Ultra ATA/66 RAID Card User's Manual
Copyright Copyright by PromiseTechnology, Inc. 1999. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed written permission of Promise Technology, Inc. Promise Technology is not liable for any errors contained herein or incidental or consequential damages in connection with furnishing this material. The published material in this manual is subject to change without notice.
RADIO FREQUENCYINTERFERENCE STATEMENT Each FastTrak66 Ultra ATA/66 RAID card is equipped with an FCC compliance label and shows an FCC identification number. The full text of the associated label is: CAUTION: Changes or modifications to the FastTrak66 not expressly approved by PROMISE TECHNOLOGY, INC. could void the user’s authority to operate this 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.
Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................... 1-1 What is the FastTrak/FastTrak66 RAID Card? ........................................... 1-1 Key Features and Benefits .......................................................................... 1-1 Getting Started ................................................................................... 2-1 Unpacking Your FastTrak66 ..............................................................
Table of Contents Understanding Disk Array Concepts ............................................. 6-1 Disk Array Adapter .................................................................................... 6-1 Adapter BIOS ............................................................................................. 6-1 FastBuildTM Auto Menu Setup ................................................................... 6-1 Reserved Sector ...........................................................................
Chapter 1 Introduction Congratulations on choosing Promise Technology's innovative FastTrak66 Ultra ATA/66 RAID card for IBM PC compatible systems. This card is designed to boost sustained transfer rates and/or provide fault tolerance for the latest Ultra ATA/66 hard drives, while being backward-compatible with Ultra ATA/33, Enhanced IDE, and Fast ATA-2 high performance hard disk drives.
Introduction Advanced Hardware Design Features Benefits Supports data striping (RAID 0), mirroring (RAID 1), and striping/ mirroring combination (RAID 0+1) Provides dramatic increase in drive performance and/or fault tolerant options. Offers performance customization and data rebuilds from the BIOS menu. Supports Ultra DMA 4/3/2/1/0, DMA 2/ 1/0 Burst data transfer rates up to 66MB/sec from Ultra ATA/66 drives to boost overall system performance.
Introduction Compatibility Features Complies with PCI v2.1 Local Bus standard Benefits Provides highest level of hardware compatibility. Compliant with PCI IDE Bus Master standard. PCI IDE Bus Master support for Windows95, Windows NT 3.5x, 4.0 Provides 32-bit I/O, IDE Bus Master, and Ultra ATA performance for optimal system performance.
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Chapter 2 Getting Started This section is designed to get you started for installation of your FastTrak66.
Quick Installation Quick Installation This section is designed to get you started for quick installation of your FastTrak66. Use drives that are preferably the same model and capacity. NOTE: If using older IDE drives (less than 300MBs), check with the manufacturer if it supports MultiDMA transfers. [1] Install FastTrak66 and Drives Power off the system and ground yourself by touching exposed metal of the PC chassis. Connect 18” 80-wire/40-pin cables to the FastTrak66 and hard disk drives.
Quick Installation [2] Set Mainboard CMOS Setup No changes are necessary in the Mainboard CMOS Setup for resources or drive types. Since FastTrak66 is a PCI Plug-n-Play (PnP) device, the Interrupt and Port address resources are automatically assigned by the Mainboard’s PCI PnP BIOS. For the FastTrak66 to be the bootable IDE controller, confirm in the mainboard’s Standard CMOS Setup that the drive types (for hard disk drives) are set for “Not Installed” or “None”.
Quick Installation [4] Starting the Operating System See the steps below for a new operating system installation. For other supported operating systems, see Chapter 7 for instructions. 1) Boot to Disk 1 of the DOS installation diskettes or manually partition and format new drives with standard DOS FDISK and FORMAT utilities. 2) Install DOS, Windows, and/or Windows95/98 using the “Setup.exe” utility found on the Microsoft installation diskettes. Driver Installation For DOS and Windows 3.
Chapter 3 Hardware Installation Install the FastT rak66 Card Insert and secure the FastTrak66 card into a PCI Bus Master slot. There are no hardware configurable jumpers or settings to change due to the adapter’s Plug-nplay (PnP) features. The FastTrak66 system resources including port address, interrupt, and BIOS address are automatically determined by the system PnP BIOS. To customize IRQ settings, enter the Mainboard BIOS’s Advanced PCI setup and follow the manufacturer’s procedures.
Hardware Installation Drives Attachment Order By Connector The following table shows the order in which drives should be connected to the FastTrak66 card. Total Drives IDE 1 IDE 2 One Two Three Four M M M&S M&S — M M M&S M - Master, S - Slave Installation Scenarios Examine the following installation scenarios which may apply to your system. Then proceed to Chapter 4 which covers operation of the card’s BIOS utility and array creation.
Hardware Installation FastTrak66 coexisting with hard drives on onboard IDE controller The FastTrak66 can coexist with onboard or add-on IDE controller(s) and hard drives installed. If the motherboard’s CMOS has a “boot to SCSI” option, it is possible to boot from the FastTrak66 and still recognize the onboard non-bootable drives.
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Chapter 4 FastBuild TM Configuration Setup The FastBuildTM setup gives menu choices to create and manage disk arrays on the Promise FastTrak66 adapter. FastTrak (tm) / FastTrak66 (tm) BIOS Version 1.xx (Build xxxx) (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ID MODE SIZE 1* 2 2+0 Stripe 1x2 Mirror 13044M 6522M TRACK-MAPPING STATUS 611/128/32 620/32/63 Functional Functional Press to enter FastBuild (tm) Utility....
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Main Menu This is the first option screen when entering the FastBuildTM Setup. FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc. [ Main Menu ] Auto Setup .............................................................. [ View Drive Assignments ....................................... [ Define Array .......................................................... [ Delete Array .......................................................... [ Rebuild Array .................
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Auto Setup <1> The <1> Auto Setup selection can intuitively help create your disk array. It will assign all available drives appropriate for the disk array you are creating. FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc. [ Auto Setup Options Menu ] Optimize Array for: Typical Application usage: Performance General [ Auto Setup Configuration ] Mode ...................................................... Stripe Spare Drive Count ............................
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Spare Drive Count An extra drive that is not assigned to a disk array will be recognized as a Spare Drive for use with mirrored disk arrays. Such a drive is immediately used as a “standby” replacement. It is automatically added to an array once a disk member of the array has been detected as “failed.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Define Array <3> The Define Array screen allows users to begin the process of defining the drive elements and RAID levels for each disk array. Users will commonly create one or two drive arrays with FastTrak66, though the card will support a maximum of four arrays. [A user may use a single drive in either striping or spanning mode with FastTrak66.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Define Array Definition Menu will next appear that allows drive assignments to the disk array. Define Array Definition Menu Selecting an Array # from the Define Array Menu brings up the Define Array Definition Menu screen. Under the Definition section, highlight the Array # and use the [Space] key to cycle through three array types: Performance (RAID 0 FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Creating A Mirrored Array Using New Drives As described in the Drive Assignments Option section above, if you selected a mirroring array and wish to use two new assigned drives, follow the directions here. After assigning new drives to a Mirroring array and saving the information with , the window below will appear in order to create the array.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Setting a Disk Array As Bootable Once you have returned to the Define Array Menu window, you may use it to select which defined array will be used as the bootable array. Highlight the desired array and press the [Space] bar key. The system will now recognize this as the first array and an * askerisk will appear next to the array number indicating it as bootable. Note: your PC or server must be configured to use the FastTrak66 as the bootable controller.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Delete Array Menu <4> This menu option allows for deletion of disk array assignments. Caution: Deletion of an existing disk array could result in its data loss. Record all array information including the array type, the disk members, and stripe block size in case you wish to undo a deletion. Arrays can normally be recovered after array deletion by defining array information identical to the deleted array. FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Rebuild Array <5> The Rebuild option is necessary to recover from an error in a mirrored disk array. Note: Drives must be replaced if they contain any physical errors. Follow these steps before using the <5> Rebuild Array menu option: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) From the FastTrak66 Startup BIOS error message, identify which array has failed.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Highlight the Critical array and press [Enter]. The following screen will then appear: FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc.
FastBuild TM Configuration Setup Controller Configuration <6> This menu allows you view and set the adapter options. FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.xx (c) 1995-99 Promise Technology, Inc.
Chapter 5 FastCheck Win 95/98/NT Monitoring Utility Once FastTrak66 is installed and operational, the FastCheck Utility is used to monitor the operating status of all arrays and drives configured on the FastTrak66. Visual and audible messages are available to warn of possible problems with the disk array or controller. In addition, FastCheck visually identifies the physical location of attached drives on the FastTrak66 by IDE channel and identifies which drives are included as part of individual arrays.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Running FastCheck As described in the Installation section, the default option for FastCheck is to load during startup of Win95/98/NT . It appears minimized on the taskbar (below far right) as shown under Win 95/98/NT (4.0). Under Win NT 3.5x, it appears as a minimized icon on the desktop: Double-click the FastCheck icon (appears as 3 disk drives) on the taskbar or desktop.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility FastCheck Monitoring Utility Main Screen Once FastCheck is selected, the FastCheck Monitoring Utility window will appear. The main pane has three information window tabs: Array, Controller, and Options. The Array tab is the default screen as shown below: Array Window The Array Window displays information about the arrays configured on your FastTrak66 through the FastBuild BIOS.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility drive(s). Promise recommends replacing the failed drive as soon as possible since a “Critical” array offers no data redundancy. Offline: This would appear most commonly within a RAID 0 or Spanning array. The “Offline” results from a drive having failed which has taken the entire array “offline.” In this case, you have likely lost data. Fix/ replace the drive that has failed, then restore data from a backup source.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Size: Indicates capacity of individual drive Location: Shows physical location of drive. Indicates on which IDE channel (1 or 2), and whether drive is Master or Slave on cable. This allows user to identify drives for removal/replacement. Mapping: Indicates physical parameters of drive (cylinders, heads, sectors) Timing: Shows selection of drive timing (directly related to burst speed) based on type of drive and cable used.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Array Synchronization Access array synchronization using the Array pull-down menu (see above section). Synchronization is a periodic maintenance procedure for Mirroring (RAID 1, RAID 0+1) arrays to maintain data consistency on all mirrored drives. In operation, array synchronization compares data on the mirrored drives for any differences. If there are differences detected, data from the primary drive(s) is automatically copied to the secondary drive(s).
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility NOTE: During Array Synchronization, users may continue to access the working array and perform normal PC functions. However, system performance will be slightly degraded and the process will take longer. To halt the Synchronization process, right-click the Array # again. The pull-down menu will appear showing the Stop Synchronize option as shown below.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Rebuild Wizard If there are multiple arrays defined, you must select the proper Array #. Press Next button to proceed to Step 2 of Rebuild Wizard or Cancel button to stop. 1 2 In Step 2 above, you must select the Target drive which will receive data. Make sure you select the blank new or replacement drive. The unselected drive will contain “good” data. It will be the remaining working drive of an array, or a system drive containing existing data that you wish to mirror.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Step 3 confirms the Target or “Rebuild” disk by Array # and drive ID. Click Finish button to initiate physical Rebuild, Back button to review Step 2, or Cancel button to Stop. Rebuild Progress Bar Once Array Rebuild is started, users are returned to the FastCheck Monitoring window.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility To halt the Rebuild process, right-click the Array # again. The pull-down menu will appear showing the Stop Rebuild option as shown below. Once “Stop Rebuild” is selected, you will be asked to verify “Cancel Rebuild?” Click Yes to Stop or No to continue Rebuild.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Controller Window Clicking on the Controller tab, will reveal the Controller Window. This displays physical information about the location of FastTrak66, data channels on the card, and the attached drives.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Controller Channel Information Left-clicking on a given Channel icon or # in the left pane, will show the Base IO addresses of the channel in the right pane: Controller Drive Information Left-clicking on a given Drive icon or ID in the left pane, will show similar information categories as the Array Window Drive Information in the right pane: Status: (Okay, Bad, Offline, Rebuilding) Okay: Means the drive is working normally Bad: A problem has been detected in the drive and t
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Rebuilding: For drives that are part of a mirroring array, this indicates the target drive in the rebuild process. Size: Indicates capacity of individual drive Location: Shows physical location of drive. Indicates on which IDE channel (1 or 2), and whether drive is Master or Slave on cable. This allows user to identify drives for removal/replacement.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Use log file checkbox allows writing operating event logs of the array activity (alerts and status reports) to a given file name and directory. If a file name is used but the path left blank, the default directory is the same as the FastCheck Utility (typically C:\Program Files\Promise\FastTrak66). Use NT system event log checkbox is greyed out under Win 95/98 automatically. Under Win NT it permits user to write array logging to NT’s own event log.
FastCheckTM Monitoring Utility Password Enable checkbox turns on use of Password every time the FastCheck Monitoring Utility icon is selected or the program run from the Start menu. Once checked, a “Set Password” window appears: Once the password feature is enabled, the following menu will appear on each use of FastCheck: Change the Password: First use the original password to return to the FastCheck Monitoring Window. Click on Options tab, then click on the Change button in the Password section.
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Chapter 6 Understanding Disk Array Concepts Disk Array Adapter FastTrak66 is a high performance Ultra ATA/EIDE RAID controller card that features parallel data channel operation and an onboard BIOS. The two channels on the FastTrak66 support parallel operation that allows for overlapped I/O under multi-tasking operating systems and sharing the workload between multiple drives. Adapter BIOS The FastTrak66 card contains a BIOS code that extends the standard disk service routine provided through Int13.
Understanding Disk Array Concepts Disk Array T erms Disk Array Description A “disk array” is formed from a group of 2 or more disk drives which appear to the system as a single drive. The advantage of an array is to provide better throughput performance and/or data fault tolerance. Better performance is accomplished by sharing the workload in parallel among multiple physical drives.
Understanding Disk Array Concepts Supported Disk Array T ypes Striping (RAID 0) Reads and writes sectors of data interleaved between multiple drives. When any disk member fails, it affects the entire array. Performance is better than a single drive since the workload is balanced between the array members. This array type is for high performance systems. Identical drives are recommended for performance as well as data storage efficiency.
Understanding Disk Array Concepts If one of the mirrored drives suffers a mechanical failure (e.g. spindle failure) or does not respond, the remaining drive will continue to function. This is called Fault Tolerance. If one drive has a physical sector error, the mirrored drive will continue to function. On the next reboot, the FastBuildTM utility will display an error in the array and recommend to replace the failed drive.
Understanding Disk Array Concepts A combination of both above array types. It can increase performance by reading and writing data in parallel while protecting data with duplication. A minimum of four drives needs to be installed. With a four-drive disk array, two pairs of drives are striped. Each pair mirrors the data on the other pair of striped drives. The data capacity is similar to a standard Mirroring array with half of total capacity dedicated for redundancy.
Understanding Disk Array Concepts A Spanning disk array (also aptly named as JBOD for “Just a Bunch of Drives”) is equal to the sum of all drives when the drives used are of different capacities. Spanning stores data on to a drive until it is full, then proceeds to store files onto the next drive in the array. There are no additional performance or fault tolerance array features in this array. When any disk member fails, the failure affects the entire array.
Chapter 7 Operating System Installation The FastTrak66 card operates in various operating systems through either onboard BIOS or software drivers. These operating systems are fully supported by the FastTrak onboard BIOS driver: • • • DOS 5.x and above Windows 3.1x Windows for Workgroups 3.1x operation These operating systems have additional driver support provided on the Promise diskette. • Windows 95/98 • Windows NT 3.5x, 4.
Operating System Installation Microsoft Windows 3.1x The Windows 3.1x operating systems are supported by the FastTrak66 onboard BIOS. No additional drivers are required. Once the card is installed and the system rebooted, proceed with partitioning/formatting each FastTrak66 disk array as if it were a physical drive. Microsoft Windows95/98 driver Windows95/98 setup will show a “New Hardware Found” dialog box. Under versions Win95 4.00.950 and 4.00.950A an “Unknown PCI Device” will be detected.
Operating System Installation Windows NT 3.5x and NT 4.0 FastTrak66 supports operation under Windows NT 3.5x and later versions. Driver Installation During Windows NT 3.5x and NT 4.0 Install 1a) Floppy Install: Boot the computer with the Windows NT installation diskettes. 1b) Floppyless Install: Boot from floppy and type “WINNT /B”. After files have been copied, the system will reboot. On the reboot, press when the message “Setup is inspecting your computer’s hardware configuration...” appears.
Operating System Installation 5) One “Insert Diskette” box will appear. Insert the driver diskette into Drive A: and type “a:\” into dialogue box. 6) One “Select OEM Option” box will appear. Select “Promise Technology Inc. FastTrak66 RAID Controller”, click on “OK”. 7) One “Select SCSI Adapter Option” will appear. Click on “Install”. 8) After successful installation, the “SCSI Adapter Setup” box will show that “Promise Technology Inc. FastTrak66 RAID Controller” has been installed.
Operating System Installation Removing the Driver from Windows NT 4.x 1) In “Start” Button choose “Control Panel” in “Setup” group. 2) In “Control Panel,” select “SCSI Adapter,” next choose “Drivers” label 3) Choose “Remove” button. 4) After successful removing, the “SCSI Adapter Setup” box will show that “Promise Technology Inc. FastTrak66 RAID Controller” has been removed.
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Chapter 8 Troubleshooting & T ips The following chapter is used to assist with troubleshooting conflicts and FastTrak66 installation problems. Also refer to the “README.TXT” file on the FastTrak66 driver and utility diskette for more recent information as well as the PromiseOnlineTM services listed in Appendix A.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS Configuring PCI IRQ resources Setting the IRQ for a particular PCI slot will be different depending on the motherboard BIOS. This setting is usually made in the PCI Configuration and/or Plug and Play (PnP) section of the motherboard BIOS setup. There are three common methods that motherboard BIOS’s handle assignment of IRQs to PCI slots: 1) Specifically assigning an IRQ to a particular slot - You can tell the motherboard to use IRQ 10 for PCI slot 1, IRQ 11 for PCI slot 2, etc.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS Critical Status Error during boot If a critical status error appears on the FastTrak66 BIOS startup screen for a mirrored array, there is a drive in the array which has failed or is not responding. The mirrored array has lost its fault tolerance but will still operate Before attempting a recovery, try powering the system off and on to reset the drive. Also confirm that cables are properly attached and the drive is receiving power.
TROUBLESHOOTING & TIPS Tips for Audio/Video Editing Here are some tips that may optimize performance. We also recommend to review your editing card documentation for additional information. Use FastTrak66 as D: or other non-bootable drive in a Striped Array For A/V editing, keep the original system boot drive on the standard IDE controller as C: drive. Partitioning software such as FDISK will see the array as one physical drive, D: drive (or later).
A APPENDIX A Frequently Asked Questions This section lists frequently asked questions involving pre-installation, drive issues, installation, and post-installation. Pre-Installation (Speed, Device T ypes, Capacity , Cabling) Q: What kind of hard drives can I use for a FastTrak66 array? A: You can use any IDE/EIDE hard drive(s) to create arrays on the FastTrak66. You should use matching drives for multiple-drive arrays to maximize capacity usage as well as performance.
A APPENDIX A might be able to affect these assignments is to switch the PCI slot that the card is in. Q: How does the FastT rak/66 RAID contr oller provide storage and/ or data protection with their arrays? A: FastTrak66 implements third different types of RAID levels as follows: RAID 0 (stripe) For capacity -- The FastTrak/66 array will be as big as the smallest HDD in the array times however many HDDs are in the array . Any larger HDDs will simply be truncated.
A APPENDIX A Drive Issues Q: Can I add a drive to a FastTrak66 RAID array via hot-swap and dynamically adjust the array size/configuration? A: No. The FastTrak66 system does not support dynamically adjustable RAID size/configurations. Q: Do the HDDs on the FastT rak/66 have to be the same size? A: The HDDs that you use with the FastTrak/66 do not have to be the same size. If the sizes fer, dif the FastT rak/66 will “adjust” the HDDs so that they are compatible.
A APPENDIX A Q: Do I have to install disk management software on my array in order to access the full storage capacity of drives? A: No! Disk management software would only complicate things. The array should be fully addressable by your O/S as it is. Remember that some operating systems have varying limits on the sizes of partitions and logical drives that can be defined. Consult your O/S documentation about partitioning larger drives.
A APPENDIX A This allows you to set the boot sequence in your BIOS CMOS setup utility to boot from “SCSI” (an add-in controller like the FastTrak66) first, rather than “IDE” (an IDE controller built onto the motherboard or one which effectively replaces it). If there are multiple SCSI add-in controllers in the system, then the boot sequence among them will be determined exclusively by their PCI slot priority. PCI slot #1 will be first, slot #2 second, etc.
A APPENDIX A Q: Why can’t I see the drives on the FastT rak66 under FDISK? A: The FastTrak66 controller is dedicated to RAID array management and does not provide any means of addressing individual hard drives through the Int 13h interface used by FDISK. In order to access drives on the FastTrak66 from MSDOS at all, you must first create a RAID array.
B APPENDIX B Contacting T echnical Support Promise Technical Support provides several support options for Promise users to access information and updates. We encourage using one of our electronic services which provide product information updates for the most efficient service and support. If you decide to contact us, please have the following information available before reaching a Promise Technical Support technician: 1. Product Model & Serial # 2.
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C APPENDIX C Warranty Information Limited W arranty Promise Technology, Inc. (“Promise”) warrants that for two (2) years from the time of the delivery to the original end user of the product, (a) the product will conform to Promise’s specifications, and (b) the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service.
C APPENDIX C other item. You assume full responsibility for selecting products and for ensuring that the products selected are compatible and appropriate for use with other goods with which they will be used. Promise DOES NOT WARRANT that any product is free from errors or that it will interface without any problems with your computer system.
D APPENDIX D Returning a Product for Repair If you suspect the product is not working properly or if you have any questions about your product, Contact our Technical Support Staff through one of our Technical Services with the following: Product Model and Serial# (Required) Return Shipping Address Daytime Phone Number Description of the Problem Copy of original purchase invoice on hand The technician can assist in determining whether the Product requires repair.
D APPENDIX D In repairing the unit(s), Promise may elect to replace parts with new or reconditioned parts, or replace the entire unit with a new or reconditioned unit. In the event of a replacement, the replacement unit will be warranted for the remainder of the two (2) year period for the product or thirty days, whichever is longer. Promise will pay for only standard return shipping charges. You will be required to pay for any shipping options such as express shipment you require.
