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Sun Disk Management Overview For x64 Sun Fire and Sun Blade Series Servers

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Document Information

Preface

1.  Disk Management Solutions

Disk Management Terms

Disk Management Solutions

Types of Disk Controllers

Identifying Your Server's Disk Controller

Identifying Your Disk Controller Using OS Commands

Identifying Your Disk Controller in the Solaris Operating System

Identifying Your Disk Controller in the Linux Operating System

Identifying Your Disk Controller in the Windows Operating System

Upgrading HBA Firmware Using SIA

Using Compact Flash Cards, FMODs, and Solid State Drives

Considerations When Using RAID

For More Information

2.  Disk Management Information Resources

Chapter 1

Disk Management Solutions

This chapter contains overview information about various disk management hardware solutions for Sun x64 servers.

Disk Management Terms

Terms used in this manual are described in the table below. You will also see these terms used in other Sun server documentation to describe disk management solutions.

Disk Management Terms
Term
Description
FMOD
Flash Module. This is flash-based memory module that can be used like a disk for caching local data, or to act as a boot disk.
HBA
Host Bus Adapter. This can refer to an on-board chip (integrated circuit) or to a controller card that plugs into an accessory slot (PCI, PCIe, etc.). A disk storage HBA controls the transfer of data from the host (initiator) to a storage device (target).
Integrated disk controller
A disk controller that is integrated, or comes standard, with the system (on-board integrated circuit, mezzanine board, or preinstalled in an accessory slot from the factory)
PCIe EM
PCIe ExpressModule. An optional I/O interface card with a special form factor that plugs into a blade system chassis ExpressModule slot.
REM
RAID Expansion Module. Disk controller that is installed directly on a blade server module using a proprietary motherboard connector.
RAID
Redundant Array of Independent Disks. Disks configured in a RAID can preserve your data in the event of a disk failure and continue to operate. Information can be mirrored (with two volumes containing the same information), or striped (where information is spread across many disks) in different ways. Disks in a RAID are combined into a single logical unit that can then be partitioned. There are two types of RAID:
  • Software RAID: Included in the operating system. Software RAID functions are handled by the server CPU and can be I/O intensive. To get the best performance, you want a system with available CPU resources to manage the RAID functions. This solution works well for data warehousing and video streaming.

  • Hardware RAID: Included in the HBA. Processor-intensive RAID operations are off-loaded from the server CPU to the RAID controller to enhance performance. Some solutions include a battery-backed write cache that can increase performance and reduce the risk of losing data. This solution works well for web servers and transaction databases. Disk controllers with “RAID” as part of their name provide hardware RAID. For information on RAID levels, see Selecting the Best RAID Level.

SAS
Serially Attached SCSI. Disks that use this technology provide two physical links to each disk, allowing for path redundancy.
SATA
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. Disks that use this technology are less expensive, but only provide one physical link to each drive.
SCSI
Small Computer Systems Interface. Command-based standard inferface created for PCs. This architecture is the basis for SAS.
SSD
Solid State Drive. SSDs utilize flash technology and provide higher data rates, better reliability and use less power than traditional mechanical drives.

Disk Management Solutions

This section describes the different disk management solutions for the Sun x86/x64 servers. It includes the following sections:

Types of Disk Controllers

Sun servers can come with a variety of disk management solutions (or disk controllers). These solutions are used to control either internal or external disks (in some cases, both). There are several types:

Identifying Your Server’s Disk Controller

Disk Controller Support/Feature Matrix  describes where each disk controller is used, how each controller is configured, whether it includes disk management software, and how its firmware is maintained. Note that support for HBA firmware upgrades may also be available through the Sun Solaris, Linux, Windows Installation Assistant (see Upgrading HBA Firmware Using SIA).

Disk Controller Support/Feature Matrix 
Server
Disk Controller
RAID Support
Initial Config. Through:
OS Driver Support
GUI Disk Management Software
CLI Disk Management Tools
Firmware Upgrades Through:
V20z, V40z
On-board chip, LSI SCSI U320
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
Server BIOS
X2100, X2100 M2, X2200 M2
On-board chip, NVIDIA NVRAID SATA controller
Hardware 0, 1
Server BIOS to enable, then HBA BIOS
Windows (optional hardware NVRAID), Solaris, Linux
Server BIOS
X2100 M2, X2200 M2
Optional StorageTek PCIe SAS 4-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIE4SAS3-Z, LSI SAS 1064E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X2250
On-board chip, Intel ESB2 SATA controller
Hardware 0, 1
Server BIOS
Windows (optional hardware RAID), Solaris, Linux
Matrix Storage Manager (Windows)
Server BIOS
X2270
On-board chip, Intel ICH10R SATA controller
Hardware 0, 1
Server BIOS
Windows (optional hardware RAID), Solaris, Linux
Matrix Storage Manager (Windows)
Server BIOS
X2270 M2
On-board chip, Intel ICH10R SATA controller
Hardware 0, 1, 5, 10
Server BIOS
Windows (optional hardware RAID), Solaris, Linux, OVM, ESX
Matrix Storage Manager (Windows)
Server BIOS
X4100, X4100 M2, X4200, X4200 M2
On-board chip, LSI SAS 1064E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
Server BIOS
X4140, X4240, X4440
On-board chip, NVIDIA MCP55 nForce SATA controller
Internal SATA mechanical hard disk drives are not supported.
X4140, X4240, X4440
Optional StorageTek PCIe SAS 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIE8SAS-I-Z, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X4140, X4240, X4440
Optional StorageTek SAS RAID 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIESAS-R-INT-Z, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X4150, X4250, X4450
On-board chip, Intel ESB2 SATA controller
Internal SATA mechanical hard disk drives are not supported.
X4150, X4250, X4450
Optional StorageTek PCIe SAS 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIE8SAS-I-Z, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X4150, X4250, X4450
Optional StorageTek SAS RAID 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIESAS-R-INT-Z, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X4170
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller
RAID is not supported in this configuration.
X4170
Optional StorageTek PCIe SAS 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIE8SAS-I-Z, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X4170
Optional StorageTek SAS RAID 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIESAS-R-INT-Z, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X4170 M2
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller
RAID is not supported in this configuration.
X4170 M2
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS PCIe Internal HBA, SGX-SAS6-INT-Z, LSI Fusion-MPT IR SAS2
Hardware 0, 1, 10
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, OVM, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
sas2ircu
GUI or utility bundled with upgrade
X4170 M2
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS PCIe RAID Internal HBA, SGX-SAS6-R-INT-Z, LSI MegaRAID SAS2
Hardware 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60
HBA WebBIOS, pcli
Solaris, Linux, Windows, OVM, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
megaCLI
GUI or CLI
X4270, X4275
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller
Internal SATA/SAS hard disk and solid-state disk (SSD) drives are not supported with this controller.
X4270, X4275
Optional StorageTek PCIe SAS 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIE8SAS-I-Z, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X4270, X4275
Optional StorageTek SAS RAID 8-Port Internal HBA, SG-XPCIESAS-R-INT-Z, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X4470
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller
Internal SATA/SAS hard disk and solid-state disk (SSD) drives are not supported with this controller.
X4470
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS PCIe Internal HBA, SGX-SAS6-INT-Z, LSI Fusion-MPT IR SAS2
Hardware 0, 1, 10
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
sas2ircu
GUI or utility bundled with upgrade
X4470
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS PCIe RAID Internal HBA, SGX-SAS6-R-INT-Z, LSI MegaRAID SAS2
Hardware 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60
HBA WebBIOS, pcli
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
megaCLI
GUI or CLI
X4500
On-board chip, Marvell SATA G2 controller
Software (OS level)
Server BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
DCM (Windows)
DCM (Linux, Windows), hd tool
Server BIOS
X4540
On-board chip, LSI SAS 1068E (SATA configurations only)
Software (OS level)
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
DCM (Windows)
DCM (Linux, Windows), hd tool
Server BIOS
X4600, X4600 M2
On-board chip, LSI SAS 1064E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
Server BIOS
X4640
On-board chip, LSI SAS 1064E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
Server BIOS
X4800
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller (CPU Module 0 only)
Internal SATA/SAS hard disk and solid-state disk (SSD) drives are not supported with this controller.
X4800
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS REM RAID HBA, SGX-SAS6-R-REM-Z, LSI MegaRAID SAS2 (CPU Module 0 only)
Hardware 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60
HBA WebBIOS, pcli
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
megaCLI
GUI or CLI
X6220
On-board chip, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
Server BIOS
X6240, X6440
On-board chip, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
Server BIOS
X6240, X6440
Optional Sun Blade RAID 0/1 Expansion Module, X4607A, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X6240, X6440
Optional Sun Blade RAID 5 Expansion Module, X4620A, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X6250, X6450
On-board chip, Intel ESB2 SATA controller
Software (OS level)
Server BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
Server BIOS
X6250, X6450
Optional Sun Blade RAID 5 Expansion Module, X4620A, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X6450
Optional Sun Blade RAID 0/1 Expansion Module, X4607A, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X6450
Optional Emulex 4GB Fibre Channel ExpressModule, SG-PCIE2FC-EB4-Z
Based on SAN
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
HBAnyware
emlxadm (Solaris), lputil (Linux, Windows)
HBA utility
X6450
Optional QLogic 4GB Fibre Channel ExpressModule, SG-PCIE2FC-QB4-Z
Based on SAN
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
SANsurfer FC HBA Manager
scli
HBA utility
X6270
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller
Software (OS level)
Server BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
Server BIOS
X6270
Optional Sun Blade RAID 0/1 Expansion Module, X4607A, LSI SAS 1068E
Hardware 0, 1, 1E
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
raidctl (Solaris), cfggen (Windows)
raidctl (Solaris), HBA utility (Linux, Windows)
X6270
Optional Sun Blade RAID 5 Expansion Module, X4620A, Adaptec/Intel-based
Hardware 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5, 5EE, 50, 6, 60
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, ESX
StorageTek RAID Manager
arcconf
GUI or CLI
X6270 M2
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller
Internal SATA/SAS hard disk and solid-state disk (SSD) drives are not supported with this controller.
X6270 M2
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS REM HBA, SGX-SAS6-REM-Z, LSI Fusion-MPT IR SAS2
Hardware 0, 1, 10
HBA BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows, OVM, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
sas2ircu
GUI or utility bundled with upgrade
X6270 M2
Optional Sun Storage 6Gb/s SAS REM RAID HBA, SGX-SAS6-R-REM-Z, LSI MegaRAID SAS2
Hardware 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60
HBA WebBIOS, pcli
Solaris, Linux, Windows, OVM, ESX
MegaRAID Storage Manager
megaCLI
GUI or CLI
X6275
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller (FMOD support)
N/A
Server BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
Server BIOS
X6275
InfiniBand (IB) HCA chip, two 4x QDR (Quad Data Rate) IB ports (one per compute node)
Based on SAN
Server BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
MFT (Mellanox Firmware Tools)
X6275 M2
On-board chip, Intel ICH10 SATA controller (FMOD support)
N/A
Server BIOS
Solaris, Linux, Windows
N/A
N/A
Server BIOS

Identifying Your Disk Controller Using OS Commands

If you are unsure as to which optional controller is in your server, you can use one the operating system methods listed below to identify your installed disk controllers.

Identifying Your Disk Controller in the Solaris Operating System

  1. Open a terminal window and login as root.

    # su -

  2. Enter the following command:

    # /usr/sbin/prtconf -D

    An example of the output on a server with an LSI Fusion-MPT disk controller might look like:

    System Configuration:  Sun Microsystems  i86pc
    Memory size: 32768 Megabytes
    System Peripherals (Software Nodes):
    i86pc (driver name: rootnex)
    scsi_vhci, instance #0 (driver name: scsi_vhci)
    isa, instance #0 (driver name: isa)
     asy, instance #0 (driver name: asy)
     motherboard
    pci, instance #0 (driver name: npe)
     pci10de,cb84
     pci10de,cb84
     pci10de,cb84
     pci10de,cb84, instance #0 (driver name: ohci)
     device, instance #0 (driver name: usb_mid)
     keyboard, instance #0 (driver name: hid)
     mouse, instance #1 (driver name: hid)
     pci10de,cb84, instance #0 (driver name: ehci)
     hub, instance #0 (driver name: hubd)
     pci10de,370, instance #0 (driver name: pci_pci)
     display, instance #0 (driver name: vgatext)
     pci10de,cb84, instance #0 (driver name: nge)
     pci10de,cb84, instance #1 (driver name: nge)
     pci10de,377, instance #0 (driver name: pcie_pci)
     pci1000,1000, instance #0 (driver name: mpt) <--LSI CONTROLLER
     sd, instance #0 (driver name: sd)
     sd, instance #1 (driver name: sd)

Identifying Your Disk Controller in the Linux Operating System

  1. Open a terminal window and login as root.

    # su -

  2. Enter the following command:

    # lspci

    An example of the output for a server that includes an NVIDIA SATA disk controller might look like:

    00:00.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP55 Memory Controller (rev a2)
    00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP55 LPC Bridge (rev a3)
    00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP55 SMBus (rev a3)
    00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP55 USB Controller (rev a1)
    00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP55 USB Controller (rev a2)
    00:04.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP55 IDE (rev a1)
    00:05.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP55 SATA Controller (rev a3) <-- NVIDIA CONTROLLER
    00:05.1 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP55 SATA Controller (rev a3)
    00:06.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP55 PCI bridge (rev a2)
    00:06.1 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP55 High Definition Audio (rev a2)

Identifying Your Disk Controller in the Windows Operating System

  1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click the System icon, and then do one of the following:
    • If your OS is Windows Server 2003, select the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.

    • If your OS is Windows Server 2008, click Device Manager.

  3. Scroll down the list of hardware types, and then do one of the following:
    • If your OS is Windows Server 2003, double-click “SCSI and RAID Host Bus Adapter”.

    • If your OS is Windows Server 2008, double-click “Storage Controller”.

    An example showing an LSI 1068E on-board chip can be seen in Example of Device Manager Listing.


    Example of Device Manager Listing
    Graphic showing an example of a Device Manager listing.

Upgrading HBA Firmware Using SIA

For most x86/x64 servers, the Sun Installation Assistant (SIA) provides, among other things, operating system deployment and a means for upgrading system firmware and BIOS code. The program also supports HBA firmware upgrades on a variety of optional HBA cards. Support for HBA firmware upgrades is server-dependant and not available for all server models.

For more on SIA, including supported servers, go to: http://www.sun.com/systemmanagement/sia.jsp

Using Compact Flash Cards, FMODs, and Solid State Drives

Some servers support the use of compact flash cards, flash modules (FMods), or Solid State Drives (SSD) as storage options. Check your server’s installation guide to see if these devices are supported.

Compact flash cards use their own special controlling circuitry which is integrated on the server’s mother board, configurable through the server BIOS as an IDE drive, and is presented to the operating system as storage device. These cards act like flash cards in a camera, are small, and can be formatted like a disk. If you want to put a bootable operating system on it, check your server’s operating system installation instructions to see which operating systems are supported and how best to optimize its performance and longevity.

Flash modules (FMods) use a mini-DIMM format and have their own special controlling circuitry which is integrated on the server’s mother board, configurable through the server BIOS as a SATA drive, and is presented to the operating system as storage device. These modules combine speed, efficient power usage, and greater longevity than flash cards for high IO operations, including data caching. If you want to put a bootable operating system on it, check your server’s operating system installation instructions to see which operating systems are supported and how best to optimize its performance.

Solid State Drives (SSD) are available on some servers as options. SSDs utilize flash technology and provide higher data rates, better reliability and use less power than mechanical drives. SSDs are configured, formatted and managed just like a SATA hard disk, using the server’s integrated SATA disk controller. Rules for mixing SSD drives with other types of drives (SATA or SAS hard disk drives) varies from server to server. Check the documentation for your server for specific rules on installing and using SSDs.

Considerations When Using RAID

Depending on your disk controller, there are several possibilities and levels of support for using RAID. An important consideration during the initial setup of your system is whether you intend to include your boot disk as part of a RAID.

When using hardware RAID, if you intend to include your boot disk in an array, you must configure it using the HBA BIOS configuration program before installing your operating system. Other disks that you plan to include in the array can be added later, using the disk controller’s OS-level application software.


Note - If you have an Adaptec-based RAID disk controller, any disk drives that you do not intend to include in an array must be configured as single-disk volumes using the RAID controller’s BIOS configuration utility before the operating system will see them.


The following table includes general information on how to select the appropriate RAID level for the logical drives on your storage space, based on the number of available disk drives and your requirements for performance and reliability. The RAID levels supported by each HBAs varies. Consult your HBA documentation for supported RAID levels.


Note - Disk drive usage, read performance, and write performance depend on the number of drives in the logical drive and the design of the HBA. In general, the more drives, the better the performance.


Selecting the Best RAID Level
RAID Level
Redundancy
Disk Drive Usage
Read/Write Performance
Built-in Hot Spare
Minimum Disk Drives
Application
0
No
100%
High/High
No
2
High-end systems, data logging, rendering in real-time, applications that use transitory data
1
Yes (single disk failure)
50%
Medium/ Medium
No
2
Operating systems, transactional database
1E
Yes (single disk failure)
50%
Medium/ Medium
No
3
Operating systems, transactional databases
10
Yes (single disk failure per sub-array)
50%
Medium/ Medium
No
4
High performance databases, application servers
5
Yes (single disk failure)
67-94%
High/Low
No
3
Data warehousing, web serving, archiving
5EE
Yes (single disk failure)
50-88%
High/Low
Yes
4
Data warehousing, web serving, archiving
50
Yes (single disk failure per sub-array)
67-94%
High/Low
No
6
Large databases, file servers, application servers
6
Yes (up to double disk failure)
50-88%
Medium/ Low
No
4
Data archive/backup-to-disk, high availability solutions, servers requiring large capacity
60
Yes (up to double disk failure per sub-array)
50-88%
Medium/ Low
No
8
Data archive/backup-to-disk, high availability solutions, servers requiring large capacity

For More Information

For information about obtaining documentation and software, proceed to the next chapter.