HP SC40Ge Host Bus Adapter
Reference Guide
Part Number 453010-001
September 2007 (First Edition)
© Copyright 2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express
warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP
shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Audience assumptions
This document is for the person who installs, administers, and troubleshoots servers and storage systems.
HP assumes you are qualified in the servicing of computer equipment and trained in recognizing hazards
in products with hazardous energy levels.
Contents
Configuration and operation .......................................................................................................... 4
About the adapter ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Starting the SAS BIOS configuration utility .................................................................................................... 4
Creating a RAID 0 volume.......................................................................................................................... 5
Creating a RAID 1 volume.......................................................................................................................... 6
Viewing RAID volume properties ................................................................................................................. 7
Managing an array ................................................................................................................................... 7
Managing hot spares ....................................................................................................................... 7
Synchronizing an array .................................................................................................................... 8
Activating an array.......................................................................................................................... 8
Deleting an array ............................................................................................................................ 8
Moving an array ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Locating a disk drive.................................................................................................................................. 9
Selecting a boot disk ................................................................................................................................. 9
Configuration utility screens ........................................................................................................................ 9
Adapter List screen ........................................................................................................................ 10
Adapter Properties screen............................................................................................................... 10
RAID Properties screen ................................................................................................................... 11
SAS Topology screen ..................................................................................................................... 14
Device Properties screen................................................................................................................. 14
Exit Menu screen ........................................................................................................................... 16
Acronyms and abbreviations........................................................................................................ 18
Contents
3
Configuration and operation
About the adapter
The HP SC40Ge Host Bus Adapter preinstalled in the server is a low-profile, 64-bit PCIe adapter that
supports SAS transfer rates up to 3 Gb/s and SATA transfer rates up to 1.5 Gb/s. You can configure up
to two RAID volumes of ten drives each on this adapter by using the SAS BIOS configuration utility, as
described in the remaining sections of this guide.
Physical drive failures and other critical events for this adapter are identified only on the HP System
Management Homepage and are not recorded in the IML.
For more information about the features, specifications, and compatibility of the adapter, see the
QuickSpecs on the product-specific page of the HP website (http://www.hp.com).
You can download the latest drivers for this adapter from the product-specific page of the HP website.
Starting the SAS BIOS configuration utility
SAS BIOS 6.xx, with the SAS BIOS configuration utility, enables you to change the default configuration
of SAS host adapters. The default configuration might need to be changed if the adapter conflicts with
other devices or if system performance needs optimization.
The version number of the SAS BIOS appears during boot. If the configuration utility is available, the
following message also appears:
Press F8 to start LSI Logic Configuration Utility...
The exact key sequence required to start the utility might vary for different versions of the utility.
This message remains on the screen for 5 seconds, giving you time to start the utility. If you start the utility,
the screen displays the following message:
Please wait, invoking LSI Logic Configuration Utility...
After a pause, the SAS BIOS configuration utility opens.
The following messages might appear during the boot process:
•
Adapter removed from boot order!
This message appears when an adapter was removed from the system or was relocated behind a
PCI bridge.
•
Adapter configuration may have changed, reconfiguration is suggested!
This message appears when the information in the NVRAM is invalid.
•
Updating adapter list!
This message appears when fewer than four adapters are in the boot-order list, and more adapters
exist than are shown.
Configuration and operation 4
The SAS BIOS configuration utility can detect devices that the SAS BIOS cannot control (for example, tape
drives and scanners). However, the configuration utility can still be used to modify certain parameters for
these devices.
Creating a RAID 0 volume
In a RAID 0 volume, data is striped across multiple disk drives, combining the drives into one logical
volume. This procedure maximizes storage capacity and performance.
When selecting drives for the RAID 0 volume, remember the following limitations:
•
Every drive in the volume must be the same type, either SAS or SATA.
•
Each drive must have 512-byte blocks.
•
Drives with removable media are not supported.
•
The volume must have at least two drives but no more than eight drives.
•
RAID 0 volumes cannot have hot-spare drives, so data is unprotected against drive failure.
To create a RAID 0 volume:
1.
On the Adapter List screen, select an adapter.
2.
On the Adapter Properties screen, select RAID Properties.
3.
o
If the adapter has a configured volume, the View Array screen appears. Press the C key to create
a new volume.
o
If the adapter does not yet have a configured volume, the Select New Array Type screen
appears.
On the Select New Array Type screen, select Create RAID 0 Volume.
The Create New Array screen appears. This screen lists the drives that you can use to create the
RAID 0 volume.
4.
Identify a drive that you want to use in the RAID volume, and then move the cursor to the RAID Disk
column for that drive.
5.
Press the + key, – key, or spacebar.
The No in the RAID Disk field changes to Yes, and the value in the Array Size field changes to
reflect the new size of the volume.
6.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each drive that you want to use in the RAID volume.
7.
Confirm that the configuration of the RAID volume is exactly as you want it. You cannot change the
configuration after the utility has created the array.
8.
Press the C key.
9.
Select Save changes.
The configuration utility pauses while it creates the array. When array creation is complete, the
Adapter Properties screen appears.
10.
(Optional) To set this RAID 0 volume as the boot volume, select the SAS Topology option on the
Adapter Properties screen and then, on the SAS Topology screen, set the boot volume. For more
information, see "Selecting a boot disk (on page 9)."
Configuration and operation 5
Creating a RAID 1 volume
In a RAID 1 volume, data is mirrored from one disk drive to another one. This procedure increases
reliability by providing protection against the failure of a single drive.
You can provide additional protection by configuring a RAID 1 volume with a hot spare. If a drive fails in
such a configuration, data that was on the failed drive is rebuilt to the hot spare from the mirrored drive.
When selecting drives for the RAID 1 volume, remember the following limitations:
•
Every drive in the volume must be the same type, either SAS or SATA.
•
Each drive must have 512-byte blocks.
•
Drives with removable media are not supported.
•
A RAID 1 volume must have two drives (three if you use a hot spare).
To create a RAID 1 volume:
1.
On the Adapter List screen, select an adapter.
2.
On the Adapter Properties screen, select RAID Properties.
3.
o
If the adapter has a configured volume, the View Array screen appears. Press the C key to create
a new volume.
o
If the adapter does not yet have a configured volume, the Select New Array Type screen
appears.
On the Select New Array Type screen, select Create RAID 1 Volume.
The Create New Array screen appears. This screen lists the drives that you can use to create the
RAID 1 volume.
4.
Identify a drive that you want to use in the RAID volume, and then move the cursor to the RAID Disk
column for that drive.
5.
Press the + key, – key, or spacebar.
The No in the RAID Disk field changes to Yes, and the value in the Array Size field changes to
reflect the new size of the volume.
When you add the first drive, the utility prompts you to keep any existing data on that drive or
overwrite it.
6.
o
To keep existing data, press the M key.
o
To overwrite existing data, press the D key.
(Optional) To add a hot spare, move the cursor to the Hot Spr column and press the + key, – key, or
spacebar.
An adapter can have only one hot spare, which generally acts as a global hot spare for all volumes
on the adapter. However, if you configure an adapter with one SAS RAID 1 volume, one SATA RAID
1 volume, and a SAS drive as the hot spare, the hot spare is available only for the SAS volume.
7.
Press the C key.
8.
Select Save Changes.
The configuration utility pauses while it creates the array. When array creation is complete, the utility
displays the Adapter Properties screen.
Configuration and operation 6
9.
(Optional) To set this RAID 1 volume as the boot volume, select the SAS Topology option on the
Adapter Properties screen and then, on the SAS Topology screen, set the boot volume. For more
information, see "Selecting a boot disk (on page 9)."
Viewing RAID volume properties
1.
On the Adapter List screen, select an adapter.
2.
On the Adapter Properties screen, select RAID Properties. The View Array screen is displayed,
showing the properties of the first volume on the adapter.
3.
If the adapter has more than one volume configured, view the properties of the next array by
pressing Alt+N.
Managing an array
1.
On the Adapter List screen, select an adapter.
2.
On the Adapter Properties screen, select RAID Properties.
3.
On the View Array screen, select Manage Array.
The Manage Array screen appears, displaying the following options:
4.
o
Manage Hot Spare ("Managing hot spares" on page 7)
o
Synchronize Array ("Synchronizing an array" on page 8)
o
Activate Array ("Activating an array" on page 8)
o
Delete Array ("Deleting an array" on page 8)
Select an option from the list, and follow the prompts that are presented for that option on the screen
that appears.
Managing hot spares
The Manage Hot Spare screen enables you to add hot spares to RAID 1 volumes and to remove hot
spares. An adapter can have only one hot spare, which generally acts as a global hot spare for all RAID
1 volumes on the adapter. However, if you configure an adapter with one SAS RAID 1 volume, one SATA
RAID 1 volume, and a SAS drive as the hot spare, the hot spare is available only for the SAS volume.
To add or remove a hot spare:
1.
On the Manage Array screen, select Manage Hot Spare.
2.
Perform one of the following actions:
o
To remove a hot spare, move the cursor to the hot spare and then press the + key, – key, or
spacebar.
o
To add a hot spare, move the cursor to a suitable disk in the list and then press the + key, - key,
or space bar. (A drive can be used as a hot spare only if it is a valid RAID drive. For information
about the limitations, see "Creating a RAID 1 volume (on page 6)".)
3.
Press the C key.
4.
Select Save changes.
5.
Exit the Manage Hot Spare screen to enable the changes.
The configuration utility pauses while the hot-spare configuration is changed.
Configuration and operation 7
Synchronizing an array
When a RAID 1 volume is synchronized, the data on the secondary drive of the mirror is updated by
copying changed data from the primary drive.
To start a synchronization, select Synchronize Array on the Manage Array screen, and then press Y. (To
cancel a synchronization, press N.)
Activating an array
An array becomes inactive if, for example, it is removed from one controller or computer and moved to
another one. The Activate Array option enables an inactive array that has been added to a system to be
reactivated. This option is only available when the selected array is currently inactive.
To activate an array, select Activate Array on the Manage Array screen, and then press Y. (To cancel the
activation, press N.)
After a pause the array becomes active.
Deleting an array
CAUTION: To avoid loss of data, back up all data before deleting the array.
To delete an array, select Delete Array on the Manage Array screen, and then press Y. (To cancel the
deletion, press N).
When a volume has been deleted, it cannot be recovered. When a RAID 1 volume is deleted, the data is
preserved on the primary disk. The master boot records of other disks in the array are deleted. For other
RAID types, the master boot records of all disks are deleted.
Moving an array
When you remove an array and install it into another system (or reinstall it into the same system), the
array is initially inactive and must be reactivated ("Activating an array" on page 8). If the moved or
reinstalled volume is the boot volume, the system displays a non-system disk message when it is restarted
because it cannot boot until the array is reactivated. To get the system to boot:
1.
Restart the system.
2.
Press the F8 key when prompted during system initialization. The BIOS configuration utility opens to
the Adapter List screen.
3.
Select the adapter.
4.
Select RAID Properties>Manage Array>Activate Array.
5.
Press the Y key.
6.
Restart the system.
If you install a RAID 1 array with a hot spare onto an adapter that already has an active RAID 1 array
and a hot spare, the SAS Topology screen reports the status of the hot spare in the added array as Not
Responding. This status is assigned because an adapter can have only one hot spare.
To change the status of the added hot-spare drive:
Configuration and operation 8
1.
Restart the system.
2.
Press the F8 key when prompted during system initialization. The BIOS configuration utility opens to
the Adapter List screen.
3.
Select the adapter.
4.
Select RAID Properties>Manage Array>Manage Hot Spare.
5.
Delete the second hot spare.
The SAS Topology screen then reports the drive as Responding.
Locating a disk drive
There are two ways to physically locate a disk drive:
•
On the Create New Array screen, the drive locator LED is on when a drive is selected to be part of a
RAID volume. When the RAID volume is created, or the drive is deselected from the volume, the
locator LED is off.
•
On the SAS Topology screen, move the cursor to the drive, and then press Enter. The locator LED on
the drive remains lit until another key is pressed.
Selecting a boot disk
To select a boot disk:
1.
On the Adapter List screen, select an adapter.
2.
On the Adapter Properties screen, select SAS Topology. The SAS Topology screen is displayed. If
selection of a boot device is supported, the Alt+B option is listed at the bottom of the screen. If a
device is currently configured as the boot device, the Device Info column displays the word Boot.
o
To remove the boot disk designator, move the cursor to the current boot disk and press Alt+B.
The adapter no longer has a designated boot device.
o
To select a boot disk, move the cursor to the disk, and press Alt+B. The selected disk moves to
scan ID 0 on the next boot and remains at this position. There can be only one boot disk.
Configuration utility screens
All SAS BIOS configuration utility screens contain the following areas, starting at the top of the screen:
•
Header—Identifies the utility and version number.
•
Menu—Displays the title of the current screen and also identifies the adapter on screens other than
the Adapter List screen.
•
Main area—The main area for presenting data. This area has a cursor for item selection, and
horizontal and vertical scroll bars if necessary.
•
Footer—Provides general help information text.
Configuration and operation 9
Adapter List screen
The Adapter List screen is the first screen to appear when the SAS BIOS configuration utility opens. This
screen provides information about each adapter installed in the system.
If the host bus adapter is configured as the active boot controller in RBSU, you can perform the following
actions:
•
Change the position of an adapter in the boot-order sequence by moving the cursor to the Boot
Order field of the adapter, and then pressing the - or + key.
•
Add an adapter to the Boot Order list by moving the cursor to the Boot Order field of the adapter,
and then pressing the Ins key.
•
Remove an adapter from the Boot Order list by moving the cursor to the Boot Order field of the
adapter, and then pressing the Del key.
You are prompted to save the changes before exiting the screen.
The Adapter List screen is the gateway to the rest of the utility through the Adapter Properties screen (on
page 10). To access the Adapter Properties screen, select a listed adapter, and then press the Enter key.
Adapter Properties screen
The Adapter Properties screen provides information about the adapter, and gives access to other screens
that enable you to configure or manage a RAID volume or to view information about devices connected to
the adapter.
•
To configure or manage a RAID volume, move the cursor to the RAID Properties field, and then press
the Enter key.
Configuration and operation 10
•
To view information about devices connected to the adapter, move the cursor to the SAS Topology
field, and then press the Enter key.
RAID Properties screen
One of the following screens is displayed when the RAID Properties link on the Adapter Properties screen
is selected:
•
If no RAID volumes are currently configured, the Select New Array Type screen is displayed.
•
If at least one RAID volume is currently configured, the View Array screen is displayed.
Select New Array Type screen
This screen describes the types of RAID volumes that can be created. Move the cursor to either the Create
Raid 1 Volume field or the Create Raid 0 Volume field, and then press Enter to display the Create New
Array screen.
Configuration and operation 11
Create New Array screen
Use the Create New Array screen to select the disk drives for the new array.
For a RAID 1 volume, choose one of the following options when adding the first disk:
•
To keep the existing data and migrate to a RAID 1 array, press M. Disk synchronization occurs.
CAUTION: Pressing D deletes the data on all disks in the array.
•
To overwrite existing data and create a new RAID 1 array, press D. No synchronization occurs.
After the volume is configured, press C to create the array. When array creation is complete, the utility
returns to the Adapter Properties screen.
View Array screen
The View Array screen displays the current array configuration and provides access to the Manage Array
screen.
•
To view the next array, press Alt+N.
•
To perform management tasks on this array, move the cursor to the Manage Array field, and then
press Enter.
Configuration and operation 12
•
To create a new array, press C.
Manage Array screen
The Manage Array screen enables you to add or remove hot spares, synchronize an array, activate an
array, or delete an array.
Configuration and operation 13
SAS Topology screen
The SAS Topology screen provides basic information about each device connected to the adapter and
provides the ability to identify the physical device in the system that corresponds to a device in the list.
Scroll horizontally to view all the information listed for a device. To access this screen, select the SAS
Topology link on the Adapter Properties screen.
•
To view detailed information about a device, move the cursor to the appropriate Device Identifier
field, and then press Alt+D. The Device Properties screen is displayed.
•
To identify the physical device corresponding to a listed device, move the cursor to the appropriate
Device Identifier field, and then press Enter. The locator LED on the device is lit.
•
To clear Device Mappings for missing devices, press C at any time while on this screen.
Device Properties screen
The Device Properties screen displays information about a specific device. To access this screen, press
Alt+D when the cursor is in the Device Identifier field of a device on the SAS Topology screen.
•
To move to the next device, press Alt+N.
Configuration and operation 14
•
To move back to the previous device, press Alt+P.
This screen also provides access to the Format and Verify screens. To reach either of these screens, move
the cursor to the appropriate field, and then press Enter.
Device Format screen
Use the Format screen to format a particular device. To access this screen, press Enter in the appropriate
field on the Device Properties screen.
CAUTION: After a format is started it cannot be paused or cancelled.
To begin the format, press F.
The formatting procedure sets the sector size to 512 bytes, even if the drive was previously formatted to
another sector size. This is the only sector size that the SAS BIOS configuration utility supports on RAID
volumes.
Configuration and operation 15
Device Verify screen
Use the Device Verify screen to verify a particular device. To access this screen, press Enter in the
appropriate field on the Device Properties screen.
Press Enter to begin the verify process. Press Esc to cancel the verify process at any time.
If the logical block addresses (LBAs) can be reassigned or must be reassigned, the following prompt
appears after pressing Enter:
Reassign the block?
(Yes, No, All, nonE, Cancel)
The reassignment options are as follows:
•
Yes—Reassign only this block. If another block must be reassigned in the future, display the prompt
again.
•
No—Do not reassign this block. If another block must be reassigned in the future, display the prompt
again.
•
All—Reassign the current block, and automatically reassign other blocks that must be reassigned,
without displaying the prompt again.
•
nonE—Do not reassign the current block, and do not automatically reassign any other blocks that
must be reassigned. Do not display the prompt again.
•
Cancel—Do not reassign any blocks and stop the verify process.
Exit Menu screen
The SAS BIOS configuration utility must be exited properly because some changes take effect only during
the exit process.
Configuration and operation 16
To access the Exit Menu screen, press Esc from any screen in the utility.
If an option is not relevant or not available, it is deactivated.
Configuration and operation 17
Acronyms and abbreviations
IML
Integrated Management Log
LBA
logical block addressing
NVRAM
non-volatile memory
RBSU
ROM-Based Setup Utility
SAS
serial attached SCSI
SATA
serial ATA
Acronyms and abbreviations
18