automatically begin data reconstruction. The progress will be displayed on the LCD screen. The amount of time required depends on the capacity of the drives. 4. After the auto-rebuild function is complete, use a sharp pointed object to re-enable the alarm. RAIDTech User Manual - 4 -
Usage with Macintosh Computers Compatibility The RAIDTech is Plug-and-Play compatible under Mac OS 9.2 and OS X. No additional drivers are needed. The USB2 port is USB 1.1 compatible. The FireWire 800 ports are backwards-compatible with FireWire 400 ports using the included converter cable. Mounting and Ejecting Volumes On first usage, or after switching RAID types, the hard drives will need to be formatted. This is easily done using OS X s Disk Utility. Select the format Mac OS Extended. Note: The drives will appear as one logical volume because of the RAID. After the hard drives inside the RAIDTech have been formatted, an icon representing the drive s volume will appear (mount) on the desktop. You can begin using the volume right away. Always unmount (eject) the volume before powering down the unit by dragging the volume s icon to the trash bin, or by selecting the volume and pressing Command-E. Shutting down the unit without first ejecting the volume can result in data loss. Booting from your RAIDTech Some Macs support booting from a FireWire device. To activate this feature, you must first install OS X on the external volume. The easiest way to do this is to clone an existing system drive using a utility such as Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper. Next, go to System Preferences Startup Disk. A window will list the available bootable volumes. Select the volume from which you wish to boot. Another method is to hold down the Option key during startup. A screen should appear that allows you to select the volume you wish to use. This is useful if you wish to boot from your RAIDTech only some of the time. Usage with Windows Operating System Compatibility The RAIDTech is Plug-and-Play compatible with Windows XP. No additional drivers are needed. The USB2 port is USB 1.1 compatible. The FireWire 800 ports are backwards-compatible with FireWire 400 ports using the included converter cable. Mounting and Ejecting Volumes On first usage, or after switching RAID types, the hard drives will need to be formatted. This is easily done using Disk Management (right-click My Computer then select Manage). Select the format NTFS. Note: The drives will appear as one logical volume because of the RAID. After the volume is formatted, you can find it by double-clicking the My Computer icon. You can begin using it right away. Eject the volume before powering down the unit by single-clicking the green arrow icon on the task bar, then selecting Safely remove. Windows will indicate when it is safe to disconnect or turn off the RAIDTech. Shutting down the unit without first ejecting the volume can result in data loss. (Windows XP) Booting from your RAIDTech Some PC motherboards support booting from an external device. To activate this feature, you will need to adjust the motherboard s BIOS settings. Check with your motherboard s manufacturer or owner s manual for details. RAIDTech User Manual - 5 -
LCD Messages Hard drive status is reported as OK, OFF, or FAIL: OK Indicates that the hard drive is ready for use. OFF The hard drive is not installed. FAIL Indicates a malfunction. (Example) Possible causes of a failure message include an inability to recognize the drive, a compatibility problem, or damaged tracks. When you replace a tray/drive while the unit is on, a buzzer will sound and the LCD will indicate a drive failure. After a few seconds, the hard drive status will change to OK and then the automatic reconstruction of the data will begin (in RAID 1 mode only). Note: any data already on the new drive will be erased during reconstruction. The progress of the reconstruction will be displayed as shown below. After the process is complete, both hard drives should be displayed as OK. If the unit is overheating, the LCD will show a T in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You should immediately stop any active processes, unmount the volumes, and turn off the unit to avoid possible damage to the unit or drives. If the cooling fan malfunctions, F will be displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. You should replace the fan as soon as possible to avoid overheating. In RAID 1 mode, if the two hard drives are of different capacities, you will see a warning message such as the following: Wrong Capacity PRI > SEC RAIDTech User Manual - 6 -
Questions & Answers Q1. What happens if power is shut down while the RAIDTech is auto-rebuilding? A: In case of power failure or shutdown during the Auto-Rebuild function in RAID 1 Mode, the controller will remember the rebuilding progress percentage and carry on the operations when the power is restored. Q2. When using the RAIDTech, the computer system is unable to read/write properly. A: Make sure the external cable connector is inserted properly and the cable is functional. Try a different cable if possible. Also make sure that both drives in the RAIDTech are ready. Q3. Why does the buzzer alarm sound during RAIDTech operation? A: Check the LCD to see if all drives are ready and inserted into the right position. Check whether the F or T character is displayed on the LCD, indicating a problem with the fan or temperature. Q4. How can I turn on/off the buzzer? A: Use a sharp pointed object to turn the buzzer alarm ON or OFF on the front panel. Q5. Why do the responses of the computer system slow down when RAIDTech is rebuilding at RAID 1 Mode? A: The performance of the computer system is related to its CPU (Central Processing Unit), motherboard design, and peripherals. RAIDTech will slow down the computer s performance during the rebuilding process. Q6. How is the drive capacity configured when replacing with a new disk in RAID 1 mode? A: RAIDTech is configured to the smallest capacity detected when RAIDTech is installed for the first time. When a larger capacity drive replaces a smaller one in the RAIDTech, the available capacity of RAIDTech remains unchanged. Q7. Why is there an error when I put in the second HDD at RAID 1? A: 1. The second drive s capacity must bigger than the first one. Otherwise, the system cannot rebuild the data to the second drive. 2. If the system error message shows a rebuilding error PRI (s) SEC (s) or SEC (s) PRI (s), it means you have inserted the HD into the system alone, after the two drives had already become a RAID, therefore the system can not determine if the priority should be PRI SEC or SEC PRI. This time you need to make sure which disk is the source, then put it into RAIDTech by itself. After turning the RAIDTech on, put another drive into the RAIDTech. It will proceed with the auto rebuilding normally. Q8. Why doesn t my operating system connect with RAIDTech external storage? A: 1. Please make sure your OS is supported (see Technical Specifications) and supports the use of 1394 (FireWire) or USB2.0/USB1. 2. Check the cable connections. 3. Check to see if only one hard disk displays OK on RAIDTech LCD. RAIDTech User Manual - 7 -
Technical Specifications Product Name/Code RAIDTech 800 (RT8) Interface 1394b (FireWire 800) using OXUF922 chipset USB 2.0 Interface transfer rates FireWire 800: up to 800Mbps USB 2.0: up to 480Mbps RAID Levels RAID 0, 1 Hardware RAID processor 8032 microprocessor RAID ASIC HDD interface 3.5 standard IDE (Parallel-ATA) or SATA (Serial-ATA) drives Note: must use appropriate tray type Supports Hot Swapping Yes Supports Auto-Rebuild Yes Input Voltage I90-240VAC Cooling Fan 6cm Ball Bearing Fan Operating Temperature 50 85 Fahrenheit (10 30 Celsius) Operating Humidity 5% to 95%, noncondensing Operating System Windows XP Macintosh OS X (10.2.6 or higher required for maximal speed) Linux distributions supporting FireWire Shipping Weight 10-13 lbs., configuration dependent Dimensions 5.8" x 10.6" x 4.5" (147mm x 270mm x 115mm) Dimensions are exclusive of attached plates, drives, and cables. Material Aluminum construction Warranty 1-year limited warranty. See warranty statement for details and limitations. WiebeTech offers free phone support for 90 days after purchase. For support by email, contact support@wiebetech.com. RAIDTech is a trademark of WiebeTech LLC. Other marks are the property of their respective owners. 2003, 2006 WiebeTech LLC. All rights reserved. FCC Compliance Statement: 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. RAIDTech 800 Tested to comply with FCC standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE In the event that you experience Radio Frequency Interference, you should try using a FireWire cable with RFI reducing ferrites on each end. If you have any questions or problems, please contact support@wiebetech.com for technical support. If you are interested in purchasing more WiebeTech products, check our website or contact sales@wiebetech.com. We appreciate being able to serve you! RAIDTech User Manual - 8 -