A P P E N D I X C |
Using the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility |
The BIOS RAID Configuration utility is a BIOS-based utility that you can use to create and manage controllers, disk drives and other devices, and arrays.
Note - If you are using a SPARC system, you cannot use the BIOS RAID Configuration utility. Instead, use the Sun StorageTek RAID Manager graphical user interface (GUI). For more information, see the Sun StorageTek RAID Manager Software User’s Guide at:
http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/stortek.raid.hba#hic |
This appendix contains the following sections:
The BIOS RAID Configuration utility comprises these tools:
Hot-plugging of hard disk enclosures is not supported from within the BIOS RAID Configuration utility. However, hot-plugging of SAS/SATA hard disk drives (HDDs) is supported, but only within hard disk enclosures and under the following conditions:
Note - Hot-plugging of hard disk drives is NOT supported during periods when the controller is busy performing actions on logical drives (building, rebuilding, or migrating RAID volumes). |
Hot-unplug, removal, of HDDs is supported under the following conditions:
Hot-plug, add, of HDDs is supported under the following conditions:
Hot unplug and plug, replace/reinsert, of HDDs is supported under the following conditions:
a. Remove the selected hard disk drive.
b. Complete a bus scan by using the Rescan Drives option in the ACU.
c. Confirm that the Disk Utility reports the correct configuration of attached target devices
d. Replace/reinsert the hard disk (new or same) into the enclosure slot (same or another unused slot).
e. Complete a bus scan by using the Rescan Drives option in the ACU.
f. Confirm that Disk Utility reports the correct configuration of attached target devices.
This section describes how to start and navigate through the BIOS RAID Configuration utility. The section contains the following subsections:
To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility |
1. If the Sun StorageTek SAS RAID Internal HBA is connected to a RAID enclosure, power on the enclosure (or enclosures) before you power on the computer.
2. Start or restart the computer.
3. When prompted, press Ctrl+A.
During boot up, if your system has insufficient memory the following message will be displayed.
BIOS RAID Configuration Utility will load after system initialization. Please wait... Or press <Enter> Key to attempt loading the utility forcibly [Generally, not recommended] |
Note - The first time you power on the computer after you install a new HBA, the BIOS may display a configuration that doesn’t match the system’s configuration. This is normal behavior. |
To Navigate the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility |
Use the arrows, Enter, Esc, and other keys on your keyboard to navigate through the utility menus.
All the tools within the BIOS RAID Configuration utility are menu-based and instructions for completing tasks are displayed on-screen.
You can use the ACU, a tool of the BIOS RAID Configuration utility, to create and manage arrays. This section contains the following subsections:
To Start the ACU |
1. Start the BIOS RAID Configuration utility.
See To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility.
2. If you have more than one HBA, select the HBA that you want to manage and press Enter.
3. Select Array Configuration Utility and press Enter.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to create and manage arrays, and initialize, rescan, and erase disk drives.
To Create a New Array With the ACU |
1. Select Create Arrays from the main ACU 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 To Initialize Disk Drives With the ACU for more information.)
2. Use the Array Properties menu to modify the RAID level, size, name, stripe size, and caching settings of the array.
Note - For more information about RAID levels and using disk drives to create arrays, see Selecting the Best RAID Level. |
Note - Creating a new array might change the BIOS boot order. Check the BIOS settings to verify the correct boot order. For more information, see Best Practices For Controlling the Boot Order of Logical Drives. |
To Manage Existing Arrays With the ACU |
1. Select Manage Arrays from the main ACU menu.
2. From the Manage Arrays menu, do any of the following:
Note - Failed drives are displayed in a different text color. |
Caution - Before deleting an array, back up the data to avoid permanently losing it. |
To Make an Array Bootable With the ACU |
Note - You may need to change the system BIOS to modify the boot order. For more information, refer to your computer documentation or see Best Practices For Controlling the Boot Order of Logical Drives. |
The Sun StorageTek SAS RAID Internal HBA always uses the lowest numbered array as its bootable array.
1. Select Manage Arrays from the main ACU menu.
2. Select the array that you want to make bootable, then press Ctrl+B.
Note - You cannot make an array bootable while it is building, verifying, or rebuilding. |
The array number changes to Array 00, which makes the array the boot array for the HBA.
To Initialize Disk Drives With the ACU |
If a disk drive is displayed grayed-out (unavailable for use in a new array), it may need to be initialized.
Select Initialize Drives from the main ACU menu.
To Rescan Disk Drives With the ACU |
Select Rescan Drives from the main ACU menu.
To Perform a Secure Erase on Disk Drives With the ACU |
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 not just write zeros.
Performing a secure erase takes up to six times longer than clearing (or zeroing) a disk drive. 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 to format it (see Using the Disk Utilities to Manage Disk Drives) instead, or clear it using Sun StorageTek RAID Manager graphical user interface (GUI)--both options take much less time than the secure erase option. |
Select Secure Erase from the main ACU menu, then select Y (yes).
To return to the main ACU menu once the secure erase has begun, press Esc. The selected disk drive(s) cannot be used until the erase is complete.
To Stop a Secure Erase in Progress With the ACU |
1. From the main ACU window, select Secure Erase.
2. Select the disk drive being secure erased, then press Ctrl+Q.
The secure erase stops and the ACU returns to its main window.
Included in the BIOS RAID Configuration utility is a tool for modifying the settings of the HBA and the disk drives connected to it. This utility is called SerialSelect or SATASelect. This section contains the following subsections:
To Start Using a -Select Utility |
1. Start the BIOS RAID Configuration utility (see To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility), select the -Select utility, and press Enter.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to modify the settings of the HBA and connected disk drives, as required.
To Apply Changes and Exit a -Select Utility |
1. 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.
To Modify General HBA Settings With a -Select Utility |
Note - Default HBA settings are suitable for most computers. Do not change the default settings. |
Select Controller Configuration from the main -Select utility menu and change the settings listed in the following table.
Some options may not be available for the HBA.
Note - Default settings are shown in bold type. |
To Modify SAS-Specific HBA Settings With a -Select Utility |
In addition to the general settings listed onTo Modify General HBA Settings With a -Select Utility, the Sun StorageTek SAS RAID Internal HBA has SAS-specific settings that can be modified if required. (For more information about SAS, see Introduction to Serial Attached SCSI.)
Select PHY Configuration from the SerialSelect main menu and change the settings listed in the following table.
Note - Default settings are shown in bold type. |
You can use the disk utilities, another tool in the BIOS RAID Configuration utility, 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 data on a disk drive. |
This section contains the following subsections:
To Format or Verify a Disk Drive With the Disk Utilities |
1. Start the BIOS RAID Configuration utility.
See To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility.
2. Select the HBA you want, then press Enter.
4. Select the disk drive you want, then press Enter.
5. Select Format Disk or Verify Disk Media.
To Locate Disk Drives With the Disk Utilities |
Note - This feature is only available with disk drives that have an activity LED. |
You can use the Identify Drive feature to physically locate a disk drive by blinking the LED.
1. Start the BIOS RAID Configuration utility.
See To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility.
2. Select the HBA you want, then press Enter.
4. Select the disk drive you want, then press Enter.
5. Select Identify Drive, then press Enter.
6. When you have finished locating your disk drive, press any key to stop the blinking.
To Identify Disk Drives With the Disk Utilities |
You can identify disk drives by viewing the list of disk drives on your system. Only physical drives that display during POST are shown.
1. Start the BIOS RAID Configuration utility.
See To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility.
2. Select the HBA you want, then press Enter.
The Disk Utilities view will provide you with the following information:
The location information of a disk drive is determined by three types of connections:
Note - Devices other than disk drives (CDROM, tape drives, and so on) are listed in order after your system disk drives. |
The BIOS-based event log records all firmware events, such as configuration changes, array creation, and boot activity.
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 BIOS RAID Configuration utility.
See To Start the BIOS RAID Configuration Utility.
2. Select the HBA you want, then press Enter.
3. When the BIOS RAID Configuration utility menu is displayed, then press Ctrl+P.
4. Select Controller Log Information, then press Enter.
Copyright © 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.