Dell Poweredge Raid Controller H700 Owners Manual User’s Guide

2014-11-13

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PERC7.2_UG.book Page 1 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Dell PowerEdge RAID
Controller (PERC) H700
and H800

User’s Guide

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 2 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if
instructions are not followed.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal
injury, or death.

____________________
Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.
© 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.
is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell™, the DELL logo, PowerEdge™, PowerVault™, CacheCade™,
and OpenManage™ are trademarks of Dell Inc. Intel® is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation
in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows Server®, MS-DOS®, and Windows
Vista® are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries. Red Hat Enterprise Linux®, and Enterprise Linux® are registered trademarks
of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Novell® and SUSE ™ are registered
trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. VMware®is a registered trademark
of VMWare, Inc. in the United States or other countries.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this publication to refer to either the entities claiming
the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and
trade names other than its own.
Model UCP-70, UCPM-70, and UCP-71
March 2011

Rev. A02

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Contents
1

Safety Instructions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

General Safety Instructions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Working Inside Your System

. . . . . . . . . . .

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Overview

12
12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions .
PCI Architecture

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Operating System Support .
RAID Description

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary of RAID Levels .
RAID Terminology .

. . . . . .

Battery Disposal .

Storage Controller Features

. . . . . . . . . .

Physical Disk Power Management .

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the SMART Feature .
Initializing Virtual Disks .

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

Background Initialization of Virtual Disks
Full Initialization of Virtual Disks

Fast Initialization of Virtual Disks .

. . . . . . . . .

Contents

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Consistency Checks
Disk Roaming.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Disk Migration .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created
on PERC 6 and H200 Cards . . . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Migrating Virtual Disks From PERC 6 or
H200 to PERC H700 and H800 . . . . . .
Virtual Disk Write Cache Policies .

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Write-Back and Write-Through.
Conditions Under Which
Write-Back is Employed

Conditions Under Which
Write-Through is Employed .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Conditions Under Which Forced Write-Back
With No Battery is Employed . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reconfiguring Virtual Disks

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Using Persistent Hot Spare Slots .
Physical Disk Hot Swapping

Failed Physical Disk Detection
Redundant Path With Load
Balancing Support . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using Replace Member and
Revertible Hot Spares . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Controller Cache Preservation

. . . . . . . . . . .

Cache Preservation With Battery.

Contents

36
37

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cache Data Recovery .

. . . . . . . . .

Cache Preservation With
Non-Volatile Cache (NVC)
Battery Learn Cycle .

. . .

Virtual Disk Read Cache Policies

Fault Tolerance Features .

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Patrol Read .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing and Configuring Hardware .
Installing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters

. . . .

. . . . . .

Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters .

. . . . .

Removing and Installing the PERC H700 Modular
Card in Dell Blade Systems . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . .

. . . . . . . .

Installing the DIMM on a PERC H700

. . . . . . . . . .

Replacing the BBU on a PERC H700 .

. . . . . . . . . .

Removing the TBBU or TNVC From a
PERC H800 Adapter . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700.

Replacing the Battery and Battery Cable Onto
the DIMM of a PERC H800 Adapter . . . . . .
Installing the TBBU or TNVC on a
PERC H800 Adapter . . . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Transferring a TBBU or TNVC Between
PERC H800 Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

Setting up Redundant Path Support on the
PERC H800 Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

Reverting From Redundant Path Support to Single
Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter . . . . . .

Driver Installation

63
64

. .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Windows Drivers .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creating the Driver Media

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

69
69

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Pre-Installation Requirements

. . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2003
Operating System Installation. . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2008,
Windows Server 2008 R2 Installation . . . . . . .

. . . . . .

Installing Windows Server 2008,
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2003 for a New RAID Controller .

Updating Existing Windows Server 2008,
Windows Server 2008 R2,
Windows Server 2003 . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Linux Driver .

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Operating System Using the DUD . .

. . . . . . . .

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Using the Driver Update Diskette . . . .

Installing Solaris Driver

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Solaris 10 on a PowerEdge System
Booting From a PERC H700 or H800 Card . . .
Adding or Updating the Driver
to an Existing System . . . . .

. . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Configuring and Managing RAID .
Dell OpenManage Storage Management
BIOS Configuration Utility

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Menu Navigation Controls
Setting Up Virtual Disks .

Contents

81
81

Exiting the Configuration Utility .

Virtual Disk Management

. . . . .

. . . . . . . .

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility .

. . . . . .

Installing the RPM Package
With DKMS Support . . . .

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Creating Virtual Disks .

Initializing Virtual Disks .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Checking Data Consistency

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations
Using the Foreign Configuration View Screen
Managing Preserved Cache

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations
Using the VD Mgmt Menu . . . . . . . . . .

. . .

. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Managing Dedicated Hot Spares.

. . . . . . . . .

Deleting Virtual Disks .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Deleting Disk Groups .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clearing the Configuration

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

108

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

108

Physical Disk Management
Setting LED Blinking

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

BIOS Configuration Utility Menu Options.

Creating Global Hot Spares.

109

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Removing Global or Dedicated Hot Spares
Replacing an Online Physical Disk

. . . .

109

. . . . . . . . .

110

Stopping Background Initialization .

. . . . . . . .

111

Performing a Manual Rebuild of an
Individual Physical Disk . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

111

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

112

Controller Management

Enabling Boot Support
Enabling Auto Import .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

113

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

113

Restoring Factory Default Settings .

CacheCade

CacheCade Virtual Disk Characteristics

114

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Configuring and Managing
CacheCade Virtual Disks .

112

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Enabling BIOS Stop on Error

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

115

. . . . . . . .

115

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

116

Contents

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CacheCade Virtual Disk Management

. . . . . .

116

Create CacheCade Virtual Disk .

. . . . . . . . .

116

Delete CacheCade Virtual Disk .

. . . . . . . . .

118

Reconfiguring CacheCade Virtual Disks

. . . . .

Security Key and RAID Management .

. . .

121

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

121

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

121

Security Key Implementation
Configuring and Managing
Secured Virtual Disks . . .

BIOS Configuration Utility
Security Menu Options . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

121

Security Key Management

. . . . . . . . . . . .

122

Creating Secured Virtual Disks .

. . . . . . . . .

Securing Pre-Existing Virtual Disks .

. . . . . . .

Importing or Clearing Secured Foreign
Configurations and Secure Disk Migration .
Instant Secure Erase

126
128

. . . . . . . . .

128

. . . . . . . . . .

128

Failure to Select or Configure Non
Self-Encrypting Disks (non-SED) .
Failure to Delete Security Key

. . . . . . . .

129

. . . . . . . . . .

129

Failure to Instant Secure Erase
Task on Physical Disks . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

129

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

131

Post Error Messages .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Degraded State of Virtual Disks .
Memory Errors

Contents

126

. . .

Secured Foreign Import Errors

Troubleshooting .

125

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Troubleshooting Security Key Errors

118

131

. . . . . . . . . . .

141

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

141

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Preserved Cache State
General Issues .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

142

Physical Disk Related Issues

Physical Disk Failures and Rebuild Issues
SMART Errors

. . . . . . .

144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

146

Replace Member Errors

Disk Carrier LED Indicators

A Regulatory Notices

147

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Linux Operating System Errors

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

148

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

151

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

B Corporate Contact Details
(Taiwan Only) . . . . . . . . . .

153

. . . . . . . . . .

155

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

157

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

175

Glossary
Index

143

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

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Contents

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 11 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Safety Instructions

Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect
your system and working environment from potential damage.

WARNING: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is incorrectly installed.
Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer. See "Battery Disposal" on page 13.
NOTE: For complete information on U.S. Terms and Conditions of Sale, Limited Warranties
and Returns, Export Regulations, Software License Agreement, Safety, Environmental and
Ergonomic Instructions, Regulatory Notices, and Recycling Information, see the Safety,
Environmental and Regulatory Information (SERI), End User License Agreement (EULA), and
Warranty and Support Information (WSI) that shipped with your system.

General Safety Instructions
•

Observe and follow service markings. Do not service any product except as explained in
your user documentation. Opening or removing covers that are marked with the triangular
symbol with a lightning bolt may expose you to electrical shock. Components inside the
compartments must be serviced only by a trained service technician.

•

If any of the following conditions occur, unplug the product from the electrical outlet, and
replace the part or contact your trained service provider:
–

The power cable, extension cable, or plug is damaged.

–

An object has fallen in the product.

–

The product has been exposed to water.

–

The product has been dropped or damaged.

–

The product does not operate correctly when you follow the operating instructions.

•

Use the product only with approved equipment.

•

Operate the product only from the type of external power source indicated on the
electrical ratings label. If you are not sure of the type of power source required, consult
your service provider or local power company.

•

Handle batteries carefully. Do not disassemble, crush, puncture, short external contacts,
dispose of in fire or water, or expose batteries to temperatures higher than 60° Celsius
(140° Fahrenheit). Do not attempt to open or service batteries; replace batteries only with
batteries designated for the product.

Safety Instructions

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 12 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

When Working Inside Your System
Before you remove the system covers, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated:

CAUTION: Except as expressly otherwise instructed in Dell documentation, only trained
service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the
components inside the system.
CAUTION: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after
turning off the system before removing a component from the system board or disconnecting
a peripheral device.
1 Turn off the system and any connected devices.
2 Disconnect your system and devices from their power sources. To reduce the potential of
personal injury or shock, disconnect any telecommunication lines from the system.

3 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis before touching
anything inside the system.

4 While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the chassis to dissipate any
static electricity that might harm internal components.

In addition, take note of the following safety guidelines when appropriate:
•

When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the
cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs. If you are disconnecting this
type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull
connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins.
Also, when you connect a cable, make sure both connectors are correctly oriented and
aligned.

•

Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on
a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such
as a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) events can harm electronic components inside your system. Under
certain conditions, ESD may build up on your body or an object, such as a peripheral, and then
discharge into another object, such as your system. To prevent ESD damage, you must discharge
static electricity from your body before you interact with any of your system’s internal electronic
components, such as a memory module. You can protect against ESD by touching a metal
grounded object (such as an unpainted metal surface on your system’s I/O panel) before you
interact with anything electronic. When connecting a peripheral (including handheld digital
assistants) to your system, you should always ground both yourself and the peripheral before
connecting it to the system. Additionally, as you work inside the system, periodically touch
an I/O connector to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.

Safety Instructions

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 13 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge:
•

When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the
component from the antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the
component. Just before unwrapping the antistatic package, be sure to discharge static
electricity from your body.

•

When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic container
or packaging.

•

Handle all electrostatic sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible,
use antistatic floor pads and work bench pads.

Battery Disposal
Your system may use a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), lithium coin-cell, and/or a
lithium-ion battery. The NiMH, lithium coin-cell, and lithium-ion batteries are
long-life batteries, and it is possible that you may never need to replace them.
However, should you need to replace them, see the instructions included in the
section "Configuring and Managing RAID" on page 81.

NOTE: Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your local waste
disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit site.
NOTE: Your system may also include circuit cards or other components that contain
batteries. The batteries too must be disposed of in a battery deposit site. For information about
such batteries, see the documentation for the specific card or component.
Taiwan Battery Recycling Mark

Safety Instructions

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 14 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Safety Instructions

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 15 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Overview
The Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 family
of cards:
•

Comply with Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) 2.0 providing up to 6 Gb/sec
throughput.

•

Offer RAID control capabilities which include support for
RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.

•

Provide reliability, high performance, and fault-tolerant disk subsystem
management.

PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions
Table 2-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Descriptions
Card Name

Card Description

PERC H700 Adapter

Two internal x4 SAS ports and either a battery backup
unit (BBU) or non-volatile cache (NVC).

PERC H700 Integrated

Two internal x4 SAS ports and either a BBU or NVC

PERC H700 Modular

One internal x4 SAS port and a BBU

PERC H800 Adapter

Two external x4 SAS ports and either a transportable
battery backup unit (TBBU) or transportable nonvolatile cache (TNVC)

NOTE: Each controller supports up to 64 virtual disks.

Overview

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 16 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

PCI Architecture
•

The PERC H700 and H800 cards support a PCI-E 2.0 x8 host interface.

•

The PERC H700 Modular cards support a PCI-E 2.0 x4 host interface.

Operating System Support
The PERC H700 and H800 cards support the following operating systems:
•

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2

•

Microsoft Windows Server 2008, including Hyper-V virtualization

•

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2

•

Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5.5 and later (32-bit and 64-bit)

•

Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 6.0 and later (64-bit)

•

Sun Solaris10 (64-bit)

•

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server version 10 SP3 and later (64-bit)

•

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server version 11 SP1 and later (64-bit)

•

VMware ESX and ESXi 4.0 Update 2

•

VMware ESX and ESXi 4.1
NOTE: For the latest list of supported operating systems and driver installation

instructions, see the system documentation at support.dell.com/manuals. For
specific operating system service pack requirements, see the Drivers and
Downloads section at support.dell.com.

Overview

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RAID Description
RAID is a group of independent physical disks that provides high performance
by increasing the number of disks used for saving and accessing data.
A RAID disk subsystem offers the following benefits:
•

Improves I/O performance and data availability.

•

Improves data throughput because several disks are accessed
simultaneously. The physical disk group appears either as a single storage
unit or multiple logical units to the host system.

•

Improves data storage availability and fault tolerance. Data loss caused by
a physical disk failure can be recovered by rebuilding missing data from the
remaining physical disks containing data or parity.
CAUTION: In the event of a physical disk failure, a RAID 0 virtual disk fails,
resulting in data loss.

Summary of RAID Levels
•

RAID 0 uses disk striping to provide high data throughput, especially for
large files in an environment that requires no data redundancy.

•

RAID 1 uses disk mirroring so that data written to one physical disk is
simultaneously written to another physical disk. RAID 1 is good for small
databases or other applications that require small capacity and complete
data redundancy.

•

RAID 5 uses disk striping and parity data across all physical disks
(distributed parity) to provide high data throughput and data redundancy,
especially for small random access.

•

RAID 6 is an extension of RAID 5 and uses an additional parity block.
RAID 6 uses block-level striping with two parity blocks distributed across
all member disks. RAID 6 provides protection against double disk failures,
and failures while a single disk is rebuilding. If you are using only one array,
deploying RAID 6 is more effective than deploying a hot spare disk.

•

RAID 10 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, uses disk striping
across mirrored disks. It provides high data throughput and complete data
redundancy. RAID 10 can support up to eight spans, and up to 32 physical
disks per span.

Overview

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 18 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

•

RAID 50 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 5 where a RAID 0 array
is striped across RAID 5 elements. RAID 50 requires at least six disks.

•

RAID 60 is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 6 where a RAID 0 array is
striped across RAID 6 elements. RAID 60 requires at least eight disks.

RAID Terminology
Disk Striping

Disk striping allows you to write data across multiple physical disks instead of
just one physical disk. Disk striping involves partitioning each physical disk
storage space in stripes of the following sizes: 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB,
128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB, and 1024 KB. The stripes are interleaved in a
repeated sequential manner. The part of the stripe on a single physical disk
is called a stripe element.
For example, in a four-disk system using only disk striping (used in RAID 0),
segment 1 is written to disk 1, segment 2 is written to disk 2, and so on.
Disk striping enhances performance because multiple physical disks are
accessed simultaneously, but disk striping does not provide data redundancy.
Figure 2-1 shows an example of disk striping.
Figure 2-1. Example of Disk Striping (RAID 0)

Stripe element 1
Stripe element 5
Stripe element 9

Overview

Stripe element 2
Stripe element 6
Stripe element 10

Stripe element 3
Stripe element 7
Stripe element 11

Stripe element 4
Stripe element 8
Stripe element 12

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 19 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Disk Mirroring

With mirroring (used in RAID 1), data written to one disk is simultaneously
written to another disk. If one disk fails, the contents of the other disk can
be used to run the system and rebuild the failed physical disk. The primary
advantage of disk mirroring is that it provides complete data redundancy.
Both disks contain the same data at all times. Either of the physical disks can
act as the operational physical disk.
Disk mirroring provides complete redundancy, but is an expensive option
because each physical disk in the system must be duplicated.
NOTE: Mirrored physical disks improve read performance by read load balance.
Figure 2-2 shows an example of disk mirroring.
Figure 2-2. Example of Disk Mirroring (RAID 1)

Stripe element 1
Stripe element 2
Stripe element 3
Stripe element 4

Stripe element 1 Duplicated
Stripe element 2 Duplicated
Stripe element 3 Duplicated
Stripe element 4 Duplicated

Spanned RAID Levels

Spanning is a term used to describe the way in which RAID levels 10, 50,
and 60 are constructed from multiple sets of basic, or simple RAID levels.
For example, a RAID 10 has multiple sets of RAID 1 arrays where each RAID 1
set is considered a span. Data is then striped (RAID 0) across the RAID 1
spans to create a RAID 10 virtual disk. Similarly, RAID 50 and RAID 60
combine multiple sets of RAID 5 or RAID 6 respectively with striping.
Parity Data

Parity data is redundant data that is generated to provide fault tolerance
within certain RAID levels. In the event of a disk failure the parity data can be
used by the controller to regenerate your data. Parity data is present for RAID
5, 6, 50, and 60.

Overview

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The parity data is distributed across all the physical disks in the system. If a
single physical disk fails, it can be rebuilt from the parity and the data on the
remaining physical disks. RAID level 5 combines distributed parity with disk
striping, as shown in Figure 2-3. Parity provides redundancy for one physical
disk failure without duplicating the contents of entire physical disks.
RAID 6 combines dual distributed parity with disk striping. This level of
parity allows for two disk failures without duplicating the contents of entire
physical disks.
Figure 2-3. Example of Distributed Parity (RAID 5)

Stripe element 1
Stripe element 7

Stripe element 2
Stripe element 8

Stripe element 3 Stripe element 4 Stripe element 5
Stripe element 9 Stripe element 10 Parity (6–10)
Stripe element 13 Stripe element 14 Stripe element 15 Parity (11–15) Stripe element 11
Stripe element 19 Stripe element 20 Parity (16–20) Stripe element 16 Stripe element 17
Stripe element 25
Parity (21–25) Stripe element 21 Stripe element 22 Stripe element 23
Parity (26–30) Stripe element 26 Stripe element 27 Stripe element 28 Stripe element 29

Parity (1–5)
Stripe element 6
Stripe element 12
Stripe element 18
Stripe element 24
Stripe element 30

NOTE: Parity is distributed across multiple physical disks in the disk group.
Figure 2-4. Example of Dual Distributed Parity (RAID 6)

Stripe element 1
Stripe element 5
Parity (9–12)
Stripe element 13

Stripe element 2
Stripe element 6

Stripe element 3 Stripe element 4
Parity (5–8)
Parity (5–8)

Parity (1–4)
Parity (1–4)
Stripe element 7 Stripe element 8
Parity (9–12)
Stripe element 9 Stripe element 10 Stripe element 11 Stripe element 12
Stripe element 14 Parity (13–16) Parity (13–16) Stripe element 15 Stripe element 16

NOTE: Parity is distributed across all disks in the array.

Overview

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Storage Controller Features

This section describes the features of the Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller
(PERC) H700 and H800 cards such as the configuration options, disk array
performance, RAID management utilities, and operating system software drivers.
The PERC H700 and H800 family of controllers support Dell-qualified
serial-attached SCSI (SAS) hard drives, SATA hard drives, and
solid-state drives (SSDs).
NOTE: Mixing SAS and SATA disks within a virtual disk is not supported.
Also, mixing hard drives and SSDs within a virtual disk is not supported.
NOTE: Mixing disks of different speed (10,000 rpm or 15,000 rpm) and bandwidth (3
Gbps or 6 Gbps) while maintaining the same drive type (SAS or SATA) and
technology (HDD or SSD) is supported.
Table 3-1 compares the hardware configurations for the PERC H700
andH800 cards.
Table 3-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Comparisons
Specification

PERC H700 Adapter

PERC H700
Integrated

RAID Levels

0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 0, 1, 5, 6, 10,
50, 60

PERC H700
Modular

PERC H800
Adapter

0,1,5,6, and
10a

0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50,
60

Enclosures per N/A
Port

N/A

Up to 4
enclosures

Ports

2 x4 internal miniSAS wide ports

2 x4 internal
mini-SAS
wide ports

1x4
integrated
SAS wide
port

2 x4 external
mini-SAS wide
ports

Processor

Dell adapter SAS
RAID-on-Chip, 8port with LSI 2108
chipset

Dell adapter
SAS RAIDon-Chip, 8port with LSI
2108 chipset

Dell adapter
SAS RAIDon-Chip, 4lanes with
LSI 2108
chipset

Dell adapter
SAS RAID-onChip, 8-port
with LSI 2108
chipset

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Table 3-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Comparisons
Specification

PERC H700 Adapter

PERC H700
Integrated

PERC H700
Modular

PERC H800
Adapter

BBU (Backup
Battery Unit)

Optional

Yes

Optional,
Transportable

Non-Volatile
Cache

Optional

Optional,
Transportable

Cache Memory 512 MB DDR2 or 1 512 MB
GB DDR2
DDR2 or 1
GB DDR2

512 MB
Integrated
DDR2

512 MB DDR2
or 1 GB DDR2

Cache
Function

Write-Back,
WriteThrough,
Adaptive
Read Ahead,
No-Read
Ahead, Read
Ahead

Write-Back,
Write-Through,
Adaptive Read
Ahead, No-Read
Ahead, Read
Ahead

Maximum
8
Number of
Spans per Disk
Group

Maximum
16 virtual disks per
Number of
disk group
Virtual Disks
per Disk Group

16 virtual
16 virtual
16 virtual disks
disks per disk disks per disk per disk group
group
group

Multiple
Virtual Disks
per Controller

Up to 64
Up to 64
virtual disks virtual disks
per controller per
controller

Write-Back, WriteThrough, Adaptive
Read Ahead, NoRead Ahead, Read
Ahead

Up to 64 virtual
disks per controller

Up to 64 virtual
disks per
controller

Support for x8 Yes
2.0 PCIe Host
Interface

Yes

Yes, x4 PCIe Yes
2.0 for host
operation

Online
Capacity
Expansion

Yes

Storage Controller Features

Yes

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 23 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

Table 3-1. PERC H700 and H800 Card Comparisons
Specification

PERC H700
Integrated

PERC H700
Modular

PERC H800
Adapter

Dedicated and Yes
Global Hot
Spares

Yes

Hot Swap
Devices
Supported

Yes

Enclosure Hot- N/A
Addb

N/A

Yes

Mixed
Capacity
Physical Disks
Supported

Yes

Hardware XOR Yes
Engine

Yes

Revertible Hot Yes
Spares
Supported

Yes

Redundant
Path Support

N/A

Yes

Maximum
number of
controllers per
server

a.
b.
c.
d.

PERC H700 Adapter

Yes

The RAID configurations are only supported on select Dell modular systems.
Using the enclosure Hot-Add feature, you can hot plug enclosures to the PERC H800 adapter
without rebooting the system.
Only one boot controller (PERC H700) is supported on a server, consult the system User’s Guide to
determine which one is the appropriate boot controller on you system.
Only up to two PERC H800 controller for additional storages are supported on a system, this may
be further limited by the server specifications (number of PCIe slots). Consult the system User’s
Guide for specifications.

NOTE: The maximum array size is limited by the maximum number of disks per span
(32), the maximum number of spans per disk group (8), and the size of the physical
disks (array and disk group terms are equivalent).
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Physical Disk Power Management
The PERC H700 and H800 cards can be configured to spin down certain hard
drives after a set amount of time of inactivity to conserve power. This
power-savings feature is disabled by default and can be enabled in the Dell
OpenManage storage management application.
The power-savings feature can be enabled so that unconfigured disks, hot
spares, or both are spun down. The amount of time to wait to spin down these
disks can also be set. The minimum amount of time to wait that can be set is
30 minutes and the maximum is 1 day. The default is 30 minutes.
Disks that are spun down automatically, spin up when they are needed for
use. When a system is rebooted, all disks spin up.

Using the SMART Feature
The Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) feature
monitors the internal performance of all motors, heads, and physical disk
electronics to detect predictable physical disk failures. The SMART feature
helps monitor physical disk performance and reliability. SMART-compliant
physical disks have attributes for which data can be monitored to identify
changes in values and determine whether the values are within threshold
limits. Many mechanical and electrical failures display some degradation in
performance before failure.
A SMART failure is also referred to as a predicted failure. There are numerous
factors that relate to predicted physical disk failures, such as a bearing failure,
a broken read/write head, and changes in spin-up rate. In addition, there are
factors related to read/write surface failure, such as seek error rate and
excessive bad sectors. For information on physical disk status, see "Disk
Roaming" on page 26.
NOTE: For detailed information on SCSI interface specifications, see t10.org
and for detailed information on SATA interface specifications, see t13.org.

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Initializing Virtual Disks
You can initialize the virtual disks as described in the following sections.

Background Initialization of Virtual Disks
Background Initialization (BGI) is an automated process that writes the
parity or mirror data on newly created virtual disks. BGI does not run on
RAID 0 virtual disks.
NOTE: You cannot disable BGI permanently. If you cancel BGI, it automatically
restarts within five minutes. For information on stopping BGI, see "Stopping
Background Initialization" on page 111.
You can control the BGI rate in the Dell OpenManage storage management
application. Any change in the BGI rate does not take effect until the next
BGI run.
NOTE: Unlike full or fast initialization of virtual disks, background initialization does
not clear data from the physical disks.
Consistency Check (CC) and BGI perform similar functions in that they
both correct parity errors. However, CC reports data inconsistencies through
an event notification, but BGI does not. You can start CC manually, but not
BGI.

Full Initialization of Virtual Disks
Performing a full initialization on a virtual disk overwrites all blocks and
destroys any data that previously existed on the virtual disk. Full initialization
of a virtual disk eliminates the need for the virtual disk to undergo a BGI.
Full initialization can be performed after the creation of a virtual disk.
During full initialization, the host is not able to access the virtual disk.
You can start a full initialization on a virtual disk by using the Slow Initialize
option in the Dell OpenManage storage management application. For more
information on using the BIOS Configuration Utility to perform a full
initialization, see "Initializing Virtual Disks" on page 91.
NOTE: If the system reboots during a full initialization, the operation aborts and
a BGI begins on the virtual disk.

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Fast Initialization of Virtual Disks
A fast initialization on a virtual disk overwrites the first and last 8 MB of the
virtual disk, clearing any boot records or partition information. The operation
takes only 2–3 seconds to complete and is recommended when you are
recreating virtual disks. To perform a fast initialization using the BIOS
Configuration Utility, see "Initializing Virtual Disks" on page 91.
NOTE: Fast Initialization is automatically executed when a virtual disk is created
with Dell OpenManage storage management application.

Consistency Checks
Consistency Check (CC) is a background operation that verifies and corrects
the mirror or parity data for fault tolerant virtual disks. It is recommended
that you periodically run a consistency check on virtual disks.
You can manually start a CC using the BIOS Configuration Utility or the
Dell OpenManage storage management application. To start a CC using the
BIOS Configuration Utility, see "Checking Data Consistency" on page 91.
You can schedule CC to run on virtual disks using a Dell OpenManage
storage management application.

Disk Roaming
Disk roaming is moving the physical disks from one cable connection or
backplane slot to another on the same controller. The controller
automatically recognizes the relocated physical disks and logically places
them in the proper virtual disks that are part of the disk group. You can
perform disk roaming only when the system is turned off.
CAUTION: Do not attempt disk roaming during RAID level migration (RLM) or
online capacity expansion (OCE). This causes loss of the virtual disk.
Perform the following steps to use disk roaming:
1 Turn off the power to the system, physical disks, enclosures, and system
components. Disconnect power cords from the system.
2 Move the physical disks to desired positions on the backplane or
the enclosure.
3 Perform a safety check. Make sure the physical disks are inserted properly.
4 Turn on the system.
26

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The controller detects the RAID configuration from the configuration
data on the physical disks.

Disk Migration
The PERC H700 and H800 cards support migration of virtual disks from
one controller to another without taking the target controller offline.
The controller can import RAID virtual disks in optimal, degraded,
or partially degraded states. You cannot import a virtual disk that is in
an offline state.
NOTE: The source controller must be offline prior to performing the disk migration.
NOTE: Disks cannot be migrated back to previous PERC RAID controllers.
NOTE: Importing secured virtual disks is supported as long as the appropriate key
(LKM) is supplied/configured.
When a controller detects a physical disk with an existing configuration,
it flags the physical disk as foreign, and generates an alert indicating that
a foreign disk was detected.
CAUTION: Do not attempt disk roaming during RLM or online capacity
expansion (OCE). This causes loss of the virtual disk.
Perform the following steps to use disk migration:
1 Turn off the system that contains the source controller.
2 Move the appropriate physical disks from the source controller to the
target controller.
The system with the target controller can be online while inserting the
physical disks.
The controller flags the inserted disks as foreign disks.
3 Use the Dell OpenManage storage management application or the
controller BIOS Configuration Utility to import the detected foreign
configuration.
4 Ensure that all physical disks that are part of the virtual disk are migrated.
NOTE: For more information about compatibility, contact your Dell technical
support representative.

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Compatibility With Virtual Disks Created on PERC 6 and H200 Cards
Virtual disks that are created on the PERC 6 and H200 family of controllers
can be migrated to the PERC H700 and H800 cards without risking data
or configuration loss. Migrating virtual disks from the PERC H700 and
H800 cards to PERC 6 or H200 is not supported.
NOTE: For more information about compatibility, contact your Dell technical
support representative.

Migrating Virtual Disks From PERC 6 or H200 to PERC H700 and H800
To migrate virtual disks from PERC 6 or H200 to PERC H700 and H800:
1 Turn off the system.
2 Move the appropriate physical disks from the PERC 6 or H200 card to the
PERC H700 and H800 card. If you are replacing your PERC 6 or H200 card
with a PERC H700 or H800 card, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual that
shipped with your system or at support.dell.com/manuals.
3 Boot the system and import the foreign configuration that is detected.
You can do this in two ways:
•

Press to automatically import the foreign configuration.

•

Enter the BIOS Configuration Utility and navigate to the Foreign
Configuration View.
NOTE: For more information on accessing the BIOS Configuration Utility,
see "Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility" on page 82.
NOTE: For more information on Foreign Configuration View, see "Foreign
Configuration View" on page 108.

4 Exit the BIOS Configuration Utility and reboot the system.
5 Ensure all the latest drivers for the PERC H700 or H800 card (available at
support.dell.com) are installed. For more information, see "Driver
Installation" on page 69.

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Virtual Disk Write Cache Policies
The write cache policy of a virtual disk determines how the controller handles
writes to that virtual disk. Write-Back and Write-Through are the two write
cache policies and can be set on virtual disks individually.
All RAID volumes are presented as Write-Through (WT) to the operating
system (Windows and Linux) independent of the actual write cache policy of
the virtual disk. The PERC cards manage the data in cache independently of
the operating system or any applications. Use Dell OpenManage or the BIOS
Configuration Utility to view and manage virtual disk cache settings.

Write-Back and Write-Through
In Write-Through caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion
signal to the host system when the disk subsystem has received all the data
in a transaction.
In Write-Back caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion signal
to the host when the controller cache has received all the data in a
transaction. The controller then writes the cached data to the storage device
in the background.
The risk of using Write-Back cache is that the cached data can be lost if
there is a power failure before it is written to the storage device. This risk is
mitigated by using a BBU on PERC H700 or H800 cards. For information
on which controllers support a BBU, see Table 3-1.
Write-Back caching has a performance advantage over Write-Through caching.
NOTE: The default cache setting for virtual disks is Write-Back caching.
NOTE: Certain data patterns and configurations perform better with a
Write-Through cache policy.

Conditions Under Which Write-Back is Employed
Write-Back caching is used under all conditions in which the battery is
present and in good condition.

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Conditions Under Which Write-Through is Employed
Write-Through caching is used under all conditions in which the battery is
missing or in a low-charge state. Low-charge state is when the battery is not
capable of maintaining data for at least 24 hours in the case of a power loss.
This low-charge state does not apply to controllers with the optional
non-volatile cache (NVC) module present.

Conditions Under Which Forced Write-Back With No Battery is
Employed
Write-Back mode is available when you select Force WB with no battery.
When Forced Write-Back mode is selected, the virtual disk is in Write-Back
mode even if the battery is not present.
CAUTION: It is recommended that you use a power backup system when forcing
Write-Back to ensure there is no loss of data if the system suddenly loses power.

Virtual Disk Read Cache Policies
The read policy of a virtual disk determines how the controller handles reads
to that virtual disk. The read policies are:
•

Always Read Ahead — Allows the controller to read sequentially ahead of
requested data and to store the additional data in cache memory,
anticipating that the data is required soon. This speeds up reads for
sequential data, but there is little improvement when accessing random
data.

•

No Read Ahead — Disables the Read-Ahead capability.

•

Adaptive Read Ahead — Begins using Read-Ahead if the two most recent
disk accesses occurred in sequential sectors. If the read requests are
random, the controller reverts to No Read Ahead mode.
NOTE: The default read cache setting for virtual disks is Adaptive Read Ahead.

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Reconfiguring Virtual Disks
An online virtual disk can be reconfigured in ways that expands its capacity
and/or change its RAID level. Spanned virtual disks such as RAID 10, 50, and
60 cannot be reconfigured.
Online Capacity Expansion (OCE) can be done in two ways. The first way is
to expand the volume using free space already in the disk group. For example,
if there is a single virtual disk in a disk group and free space is available, the
virtual disk’s capacity can be expanded within that free space. If a virtual disk
is created and it does not use the maximum size of the disk group, free space
is available and OCE is possible. Free space is also available when a disk
group’s physical disks are replaced by larger disks using the Replace Member
feature. The second method by which OCE can be done is by adding physical
disks to the disk group and using OCE to incorporate free space from the
newly added disks into the virtual disk.
RAID Level Migration (RLM) refers to changing a virtual disk’s RAID level.
Both RLM and OCE can be done at the same time so that a virtual disk can
simultaneously have its RAID level changed and its capacity increased. When
a RLM/OCE operation is complete, a reboot is not required.For a list of
RLM/OCE possibilities, see Table 3-2. The source RAID level column
indicates the virtual disk RAID level before the RLM/OCE and the target
RAID level column indicates the RAID level after the operation has
completed.
NOTE: If you configure 64 virtual disks on a controller, you cannot perform a
RAID level migration or capacity expansion on any virtual disk.
NOTE: The controller changes the write cache policy of all virtual disks undergoing
a RLM/OCE to Write-Through until the RLM/OCE is complete.

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Table 3-2. RAID Level Migration
Source
RAID
Level

Target
RAID
Level

Required
Number of Capacity Description
Number of
Physical
Expansion
Physical Disks Disks (End) Possible
(Beginning)

RAID 0

2 or more

Yes

Increases capacity by
adding disks

RAID 0

RAID 1

Converts
non-redundant
virtual disk into a
mirrored virtual disk
by adding one disk.

RAID 0

RAID 5

1 or more

3 or more

Yes

At least one disk
needs to be added for
distributed parity data.

RAID 0

RAID 6

1 or more

4 or more

Yes

At least two disks need
to be added for dual
distributed parity data.

RAID 1

RAID 0

2 or more

Yes

Removes redundancy
while increasing
capacity.

RAID 1

RAID 5

3 or more

Yes

Maintains redundancy
while doubling
capacity.

RAID 1

RAID 6

4 or more

Yes

Two disks required to
be added for
distributed parity data.

RAID 5

RAID 0

3 or more

Yes

Converts to a
non-redundant virtual
disk and reclaims
disk space used for
distributed parity data.

RAID 5

4 or more

Yes

Increases capacity by
adding disks

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Table 3-2. RAID Level Migration (continued)
Source
RAID
Level

Target
RAID
Level

Required
Number of Capacity Description
Number of
Physical
Expansion
Physical Disks Disks (End) Possible
(Beginning)

RAID 5

RAID 6

3 or more

4 or more

Yes

At least one disk needs
to be added for dual
distributed parity data.

RAID 6

RAID 0

4 or more

Yes

Converts to a
non-redundant
virtual disk and
reclaims disk space
used for distributed
parity data.

RAID 6

RAID 5

4 or more

Yes

Removes one set of
parity data and
reclaims disk space
used for it.

RAID 6

5 or more

Yes

Increases capacity by
adding disks

NOTE: The total number of physical disks in a disk group cannot exceed 32. You
cannot perform RAID level migration and/or expansion on RAID levels 10, 50, and
60.

Fault Tolerance Features
The list of features of the controller cards that provide fault tolerance to
prevent data loss is as follows:
•

Support for SMART

•

Support for Patrol Read

•

Redundant path support (for PERC H800 only)

•

Physical disk failure detection

•

Physical disk rebuild using hot spares

•

Parity generation and checking (for RAID 5, 50, 6, and 60 only)

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•

Battery and optional Non-Volatile Cache backup of controller cache to
protect data

•

Detection of batteries with low charge after boot up

The next sections describe some methods to achieve fault tolerance.

Using Persistent Hot Spare Slots
The H700 and H800 cards can be configured so that system backplane or
storage enclosure disk slots are dedicated as hot spare slots. This feature can
be enabled using the Dell OpenManage storage management application.
Once enabled, any slots with hot spares configured automatically become
persistent hot spare slots. If a hot spare disk fails or is removed, a replacement
disk that is inserted into the same slot automatically becomes a hot spare with
the same properties as the one it is replacing. If the replacement disk does not
match the disk protocol and technology, it does not become a hot spare.
NOTE: Any hot spares assigned to an encrypted Virtual Disk must also be capable
of encryption (SED).

Physical Disk Hot Swapping
Hot swapping is the manual replacement of a disk while the H700 and H800
cards are online and performing their normal functions.
The following requirements must be met before hot swapping a physical disk:
•

The system backplane or enclosure must support hot swapping for the
PERC H700 and H800 cards to support hot swapping.

•

The replacement disk must be of the same protocol and disk technology.
For example, only a SAS hard drive can replace a SAS hard drive; only a
SATA SSD can replace a SATA SSD.

•

The replacement disk must be of equal or greater capacity than the one
it is replacing.

Failed Physical Disk Detection
Failed physical disks are detected and rebuilds automatically start to new
disks that are inserted into the same slot. Automatic rebuilds can also happen
transparently with hot spares. If you have configured hot spares, the
controllers automatically try to use them to rebuild failed physical disks.

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Redundant Path With Load Balancing Support
The PERC H800 adapter can detect and use redundant paths to disks
contained in enclosures. This provides the ability to connect two SAS cables
between a controller and an enclosure for path redundancy. The controller is
able to tolerate the failure of a cable or Enclosure Management
Module (EMM) by utilizing the remaining path.
When redundant paths exist, the controller automatically balances I/O load
through both paths to each disk. Load balancing increases throughput to
virtual disks in storage enclosures and is automatically turned on when
redundant paths are detected. The ability to load balance I/O can be disabled
using the Dell OpenManage storage management application. To set up your
hardware to support redundant paths, see "Setting up Redundant Path
Support on the PERC H800 Adapter" on page 64.
NOTE: The hardware support for redundant paths refer to path-redundancy only
and not to controller-redundancy.

Using Replace Member and Revertible Hot Spares
The Replace Member functionality allows a previously commissioned hot
spare to be reverted to a usable hot spare. When a disk failure occurs within
a virtual disk, an assigned hot spare (dedicated or global) is commissioned
and begins rebuilding until the virtual disk is optimal. After the failed disk is
replaced (in the same slot) and the rebuild to the hot spare is complete,
the controller automatically starts to copy data from the commissioned hot
spare to the newly-inserted disk. After the data is copied, the new disk is a
part of the virtual disk and the hot spare is reverted to being a ready hot spare.
This allows hot spares to remain in specific enclosure slots. While the
controller is reverting the hot spare, the virtual disk remains optimal.
NOTE: The controller automatically reverts a hot spare only if the failed disk is
replaced with a new disk in the same slot. If the new disk is not placed in the same
slot, a manual Replace Member operation can be used to revert a previously
commissioned hot spare.

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Automatic Replace Member with Predicted Failure

A Replace Member operation can occur when there is a SMART predictive
failure reporting on a physical disk in a virtual disk. The automatic Replace
Member is initiated when the first SMART error occurs on a physical disk
that is part of a virtual disk. The target disk needs to be a hot spare that
qualifies as a rebuild disk. The physical disk with the SMART error is marked
as failed only after the successful completion of the Replace Member. This
avoids putting the array in degraded status.
If an automatic Replace Member occurs using a source disk that was
originally a hot spare (that was used in a rebuild), and a new disk added for
the Replace Member operation as the target disk, the hot spare reverts to the
hot spare state after a successful Replace Member operation.
NOTE: To enable the automatic Replace Member, use the Dell OpenManage
storage management application. For more information on automatic Replace
Member, see "Dell OpenManage Storage Management" on page 81.
NOTE: For information on manual Replace Member, see "Replacing an Online
Physical Disk" on page 110.

Controller Cache Preservation
The controller is capable of preserving its cache in the event of a system
power outage or improper system shutdown. The PERC H700 controllers are
attached to a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) that provides backup power during
system power loss to preserve the controller's cache data. The PERC H800 has
a transportable version of the BBU attached to it called the Transportable
Battery Backup Unit (TBBU) which enables the entire cache module to be
transported to a new controller if necessary. If the card has the optional nonvolatile cache (NVC) or transportable non-volatile cache (TNVC) module,
the cache data is preserved using flash storage instead of battery power.

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Cache Preservation With Battery
The lithium-ion battery included in the BBU/TBBU of the controller is an
inexpensive way to protect data in cache memory. If the controller has data in
cache memory during a power outage or improper system shutdown, battery
power is used to preserve cache data until power is restored or the battery is
depleted. Under the 1-year limited warranty, the battery provides at least 24
hours of backup power coverage in normal operating conditions during the
warranty period. To prolong battery life, do not store or operate the battery in
temperatures that exceed 60 degrees C.

Cache Preservation With Non-Volatile Cache (NVC)
The NVC module allows controller cache data to be stored indefinitely, an
advantage over the 24 hours that battery backup provides. If the controller
has data in cache memory during a power outage or improper system
shutdown, a small amount of power from a battery is used to transfer cache
data to non-volatile flash storage where it remains until power is restored and
the system is booted.

Cache Data Recovery
The dirty cache LED that is located on the H700 and H800 cards cannot be
used to determine if cache data is being preserved. If a system power loss or
improper system shutdown has occurred, restore system power and boot the
system. During the boot, enter the controller's BIOS Configuration Utility
() to ensure that there is no cache data being preserved. This
can be done by entering into the controller menu and selecting Managed
Preserved Cache. If there are no virtual disks listed here, all preserved cache
data has been written to disk successfully.
In the event of a PERC H800 card failure, the entire TBBU/TNVC module
can be safely transferred to a new PERC H800 card without putting preserved
cache data at risk. See the applicable sections in "Installing and Configuring
Hardware" on page 41 for instructions on removing and installing the
TBBU/TNVC, then follow the instructions above on recovering cache data.

Storage Controller Features

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Battery Learn Cycle
Learn cycle is a battery calibration operation performed by the controller
periodically to determine the condition of the battery. This operation
cannot be disabled.
NOTE: Virtual disks automatically switch to Write-Through mode when the battery
charge is low because of a learn cycle.
Learn Cycle Completion Time Frame

The time frame for completion of a learn cycle is a function of the battery
charge capacity and the discharge/charge currents used. For PERC H700 or
H800 cards, the expected time frame for completion of a learn cycle is
approximately seven hours and consists of the following parts:
•

Learn cycle discharge: approximately three hours

•

Learn cycle charge: approximately four hours
NOTE: For additional information, see the Dell OpenManage storage management
application.

During the discharge phase of a learn cycle, the PERC H700 or H800 battery
charger is disabled and remains disabled until the battery is discharged.
After the battery is discharged, the charger is re-enabled.

Patrol Read
The Patrol Read feature is designed as a preventative measure to ensure
physical disk health and data integrity. Patrol Read scans for and resolves
potential problems on configured physical disks. The Dell OpenManage
storage management application can be used to start Patrol Read and
change its behavior.
The following is an overview of Patrol Read behavior:

•

Patrol Read runs on all disks on the controller that are configured as
part of a virtual disk, including hot spares.

•

Patrol Read does not run on physical disks that are not part of a virtual disk
or are in Ready state.

Storage Controller Features

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•

Patrol Read adjusts the amount of controller resources dedicated to
Patrol Read operations based on outstanding disk I/O. For example,
if the system is busy processing I/O operation, then Patrol Read uses
fewer resources to allow the I/O to take a higher priority.

•

Patrol Read does not run on any disks involved in any of the
following operations:
–

Rebuild

–

Replace Member

–

Full or Background Initialization

–

RLM or OCE

NOTE: By default, Patrol Read automatically runs every seven days on configured
SAS and SATA hard drives. Patrol Read is not necessary on SSD and is disabled by
default.

Storage Controller Features

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Storage Controller Features

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Installing and Configuring
Hardware

WARNING: All work must be performed at an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)-safe
workstation to meet the requirements of EIA-625-Requirements For Handling
Electrostatic Discharge Sensitive Devices. All actions must be performed
following the IPC-A-610 latest revision ESD recommended practices.
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
NOTE: For complete information on U.S. Terms and Conditions of Sale, Limited
Warranties and Returns, Export Regulations, Software License Agreement, Safety,
Environmental and Ergonomic Instructions, Regulatory Notices, and Recycling
Information, see the Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Information (SERI),
End User License Agreement (EULA), and Warranty and Support Information (WSI)
that shipped with your system.

Installing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters
1 Unpack the Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) and check
for damage.
NOTE: Contact Dell technical support if the controller is damaged.
2 Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system
from the electrical outlet. For more information on preparing your system
for hardware changes, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual shipped with
your system or at: support.dell.com/manuals.
3 Disconnect all attached devices and remove the system cover.
For more information on opening the system, see your system’s
Hardware Owner’s Manual.
4 Select an empty PCI-E slot. Remove the blank filler bracket on the back of
the system aligned with the PCI-E slot you have selected.
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NOTE: The PERC H700 Integrated and H700 Modular cards have a dedicated
storage slot. For details on the correct PCI-E location, see the Hardware
Owner's Manual that shipped with your system or see the appropriate
documentation available at support.dell.com/manuals.

5 Align the PERC H700 or H800 card to the PCI-E slot you have selected.
CAUTION: Never apply pressure to the adapter module while inserting it in the
PCI-E slot. Applying pressure could break the adapter module.
6 Insert the controller gently, but firmly, until the controller is firmly seated
in the PCI-E slot. For more information on installing the PERC H800
adapter, see Figure 4-1. For more information on installing the PERC
H700 adapter, see Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-1. Installing a PERC H800 Adapter
4

PCI-e slot

PERC H800 adapter

filler bracket

bracket screw

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Figure 4-2. Installing a PERC H700 Adapter
4

1
1

PCI-e slot

PERC H700 adapter

filler brackets

bracket screw

7 Tighten the bracket screw, if any, or use the system’s retention clips
to secure the controller to the system’s chassis.
8 Replace the cover of the system. For more information on closing the
system, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual shipped with your system or at
support.dell.com/manuals.
9 For the PERC H800 adapter, connect the cable from the external enclosure
to the controller. For more information, see Figure 4-3.

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Figure 4-3. Connecting the Cable From the External Enclosure

1
1

connector on the controller

system

cable from the external enclosure

10 For the PERC H700 adapter, connect the cables from the backplane of the
system to the controller. The primary SAS connector is labeled SAS_A and
the secondary SAS connector is labeled SAS_B. For more information, see
Figure 4-4.

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Figure 4-4. Connecting Cables to the Controller
1

4
3

1 cable

Port B

PERC H700 adapter

Port A

5 connector

11 Replace the cover of the system. For more information on closing the
system, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual shipped with your system or at
support.dell.com/manuals.
12 Reconnect the power and network cables, and turn on the system.

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Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters
NOTE: In the event that the SAS cable is accidentally pulled out when the
system is operational, reconnect the cable and see the online help of
your Dell OpenManage storage management application for the required recovery
steps.
NOTE: Before beginning with the procedure, press when the system is
booting to verify that no cache is preserved.

1 Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the PERC BIOS
Configuration Utility to ensure that there is no data present in cache. See
the "Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later, perform a
controller shutdown of the system as well as any attached storage
controllers.
2 Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the system
cover.
CAUTION: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause
damage due to improper cooling.
NOTE: For more information on removing peripherals installed in the system’s
PCI-E slots, see the Hardware Owner’s Manual shipped with your system or at
support.dell.com/manuals.

For instructions on removing a PERC H800 adapter, go to step 3.
For instructions on removing a PERC H700 adapter, go to step 5.
3 Locate the PERC H800 adapter in the system and disconnect the
external cables from the adapter.
4 Remove any retention mechanism, such as a bracket screw, that may
be holding the PERC H800 in the system and gently lift the controller
from the system’s PCI-E slot. For more information, see Figure 4-5.

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Figure 4-5. Removing the PERC H800 Adapter
1

1 bracket screw

memory module

3 battery

Dirty Cache LED

5 PERC H800 Adapter

5 Disconnect the data cables and battery cable from the PERC H700.
Remove any retention mechanism, such as a bracket screw, that might
be holding the PERC H700 in the system, and gently lift the controller
from the system’s PCI-E slot.

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Figure 4-6. Removing the PERC H700 Adapter
1

1 bracket screw

3 PERC H700 controller

Installing and Configuring Hardware

Dirty Cache LED

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Removing and Installing the PERC H700 Modular
Card in Dell Blade Systems
NOTE: For more information on removing and installing blade system parts, see
your system’s Hardware Owner’s Manual or the User’s Guide from the Dell Support
website at support.dell.com.
The storage controller card is located below the disk bays of the Dell Blade
system.
To remove the storage controller card:
1 Remove the Dell Blade system from the Blade system chassis.
2 Remove the system cover of the Blade system.
3 Remove the system board and place it on a stable and flat surface.
4 Determine whether the dirty cache LED on the controller is illuminated.
For location of the LED, see Figure 4-7.
If the LED is illuminated, re-insert the system board, replace the system
cover, reconnect the system to power, turn on the system, and repeat step 1
through step 3. If the LED is not illuminated, continue with the next step.
5 Open the release lever to disconnect the storage controller card edge
connector from the system board connector as illustrated in Figure 4-7.
6 Lift the storage controller card straight up from the system board as
illustrated in Figure 4-7.

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Figure 4-7. Removing and Installing the Storage Controller Card
2

battery cable connector

storage controller card

release lever

dirty cache LED

To install your new storage controller card:
1 Unpack the new storage controller card and check for damage.
NOTE: If the card is damaged, contact Dell technical support.
2 Place the storage controller card onto the system board. Align the storage
controller card such that the tabs on the system board tray fit through the
notches on the edges of the storage controller card.
3 Slide the storage controller card towards the connector on the system
board until the storage controller clicks in place.
4 Reinstall the system board. For more information on reinstalling
the system board, see your system’s Hardware Owner’s Manual or
the User’s Guide.

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5 Close the top cover of the Blade system. For more information on closing
the top cover of the Modular Blade system, see your system’s Hardware
Owner’s Manual or the User’s Guide.
6 Reinstall the Blade system in the Blade system chassis. For more
information on reinstalling the Blade system in the Blade system chassis,
see your system’s Hardware Owner’s Manual or the User’s Guide.
NOTE: For the latest list of firmware and installation instructions, see the
Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700
CAUTION: PERC H700 Modular cards, shipped in PowerEdge blade systems,
have an integrated DIMM module which cannot be removed. Do not attempt
the following procedure on a PERC H700 Modular controller card.
1 Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the PERC H700
BIOS Configuration Utility to ensure that there is no data present in
cache. See the "Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later,
shut down the system.
WARNING: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause
damage due to improper cooling.
2 Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the
system cover.
NOTE: The location of the PERC H700 controller varies from system to system.
For more information on PERC H700 location, see the Hardware Owner's
Manual that shipped with your system or see the appropriate documentation
available at support.dell.com/manuals.

3 Remove the PERC H700 from the system. See "Removing the PERC H700
and H800 Adapters" on page 46.
4 Remove the DIMM by pressing down on the tabs at each edge of the
DIMM connector and lift the DIMM off the controller. See Figure 4-8.
NOTE: Do not exert excessive pressure on the connector of the DIMM while
removing the DIMM.

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Figure 4-8. Removing the DIMM From a PERC H700
1
2

DIMM support

dirty cache LED

DIMM

tab

PERC H700 Adapter

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Installing the DIMM on a PERC H700
CAUTION: PERC H700 Modular cards, shipped in PowerEdge blade systems,
have an integrated DIMM module which cannot be removed. Do not attempt the
following procedure on a PERC H700 Modular controller card.
1 Unpack the DIMM and follow all antistatic procedures.
NOTE: Do not use excessive pressure on the connector on the DIMM while
installing the DIMM.

2 If the DIMM support is not mounted onto the DIMM, perform the
following steps to replace the DIMM support before mounting on a
PERC H700:
a

With the old DIMM removed from the controller, press out on
the DIMM support clips inserted through the DIMM rotating the
DIMM support out of the DIMM. See Figure 4-9.

Figure 4-9. Removing the DIMM Support From the DIMM

DIMM
b

DIMM support

To mount, place the top edge of the DIMM support over the top edge
of the DIMM so that the arms on the side of the DIMM support fit
into their sockets on the DIMM. See Figure 4-10.

Installing and Configuring Hardware

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Figure 4-10. Mounting the DIMM Support onto the DIMM

DIMM

DIMM support

3 Align the keyed edge of the DIMM to the physical divider on the memory
socket to avoid damage to the module.
4 Insert the DIMM in the memory socket. Apply a constant, downward
pressure on both ends or the middle of the DIMM until the retention clips
fall in the allotted slots on either side of the DIMM. See Figure 4-11.

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Figure 4-11. Installing a DIMM on a PERC H700

4
1

2
3

PERC H700

retention clip

memory socket

DIMM

dirty cache LED

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Replacing the BBU on a PERC H700
1 Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the PERC H700
BIOS Configuration Utility to ensure that there is no data present in
cache. See the "Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later,
shut down the system.
WARNING: Running a system without the system cover installed may cause
damage due to improper cooling.
2 Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the
system cover.
NOTE: The locations of the PERC H700 and BBU vary from system to system.
For more information on PERC H700 card and BBU locations, see the
Hardware Owner’s Manual shipped with your system or see the appropriate
documentation available at support.dell.com/manuals.

Figure 4-12. Dirty Cache LED and Battery Cable Connector

1
3

battery cable connector

dirty cache LED

Installing and Configuring Hardware

PERC H700 Adapter

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Figure 4-13. PERC H700 (Modular) Dirty Cache LED Location

1
2

battery cable connector

PERC H700 Modular Adapter

dirty cache LED

3 Locate the battery cable connection near the edge of the controller,
and disconnect the battery. For the location of the battery cable connector,
see Figure 4-12 and Figure 4-13.
4 Remove the battery from the plastic mounting shroud in your system and
disconnect the battery cable. For more information on the location of the
BBU in your system and instructions on how to replace the BBU, see the
Hardware Owner’s Manual that shipped with the system.
NOTE: Connect the battery cable to the new BBU before mounting it to the
plastic shroud in your system.

5 Re-connect the battery to the controller by inserting the end of the battery
cable into the connector on the controller.
NOTE: Do not exert excessive pressure connecting the cable. It is a keyed
connector and it fits only one way.

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Removing the TBBU or TNVC From a PERC H800
Adapter
NOTE: Both the TBBU and TNVC on the PERC H800 Adapter consists of the DIMM
and a battery.
1 Perform a controlled reboot of the system and enter the PERC BIOS
Configuration Utility to ensure that there is no data present in cache. See
"Cache Data Recovery" on page 37 for more details. Later, perform a
controller shutdown of the system as well as any attached storage
controllers.
2 Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the system
cover.
3 Remove the PERC H800 Adapter from the system. For more information,
see "Removing the PERC H700 and H800 Adapters" on page 46.
4 Press down on the tabs at each edge of the DIMM slot and lift the TBBU
or TNVC assembly off the PERC H800 Adapter. See Figure 4-14.

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Figure 4-14. Removing the TBBU From a PERC H800 Adapter
1

battery

dirty cache LED

DIMM

PERC H800 Adapter

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Replacing the Battery and Battery Cable Onto the
DIMM of a PERC H800 Adapter
1 With the old TBBU or TNVC removed from the controller, disconnect the
battery cable from both ends and press out on the battery clips inserted
through the DIMM rotating the battery out of the DIMM. See
Figure 4-15.
Figure 4-15. Removing the Battery and Battery Cable From a PERC H800 Adapter

DIMM

battery

2 Unpack the new TBBU or TNVC and follow all antistatic procedures.
3 Insert one end of the battery cable into the connector on the DIMM and
the other end into the connector on the new battery.
NOTE: Do not exert excessive pressure connecting the cable. It is a keyed
connector and it fits only one way.

4 Place the top edge of the battery over the top edge of the DIMM so that
the arms on the side of the battery fit into their sockets on the DIMM.
See Figure 4-16.

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Figure 4-16. Installing the Battery and Battery Cable onto the DIMM

5
1

connector on the DIMM

DIMM

battery

connector on the battery

battery cable

Installing the TBBU or TNVC on a PERC H800
Adapter
NOTE: Both the TBBU and TNVC on the PERC H800 Adapter consists of the DIMM
and a battery.
1 Check the battery attachment to the DIMM and battery cable connection.
For more information, see "Replacing the Battery and Battery Cable Onto
the DIMM of a PERC H800 Adapter" on page 60.
CAUTION: Do not touch the gold leads and do not bend the memory module.

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2 Align the keyed edge of the DIMM to the physical divider on the memory
socket to avoid damage to the module.
3 Insert the DIMM in the memory socket. Apply a constant, downward
pressure on both ends or the middle of the DIMM until the retention clips
fall in the allotted slots on either side of the DIMM. See Figure 4-17.
Figure 4-17. Installing the TBBU on a PERC H800 Adapter

2
3

PERC H800

retention clip

memory socket

DIMM

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Transferring a TBBU or TNVC Between PERC
H800 Cards
The TBBU or TNVC provides uninterrupted power supply for up to 48 hours
to a cache memory module. If the controller fails as a result of a power failure,
you can move the TBBU or TNVC to a new controller and recover the data.
The controller that replaces the failed controller should not have any prior
configuration.
Perform the following steps to replace a failed controller with data in the
TBBU:
1 Perform a controlled shutdown on the system in which the PERC H800 is
installed, as well as any attached storage enclosures.
2 Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and remove the system
cover.
3 Remove the controller that has the TBBU or TNVC.
4 Remove the TBBU or TNVC from the controller.
5 Insert the TBBU or TNVC in the new controller.
For more information on installing the TBBU or TNVC, see "Installing the
TBBU or TNVC on a PERC H800 Adapter" on page 61.
6 Insert the replacement controller in the system.
See the relevant sections on installing controllers under "Installing the
PERC H700 and H800 Adapters" on page 41.
7 Reconnect all external storage enclosures as they were originally connected
and turn on the enclosures.
8 Replace the system cover, re-connect the system to the electrical outlet
and turn on the system.
The controller flushes the cache data to the virtual disks.

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Setting up Redundant Path Support on the
PERC H800 Adapter
The PERC H800 adapter can detect and use redundant paths to disks
contained in enclosures. With redundant paths to the same device, if one
path fails, another path can be used to communicate between the controller
and the device. For more information about redundant paths, see "Redundant
Path With Load Balancing Support" on page 35.
To set up a configuration with redundant paths, both ports on a controller
must be cabled to the In ports of a single enclosure.
To add multiple enclosures, both Out ports of the first enclosure must be
cabled to the In ports of the next enclosure.
If the connection between an Out port on the controller and an In port on an
enclosure fails, an alternate path exists through the second Out port on the
controller and the second In port on the enclosure. For more information,
see Figure 4-18 to Figure 4-21.
NOTE: The PERC H800 adapter supports redundant paths when used with
Dell PowerVault MD1200 and Dell PowerVault MD1220 disk storage enclosures.
Perform the following steps to configure the hardware to utilize redundant
paths on the PERC H800 adapter:
1 Set up an enclosure on the PERC H800 adapter.
2 Connect two SAS cables from the Out ports on your PERC H800 adapter
to the In ports of the external enclosure. For more information,
see Figure 4-18.
NOTE: For information on Unified Mode, see the enclosure documentation
that was shipped with the enclosure.

3 To add multiple enclosures, cable both Out ports of the first enclosure to
both In ports of the next enclosure.
After you set up the hardware, the controller detects the redundant paths and
automatically utilizes them to balance the I/O load.

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Figure 4-18 displays redundant path storage configuration with one enclosure.
Figure 4-18. Redundant Path Support Configuration With One Enclosure
Server

Server

Storage

Figure 4-19 displays redundant path storage configuration with two
enclosures.
Figure 4-19. Redundant Path Support Configuration With Two Enclosures

Server

Storage

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Figure 4-20 displays redundant path storage configuration with
three enclosures.
Figure 4-20. Redundant Path Support Configuration With Three Enclosures
Server

Server

Storage

Figure 4-21 displays redundant path storage configuration with four
enclosures. A single PERC H800 adapter can support up to four disk storage
enclosures in a redundant path configuration.

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Figure 4-21. Redundant Path Support Configuration With Four Enclosures

Server

Storage

NOTE: Ensure that the latest firmware version is installed on your storage
controller. You can find the latest firmware and installation instructions on
the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Reverting From Redundant Path Support to Single
Path Support on the PERC H800 Adapter
If you need to revert from redundant path support to single path support,
shut down the system and remove the exact same cables that were added to
support redundant path support, leaving only one connection between the
controller and enclosures. After you remove the cable and power up the
system, ensure that there are no warning messages during boot, and that all
virtual disks are online and optimal. If you are using Dell OpenManage,
see the Dell OpenManage documentation at support.dell.com/manuals for
additional instructions.
CAUTION: If you remove any cables other than the ones added to enable
redundant path support, the enclosure and disks can get disconnected, and virtual
disk may fail.

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Driver Installation

The Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 cards require
software drivers to operate with the supported operating systems.
This chapter contains the procedures for installing the drivers for the PERC
H700 and H800 cards.
NOTE: For more information on VMware ESX drivers, see the VMware ESX
documentation at support.dell.com/manuals.
NOTE: To check operating system compatibility, see the Dell Support website
at support.dell.com/manuals.
The two methods for installing a driver discussed in this chapter are:
•

Installing a driver during operating system installation — Use this
method if you are performing a new installation of the operating system
and want to include the drivers.

•

Updating existing drivers — Use this method if the operating system and
PERC H700 and PERC H800 family of controllers are already installed and
you want to update to the latest drivers.

Installing Windows Drivers
Creating the Driver Media
Perform the following steps to create the driver media:
1 Browse to the download section for the system at support.dell.com.
2 Locate and download the latest PERC H700 or H800 driver to the system.
3 Follow the instructions for extracting the driver to the media.

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Pre-Installation Requirements
Before you install the operating system:
•

Read the Microsoft Getting Started document that shipped with your
operating system.

•

Ensure that your system has the latest BIOS, firmware, and driver updates.
If required, download the latest BIOS, firmware, and driver updates from
the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

•

Create a device driver media (diskette, USB drive, CD, or DVD).

Creating the Device Driver Media

Use one of the following two methods to create the device driver media.
Downloading Drivers From the Dell Systems Service and Diagnostic Tools Media

1 Insert the Dell Systems Service and Diagnostics Tools media in a system.
The Welcome to Dell Service and Diagnostic Utilities screen is displayed.
2 Select your system model and operating system (Microsoft Windows
Server 2008).
3 Click Continue.
4 From the list of drivers displayed, select the driver you require. Select the
self-extracting zip file and click Run. Copy the driver to a diskette drive,
CD, DVD, or USB drive. Repeat this step for all the drivers you require.
5 During the operating system installation, use the media that you created
with the Load Driver option to load mass storage drivers. For more
information on reinstalling the operating system, see the relevant section
for your operating system below.
Downloading Drivers From the Dell Support Website

1 Go to support.dell.com.
2 Select your line of business.
3 Click Drivers and Downloads.
4 Enter the service tag of your system in the Choose by Service Tag field or
select your system’s model.

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5 Select the System Type, Operating System, Driver Language, and
Category from the drop-down list.
6 The drivers that are applicable to your selection are displayed. From the
available list, download the drivers that you require to a diskette drive,
USB drive, CD, or DVD.
7 During the operating system installation, use the media that you created
with the Load Driver option to load mass storage drivers. For more
information on reinstalling the operating system, see the relevant section
for your operating system below.

Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2003 Operating System
Installation
1 Boot the system using the Windows Server 2003 media.
2 When the message Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or
RAID driver is displayed in the bottom of the screen, press the key
immediately.
Within a few minutes, a screen is displayed asking for additional
controllers in the system.
3 Press the key.
The system prompts for the driver media to be inserted.
NOTE: The driver can be provided using a properly formatted USB key.
For additional details on the driver, go the Dell Support website
at support.dell.com.

4 Insert the driver media in the media drive and press .
A list of PERC H700 and H800 cards is displayed.
5 Select the right driver for the installed controller and press to
load the driver.
NOTE: For Windows Server 2003, a message may appear that states that the
driver that you provided is older or newer than the existing Windows driver.
Press to use the driver that is on the media.

6 Press again to continue the installation process as usual.

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Installing Driver During a Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008
R2 Installation
1 Boot the system using the Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008,
Windows 7 Server or Windows Server 2008 R2 media.
2 Follow the on-screen instructions until you reach Where do you want to
install Vista/2008/7 window and then select Load driver.
3 The system prompts you to insert the media. Insert the installation media
and browse to the proper location.
4 Select the appropriate PERC H700 or H800 card from the list, click Next
and continue installation.
NOTE: The Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system includes native drivers
for the PERC H700 and H800 cards. For driver updates, see the Drivers and
Downloads section at support.dell.com.

Installing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2003 for a New RAID Controller
Perform the following steps to configure the driver for the RAID controller on
a system that already has Windows installed:
1 Turn off the system.
2 Install the new RAID controller in the system.
For detailed instructions on installing and cabling the RAID controller in
the system, see "Installing and Configuring Hardware" on page 41.
3 Turn on the system.
4 The Found New Hardware Wizard screen displays the detected hardware
device.
NOTE: Windows Server 2008 R2 has native drivers for the PERC adapters. The
system automatically detects the controller and installs the drivers. Check the
version of the driver and update if required.

5 Click Next.
6 On the Locate device driver screen, select Search for a suitable driver for
my device and click Next.
7 Browse and select the drivers from the Locate Driver Files screen.
8 Click Next.
72

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9 The wizard detects and installs the appropriate device drivers for the new
RAID controller.
10 Click Finish to complete the installation.
11 Reboot the system when prompted.

Updating Existing Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2,
Windows Server 2003
NOTE: Close all applications on your system before you update the driver.
1 Insert the media (CD, DVD, or USB drive) containing the driver.
2 Select Start Settings Control Panel System.
The System Properties screen is displayed.
NOTE: The path to System might vary depending on the operating system family.
3 Click on the Hardware tab.
4 Click Device Manager.
The Device Manager screen is displayed.
NOTE: The path to Device Manager might vary depending on the operating
system family.

5 Expand SCSI and RAID Controllers by double-clicking the entry or by
clicking on the plus symbol next to SCSI and RAID Controller.
NOTE: In Windows 2008 and Windows Vista, the PERC adapter is listed under
Storage Controllers.

6 Double-click the RAID controller for which you want to update the driver.
7 Click the Driver tab and click Update Driver.
The screen to update the device driver wizard is displayed.
8 Select Install from a list or specific location.
9 Click Next.
10 Follow the steps in the wizard and browse to the location of the driver files.
11 Select the INF file from the driver media (CD, DVD, or other media).
12 Click Next and continue the installation steps in the wizard.
13 Click Finish to exit the wizard and reboot the system for the changes to
take place.
Driver Installation

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NOTE: Dell provides the Dell Update Package (DUP) to update drivers on systems
running Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2
operating system. DUP is an executable application that updates drivers for specific
devices. DUP supports command line interface and silent execution. For more
information, see support.dell.com.

Installing Linux Driver
NOTE: PERC H700/H800 cards and both the PERC 5 and PERC 6 family of controllers
use the same driver and do not require separate driver installations.
Use the procedures in this section to install the driver for Linux. The driver
is updated frequently. To ensure that you have the current version of the
driver, download the updated Linux driver from the Dell Support website at
support.dell.com.
NOTE: The driver update disk (DUD) images are created only for those operating
system releases in which the native (in-box) driver is insufficient for installation.
In the event that an operating system is being installed with a corresponding DUD
image, follow the instructions below. If not, proceed with using the native device
driver and then skip to "Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support" on
page 78.
Creating a DUD

Before beginning the installation, copy the drivers from the Service and
Diagnostic Utilities media or download the driver appropriate for Linux from
support.dell.com. The driver package includes driver RPM (Red Hat Package
Managers) file, the DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) RPM file,
driver source code, and release notes.
For more information on DKMS, go to support.dell.com/manuals.
The package is a gzipped tar file. After downloading the package to
a Linux system, perform the following steps:
1 Unzip the package using gunzip.
2 Untar the file using tar -xvf.
The Driver Update Disk (DUD) image can be transferred to a USB flash
key, a system floppy disk slot, or a USB floppy device depending upon
availability and operating system.

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USB key method (Red Hat Enterprise Linux only): Transfer the
appropriate .img file to a USB key.
System Floppy Disk slot method: Use the dd command to create a driver
update disk. Use the appropriate image for the purpose.
a

Insert a floppy disk into the system floppy disk slot.

At a terminal prompt, do the following: # dd if=
of=/dev/fd0

USB Floppy device method: Use the dd command to create a driver
update disk. Use the appropriate image for the purpose.
a

Put a floppy disk into a USB floppy device and plug the device into a
USB slot of the system under test. Use dmesg to find out which
device this USB floppy is enumerated to (for example, sdb, sdc, and so
on).

Transfer the driver image to the floppy: # dd if=
of=/dev/sdx
NOTE: You can create a driver update disk on a Windows system using the
program dcopynt.

3 Use the diskette for operating system installation. For Red Hat Enterprise
Linux, see "Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Using the
DUD" on page 76. For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, see "Installing SUSE
Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver Update Diskette" on page 77.

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Creating a Driver Update Diskette Using DKMS

Perform the following steps to create the Driver Update Diskette (DUD)
using the DKMS tool:
NOTE: The driver must be installed on the system where this procedure is performed.
1 Install the DKMS-enabled megaraid_sas driver rpm package.
2 Type the following command in any directory:
dkms mkdriverdisk –m megaraid_sas –v -k -d
NOTE: The values for the –d option are suse for Suse Linux Enterprise
Server diskettes and redhat for RHEL diskettes.
NOTE: For more information on usage of DKMS, see the DKMS main page.
This starts the process to create the megaraid_sas DUD image. After the
DUD image has been built, you can find it in the DKMS tree for the
megaraid_sas driver. See the output of the dkms mkdriverdisk
command for the exact path.

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System Using the DUD
Perform the following steps to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux (versions 4
and 5) and the appropriate driver:
1 Boot normally from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation media.
2 At the command prompt, type: linux expert dd
3 When the install prompts for additional drivers, insert the diskette
or USB key and press .
For information about creating a driver diskette, see "Creating a DUD" on
page 74.
4 Complete the installation as directed by the installation program.

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Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Using the Driver
Update Diskette
NOTE: For information about creating a driver diskette, see "Creating a DUD" on
page 74.
To install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server using the DUD:
1 Insert the appropriate SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Service Pack media
in the system.
2 For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, select for the DUD. For
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, select .
The system displays three options: Yes, No, and File. Choose Yes to install
the driver.
3 Select Installation from the menu.
4 Press to load the Linux kernel.
5 At the prompt Please insert the driver update floppy,
click OK.
The system selects the driver from the diskette and installs it. The system
then displays the message
DRIVER UPDATE ADDED with the description of the driver module.
6 Click OK.
If you want to install from another driver update medium, continue with
the following steps.
7 The system displays the message PLEASE CHOOSE DRIVER UPDATE
MEDIUM.
8 Select the appropriate driver update medium.
The system selects the driver from the disk and installs it.

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Installing the RPM Package With DKMS Support
Perform the following steps to install the RPM package with DKMS support:
1 Uncompress the gzipped tarball driver release package.
2 Install the DKMS package using the command: rpm –ihv dkms.noarch.rpm
3 Install the driver package using the command: rpm –ihv
megaraid_sas-.noarch.rpm
NOTE: Use rpm -Uvh when updating an existing package.
4 If the previous device driver is in use, you must reboot the system for the
updated driver to take effect.
5 Verify that the driver has been loaded with the following system
commands: modinfo megaraid_sas and dkms status.
Upgrading the Kernel

When upgrading to a new kernel, you must reinstall the DKMS-enabled
driver packages. Perform the following steps to update or install the driver for
the new kernel:
1 In a terminal window, type the following:
dkms build -m -v
-k
dkms install -m -v
-k
2 To check whether the driver is successfully installed in the new kernel, type:
dkms status
You see a message similar to the following one:
, , : installed
3 If the previous device driver is in use, you must reboot the system for the
updated driver to take effect.

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Installing Solaris Driver
NOTE: The DUD images are created only for those operating system releases in
which the native (in-box) driver is insufficient for installation. In the event that an
operating system is being installed with a corresponding DUD image, follow the
instructions below. If not, proceed with the operating system installation using the
native device driver and then skip to "Adding or Updating the Driver to an Existing
System" on page 80.
Use the procedures in this section to install the driver for Solaris 10. To ensure
that you have the current version of the driver, download the updated Solaris
driver from the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.
The package is a gzipped .tar file. Download the package to a Solaris system,
and perform the following steps:
1 Extract the package contents: gunzip c | tar xvf –
2 Use the dd command to create a driver update disk. Use the appropriate
image for the purpose. Type: dd if=./mega_sas.img of=
/ bs=32k
NOTE: If you are uncertain which device node corresponds to your diskette
drive, execute the rmformat command and search for the correct Logical
Node.

NOTE: You can create a DUD on a system running the Windows operating
system using the program dcopynt.

3 If you prefer, you may use the cdrecord command to create a CDROM
instead of a floppy image. Type: cdrecord dev=
,, mega_sas_cd.iso
NOTE: To identify the correct location of the bus, target, and logical unit
number (LUN) combination, execute the following command:

cdrecord --scanbus

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Installing Solaris 10 on a PowerEdge System Booting From a PERC H700
or H800 Card
To install the driver during Solaris 10 operating system installation:
1 Boot the system from the Solaris installation media and select the
preferred console.
2 After Solaris finishes configuring devices, a menu is displayed.
Select Apply Driver Updates.
3 Select [1] if you created a CD from the mega_sas_cd.iso file.
4 Select [2] if you created a diskette from the mega_sas.img file and you are
using a traditional diskette drive.
5 Select [3] if you created a diskette from the mega_sas.img file and you are
using a removable (USB) diskette drive.
6 Follow instructions presented by Driver Update installer.
7 The following message is displayed: Installation of
was successful.
8 Select [e] to end
9 Follow the instructions on the screen to complete installation.

Adding or Updating the Driver to an Existing System
1 To add the mega_sas driver to an existing system, or to upgrade to a newer
version of the driver, you must unarchive the driver package and execute
the installation script:
tar xvf x86_64.tar
cd x86_64
./install.sh
2 Restart your Solaris system to start using the new driver. To confirm the
mega_sas driver is loaded, run the following command:
modinfo | grep mega_sas
3 Ensure that the driver version is correct.

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Configuring and Managing RAID

Dell OpenManage Storage Management applications enable you to manage
and configure the RAID system, create and manage multiple disk groups,
control and monitor multiple RAID systems, and provide online maintenance.
The management applications for PERC H700 and H800 include:
•

Dell OpenManage Storage Management

•

BIOS Configuration Utility ()
NOTE: Dell Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) RAID Storage Manager is not supported for
SED management.

Dell OpenManage Storage Management
The Dell OpenManage Storage Management is a storage management
application for Dell systems that provides enhanced features for configuring a
system's locally-attached RAID and non-RAID disk storage. The Dell
OpenManage storage management application enables you to perform controller
and enclosure functions for all supported RAID controllers and enclosures from a
single graphical or command-line interface without requiring the use of the
controller BIOS utilities. The graphical user interface (GUI) is wizard-driven
with features for novice and advanced users, and detailed online help. Using the
Dell OpenManage storage management application, you can protect your data
by configuring data-redundancy, assigning hot spares, or rebuilding failed
physical disks. The command line interface available on selected operating
systems to perform RAID management tasks is fully featured and scriptable. For
more information, see the Dell OpenManage Storage Management User's Guide
at support.dell.com/manuals.

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BIOS Configuration Utility
The BIOS Configuration Utility, also known as , is a storage
management application embedded on the PERC H700 or PERC H800 cards
that configures and maintains RAID disk groups and virtual disks.
is independent of the operating system.
NOTE: Use the BIOS Configuration Utility for initial setup and disaster recovery.
You can use advanced features through Dell OpenManage storage management
application and Dell SAS RAID storage manager.
The following sections provide information about using the BIOS Configuration
Utility. For more information, see the online help option by pressing .
NOTE: The PERC H700 or PERC H800 card configuration utility refreshes the screen
to show changes to information. The refresh occurs when you press or every
15 seconds.

Entering the BIOS Configuration Utility
Perform the following steps to enter the BIOS Configuration Utility when
you boot the system:
1 Turn on the system.
A BIOS screen displays information about the controller and
configuration.
2 During startup, press when prompted by the BIOS screen.
After you press , if there is only one controller, the Virtual
Disk Management screen for that controller is displayed. If there are more
than one controllers, the main menu screen is displayed. The screen lists
the RAID controllers. Use the arrow keys to select the RAID controller you
want to configure, and press to access the management menus
for the controller.
NOTE: You can access multiple controllers through the BIOS Configuration Utility
by pressing .
NOTE: You can access PERC 6, and PERC H700 or H800 cards from the same BIOS if
the PERC 6 firmware is 6.2.0-0013 or later.

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Exiting the Configuration Utility
To exit the BIOS Configuration Utility, press at any menu screen.
If there is only one controller, then a dialog box is displayed to confirm your
choice. Select OK to exit and press .
If multiple controllers are present, then the key brings you to the
Controller Selection screen. Press again to reach the exit screen.
A dialog box is displayed to confirm your choice. Select OK to exit and press
.

Menu Navigation Controls
Table 6-1 displays the menu keys you can use to move between the different
screens in the BIOS Configuration Utility.
Table 6-1. Menu Navigation Keys
Notation

Meaning and Use

Example

right-arrow
key

Use the right-arrow key to open a submenu, move
Start
from a menu heading to the first submenu, or move
Programs
to the first item in that submenu. If you press the
right-arrow key at a menu heading, the submenu
expands. Press it again to go to the first item in the
submenu. The right-arrow key is also used to close a
menu list in a popup window. Word wrap is
supported.

left-arrow
key

Use the left-arrow key to close a submenu, move
Controller 0
from a menu item to the menu heading for that
Disk Group 1
item, or move from a submenu to a higher level
menu. If you press the left-arrow key at a menu
heading, the submenu collapses. Press it again to go
to the higher-level menu. Word wrap is supported.

up-arrow
key

Use the up-arrow key to move to the upper menu
Virtual Disk 1
items within a menu or to a higher level menu. You
can also use the up-arrow key to close a menu list in a
popup window, such as the stripe element size menu. Virtual Disk 4
Word wrap is supported.

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Table 6-1. Menu Navigation Keys (continued)
Notation

Meaning and Use

Example

down-arrow Use the down-arrow key to move to the lower menu Virtual Disk 1
key
items within a menu or to a lower level menu. You
can also use the down-arrow key to open a menu list
in a popup window, such as the stripe element size Virtual Disk 4
menu, and select a setting. Word wrap is supported.
Select Add New
VD and press
to
create a new
virtual disk.

After you highlight a menu item, press to
select that item. An options menu for the menu item
opens. It applies to only certain menu items, such as
Virtual Disk #. In a list of options for that item,
such as the write policy for a virtual disk, highlight a
setting, such as Write-Through, and press
to select it.

After you expand a pop-up window, press to Press to
close the window. You can continue to press return to the VD
to exit the BIOS Configuration Utility.
Mgmt screen.

Press to move the cursor to the next control Press to
on a dialog box or page.
move the cursor
to the next
parameter you
want to change.

Press to move the cursor to the
previous control on a dialog or page.

Press to move to the next menu screen Press
among the main menu screens: VD Mgmt, PD
on
Mgmt, Ctrl Mgmt, and Foreign View.
the VD Mgmt
screen to move to
the PD Mgmt
screen.

Configuring and Managing RAID

Press

to move the
cursor from Sort
By to the
previously
selected PD in
the PD Mgmt
screen

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Table 6-1. Menu Navigation Keys (continued)
Notation

Meaning and Use

Example

Press
to move to the previous menu
Press
screen among the main menu screens: VD Mgmt, PD
on
Mgmt, Ctrl Mgmt, and Foreign View.
the PD Mgmt
screen to return
to the VD Mgmt
screen.

Press to access Help information. The Help
screens display a glossary of topics you can use to
access information about navigation, RAID levels,
and general topics.

Press to access the context menu, which
displays the list of options.

Press to refresh the information on the
screen.

Switch between two controllers.

Press to display a list of controllers.

Spacebar

Press the spacebar to select an item.

Press the
to
select or deselect
a controller
setting in the
Ctrl Mgmt View.

Setting Up Virtual Disks
You can set up a disk group and create virtual disks using the procedures
contained in this section. Each of the following procedures are explained
individually in this section in detail.
1 Create the virtual disks and select the virtual disk options.
2 Designate hot spares (optional).
For more information, see "Managing Dedicated Hot Spares" on page 97.
3 Initialize the virtual disks.
NOTE: When you use one physical disk group to create multiple virtual disks,
all the virtual disks must be configured with the same RAID level.

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When you define the virtual disks, you can set the following virtual disk
parameters:
•

RAID level

•

Stripe element size

•

Read policy

•

Write policy

•

Type of initialization

•

Hot spare configuration
NOTE: The default hard drive cache policy for a virtual disk composed with SAS
hard drives is disabled and with SATA hard drives is enabled. The Virtual Disk
parameter can not be changed in the BIOS configuration Utility.

Table 6-2 shows the parameters that you can configure when defining
virtual disks.
Table 6-2. Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions
Parameter

Description

RAID Level

RAID Level specifies whether the virtual disk is RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10,
50, or 60. The number of disks, disk capacity, the requirements for
fault tolerance, performance, and capacity should be considered when
selecting the RAID level. For more information, see "Summary of
RAID Levels" on page 17.

Stripe
Stripe Element Size specifies the size of the segments written to each
Element Size physical disk in a RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60 virtual disk. You can
set the stripe element size to 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB,
256 KB, 512 KB, or 1024 KB. The default and recommended stripe
element size is 64 KB.
A larger stripe element size provides better read performance if your
system mostly does sequential reads.

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Table 6-2. Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions (continued)
Parameter

Description

Write Policy

Write Policy specifies the controller write policy. You can set the write
policy to Write-Back or Write-Through.
In Write-Back caching, the controller sends a data transfer
completion signal to the host when the controller cache has received
all the data in a transaction.

NOTE: If a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) is present, the default cache

setting is Write-Back. If no BBU is present, the default cache policy
default setting is Write-Through.

NOTE: If Write-Back is enabled and the system is quickly turned off and

then on, the controller may pause as the system flushes cache memory.
Controllers that contain a battery backup default to Write-Back caching.

In Write-Through caching, the controller sends a data transfer
completion signal to the host when the disk subsystem has received
all the data in a transaction.
Read Policy

Read-Ahead enables the read ahead feature for the virtual disk.
You can set the parameter to Read-Ahead, No-Read-Ahead,
or Adaptive. The default is Adaptive-Read-Ahead.
Read-Ahead specifies that the controller uses Read-Ahead for the
current virtual disk. Read-Ahead capability allows the controller to
read sequentially ahead of requested data and store the additional
data in cache memory, anticipating that the data is required soon.
No-Read-Ahead specifies that the controller does not use read ahead
for the current virtual disk.
Adaptive specifies that the controller begins using Read-Ahead if the
two most recent disk accesses occurred in sequential sectors.
If all read requests are random, the algorithm reverts to
No-Read-Ahead; however, all requests are still evaluated for
possible sequential operation.

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Virtual Disk Management
Creating Virtual Disks
NOTE: Combining SAS and SATA hard drives within a virtual disk is not supported.
Also, combining hard drives and SSDs within a virtual disk is not supported.
NOTE: To create secured virtual disks, see "Security Key and RAID Management"
on page 121.
Perform the following steps to create a virtual disk:
1 During host system bootup, press when the BIOS screen
is displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed. If there is more than
one controller, the main menu screen is displayed. Select a controller, and
press . The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the
selected controller.
2 Use the arrow keys to highlight Controller # or Disk Group #.
3 Press
The list of available actions is displayed.
4 Select Create New VD and press .
The Create New VD screen is displayed. The cursor is on the RAID Levels
option.
When adding a virtual disk to a Disk Group, the Add VD in Disk Group
screen is displayed. Skip to step 11 to change the basic settings of the
virtual disk.
5 Press to display the possible RAID levels, based on the physical
disks available.
6 Press the down-arrow key to select a RAID level and press .
7 When creating a spanned virtual disk (RAID 10, 50 or 60), enter the
number of physical disks per span in the PD per Span field and press
.
NOTE: Creating a 22 physical disk RAID 10 virtual disk is possible by selecting
RAID 10 and populating the PD per Span field with 22.
8 Press to move the cursor to the list of physical disks.
88

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9 Use the arrow key to highlight a physical disk and press the spacebar,
, or to select the disk.
10 Select additional disks, if required.
11 Press to move the cursor to the Basic Settings box.
12 Set the virtual disk size in the VD Size field.
The virtual disk size is displayed in GB format.
NOTE: You can use part of the available disk space to create one virtual disk

and then use the rest of the disk space to create another virtual disk or disks.

13 Press to access the VD Size field, and type a virtual disk name.
14 Press to move the cursor to Advanced Settings.
15 Press the spacebar to make the settings active so that you can change
them.
An X is displayed beside Advanced Settings. The settings are the stripe
element size, read policy, and write policy. You can also choose advanced
options such as forcing the cache policy to Write-Back, initializing the
virtual disk, and configuring a dedicated hot spare.
The defaults parameters are displayed. You can accept the defaults or
change them. For detailed information about the virtual disk parameters,
see "Virtual Disk Parameters and Descriptions" on page 86.
16 Perform the following steps to select the virtual disk parameters:
a

Press to move the cursor to the parameters you want to
change.

Press the down-arrow key to open the parameters and scroll down the
list of settings.

To change the stripe element size, press to highlight Stripe
Element Size.

Press to display the list of stripe element sizes (8 KB, 16 KB,
32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB, and 1024 KB). Press the
down-arrow key to highlight the desired option and press .
The default is 64 KB.

If you need to change the read policy, press to move the cursor
to Read Policy.

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Press to display the options (No Read Ahead, Read Ahead,
or Adaptive Read Ahead). Press the down-arrow key to highlight the
desired option and press .

If you need to change the write policy, press to move the
cursor to Write Policy.

Press to display the options (Write-Through, Write Back).
Press the down-arrow key to highlight an option and press .

Press to move the cursor to Force WB with no battery and
press . If you chose Write-Through as the write policy, then
the option is not available.

Press to move the cursor to Initialize and press .

CAUTION: Do not initialize virtual disks when attempting to recreate an existing
configuration.
NOTE: The initialization performed at the stage is fast initialization.
k

Press to move the cursor to Configure HotSpare and press
.
NOTE: The hot spare created at the stage is a dedicated hot spare.

If you have chosen to create hot spares in the earlier steps, a pop-up
window is displayed where disks with appropriate sizes are displayed.
Press the spacebar to select the disk size.

After you select the disk size, click OK to finalize the selection or click
Cancel to forfeit the selection.

Select OK to accept the settings and press to exit the
window or select Cancel and press to exit if you do not want
to change any virtual disk parameters.

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Initializing Virtual Disks
CAUTION: A Full Initialization permanently destroys any existing data on that

virtual disk.

Perform the following steps to initialize virtual disks:
1 On the VD Mgmt screen, select Virtual Disk # and press to display
the menu of available actions.
2 Select Initialization and press the right-arrow key to display the
Initialization submenu options.
3 Select Start Init. to begin a regular initialization or select Fast Init.
to begin a fast initialization.
4 A pop-up windows is displayed indicating that the virtual disk has
been initialized.
5 Repeat the procedures from step 1 to step 4 to configure another
virtual disk.
The PERC H700 or PERC H800 cards support up to 64 virtual disks per
controller. The currently configured virtual disks display on the screen.

Checking Data Consistency
Select the Consistency Check (CC) option in the configuration utility to
verify the redundancy data in virtual disks that use RAID levels 1, 5, 6, 10, 50,
and 60. (RAID 0 does not provide data redundancy.)
If you attempt to run a Consistency Check on a virtual disk that has not been
initialized, the following error message is displayed:
The virtual disk has not been initialized. Running a
consistency check may result in inconsistent messages
in the log. Are you sure you want to continue?
You can select Yes or No. If you select Yes, the CC operation continues. If you
select No, the operation ends.
Perform the following steps to run a Consistency Check:
1 Press to access the VD Mgmt menu screen.
2 Press the down-arrow key to highlight Virtual Disk #.

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3 Press to display the menu of available actions.
4 Press the down-arrow key to select Consistency Check.
5 Press the right-arrow key to display the available actions (Start, Stop).
6 Select Start and press to run a Consistency Check.
The Consistency Check runs and checks the redundancy data in the
virtual disks.
7 After you start the Consistency Check, press to display the
previous menu if needed.

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the VD Mgmt Menu
When a foreign configuration exists, the BIOS screen displays the message
Foreign configuration(s) found on adapter. In addition,
a foreign configuration is displayed on the right side of the Ctrl Mgmt screen.
You can use the VD Mgmt menu to import the existing configuration to the
RAID controller or clear the existing configuration. In addition, you can view
the foreign configuration from the Foreign View tab without importing the
configuration.
NOTE: The controller does not allow an import of configurations that results in
more than 64 virtual disks.
NOTE: To import a secured foreign configuration, see "Security Key and RAID
Management" on page 121.
Perform the following steps to import or clear foreign configurations:
1 During bootup, press when prompted by the BIOS screen.
The VD Mgmt screen is displayed by default.
2 On the VD Mgmt screen, highlight the Controller #.
3 Press to display the available actions.

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4 Navigate to the Foreign Config option and press the right arrow key to
display the available actions: Import and Clear.
NOTE: Ensure that your virtual disk has all the physical disks by verifying that
there are no physical disks marked as Missing in the foreign view page and
that all the disks appear as expected before importing them.

5 Select Import to import the foreign configuration or Clear to delete the
foreign configuration and then press .
If you import the configuration, the VD Mgmt screen displays detailed
configuration information. It includes information about the disk groups,
virtual disks, physical disks, space allocation, and hot spares.

Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign
Configuration View Screen
NOTE: To import a secured foreign configuration, see "Security Key and RAID
Management" on page 121.
If one or more physical disks are removed from a configuration, the
configuration on those disks is considered a foreign configuration by the
RAID controller.
You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to view information
about the foreign configuration, such as disk groups, virtual disks, physical
disks, space allocation, and hot spares. The foreign configuration data is
displayed in the same format as configurations on the VD Mgmt screen.
You can use the VD Mgmt screen to view the foreign configuration before
importing. After you view the foreign configuration, you can either clear or
import to the RAID controller.
NOTE: Before you import the foreign configuration, review the configuration on the
screen to ensure that it is the end result that you require.
You can use the Foreign Configuration View screen to manage foreign
configurations in the following cases:
•

All the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted.

•

Some of the physical disks in a configuration are removed and re-inserted.

•

All the physical disks in a virtual disk are removed, but at different times,
and then re-inserted.

•

The physical disks in a non-redundant virtual disk are removed.

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The following constraints apply to the physical disks that are considered
for import:
•

The disk state of a physical disk can change from the time the foreign
configuration is scanned to when the actual import occurs. The foreign
import occurs only on disks that are in the Unconfigured Good state.

•

Disks in the failed or offline state cannot be imported.

•

The firmware does not allow you to import more than eight foreign
configurations.

Perform the following procedures on the Foreign Configuration View screen
to manage foreign configurations in each specific case:
1 If all or some of the physical disks in a configuration are removed and
reinserted, the controller considers the disks to have foreign
configurations. Perform the following steps:
a

Select Foreign Configuration View to display the
foreign configuration information on the Foreign Configuration
View screen.

Press to display the options (Import, Clear).
NOTE: You must have all the disks in the system before you perform the
import operation.

Select Import to import the foreign configuration to the controller or
select Clear to delete the foreign configuration(s) from the re-inserted
disk(s).
In the Preview Configuration Data window, the status of a physical
disk that needs to be rebuilt is displayed as Rebuild.
NOTE: When you import a foreign configuration, the dedicated hot spares in

the configuration are imported as dedicated hot spares on two conditions —
the associated virtual disk is already present or the associated virtual disk is
also imported along with the configuration.

NOTE: Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is complete to
ensure data integrity for the virtual disks. For more information about
checking data consistency, see "Checking Data Consistency" on page 91.

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2 If all the physical disks in a virtual disk are removed at different times and
re-inserted, the controller considers the disks to have foreign
configurations. Perform the following steps:
a

Select Foreign Configuration View to display the complete virtual
disk, across different foreign configurations and allow foreign
configurations to be imported.

Press to display the options Import and Clear.
NOTE: You must have all the drives in the system before you perform
the import operation.

Select Import to merge the foreign configurations with the existing
configuration on the controller or Clear to delete the foreign
configuration(s) from the re-inserted disk(s).
If you select Import, all drives that were pulled before the virtual disk
became offline are imported, and then automatically rebuilt.
NOTE: Start a consistency check immediately after the rebuild is
complete to ensure data integrity for the virtual disks. For more information
about checking data consistency, see "Checking Data Consistency" on
page 91.

3 If the physical disks in a non-redundant virtual disk are removed,
the controller considers the disks to have foreign configurations.
Perform the following steps:
a

Select Foreign Configuration View to display the complete foreign
configuration information.

Press to display the options Import and Clear.

Select Import to import the foreign configuration to the virtual disk or
Clear to delete the foreign configuration(s) from the re-inserted
disk(s).
No rebuilds occur after the import operation because there is no
redundant data to rebuild the disks with.

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Managing Preserved Cache
If a virtual disk becomes offline or is deleted because of missing physical
disks, the controller preserves the dirty cache from the virtual disk.
The preserved dirty cache, known as pinned cache, is preserved until you
import the virtual disk or discard the cache.
NOTE: Certain operations, such as creating a new virtual disk, cannot be
performed if preserved cache exists. You have to enter the BIOS Configuration
Utility to resolve the situation before you boot to the operating system. Messages
are displayed notifying you that you must enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to
discard the preserved cache or import the virtual disks with the preserved cache.
CAUTION: If there are any foreign configurations, it is strongly advised that you
import the foreign configuration before you discard the preserved cache.
Otherwise, you might lose data that belongs with the foreign configuration.
Perform the following steps to select whether to import the virtual disk or
discard the preserved cache:
1 On the VD Mgmt screen, click on a controller icon.
2 Press to display the menu of available actions.
3 Select Manage Preserved Cache.
A message is displayed advising you to import the foreign configuration
before you discard the preserved cache to avoid losing data belonging to
the foreign configuration. Confirm whether you want to continue. The
Manage Preserved Cache screen displays the affected virtual disks.
4 You can choose to discard the cache on the Manage Preserved Cache
screen. If you press Cancel, the process is cancelled and the Preserved
Cache Retained dialog box is displayed.
If you choose to discard the cache, you are prompted to confirm your
choice. If you choose to retain the cache, a message is displayed to notify
you that you cannot perform certain operations while the cache exists.
Click OK to continue.

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Managing Dedicated Hot Spares
A dedicated hot spare automatically replaces a failed physical disk only in the
selected disk group which the hot spare is part of. A dedicated hot spare is
used before a global hot spare is used. You can create dedicated hot spares or
delete them on the VD Mgmt screen. Perform the following steps to create or
delete dedicated hot spares:
1 On the VD Mgmt screen, select Disk Group # and press to display
the menu of available actions.
The available menu options appear.
2 Select Manage Ded. HS and press .
A screen displays a list of the current dedicated hot spares with an X beside
them and the physical disks that are available to create dedicated hot spares.
NOTE: The utility allows only disks of the same disk technology and of equal
or greater size to be selected as dedicated hot spare.

3 Use the following instructions to create or delete a dedicated hot spare:
•

Creating a dedicated hot spare
a

Press the down-arrow key to highlight an available physical disk.

Press the spacebar to select the disk.

Repeat step a to step b for each dedicated hot spare that you want
to create.

An X is displayed beside the selected physical disk(s).
•

Deleting a dedicated hot spare
a

Use the down-arrow key to highlight a current hot spare.

Press the spacebar to de-select the disk.

Repeat step a to step b for each dedicated hot spare that you want
to delete.

4 Press to confirm the changes.
The VD Mgmt screen displays the updated list of hot spares under the
Hot spares heading.
NOTE: If a global hot spare or dedicated hot spare is removed, reinserted and
imported, it regains its status as a hot spare. A dedicated hot spare becomes
a global hot spare when the disk group it was assigned to protect is no longer
present during import.
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Deleting Virtual Disks
NOTE: You cannot delete a virtual disk during an initialization.
NOTE: Warning messages appear stating the effect of deleting a virtual disk.
Click OK twice to complete the virtual disk deletion.
To delete virtual disks, perform the following steps in the BIOS
Configuration Utility:
1 Press to access the VD Mgmt screen.
2 Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the Virtual Disks heading.
3 Press .
The action menu is displayed.
4 Select Delete VD and press .
5 If there are multiple virtual disks in a Disk Group, select Total Free
Capacity for the Disk Group in the VD Mgmt screen.
The total amount of free space available in the Disk Group is displayed.

Deleting Disk Groups
You can delete disk groups using the BIOS Configuration Utility. When you
delete a disk group, the utility also removes the virtual disks in that disk
group.
To delete disk groups, perform the following steps in the BIOS
Configuration Utility:
1 Press to access the VD Mgmt screen.
2 Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the Virtual Disks heading.
3 Press .
The action menu is displayed.
4 Select Delete Disk Group and press .
The disk group is deleted.
When you delete a disk group, the remaining disk groups with higher
numbers are automatically renumbered. For example, if you delete disk
group #2, then disk group #3 is automatically renumbered as disk group #2.

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Clearing the Configuration
You can delete all virtual disks on the RAID controller by performing
the operation.
To clear the configuration, perform the following steps in the BIOS
Configuration Utility:
1 Press to access the VD Mgmt screen.
2 Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the Controller heading.
3 Press . The action menu is displayed.
4 Select Clear Config.
A pop-up window is displayed prompting for confirmation to delete all
virtual disks.
5 Select NO to delete the virtual disks or YES to retain the existing
configuration.

BIOS Configuration Utility Menu Options
The first menu that is displayed when you access the BIOS Configuration
Utility is the main menu screen. It lists the controller, controller number, and
other information, such as the slot number. On the screen, you can use the
arrow keys to select the RAID controller you want to configure. Press
to access the controller.
This section describes the options for the BIOS Configuration Utility for
each of the major menus:
•

Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt) menu

•

Physical Disk Management (PD Mgmt) menu

•

Controller Management (Ctrl Mgmt) menu

•

Foreign Configuration View (Foreign View) menu

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Most menus consist of two panels:
•

A left panel with the menu options

•

A right panel with details of the items selected in the left panel

The following sections describe the menu and submenu options for each of
the major menus:
Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt)

The Virtual Disk Management screen, VD Mgmt, is the first screen that is
displayed when you access a RAID controller from the main menu screen on
the BIOS Configuration Utility. The left panel displays the menus for the
virtual disk management, which are:
•

Controller #
•

Disk Group #
•

Virtual Disks

•

Physical Disks

•

Total Free Capacity (virtual disk size and free space you can use
to create a virtual disk)

•

Hot Spares (global and dedicated)

The right panel displays detailed information for the selected controllers,
disk groups, virtual disks, physical disks, total free capacity, and hot spares, as
shown in Table 6-3.
Table 6-3. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen
Menu Item Selected Information Displayed in Right Panel
in Left Panel
Controller

Controller Properties:
• Number of disk groups (DG)
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)

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Table 6-3. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen (continued)
Menu Item Selected Information Displayed in Right Panel
in Left Panel
Disk Group #

Disk Group # Properties:
• Number of virtual disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available on the physical disks
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares
• Security property of the Disk Group

Virtual Disks

Disk Group # Properties:
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available in the virtual disk
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares

Virtual Disk #

Virtual Disk # Properties:
• RAID level (0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, or 60)
• RAID status of the virtual disk (Failed, Degraded, Partially
Degraded, or Optimal)
• Operation currently in progress
Disk Group # Properties:
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available on the physical disks
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares

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Table 6-3. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen (continued)
Menu Item Selected Information Displayed in Right Panel
in Left Panel
Physical Disks

Disk Group # Properties:
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available on the physical disks
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares

Physical Disk #

Physical Disk Properties:
• Vendor name
• Physical disk state
• Enclosure Position
• Slot Position
Disk Group # Properties:
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available on the physical disks
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares

Total Free Capacity Disk Group # Properties:
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available on the physical disks
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares

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Table 6-3. Information on the Virtual Disk Management Screen (continued)
Menu Item Selected Information Displayed in Right Panel
in Left Panel
Hot Spares

Physical disk properties:
• Vendor name
• Physical disk size
• Physical disk state
• Enclosure Position
• Slot Position
Disk group # properties:
• Number of virtuals disks (VD)
• Number of physical disks (PD)
• Space available on the physical disks
• Number of free segments
• Number of dedicated hot spares

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Virtual Disk Actions

Table 6-4 describes the actions you can perform on virtual disks.
For procedures you can use to perform the actions, See "Virtual Disk
Management" on page 88.
Table 6-4. Virtual Disk Actions
Action

Description

Create a new virtual Creates a new virtual disk from one or more physical disks.
disk
You can configure hot spares when you create a virtual disk.
Manage dedicated
hot spares

Creates or deletes a hot spare that you can dedicate to a single
redundant virtual disks.

Initialize a
virtual disk

Initializes the selected virtual disk. You must initialize every
virtual disk that is configured. You can perform a fast
initialization or a Full Initialization.

Check data
consistency on a
virtual disk

Verifies the correctness of the redundancy data in the selected
virtual disk. The option is available only if RAID level 1, 5, 6,
10, 50, or 60 is used. The PERC H700 or PERC H800 cards
automatically correct any differences found in the data.

Display or update
virtual disk
parameters

Displays the properties of the selected virtual disk. You can
modify the cache write policy and read policy from the menu.

Manage preserved
cache

Preserves the dirty cache from a virtual disk if it becomes offline
or is deleted. The dirty cache is preserved until you import the
virtual disk or discard the cache.

Delete a virtual disk Deletes the virtual disk and frees up disk space to create
another virtual disk.
Delete a disk group Deletes a disk group, which is a collection of disks from one or
more disk subsystems controlled by management software.

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Physical Disk Management (PD Mgmt)

The Physical Disk Management screen (PD Mgmt) displays physical disk
information and action menus. The screen displays physical disk IDs,
vendor names, disk size, type, state, and disk group (DG). You can sort the list
of physical disks based on the headings. You can perform several actions on
the physical disks, including the following:
•

Rebuilding physical disks

•

Performing the Replace Member operation

•

Setting the LED to blink

•

Making a disk online or offline (unaffiliated with a disk group)

•

Creating global hot spares

•

Removing dedicated hot spares or global hot spares

The PD Mgmt screen also displays several physical disk properties as shown
in Table 6-5.
Table 6-5. Information on the Physical Disk Management Screen
Information Displayed in Left Panel

Supported Information Displayed in
Right Panel

Physical Disk:

• Security Property of Physical Disk

• Disk ID

• Encryption Capable

• Protocol type

• Product ID

• Capacity (GB)

• Firmware Revision

• Physical Disk State

• Disk Write Cache

• Disk Group

• S.M.A.R.T state

• Vendor

• Physical Disk operation
• Max Device Link Rate
• Negotiated Link Rate
• Dell Certified Disk

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Physical Disk Actions

Table 6-6 describes the actions you can perform on physical disks.
For procedures that can be used to perform the actions, see "Physical Disk
Management" on page 108.
Table 6-6. Physical Disk Actions
Action

Description

Rebuild

Regenerates all data to a replacement disk in a redundant
virtual disk (RAID level 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, or 60) after a disk
failure. A disk rebuild normally occurs without interrupting
normal operations on the affected virtual disk.

Replace Member

Replaces the disk in the virtual disk with another disk that can
be selected.

LED Blinking

Indicates when physical disks are being used to create a virtual
disk. You can choose to start or stop the LED blinking.

Force Online

Changes the state of the selected physical disk to online.

Force Offline

Changes the state of the selected physical disk so that it is no
longer part of a virtual disk.

Make Global HS

Designates the selected physical disk as a global hot spare.
A global hot spare is part of a pool for all virtual disks
controlled by the controller.
Designates the selected physical disk as a global hot spare.

Remove HS

Removes a dedicated hot spare from its disk group or a global
hot spare from the global pool of hot spares.

Rebuild

Select Rebuild to rebuild one or more failed physical disks. For information
on performing a physical disk rebuild, see "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an
Individual Physical Disk" on page 111.
Several of the controller configuration settings and the virtual disk settings
affect the actual rate of rebuild. The factors include the rebuild rate setting,
virtual disk stripe size, virtual disk read policy, virtual disk write policy, and the
amount of workload placed on the storage subsystem. For information on
getting the best rebuild performance from your RAID controller, see the
documentation on Dell Support website at support.dell.com/manuals.

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Controller Management (Ctrl Mgmt)

The Controller Management screen (Ctrl Mgmt) displays the product name,
package, firmware version, BIOS version, boot block version, controller ID,
security capability, and security key presence. Use the screen to perform
actions on the controller and BIOS. You can perform functions such as enable
or disable the controller BIOS, enable or disable the BIOS during bootup in
the event of BIOS errors, and enable or disable the option to Auto Import. In
addition, you can select a virtual disk from which to boot, and select default
settings.
Controller Management Actions

Table 6-7 describes the actions you can perform on the Ctrl Mgmt screen.
Table 6-7. Controller Management Options
Option

Description

Enable Controller
BIOS

Select the option to enable the controller BIOS. If the boot
device is on the RAID controller, the BIOS must be enabled.
Disable the BIOS to use other boot devices.
In a multiple controller environment, you can enable BIOS on
multiple controllers. However, if you want to boot from a
specific controller, then enable the BIOS on that controller
and disable it on the other controllers. The system can then
boot from the BIOS-enabled controller.

Enable BIOS Stop
On Error

Select the option to stop the system BIOS during bootup if
there are BIOS errors. The option enables you to enter the
configuration utility to resolve the problem.

Select Bootable
virtual disk

Select the option to specify a virtual disk as the boot disk on
the controller.
The option is displayed if you have built virtual disks.

Enable Auto Import

Attempts to import every online foreign configuration during
boot without having the need to access the BIOS
Configuration Utility.

Factory Default

Select the option to restore the default settings for the options
in the Settings box.

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Foreign Configuration View

When a foreign configuration is present, you can select Foreign
Configuration View to display the configuration. The screen shows the
foreign configuration as it would be if you import it. You can preview the
foreign configuration before you decide whether to import it or clear it.
In some cases, a foreign configuration cannot be imported. If a physical disk
in a virtual disk is rebuilding, the physical disk's state is set to Rebuild. No
virtual disk target ID displays for virtual disks that cannot be imported.
The section "Importing or Clearing Foreign Configurations Using the Foreign
Configuration View Screen" on page 93 contains the procedures you can use
to manage the foreign configurations.
NOTE: The BIOS Configuration Utility reports error codes for failed imports of
foreign configurations.

Physical Disk Management
Setting LED Blinking
The LED blinking option indicates when physical disks are being used to
create a virtual disk. You can choose to start or stop the LED blinking.
Perform the following steps to start or stop the option:
1 Press to access the PD Mgmt screen.
A list of physical disks is displayed. The status of the each disk is displayed
under the heading State.
2 Press the down-arrow key to highlight a physical disk.
3 Press to display the menu of available actions.
4 Press the down-arrow key to highlight LED Blinking.
5 Press the right-arrow key to display the available actions, Start and Stop.
6 Select Start to begin LED blinking or Stop to end LED blinking.

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Creating Global Hot Spares
You can use a global hot spare to replace a failed physical disk in any
redundant array as long as the capacity of the global hot spare is equal to or
larger than the coerced capacity of the failed physical disk.
Perform the following steps to create global hot spares:
1 Press to access the PD Mgmt screen.
A list of physical disks is displayed. The status of the each disk is displayed
under the heading State.
2 Press the down-arrow key to highlight a physical disk to change to a global
hot spare.
3 Press to display the menu of available actions.
4 Press the down-arrow key to highlight Make Global HS and press
.
The physical disk is changed to a global hot spare. The status of the
physical disk as a global hot spare is displayed under the heading State.
NOTE: To replace a failed physical disk global hot spares must use the same
disk technology and must be equal or greater in size.

5 Select additional physical disks if desired and follow the previous steps to
change them to global hot spares.

Removing Global or Dedicated Hot Spares
You can remove one global or dedicated hot spare at a time on the PD Mgmt
screen. Perform the following steps to remove a global hot spare or dedicated
hot spare:
1 Press to access the PD Mgmt screen.
A list of physical disks is displayed. The status of each disk is displayed
under the heading State.
2 Press the down-arrow key to highlight a physical disk that is a hot spare.
3 Press to display the menu of available actions.

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4 Press the down-arrow key to select Remove Hot Spare from the list of
actions and press .
The physical disk is changed to the Ready state. The status of the physical
disk is displayed under the heading State.
NOTE: Try to use physical disks of the same capacity in a specific virtual disk.
If you use physical disks with different capacities in a virtual disk, all physical
disks in the virtual disk are treated as if they have the capacity of the
smallest physical disk.

5 Select additional hot spares if desired and follow step 1 to step 4 to
remove them.

Replacing an Online Physical Disk
In addition to the automatic Replace Member operation, you can manually
replace any physical disk that is part of a virtual disk using the Replace
Member functionality. Perform the following steps to replace a physical disk:
1 In the Virtual Disk Management window, select Virtual Disk # and
press the down-arrow key until Physical Disks is highlighted.
2 Press the right-arrow key to expand the list of physical disks that are
members of the virtual disk.
3 Press the down-arrow key and highlight the desired physical disk you
want to replace. Press to expand the list of allowed operations
on the disk.
4 Select Replace and then Start.
5 Press the down-arrow to highlight a replacement disk and then press the
spacebar to select the disk.
6 Select OK to start the replacement.
NOTE: The replacement disk must be a hot spare or an unconfigured disk without
a foreign configuration. It must have the same or greater capacity and should be of
the same type as the disk it is replacing.

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Restrictions and Limitations

The following restrictions and limitations apply to the Replace Member
operation:
•

The Replace Member functions are restricted to one per array for RAID 0,
RAID 1, and RAID 5, and two per array for RAID 6.

•

The Replace Member function and rebuild cannot run simultaneously on
a RAID 6 virtual disk. The rebuild operation has a higher priority, and the
Replace Member operation is aborted if a rebuild begins.

•

The Replace Member function cannot replace a SED with a non-SED
if the virtual disk is secured.

Stopping Background Initialization
Background initialization (BGI) is the automated operation in which parity is
created and written. BGI does not run on RAID 0 virtual disks. Under certain
conditions, the BIOS Configuration Utility displays a message if you want to
stop BGI in progress. An alert message is displayed if BGI is in progress and
you start any of the following actions:
•

A Full Initialization on the virtual disk

•

A Fast Initialization on the virtual disk

•

A Consistency Check on the virtual disk

The following alert message is displayed: The virtual disk is
undergoing a background initialization process. Would you
like to stop the operation and proceed with the
instead?
Click Yes to stop the BGI and start the requested operation or No to allow
BGI to continue.

Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical Disk
Use the following procedures to rebuild one failed physical disk manually.
1 Press to access the PD Mgmt screen.
A list of physical disks is displayed. The status of each disk is displayed
under the heading State.
2 Press the down-arrow key to highlight a physical disk that has a failed state.
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3 Press to display a menu of available actions.
The Rebuild option is highlighted at the top of the menu.
Press the right-arrow key to display the rebuild options and select Start.
4 After you start the rebuild, press to display the previous menu.
NOTE: You can also use the VD Mgmt screen to perform a manual rebuild. Use the
arrow key to highlight a physical disk, and press . In the menu that is displayed,
select the Rebuild option.
CAUTION: If a physical disk is a member of a disk group that contains multiple
virtual disks and one of the virtual disks is deleted when a rebuild operation is in
progress, the rebuild operation stops. You can then resume the rebuild operation
manually using a storage management application. To avoid interruption, ensure
that none of the virtual disks are deleted until the rebuild is complete.

Controller Management
Enabling Boot Support
NOTE: See your system documentation to ensure the proper boot order is selected
in the system BIOS.
In a multiple controller environment, you can enable BIOS on multiple
controllers. However, if you want to boot from a specific controller, enable the
BIOS on that controller and disable it on the other controllers. The system
can then boot from the BIOS-enabled controller. Perform the following steps
to enable the controller BIOS:
1 Press to access the Ctrl Mgmt menu screen.
2 Press to move the cursor to Enable Controller BIOS in the
Settings box.
3 Press the spacebar to select Enable Controller BIOS.
An X is displayed beside Enable Controller BIOS.
4 Press to move the cursor to the Apply button, and then press
to apply the selection.
The controller BIOS is enabled. To disable the controller BIOS, use the
spacebar to de-select the Enable Controller BIOS control, and then select
Apply and press .

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After you enable the BIOS for a controller, perform the following steps to
enable the boot support for that controller:
1 Press to access the Ctrl Mgmt menu screen.
2 Press to move the cursor to the Select Bootable VD in the
Settings box.
3 Press the down-arrow key to display a list of virtual disks.
4 Use the down-arrow key to highlight a virtual disk.
5 Press to select the virtual disk.
6 Press to move the cursor to the Apply button, and then press
to apply the selection.
Boot support is enabled for the selected controller.

Enabling BIOS Stop on Error
The option BIOS Stop on Error is used to stop the system from booting if there
are BIOS errors. Perform the following steps to enable BIOS Stop on Error.
1 Press to access the Ctrl Mgmt menu screen.
2 Press to move the cursor to Enable BIOS Stop on Error in the
Settings box.
3 Press the spacebar to select Enable BIOS Stop on Error.
An X is displayed beside Enable BIOS Stop on Error.
4 Press to move the cursor to the Apply button, and then press
to apply the selection.
The controller BIOS is enabled. To disable Enable BIOS Stop on Error,
use the spacebar to de-select Enable BIOS Stop on Error, then select
Apply and press .

Enabling Auto Import
If there is a native configuration present on the controller, the option Enable
Auto Import automatically imports every online foreign configuration during
boot without having the need to access the BIOS Configuration Utility.
NOTE: The controller automatically imports every optimal and degraded
foreign configuration without enabling the feature if there is no native
configuration on the controller.
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To enable Auto Import:
1 Press to access the Ctrl Mgmt menu screen.
2 Press to move the cursor to Enable Auto Import in the Settings
box.
3 Press the spacebar to select Enable Auto Import.
An X is displayed beside Enable Auto Import.
4 Press to move the cursor to the Apply button, and then press
to apply the selection.
The Auto Import is enabled.
To disable Auto Import:
1 Use the spacebar to de-select Enable Auto Import.
2 Select Apply and press .
The Auto Import is disabled.

Restoring Factory Default Settings
You can use the Ctrl Mgmt menu screen to restore the default settings for the
options in the Settings box. The settings are Enable Controller BIOS,
Enable BIOS Stop on Error, and Enable Auto Import. Perform the following
steps to restore default settings:
1 Press to access the Ctrl Mgmt menu screen.
2 Press to move the cursor to the Settings box.
3 Use the spacebar to de-select the settings for the options in the Settings
box.
4 Press to move the cursor to the Factory Default box, and press the
, , or the spacebar.
A dialog box is displayed for you to confirm your choice.
5 Select and press .
The defaults are automatically selected for the controller settings and are
displayed in Settings.

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CacheCade

The Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 cards support
CacheCade, a feature that can improve application performance by
increasing read caching capacity. The CacheCade feature makes use of highperforming solid state disks (SSDs) as a secondary tier of cache. CacheCade
provides faster reads and maximizes transactional I/O performance.
The use of SSDs for caching allows a large quantity of data to be present in
the cache, resulting in performance improvement in read-intensive
applications. Some examples of read-intensive applications include online
transaction processing (OLTP), file server, and web server workloads.
CacheCade allows for an increase in the I/O performance of hard disk drive
(HDD)-based disk groups with the assistance of SSD technology.

CacheCade Virtual Disk Characteristics
The CacheCade feature has the following characteristics:
•

Support for CacheCade virtual disks exists only on controllers containing 1
GB of Non-Volatile (NV) Cache.

•

CacheCade virtual disks can only be created with SSDs.

•

The maximum combined size of CacheCade virtual disks is 512 GB.
NOTE: Multiple CacheCade virtual disks may be created, but they are
combined to operate as a single cache pool up to the maximum size.

•

Data on virtual disks containing secured Self-Encrypting Disks (SEDs) or
SSDs will not be cached by CacheCade.
NOTE: Data on VDs with unsecured SEDs can be cached using CacheCade.

•

CacheCade virtual disks will only cache input reads that are smaller than
64 KB.

•

CacheCade virtual disks are read cache only.

•

CacheCade virtual disks will not migrate to a controller that does not
support CacheCade.

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•

Importing a CacheCade drive may result in a RAID 0 VD. You will need to
reconfigure the CacheCade VD after importing.

•

CacheCade virtual disks are not presented to the operating system.

Configuring and Managing CacheCade Virtual
Disks
The Dell OpenManage storage management application and the controller’s
BIOS Configuration Utility () allow the creation and deletion of
CacheCade virtual disks.
The following sections describe the menu options specific to CacheCade
virtual disk management and provide detailed instructions to perform the
configuration tasks. The contents of the following section apply to the BIOS
Configuration Utility. For more information on the management
applications, see "Configuring and Managing RAID" on page 81.

CacheCade Virtual Disk Management
The Virtual Disk Management screen is the first screen that is displayed
when you access a RAID controller from the main menu screen on the BIOS
Configuration Utility.
The following are CacheCade-related actions you can perform through the
virtual disk management menu:
•

Create CacheCade virtual disk

•

Assign CacheCade virtual disk name

•

Delete virtual disk

Create CacheCade Virtual Disk
NOTE: Only SSDs can be used to create CacheCade virtual disks.
NOTE: Combining SAS and SATA SSDs within a CacheCade virtual disk is not
supported.
NOTE: To avoid inefficient use of space, it is recommended that CacheCade
volumes are created with drives of the same size. Larger disk sizes are truncated to
the size of the smallest contributing disk, similar to RAID 0.

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To create a CacheCade virtual disk:
1 During host system bootup, press when the BIOS screen is
displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed. If there are more than
one controller, the main menu screen is displayed.
2 Select a controller, and press .
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the selected
controller.
3 Use the arrow keys to highlight Controller #.
4 Press .
The list of available actions is displayed.
5 Select Create CacheCade Virtual Disk and press .
The Create CacheCade Virtual Disk screen is displayed. The cursor is on
the first SSD listed in the Select SSD section.
6 Select the desired SSD(s). As each new SSD is selected, the CacheCade
Virtual Disk Size changes to reflect the new size.
NOTE: You cannot specify the size of the virtual disk.
7 Press to move the cursor to the CacheCade Virtual Disk Name
field. Enter a name if required.
8 After you specify the virtual disk name, select OK to save the selection or
select Cancel to cancel the selection.
After the CacheCade virtual disk is created successfully, it is listed in the
Virtual Disk Management screen under the CacheCade disk group, and is
labeled as a CacheCade virtual disk. The virtual disk has an optimal state and
its RAID level is RAID 0.
NOTE: You can only delete or rename a CacheCade virtual disk. Background
Initialization, fast initialization, full initialization, and consistency check operations
are not applicable to CacheCade virtual disks.

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Delete CacheCade Virtual Disk
To delete CacheCade virtual disks, perform the following steps in the BIOS
Configuration Utility:
1 Press to access the Virtual Disk Management screen.
2 Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the CacheCade Disk Group or
Virtual Disks heading.
3 Press .
The Action menu is displayed.
4 Select Delete VD and press .
NOTE: Warning messages are displayed stating the effect of deleting a virtual disk.
Click OK to complete the virtual disk deletion.
NOTE: In operating system management applications, a CacheCade virtual disk
deletion or removal can be done without interrupting any I/Os. The controller stops
caching via the secondary cache, but all outstanding I/Os are completed.

Reconfiguring CacheCade Virtual Disks
In operating system management applications, the resizing of CacheCade
virtual disks occurs without stopping any existing I/Os. Creating a new
CacheCade virtual disk or adding one or more SSDs to an existing
CacheCade virtual disk increases the total cache size. The new resources are
immediately used after the addition.
There are two methods to reconfigure CacheCade virtual disks:
•

Automatic reconfiguration of cachecade virtual disks

•

Manual reconfiguration of cachecade virtual disks

Automatic Reconfiguration of CacheCade Virtual Disks

A CacheCade virtual disk that is made up of more than one SSD is
automatically reconfigured upon a removal or failure of a member SSD. The
virtual disk retains an Optimal state and adjusts its size to reflect the
remaining number of member disks. If auto-rebuild is enabled on the
controller, when a previously removed SSD is inserted back into the system or
replaced with a new compatible SSD, the CacheCade automatically

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reconfigures and adjusts its size to reflect the addition of the member SSD.
The number of SSDs to be removed from a CacheCade virtual disk cannot
equal the total number of SSDs currently in the CacheCade virtual disk.
After the automatic reconfiguration and resizing of a CacheCade virtual disk,
the new virtual disk size is displayed in both the BIOS configuration utility as
well as in the OpenManage storage management application.
CAUTION: If a disk is removed from a CacheCade virtual disk, the associated slot
for that disk is a hot slot for the CacheCade volume. Any compatible disk inserted
into that slot is automatically added to the CacheCade virtual disk. Any preexisting data on that drive is lost.
NOTE: Disks inserted into a CacheCade hot slot must be equal to or greater than
the smallest contributing disk in the virtual disk.
Manual Resizing of CacheCade Virtual Disks

In operating system management applications, a manual resizing of a
CacheCade virtual disk occurs due to the addition or removal of drives.
Reboot is not be necessary.
•

Any number of SSDs can be added to a CacheCade virtual disk.

•

There is no SAS and SATA mixing allowed within a CacheCade virtual
disk, so SATA SSDs cannot be added to a SAS CacheCade virtual disk and
vice versa.

•

HDDs cannot be added to a CacheCade virtual disk.
NOTE: Capacity of drives added to a CacheCade volume must be equal to or
greater than the smallest contributing drive in the virtual disk. The manual resizing
of a CacheCade virtual disk cannot be initiated in the BIOS configuration utility. It
can only be initiated in the OpenManage storage management application.

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Security Key and RAID
Management

Security Key Implementation
Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and H800 cards support SelfEncrypting Disks (SED) for protection of data against loss or theft of SEDs.
Protection is achieved by the use of encryption technology on the drives. The
encryption key is protected from unauthorized use by a security key.
There is one security key per controller. Under Local Key Management
(LKM) the key is managed by you (on-controller key management). The key
can be escrowed in to a file using Dell OpenManage. The security key is used
by the controller to lock and unlock access to encryption-capable physical
disks. In order to take advantage of this feature, you must:
1 Have SEDs in your system.
2 Create (LKM) a security key.

Configuring and Managing Secured Virtual Disks
The Dell OpenManage storage management application and the controller's
BIOS Configuration Utility () allow security keys to be created
and managed as well as the creation of secured virtual disks.
The following sections describe the menu options specific to security key
management and provide detailed instructions to perform the configuration
tasks. The contents of the following section apply to the BIOS Configuration
Utility. For more information on the management applications, see
"Configuring and Managing RAID" on page 81.

BIOS Configuration Utility Security Menu Options
The BIOS Configuration Utility is a storage management application that
resides in the controller BIOS. Its operation is independent of the operating
systems. It allows you to configure and maintain physical disk groups and
virtual disks as well as provides security key management.
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Virtual Disk Management (VD Mgmt)

The Virtual Disk Management screen, VD Mgmt, is the first screen that is
displayed when you access a RAID controller from the main menu screen on
the BIOS Configuration Utility.
Virtual Disk Security Actions

The following are security-related actions you can perform through the virtual
disk management menu:
•

Security Key Management: creates, changes, or deletes the security
settings on a controller.

•

Secure Disk Group: secures all virtual disks in Disk Group.

Physical Disk Management (PD Mgmt)

The Physical Disk Management screen displays physical disk information and
action menus.
Physical Disk Security Actions

The following are security-related actions you can perform through the
physical disk management menu:
•

Instant Secure Erase: Resets the security attributes of the SED, rendering
existing data inaccessible.

For more information on the Physical Disk Management screen, see "Physical
Disk Management" on page 108.

Security Key Management
Local Key Management (LKM)

In local key management (LKM) you generate the key ID and the passphrase
required to secure the virtual disk. You can secure virtual disks, change
security keys and manage secured foreign configurations using this security
mode.
NOTE: Under LKM, you are prompted for a passphrase when you create the key.
Create Key

Perform the following steps to create a local security key on the controller:
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NOTE: There is no passphrase backup option when you create a security key; you
need to remember your passphrase.
1 During the host system boot up, press when the BIOS
screen is displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed.
If there is more than one controller, the main menu screen is displayed.
2 Select a controller, and press .
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the selected
controller.
3 Use the arrow keys to highlight Security Key Management.
4 Press to display the actions you can perform.
5 Select Create Key and press .
The Create Security Key screen is displayed. The cursor is at the Security
Key Identifier.
6 Enter an identifier for your security key.
NOTE: The Security Key Identifier is a user-supplied clear text label used to
associate the correct security key with the controller.

7 Press to enter a passphrase.
8 Press and select OK to accept the settings and to exit the window.
Select Cancel to exit if you do not want to create a security key on the
controller.
CAUTION: If you lose or forget your passphrase, the data in your virtual disk is
inaccessible.

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Change Key

NOTE: Change Key is active if there is a security key present on the controller.
Perform the following steps when changing the security key on the controller:
1 During host system bootup, press when the BIOS screen is
displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed.
If there is more than one controller, the main menu screen is displayed.
2 Select a controller, and press .
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the selected
controller.
3 Use the arrow keys to highlight Security Key Management.
4 Press to display the actions you can perform.
5 Select Change Key and press .
6 The Change Security Key screen is displayed. The cursor is at the Security
Key Identifier. Enter an identifier for your Security Key.
7 Press to enter a new passphrase.
NOTE: You must provide the current passphrase in order to change the
security key on the controller.

8 Press and select OK to accept the settings and to exit the window.
Select Cancel to exit if you do not want to change the security key on the
controller.
NOTE: If there is an existing configuration on the controller, it is updated

with the new security key. If you had previously removed any secured disks,
you still need to supply the old passphrase to import them.

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Delete Key

NOTE: Delete Key is active if there is a security key present on the controller.
NOTE: Delete Key can only be performed when there are no secured virtual disks
present.
NOTE: After the Delete Key operation, all unconfigured, secured SEDs shall be
secure-erased.
Perform the following steps when deleting the security key on the controller:
1 During host system bootup, press when the BIOS screen is
displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed. If there is more than
one controller, the main menu screen is displayed.
2 Select a controller, and press .
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the selected
controller.
3 Use the arrow keys to highlight Security Key Management.
4 Press to display the actions you can perform.
5 Select the Delete key and press .

Creating Secured Virtual Disks
To create a secured virtual disk, the controller must have a security key
established first. See "Create Key" on page 122.
NOTE: Combining SAS and SATA hard drives within a virtual disk is not supported.
Also, combining hard drives and solid state drives (SSDs) within a virtual disk is not
supported.
After the security key is established, perform the steps outlined in the
"Creating Virtual Disks" on page 88 to create a virtual disk.
To secure the virtual disk, navigate to the Secure VD option at the bottom
left area of the Create New VD screen.
NOTE: All virtual disks added to a secured Disk Group are secured.

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Securing Pre-Existing Virtual Disks
If an unsecured virtual disk was created on a controller, you can secure the
virtual disk as long as the following conditions are met:
•

The controller has a security key present.

•

All the physical disks in the virtual disk are SED.

Perform the following steps when securing a pre-existing virtual disk on a
secured controller:
1 During the host system bootup, press when the BIOS screen
is displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed.
If there is more than one controller, the main menu screen is displayed.
2 Select a controller, and press .
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the selected controller.
3 Use the arrow keys to highlight the Disk Group number.
4 Press to display a menu of the available actions.
5 Highlight the Secure Disk Group option and press .
NOTE: If you select to secure a Disk Group, all virtual disks part of the Disk
Group are secured.

Importing or Clearing Secured Foreign Configurations and Secure Disk
Migration
Secured virtual disks created on a PERC H700 or H800 card can be migrated
to another PERC H700 or H800 card. A virtual disk secured with a local
security key different from the current controller security key cannot be
imported without authentication of the original passphrase used to secure
them.
When importing secured virtual disk(s) created with a different security key,
the secured foreign configuration(s) do not show in the Foreign
Configuration View screen. Follow the steps below to import or clear a
foreign secured virtual disk.
NOTE: If you are importing secured and unsecured virtual disks, you are prompted
to resolve the secured foreign configuration first.

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NOTE: The PERC H700 or H800 card needs to have a security key present before
being able to import a secured virtual disk.
NOTE: Any unsecured virtual disks imported are still unsecured.
NOTE: If you are importing a virtual disk originally secured with a local key (LKM),
you are prompted for the passphrase used to secure that virtual disk.
Perform the following steps when importing a foreign secured virtual disk:
1 During the host system bootup, press when the BIOS screen
is displayed.
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed.
If there is more than one controller, the main menu screen is displayed.
2 Select a controller, and press .
The Virtual Disk Management screen is displayed for the selected
controller.
3 Press to display a menu of available actions.
4 Select Import to import the foreign configuration or Clear to delete the
foreign configuration. Press .
NOTE: To Clear, you need to Instant Secure Erase foreign configurations
secured with a different security key.

5 If you select to Import the configuration, the Secure Foreign Import
screen is displayed.
NOTE: The key identifier for the passphrase used to secure the foreign secured
virtual disks is displayed under the Secured Drives option.
6 Enter the passphrase that was used to secure the foreign configuration
7 Press and select OK to finish importing the secured foreign
configuration or select Cancel to exit this menu.
If you select Cancel for the secured foreign import, the disks remain
inaccessible until imported or instant secure erased. See "Instant Secure
Erase" on page 128.

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Instant Secure Erase
Instant Secure Erase is the process of permanently erasing all data on an
encryption-capable physical disk which is either unconfigured or foreign, and
resetting the security attributes. You need to execute Instant Secure Erase on
SEDs that are inaccessible (blocked) due to a lost or forgotten passphrase.
CAUTION: By executing Instant Secure Erase, the data on your
encryption-capable physical disk is lost.
Perform the following steps when instant secure erasing a physical disk:
1 Press to access the PD Mgmt screen.
A list of physical disks is displayed. On the right menu, the physical disk
properties are displayed including information about whether the physical
disk is secured or not.
2 Press the down-arrow key to highlight a physical disk that is secured.
3 Press to display a menu of available actions.
4 The Secure Erase option is highlighted at the bottom of the menu.
5 Press to Secure Erase the physical disk and select YES.

Troubleshooting Security Key Errors
Secured Foreign Import Errors
A foreign configuration is a RAID configuration that already exists on a
replacement physical disk that you install in a system. A secured foreign
configuration is a RAID configuration that was created under a different
security key. There are three scenarios in which a secured foreign import fails:

128

•

The passphrase authentication fails— A virtual disk secured with a security
key different from the current controller security key cannot be imported
without authentication of the original passphrase used to secure them.
Supply the correct passphrase to import the secured foreign configuration.
If you have lost or forgotten the passphrase, the secured foreign disks
remain locked (inaccessible) until the appropriate passphrase is entered or
if they are instant secure erased.

•

The secured virtual disk is in an offline state after supplying the correct
passphrase— You must check to determine why the virtual disk failed and
correct the problem. See "Troubleshooting" on page 131.
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Failure to Select or Configure Non Self-Encrypting Disks (non-SED)
A virtual disk can be either secured or unsecured depending on how it was
configured when created. In order to create a secured virtual disk, the
controller must have a security key present and must be composed of SEDs
only. In order to select/configure non-SED, you must create an unsecured
virtual disk. You can create an unsecured virtual disk even if there is a security
key present. Select the secure virtual disk option as No in the Create New VD
menu. See "Creating Virtual Disks" on page 88 for steps on how to create an
unsecured virtual disk.

Failure to Delete Security Key
A security key is used to lock or unlock access to a security-enabled
component. This key is not utilized in the actual encryption of data. If a
security key is present, both secured and unsecured virtual disks may exist.
To delete the security key, you must have a previously established security key
present on the controller and there can not be any configured secured disks.
If there are configured secured disks, remove or delete them.

Failure to Instant Secure Erase Task on Physical Disks
Instant Secure Erase is the process of securely erasing all data permanently on
an encryption-capable physical disk and resetting the security attributes. It is
used in a couple of scenarios such as deleting a foreign configuration in the
event of a forgotten or lost passphrase or unlocking a disk that had been
previously locked.
Instant Secure Erase can be executed only on encryption-capable disks as long
as the disks are not hot spares and are not configured (not part of a virtual
disk). Ensure that the conditions are met and see "Instant Secure Erase" on
page 128.

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Troubleshooting

To get help with your Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H700 and
H800 cards, you can contact your Dell Technical Service representative or
access support.dell.com.

Post Error Messages
The controller BIOS read-only memory (ROM) provides Int 13h functionality
(disk I/O) for the virtual disks connected to the controller. You can boot from
or access the physical disks without a driver. Table 9-1 describes the error and
warning messages for the BIOS.
Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

A discovery error has
occurred, please power
cycle the system and
all the enclosures
attached to this
system

The message indicates that Check the cable
discovery did not complete connections and restart
within 120 seconds. The
the system.
SAS cables for your system
might be improperly
connected.

There are X enclosures
connected to connector
Y, but only maximum of
4 enclosures can be
connected to a single
SAS connector. Please
remove the extra
enclosures then
restart your system.

This message is displayed Remove all additional
when the BIOS detects
enclosures and restart
more than 4 enclosures
your system.
connected to a single SAS
connector.

Troubleshooting

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

Cache data was lost,
This message is displayed
but the controller has under the following
recovered. This could conditions:
be due to the fact
• The adapter detects that
that your controller
the cache in the
had protected cache
controller cache has not
after an unexpected
yet been written to the
power loss and your
disk subsystem.
system was without
power longer than the • The controller detects an
Error-Correcting Code
battery backup time.
(ECC) error while
Press any key to
performing its cache
continue or 'C' to
checking routine during
load the configuration
initialization.
utility.
• The controller discards
the cache rather than
sending it to the disk
subsystem because the
data integrity cannot be
guaranteed.

To resolve this
problem, allow the
battery to charge fully.
If the issue persists, the
battery or adapter
DIMM might be faulty;
contact Dell Technical
Support.

The message indicates that
some configured disks were
removed. If the disks were
not removed, they are no
longer accessible. The SAS
cables for your system
might be improperly
connected.

Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.

The following virtual
disks have missing
disks: (x). If you
proceed (or load the
configuration
utility), these
virtual disks will be
marked OFFLINE and
will be inaccessible.
Please check your
cables and ensure all
disks are present.
Press any key to
continue, or 'C' to
load the configuration
utility.

132

Troubleshooting

If there are no cable
problems, press any key
or to continue.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

All of the disks from
your previous
configuration are
gone. If this is an
unexpected message,
then please power off
your system and check
your cables to ensure
all disks are present.
Press any key to
continue, or 'C' to
load the configuration
utility.

The message indicates that
all configured disks were
removed. If the disks were
not removed, they are no
longer accessible. The SAS
cables for your system
might be improperly
connected.

Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.

The following virtual The message indicates that
disks are missing: (x) some configured disks were
removed. If the disks were
If you proceed (or
load the configuration not removed, they are no
longer accessible. The SAS
utility), these
virtual disks will be cables for your system
might be improperly
removed from your
configuration. If you connected.

Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.

If there are no cable
problems, press any key
or to continue.

wish to use them at a
later time, they will
have to be imported.
If you believe these
virtual disks should
be present, please
power off your system
and check your cables
to ensure all disks
are present. Press any
key to continue, or
'C' to load the
configuration utility.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

The cache contains
dirty data, but some
virtual disks are
missing or will go
offline, so the cached
data can not be
written to disk. If
this is an unexpected
error, then please
power off your system
and check your cables
to ensure all disks
are present. If you
continue, the data in
cache will be
permanently discarded.
Press 'X' to
acknowledge and
permanently destroy
the cached data.

The controller preserves
the dirty cache from a
virtual disk if the disk
becomes offline or is
deleted because of missing
physical disks. This
message indicates that
some configured disks were
removed. If the disks were
not removed, they are no
longer accessible. The SAS
cables for your system
might be improperly
connected.

Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.

Entering the
configuration utility
in this state will
result in drive
configuration changes.
Press 'Y' to continue
loading the
configuration utility
or please power off
your system and check
your cables to ensure
all disks are present
and reboot.

The message is displayed
after another BIOS
warning indicating there
are problems with
previously configured disks
and you have chosen to
accept any changes and
continue.

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The SAS cables for your
system might be
improperly connected.

Use the
utility to import the
virtual disk or discard
the preserved cache.
For the steps to
manage preserved
cache, see "Managing
Preserved Cache" on
page 96.

Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.
If there are no cable
problems, press any key
or to continue.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

BIOS Disabled. No
This warning message is
Enable the ROM
Logical Drives Handled displayed after you disable option.
by BIOS
the ROM option in the
configuration utility.
When the ROM option is
disabled, the BIOS cannot
boot to INT 13h and
cannot provide the ability
to boot from the virtual
disk.
Int 13h is an interrupt
signal that supports
numerous commands that
are sent to the BIOS, then
passed to the physical disk.
The commands include
actions you can perform
with a physical disk, such
as reading, writing, and
formatting.
Adapter at Baseport
xxxx is not responding

Contact Dell Technical
Support.

where xxxx is the baseport of
the controller

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

There are offline or
missing virtual drives
with preserved cache.
Please check the
cables and ensure that
all drives are
present.
Press any key to enter
the configuration
utility.

The controller preserves
the dirty cache from a
virtual disk if the disk
becomes offline or is
deleted because of missing
physical disks.

Corrective Action

Use the
utility to import the
virtual disk or discard
the preserved cache.
For the steps used to
manage preserved
This preserved dirty cache cache, see "Managing
is called pinned cache, and Preserved Cache" on
page 96.
is preserved until you
import the virtual disk, or
discard the cache.

x Virtual Disk(s)
Offline

This warning is displayed
when the BIOS detects
where x is the number of virtual virtual disks in the offline
state.
disks failed

You must check to
determine why the
virtual disks failed and
correct the issue. The
BIOS does not take any
action.

This message is displayed
when the BIOS detects
where x is the number of virtual virtual disks in a degraded
state.
disks degraded

Take corrective
action(s) to make the
virtual disks optimal.
The BIOS does not
take any action.

x Virtual Disk(s)
Degraded

x Virtual Disk(s)
Partially Degraded

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Troubleshooting

This message is displayed
when the BIOS detects a
single disk failure in a
RAID 6 or RAID 60
configuration.

You must check why
the member disk is not
present to correct the
problem. The BIOS
does not take any
action.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

Memory/Battery
problems were
detected. The adapter
has recovered, but
cached data was lost.
Press any key to
continue.

This message occurs under Allow the battery to
the following conditions: charge fully to resolve
• The adapter detects data this problem. If the
issue persists, the
in the controller cache
battery or adapter
that has not yet been
DIMM might be faulty;
written to the disk
contact Dell Technical
subsystem.
Support.
• The controller detects an
Error-Correcting Code
(ECC) error while
performing its cache
checking routine during
initialization.
• The controller discards
the cache rather than
sending it to the disk
subsystem because the
data integrity cannot be
guaranteed.
• The battery may be
under charged.
Contact Dell Technical
Support.

Firmware is in Fault
State
Foreign
configuration(s) found
on adapter. Press any
key to continue, or
’C’ to load the
configuration utility
or ’F’ to import
foreign
configuration(s) and
continue.

When a controller
firmware detects a physical
disk with existing foreign
metadata, it flags the
physical disk as foreign and
generates an alert
indicating that a foreign
disk was detected.

Press at the
prompt to import the
configuration (if all
member disks of the
virtual disk are present)
without loading the
BIOS Configuration
Utility. Or, press
to enter the BIOS
Configuration Utility
and either import or
clear the foreign
configuration.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action
Ensure all your Physical
Disks (PD) are present
and all virtual disks are
in optimal state. Clear
the foreign
configuration using
or Dell
OpenManage Server
Administrator Storage
Management.

The foreign
configuration message
is present during POST
but no foreign
configurations are
present in the foreign
view page in CTRL+R.
All virtual disks are
in an optimal state.

CAUTION: The
physical disk goes to
Ready state when you
clear the foreign
configuration.
If you insert a physical
disk that was previously
a member of a virtual
disk in the system, and
that disk’s previous
location has been taken
by a replacement disk
through a rebuild, you
must manually remove
the foreign
configuration flag of
the newly inserted disk.
Previous
configuration(s)
cleared or missing.
Importing
configuration created
on XX/XX XX.XX. Press
any key to continue,
or ’C’ to load the
configuration utility.

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The message indicates that
the controller and physical
disks have different
configurations.

You can use the BIOS
Configuration Utility
to clear the foreign
configuration.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Invalid SAS topology
The SAS cables for your
detected. Please check system are improperly
your cable
connected.
configurations, repair
the problem, and
restart your system.

Corrective Action
Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.

Multibit ECC errors
were detected on the
RAID controller. If
you continue, data
corruption can occur.
Contact technical
support to resolve
this issue. Press 'X'
to continue or else
power off the system,
replace the controller
and reboot.

This error is specific to the
CAUTION: MBE
PERC H700 controller.
errors are serious, as
they cause data
Multi-bit ECC errors
corruption and data
(MBE) occur in the
loss. In case of MBE
memory and can corrupt
cached data and discard it. errors, contact Dell
Technical Support.

Multibit ECC errors
were detected on the
RAID controller.The
DIMM on the controller
needs replacement. If
you continue, data
corruption can occur.
Press 'X' to continue
or else power off the
system, replace the
DIMM module, and
reboot. If you have
replaced the DIMM
please press 'X' to
continue.

Multi-bit ECC errors
CAUTION: MBE
(MBE) occur in the
errors are serious,
memory and can corrupt
as they cause data
cached data and discard it. corruption and loss.
In case of MBE errors,
contact Dell Technical
Support.

NOTE: A similar
message is displayed
when multiple single-bit
ECC errors are detected
on the controller during
bootup.

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Table 9-1. BIOS Errors and Warnings (continued)
Error Message

Probable Cause

Corrective Action

Some configured disks
have been removed from
your system or are no
longer accessible.
Check your cables and
ensure all disks are
present. Press any key
or ’C’ to continue.

The message indicates that
some configured disks were
removed. If the disks were
not removed, they are no
longer accessible.

Check the cable
connections and restart
the system.

The battery is
currently discharged
or disconnected.
Verify the connection
and allow 30 minutes
for charging.If the
battery is properly
connected and it has
not returned to
operational state
after 30 minutes of
charging then contact
technical support for
additional assistance.

NOTE: This message may • The controller
appear for controller
battery is missing or
without battery, depending
currently
on the virtual disks’ policies.
inaccessible. Contact
Dell Technical
Support if the issue
persist after 30
minutes.

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Troubleshooting

The SAS cables for your
system might be
improperly connected.

If there are no cable
problems, press any key
or to continue.

• The controller
battery is completely
discharged and
needs to be charged
for it to become
active. You must first
charge the battery,
then wait for a few
minutes for the
system to detect it.

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Degraded State of Virtual Disks
A redundant virtual disk is in a degraded state when one or more physical disks
have failed or are inaccessible. For example, if a RAID 1 virtual disk consists
of two physical disks and one of them fails or become inaccessible, the virtual
disk become degraded.
To recover a virtual disk from a degraded state, you must replace the failed
physical disk and rebuild it. Once the rebuilding process is complete, the
virtual disk state changes from degraded to optimal. For information on
rebuilding the disk, see "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual
Physical Disk" on page 111.

Memory Errors
Memory errors can corrupt cached data, so the controllers are designed to
detect and attempt to recover from the memory errors. Single-bit memory
errors can be handled by the controller and do not disrupt normal operation.
A notification is sent if the number of single-bit errors exceeds a threshold
value.
Multi-bit errors are more serious as they result in corrupted data and data
loss. The following are the actions that occur in the case of multi-bit errors:
•

If a multi-bit error occurs while accessing data in the cache when the
controller is started with dirty cache, the controller discards the cache
contents. The controller generates a warning message to the system
console to indicate that the cache was discarded and generates an event.

•

If a multi-bit error occurs at run-time either in code/data or in the cache,
the controller stops.

•

The controller logs an event to the controller’s internal event log and
a message during POST is displayed indicating a multi-bit error
has occurred.
NOTE: In case of a multi-bit error, contact Dell Technical Support.

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Preserved Cache State
The controller preserves the dirty cache from a virtual disk if the virtual disk
becomes offline or is deleted because of missing physical disks. This preserved
dirty cache is called pinned cache and is preserved until you import the virtual
disk or discard the cache.
Use the BIOS Configuration Utility () utility to select whether
to import the virtual disk or discard the preserved cache. In the VD Mgmt
menu, select Manage Preserved Cache and follow the steps on the screen.

General Issues
Table 9-2 describes general problems you might encounter, with suggested
solutions.
Table 9-2. General Problems
Issue

Corrective Action

The device is displayed in Device
Manager but has a yellow bang
(exclamation mark).

Reinstall the driver. For more information on
reinstalling drivers, see "Driver Installation" on
page 69.

The device does not appear in the Turn off the system and reseat the controller.
Device Manager.
No Hard Drives Found
message is displayed during a
media-based installation of
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
because of the following causes:

The corresponding solutions are:

• The driver is not native in the
operating system.

• Press to install the RAID device driver
during installation.

• The virtual disks are not
configured properly.

• Enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to
configure the virtual disks. For procedures to
configure the virtual disks, see the section
"Configuring and Managing RAID" on page 81.

• The controller BIOS is disabled.

• Enter the BIOS Configuration Utility to enable
the BIOS. For information on configuring
virtual disks, see "Installing and Configuring
Hardware" on page 41.

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Physical Disk Related Issues
Table 9-3 describes physical disk-related problems you might encounter, with
suggested solutions.
Table 9-3. Physical Disk Issues
Issue

Corrective Action

One of the physical disks in Update the PERC H700 and H800 cards to the
the disk array is in the
latest firmware available on support.dell.com.
failed state.
Cannot rebuild a fault
tolerant virtual disk.

NOTE: For more
information, see the alert
log for virtual disks.

The replacement disk is too small or not compatible
with the virtual disk. Replace the failed disk with a
compatible good physical disk with equal or greater
capacity.

Fatal error(s) or data
Contact Dell Technical Support.
corruption(s) are reported
when accessing virtual
disks.
One or more physical disks Update the PERC H700 and H800 cards to the latest
is displayed as Blocked and firmware available on support.dell.com.
can not be configured.

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Physical Disk Failures and Rebuild Issues
Table 9-4 describes issues related to physical disk failures and rebuilds.
Table 9-4. Physical Disk Failure and Rebuild Issues
Issue

Corrective Action

Rebuilding the physical
disks after multiple disks
become simultaneously
inaccessible.

Multiple physical disk errors in a single array typically
indicate a failure in cabling or connection and could
involve the loss of data.
You can recover the virtual disk after multiple physical
disks become simultaneously inaccessible. Perform the
following steps to recover the virtual disk:

CAUTION: Follow the safety precautions to prevent
electrostatic discharge.
1 Turn off the system, check cable connections, and reseat
physical disks.
2 Ensure that all the disks are present in the enclosure.
3 Turn on the system and enter the utility
and import the foreign configuration. Press at the
prompt to import the configuration, or press to
enter the BIOS configuration utility and either import
or clear the foreign configuration.
If the virtual disk is redundant and transitioned to
Degraded state before going Offline, a rebuild operation
starts automatically after the configuration is imported.
If the virtual disk has gone directly to the Offline state
due to a cable pull or power loss situation, the virtual
disk is imported in its Optimal state without a
rebuild occurring.
You can use the BIOS Configuration Utility or
Dell OpenManage storage management application to
perform a manual rebuild of multiple physical disks.
For information on rebuilding a single physical disk,
see "Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual
Physical Disk" on page 111.

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Table 9-4. Physical Disk Failure and Rebuild Issues (continued)
Issue

Corrective Action

Rebuilding a physical
If you have configured hot spares, the PERC H700 or
disk after one of them is PERC H800 card automatically tries to use one of them to
in a failed state.
rebuild a physical disk that is in a failed state. Manual
rebuild is necessary if no hot spares with enough capacity
to rebuild the failed physical disks are available. You must
insert a physical disk with enough storage in the subsystem
before rebuilding the physical disk. You can use the BIOS
Configuration Utility or Dell OpenManage storage
management application to perform a manual rebuild of an
individual physical disk.
For information on rebuilding a single physical disk, see
"Performing a Manual Rebuild of an Individual Physical
Disk" on page 111.
A virtual disk fails during The global hot spare goes back to Hotspare state and the
rebuild while using a
virtual disk goes to Failed state.
global hot spare.
A virtual disk fails during The dedicated hot spare goes to Ready state and the
rebuild while using a
virtual disk goes to Failed state.
dedicated hot spare.
A physical disk fails
during a reconstruction
process on a redundant
virtual disk that has a
hot spare.

The rebuild operation for the inaccessible physical disk
starts automatically after the reconstruction is completed.

A physical disk is taking A physical disk takes longer to rebuild when under high
longer than expected to stress. For example, there is one rebuild I/O operation for
rebuild.
every five host I/O operations.
You cannot add a second
virtual disk to a disk
group while the virtual
disk in that disk group is
undergoing a rebuild

The firmware does not allow you to create a virtual disk
using the free space available in a disk group if a physical
disk in a virtual disk group is undergoing a rebuild
operation.

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SMART Errors
Table 9-5 describes issues related to the Self-Monitoring Analysis and
Reporting Technology (SMART). SMART monitors the internal performance
of all motors, heads, and physical disk electronics and detects predictable
physical disk failures.
NOTE: For information about where to find reports of SMART errors that could
indicate hardware failure, see the Dell OpenManage storage management
documentation at support.dell.com/manuals.
Table 9-5. SMART Errors
Issue

Corrective Action

A SMART error is
detected on a
physical disk in a
redundant virtual
disk.

Perform the following steps:
1 Back up your data.
2 Force the physical disk offline.

NOTE: If a hot spare is present, the rebuild starts with the hot
spare after the disk is forced offline.
3 Replace it with a new physical disk of equal or higher capacity.
4 Perform the Replace Member operation.
The Replace Member operation allows you to copy data from
a source physical disk of a virtual disk to a target physical disk
that is not a part of the virtual disk. For more information
about the Replace Member feature, see "Using Replace
Member and Revertible Hot Spares" on page 35.

A SMART error is
detected on a
physical disk in a
non-redundant
virtual disk.

146

Perform the following steps:
1 Back up your data.
2 Use Replace Member or set up a global hot spare to replace
the disk automatically.
For more information about the Replace Member feature, see
"Using Replace Member and Revertible Hot Spares" on
page 35.
3 Replace the affected physical disk with a new physical disk of
equal or higher capacity.
4 Restore from the backup.

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Replace Member Errors
Table 9-6 describes issues related to the Replace Member feature.
NOTE: For more information about the Replace Member features, see "Using
Replace Member and Revertible Hot Spares" on page 35.
Table 9-6. Replace Member Operation Errors
Issue

Corrective Action

The source disk fails If the source data is available from other disks in the virtual
during the Replace disk, the rebuild begins automatically on the target disk, using
Member operation. the data from the other disks.
Target disk fails

If the target disk fails, the Replace Member operation aborts.

Other disks fail

If the target disk fails and the Replace Member operation
aborts but the source data is still available, then the Replace
Member operation continues as Replace Member.

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Linux Operating System Errors
Table 9-7 describes issues related to the Linux operating system.
Table 9-7. Linux Operating System Errors
Error Message

Corrective Action

kernel: sdb: asking for
cache data failed

This error message is displayed when the Linux
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
mid-layer asks for physical disk cache settings.
The controller firmware manages the virtual disk
cache settings on a per controller and a per
virtual disk basis, so the firmware does not
respond to this command. The Linux SCSI
mid-layer assumes that the virtual disk's cache
policy is Write-Through. SDB is the device node
for a virtual disk. This value changes for each
virtual disk.

kernel: sdb: assuming
drive cache: write
through

See the section "Physical Disk Management" on
page 108 for more information about
Write-Through cache.
Except for this message, there is no effect of this
behavior on normal operation. The cache policy
of the virtual disk and the I/O throughput are
not affected by this message. The cache policy
settings for the PERC H700 and PERC H800
SAS RAID system remain unchanged.

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Table 9-7. Linux Operating System Errors (continued)
Error Message

Corrective Action

Driver does not auto-build into
This error is a generic issue for Dynamic Kernel
new kernel after customer updates. Module Support (DKMS) and applies to all
DKMS-enabled driver packages. This issue
occurs when you perform the following steps:
1 Install a DKMS-enabled driver package.
2 Run up2date or a similar tool to upgrade the
kernel to the latest version.
3 Reboot to the new kernel.
The driver running in the new kernel is the
native driver of the new kernel. The driver
package you installed previously in the new
kernel does not take effect in the new kernel.
Perform the following procedure to make the
driver auto-build into the new kernel:
1 Type:
dkms build -m -v
-k
2 Type:
dkms install -m v -k
3 Type the following to check whether the driver
is successfully installed in the new kernel:
DKMS
The following details appear:
, , :
installed

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Table 9-7. Linux Operating System Errors (continued)
Error Message

Corrective Action

smartd[smartd[2338]
Device: /dev/sda, Bad
IEC (SMART) mode page,
err=-5, skip device

This is a known issue. An unsupported
command is entered through the user
application. User applications attempt to direct
Command Descriptor Blocks to RAID volumes.
The error message does not effect the feature
functionality.

smartd[2338] Unable to
register SCSI device
/dev/sda at line 1 of
file /etc/smartd.conf

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The Mode Sense/Select command is supported
by firmware on the controller. However, the
Linux kernel daemon issues the command to
the virtual disk instead of to the driver IOCTL
node. This action is not supported.

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Disk Carrier LED Indicators
The LED on the physical disk carrier indicates the state of each physical disk.
Each disk carrier in your enclosure has two LEDs: an activity LED (green)
and a status LED (bicolor, green/amber) as shown in Figure 9-1. The activity
LED is active whenever a disk is being accessed while the status LED
indicates when a disk is being spun up, is rebuilding, or is in a fault state.
Figure 9-1. Disk Carrier LED Indicators

activity LED

status LED

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Regulatory Notices
For additional regulatory information, please go to the Regulatory
Compliance Homepage on dell.com at the following location:
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

Regulatory Notices

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Corporate Contact Details (Taiwan
Only)

Pursuant to Article 11 of the Commodity Inspection Act, Dell provides the
following corporate contact details for the certified entity in Taiwan for the
products addressed by this document:
Dell B.V. Taiwan Branch
20/F, No. 218, Sec. 2, Tung Hwa S. Road,
Taipei, Taiwan

Corporate Contact Details (Taiwan Only)

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156

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Glossary
A
Adapter Card

An adapter card enables the system to access peripheral devices by converting
the protocol of one bus or interface to another. For example, a RAID controller
is a type of adapter card that provides RAID functions. Adapter cards may reside
on the system board. It may also be in the form of an add-in card.
Adaptive Read-Ahead

Adaptive Read-Ahead is a read policy that specifies that the controller begins
using Read-Ahead caching if the two most recent disk accesses occur in
sequential sectors. If all read requests are random, the algorithm reverts to Non
Read-Ahead; however, all requests are still evaluated for possible sequential
operation.
Array

A grouping of physical disks that combines the storage space on the physical
disks into a single segment of contiguous storage space. The RAID controller
can group physical disks on one or more channels into an array. A hot spare disk
does not participate in an array.
B
Background Initialization

Background initialization is the automatic check for media errors on physical
disks. It ensures that striped data segments are the same on all physical disks in
a virtual disk. The difference between a background initialization and a
consistency check is that a background initialization is automatic for new virtual
disks. The operation starts within five minutes after you create the disk.
Baseport

Baseport is the base register of the memory address range provided by the host.

Glossary

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Battery Backup Unit (BBU)

The battery backup unit protects the integrity of the cached data on the
controller by providing backup power if there is a complete AC power failure or
a brief power outage.
BIOS

Basic Input/Output System. Your system's BIOS contains programs stored on a
flash memory chip. The BIOS controls the following: communications between
the microprocessor and peripheral devices, such as the keyboard and the video
adapter, and miscellaneous functions, such as system messages.
BIOS Configuration Utility

The BIOS Configuration Utility, also known as , configures and
maintains RAID disk groups and virtual disks, and manages the RAID system.
The operation of this utility is independent because the utility resides in the
controller BIOS.
C
Cache

A fast memory that holds recently accessed data. Using cache, speeds
subsequent access to the same data. It is most often applied to processormemory access but also can be used to store a copy of data accessible over a
network. When data is read from or written to main memory, a copy is also saved
in cache memory with the associated main memory address. The cache memory
software monitors the addresses of subsequent reads to see if the required data
is already stored in cache memory. If it is already in cache memory (a cache hit),
it is read from cache memory immediately and the main memory read is aborted
(or not started). If the data is not cached (a cache miss), it is fetched from main
memory and saved in cache memory.
Caching

The process of utilizing a high speed memory buffer, referred to as a cache, in
order to speed up the overall read or write performance. This cache can be
accessed at a higher speed than a disk subsystem. To improve read performance,
the cache usually contains the most recently accessed data, as well as data from

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adjacent disk sectors. To improve write performance, the cache may temporarily
store data in accordance with its write back policies. For more information, see
"Write-Back" on page 173.
Change Key

The process of generating a key for an encryption-capable or a
security-capable component. All current data on the media is accessible using
the newly generated key.
Consistency Check

An operation to verify that all stripes in a virtual disk with a redundant RAID
level are consistent and automatically fix any errors. For RAID 5, 6, 50, and
60 arrays, consistency check verifies correct parity data for each stripe.
For RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays, this operation verifies correct mirror data
for each stripe.
Controller

See "Adapter Card" on page 157
Controller-Bound Security Configuration

An encryption configuration whereby the controller encrypts the security key
using an internal algorithm before storing it internally in the NVData.
The controller always understands how to decrypt the key and you need not
provide a passphrase on boot.
Current Encryption State

The state of an encryption-capable component. States are encrypted and not
encrypted.
Current Security State

The state of a security-capable component. States are secured and not
secured.
Decrypt

The process of reversing the obfuscation of data with the full knowledge of
the algorithm and the key used to encrypt it.
Glossary

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Default Encryption State

The encryption state to which an encryption enabled component reverts at
power-on (or after an internal reset such as a firmware upgrade). Encryption
states are of two types: encrypted and not encrypted.
Default Security State

The security state to which a security enabled component is reverted at
power-on (or after an internal reset such as a firmware upgrade).
Security states are of two types: secured and not secured.
D
DDR SDRAM

Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. This is a
type of SDRAM that provides data throughput at double the rate of
conventional SDRAM. It uses a bursting technique to predict the address of the
next memory location to be accessed and allows two data transfers on each clock
cycle.
Disk

A non-volatile, randomly addressable, rewriteable mass storage device, including
both rotating magnetic and optical storage devices and solid-state storage
devices, or non-volatile electronic storage elements.
Disk Array

A collection of disks from one or more disk subsystems combined using a
configuration utility. The utility controls the disks and presents them to the
array operating environment as one or more logical drives.
Disk Group

A logical grouping of disks attached to a RAID controller on which one or more
virtual disks can be created.
Disk Migration

Moving a virtual disk or a hot spare from one controller to another by detaching
the physical disks and re-attaching them to the new controller.
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Disk Roaming

Moving disks from one slot to another on a controller.
Disk Subsystem

A collection of disks and the hardware that controls them and connects them to
one or more controllers. The hardware can include an intelligent controller, or
the disks can attach directly to a system I/O bus controller.
Distributed Parity

Parity data is distributed among all the physical disks in the system. If a single
physical disk fails, it can be rebuilt from the parity of the applicable data on the
remaining physical disks.
DKMS

Dynamic Kernel Module Support. Designed by Dell, DKMS creates a
framework in which kernel-dependent module source can reside so that it is easy
to rebuild modules as you upgrade kernels. DKMS is used in the upgrade
process for drivers for Red Hat Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.
DUD

Driver Update Diskette. A DUD is an image of a diskette stored as a regular file.
To use it, you have to create the content to a real diskette from this file.
The steps used to create the diskette depend on how the image is supplied.
E
ECC Errors

Error Correcting Code. It refers to errors detected during memory transactions.
Single-bit ECC errors can be handled by the firmware and do not disrupt
normal operation. ECC double-bit or multi-bit errors are more serious, as they
cannot be corrected and may result in the controller becoming inoperable.

Glossary

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Enclosure Management

Intelligent monitoring of the disk subsystem by software and/or hardware.
The disk subsystem can be part of the host system or can reside in an external
disk enclosure. Enclosure management helps you stay informed of events in
the disk subsystem, such as a physical disk or power supply failure.
Enclosure management increases the fault tolerance of the disk subsystem.
Encrypt

The act of obfuscating data on a media component through an algorithm that
relies on an encryption key.
Encrypted

State of an encryption-enabled media component indicating that its data has
been obfuscated using an algorithm that relies on an encryption key.
Encryption Capable

Indicates that a component can be encrypted.
Encryption Enabled/Disabled

Indicates wether an encryption capable media component is encrypted.
Encryption Key

The key used to obfuscate the data in an encryption enabled media
component.
Exclusive-OR

A Boolean operation used to create a parity bit that can be used to restore data
affected by a damaged file or failed physical disk. The management utility
compares data from two physical disks and creates a parity bit that is stored on a
third physical disk. This operation is used for RAID levels that use parity bits,
such as RAID 5, which used distributed parity. Also known as X-OR.

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F
Failed Physical Disk

A physical disk that has ceased to function, that consistently functions
improperly, or that is inaccessible.
Fault Tolerance

Fault tolerance is the capability of the disk subsystem to undergo a single disk
failure per disk group without compromising data integrity and processing
capability. The PERC H700 or PERC H800 cards provide this support through
redundant virtual disks in RAID levels 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.
Firmware

Software stored in read-only memory (ROM) or Programmable ROM (PROM).
Foreign Configuration

A RAID configuration that already exists on a replacement physical disk that
you install in a system. You can import the existing configuration to the RAID
controller or clear it so you can create a new one.
G
GB

Gigabyte(s). A gigabyte equals 1,024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes
(2^30 bytes).
H
Host System

Any system on which the RAID controller is installed. Servers and workstations
can be considered host systems.
Hot Spare

An idle, powered on, stand-by physical disk ready for immediate use in case of
disk failure. It does not contain any user data. A hot spare can be dedicated to a
single redundant virtual disk or it can be part of the global hot-spare pool for all
virtual disks controlled by the controller.
Glossary

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Hot Swap

Replacement of a failed component while the system is running and operating
normally.
I
Initialization

The process of writing zeros to the data fields of a virtual disk and, in fault
tolerant RAID levels, generating the corresponding parity to put the virtual disk
in a Ready state. Initializing erases previous data and generates parity so that the
virtual disk passes a consistency check.
Instant Secure Erase

The process of securely erasing all data permanently on an encryption-capable
physical disk and resetting the security attributes.
K
Key Identifier

The user supplied clear text label used to associate the correct security key
with the controller. Examples: Encryption Key Identifier, Security Key
Identifier.
L
Load-Balancing

Load Balancing, a feature that is enabled with a redundant path configuration
on the PERC H800 card, ensures that a balanced number of disks are on each
port of the enclosure. The load-balancing architecture can also provide
additional performance increases in some workloads where the required
bandwidth can exceed that of what a single SAS link can provide.

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M
MB

Megabyte(s). The term megabyte means 1,048,576 bytes (2^20 bytes); however,
when referring to disk storage, the term is often rounded to mean 1,000,000
bytes.
Mirroring

The process of providing complete redundancy using two physical disks,
by maintaining an exact copy of one physical disk’s data on the
second physical disk. If one physical disk fails, the contents of the other
physical disk can be used to maintain the integrity of the system and to
rebuild the failed physical disk.
N
No Read-Ahead

No read ahead is a cache read policy. If you select No Read-Ahead in the BIOS
Configuration Utility, the controller does not read sequentially ahead of
requested data and store the additional data in cache memory, anticipating that
the data is needed soon. No Read-Ahead is most effective when accessing
random data.
Non-Redundant Virtual Disk

A non-redundant virtual disk is one which does not have redundant data on
physical disks that can be used to rebuild a failed physical disk. A RAID 0 virtual
disk is a non redundant virtual disk and consists of data striped across the
physical disks, without disk mirroring or parity to provide redundancy. This
provides for high data throughput but offers no protection in case of a physical
disk failure.
NVRAM

Non-volatile Random Access Memory. A storage system that does not lose the
data stored on it when power is removed. NVRAM is used to store configuration
data on the RAID controller.

Glossary

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Non-Volatile Cache

A cache module with flash-based storage to preserve cache data indefinitely.
This replaces the need for a battery backup unit (BBU) to supply power to
preserve cache data.
O
Offline

A physical disk is offline when it is part of a virtual disk but its data is not
accessible to the virtual disk.
Online

An online device is a device that is accessible.
Online Capacity Expansion

Operation to add capacity to an existing virtual disk by adding an additional
physical disk while the host system is active, and without affecting data
availability.
Operating Environment

An operating environment can include the host system where physical disks are
attached, any I/O buses and controllers, the host operating system and any
additional software required to manage the virtual disk.
P
Parity

An extra bit added to a byte or word to reveal errors in storage (in RAM or disk)
or transmission. Parity is used to generate a set of redundancy data from two or
more parent data sets.
Partition

A logical structure on a contiguous segment of storage on a physical disk or
virtual disk recognized by an operating system.

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Patrol Read

A preventive measure that includes review of your system for possible physical
disk errors that could lead to disk failure and damage data integrity.
Passphrase

The user supplied string that the controller uses to create the security key
PHY

The interface required to transmit and receive data packets transferred across
the serial bus.
Each PHY can form one side of the physical link in a connection with a PHY on
a different SATA device.
Physical Disk

A non-volatile, randomly addressable device for storing data. Physical disks are
rewritable and can also referred to as hard drives and solid state drives (SSDs).
Protocol

A set of formal rules describing how to transmit data, generally across a network
or when communicating with storage subsystems. Low-level protocols define
the electrical and physical standards to be observed, bit- and byte-ordering, and
the transmission and error detection and correction of the bit stream. High-level
protocols deal with the data formatting, including the message syntax, the
terminal to system dialogue, character sets, sequencing of messages, etc.
R
RAID

Redundant Array of Independent Disks (originally Redundant Array of
Inexpensive Disks). It is an array of multiple independent physical disks
managed together to yield higher reliability and/or performance exceeding that
of a single physical disk. The virtual disk appears to the operating system as a
single storage unit. I/O is expedited because several disks can be accessed
simultaneously. Redundant RAID levels (RAID levels 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60)
provide data protection.

Glossary

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RAID Level Migration

RAID level migration (RLM) changes the array from one RAID level to another.
It is used to move between optimal RAID levels. You can perform a RLM while
the system continues to run, without having to reboot. This avoids downtime
and keeps data available to you.
RAID Management Utility

A RAID management utility is used to configure physical disks into disk groups
and virtual disks. The BIOS Configuration Utility is also known as
. Use the BIOS Configuration Utility if no operating system has
been installed yet on the controller.
The Dell OpenManage storage management application enables you to perform
controller and enclosure functions for all supported RAID and non-RAID
controllers and enclosures from a single graphical or command-line interface
after you have installed the operating system.
SAS RAID Storage Manager configures, monitors, and maintains the
PERC H700 card, battery backup units, and other devices running on a system.
Read-Ahead

A memory caching capability in some controllers that allows them to read
sequentially ahead of requested data and store the additional data in cache
memory, anticipating that the additional data is required soon. Read-Ahead
supplies sequential data faster, but is not as effective when accessing random
data.
Rebuild

The regeneration of all data to a replacement disk in a redundant virtual disk
(RAID level 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, or 60) after a physical disk failure. A disk rebuild
normally occurs without interrupting normal operations on the affected virtual
disk, though some degradation of performance of the disk subsystem can occur.
Rebuild Rate

The percentage of central processing unit (CPU) resources devoted to
rebuilding. 100% rebuild rate does not mean ALL CPU resources are dedicated
to the rebuild without processing IOs.

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Reconstruct

The act of remaking a virtual disk after changing RAID levels or adding a
physical disk to an existing virtual disk.
Redundancy

The provision of multiple interchangeable components to perform a single
function to cope with failures and errors. Common forms of hardware
redundancy are disk mirroring, implementations of parity disks, or distributed
parity.
Redundant Path

The PERC H800 firmware provides support for detecting and establishing
redundant paths from the RAID controller to the SAS devices in the
enclosure. With redundant paths, if one path fails, another path can be used
to maintain communication between the controller and the enclosure.
Redundant Virtual Disk

A redundant virtual disk is one which has redundant data on physical disks in
the disk group that can be used to rebuild a failed physical disk. A virtual disk
can use disk striping across the physical disks, disk mirroring or parity to provide
redundancy. This offers protection in case of a physical disk failure.
Replace Member

The procedure used to copy data from a source physical disk of a virtual disk to a
target physical disk that is not a part of the virtual disk. The Replace Member
operation is often used to create or restore a specific physical configuration for
an array (for example, a specific arrangement of array members on the device
I/O buses).
Replacement Disk

A physical disk replacing a failed member disk in a virtual disk.

Glossary

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Replacement Unit

A component or collection of components in a system or subsystem that is
always replaced as a unit when any part of the collection fails. Typical
replacement units in a disk subsystem include disks, controller logic boards,
power supplies and cables.
Revertible Hot Spare

In the case of a Revertible Hot Spare, when you use the Replace Member
procedure, after data is copied from a hot spare to a new physical disk, the hot
spare reverts from a rebuild disk to its original hot spare status.
RPM

Red Hat Package Manager. RPM is a software manager used to install, remove,
query, and verify the software on your system. RPMs are used in the driver
update procedures for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server (SLES).
S
SAS

Serial Attached SCSI. SAS is a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level device
interface that leverages the proven Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
protocol set. The SAS interface provides improved performance, simplified
cabling, smaller connectors, lower pin count, and lower power requirements
when compared to parallel SCSI.
SATA

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. A physical storage interface standard,
is a serial link that provides point-to-point connections between devices.
Secure

The act of creating a security key to control access to encrypted data.
Secured

State of a security-enabled media component indicating that its data is only
accessible using a security key.
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Related term: Not Secured
Secure Disk Group

Indicates that a disk group comprised of security-capable physical disks
is secured.
Secure Migration

The process of moving a set of secured disks to a different controller.
Security Enabled/Disabled

Indicates wether a security capable component is secured.
Security Key

A key to lock or unlock access to a security-enabled component. This key is
not utilized in the actual encryption of the data.
Self Encrypting Disk (SED)

Hardware-based encryption incorporated in a security-capable physical disk.
Single Bit ECC Errors

ECC stands for error correcting code. ECC errors are errors that occur in the
memory, which can corrupt cached data so that it has to be discarded. Single-bit
ECC errors can be handled by the firmware and do not disrupt normal
operation. A notification is sent if the number of single-bit errors exceeds a
threshold value.
SMART

The self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology (SMART) feature
monitors the internal performance of all motors, heads, and disk electronics to
detect predictable disk failures.
SMP

Serial Management Protocol. SMP communicates topology management
information directly with an attached SAS expander device. Each PHY on the
controller can function as an SMP initiator.

Glossary

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Spanning

The method by which nested RAID levels (such as RAID 10, 50, and 60) are
constructed from multiple sets of basic, or single RAID levels. For example, a
RAID 10 is made up of multiple sets of RAID 1 arrays where each RAID 1 set is
considered a span. Data is then striped (RAID 0) across the RAID 1 spans to
create a RAID 10 virtual disk. The same concept holds true for RAID 50 and 60
where multiple sets of RAID 5 or RAID 6 can be combined together
with RAID levels.
Spare

A physical disk available to replace another physical disk in case that physical
disk fails.
SSD

Solid-state Disk. SSDs are storage devices that use solid-state memory to store
data as opposed to traditional rotational hard drives. SSDs can be made to use
either the SAS or SATA protocol.
SSP

Serial SCSI Protocol. SSP enables communication with other SAS devices. Each
PHY on the SAS controller can function as an SSP initiator or SSP target.
STP

Serial Tunneling Protocol, STP, enables communication with a SATA device
through an attached expander. Each PHY on the SAS controller can function
as an STP initiator.
Stripe Element

A stripe element is the portion of a stripe that resides on a single physical disk.
See also striping.
Stripe Element Size

The total disk space consumed by a stripe not including a parity disk. For
example: consider a stripe that contains 64 KB of disk space and has 16 KB of
data residing on each disk in the stripe. In this case, the stripe element size is
16 KB and the stripe size is 64 KB.

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Striping

Disk striping writes data across all physical disks in a virtual disk. Each stripe
consists of consecutive virtual disk data addresses that are mapped in fixed-size
units to each physical disk in the virtual disk using a sequential pattern.
For example, if the virtual disk includes five physical disks, the stripe writes data
to physical disks one through five without repeating any of the physical disks.
The amount of space consumed by a stripe is the same on each physical disk.
The portion of a stripe that resides on a physical disk is a stripe element. Striping
by itself does not provide data redundancy. Striping in combination with parity
does provide data redundancy.
U
User-Bound Security Configuration

A configuration in which the controller encrypts the security key with the
passphrase and then stores it in the NVData. The controller cannot decrypt
the security key without the passphrase. The controller prompts the user for
the passphrase on every boot.
V
Virtual Disk

A virtual disk refers to storage created by a RAID controller from one or more
physical disks. Although a virtual disk may be created from several physical
disks, it is seen by the operating system as a single disk. Depending on the RAID
level used, the virtual disk may retain redundant data in case of a disk failure.
W
Write-Back

In Write-Back caching mode, the controller sends a data transfer completion
signal to the host when the controller cache has received all the data in a disk
write transaction. Data is written to the disk subsystem in accordance with
policies set up by the controller. The policies include the amount of dirty or
clean cache lines, the number of cache lines available, elapsed time from the last
cache flush, and others.

Glossary

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Write-Through

In Write-Through caching mode, the controller sends a data transfer completion
signal to the host when the disk subsystem has received all the data and has
completed the write transaction to the disk.

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Index
B

consistency check, 91, 104, 159

Background Initialization, 25

controller, 159, 169

background initialization, 25,
157
stopping, 111

controller management, 107

baseport, 157

battery
management, 28
removing from PERC 5/E
Adapter, 64

disk groups
deleting, 98

BIOS, 107, 158
BIOS Configuration
Utility, 106-107, 158
controller management, 107
Foreign View menu, 108
menu navigation controls, 83
menu options, 99
menus, 99
physical disk management, 105
starting, 82
virtual disk management, 100

C
cache, 158
compatibility
with existing RAID controllers, 24
Consistency Check, 26

disk migration, 27
disk mirroring, 19
Disk roaming, 26
disk roaming, 26
disk striping, 18
display/update parameters, 104
distributed parity, 161
driver diskette, 69
driver installation, 69
drivers
installation, 69
Microsoft operating system
installation, 71

E
electrostatic discharge. See ESD
ESD, 12

Index

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fault tolerance, 32
features, 32

parity, 19, 166
distributed, 161

foreign configuration, 108

Patrol Read, 38

Foreign Configuration View, 108

PCI
architecture, 16

full initialization, 25

PERC
overview, 15

H
hot swap, 164

PERC 6
controller descriptions, 15

hot swapping, 34

PERC H700, H800
Card Descriptions, 15
supported operating systems, 16

physical disk
actions, 106

initialization, 164
interface specifications, 24

post error messages, 131

L
LED
operation, 26

M
manual rebuild, 111

O
operating system support, 16
operating systems, 16

176

physical disks
actions, 106
management, 105

Index

R
RAID, 164
configuration, 81
configuration and
management, 81
configuration functions, 85
configuration information, 31
definition, 17, 167
description, 17
level migration, 168
levels, 17, 104, 168

PERC7.2_UG.book Page 177 Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:14 PM

SMART error, 146-147

management, 81
summary of levels, 17
RAID level, 86
RAID levels, 168
read policy, 87
rebuild, 106
manual, 111
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
creating a driver diskette, 74
installing with the driver update
diskette, 76
replacement disk, 169

V
virtual disks
deleting, 98
management, 100
menu options, 104, 107
parameters, 86
setting up, 107-108

W
write policy, 87

S
safety instructions
for preventing ESD, 12
SAS, 170
controller descriptions, 15
overview, 15
SATA, 170
SMART technology, 24
spare, 172
stripe element size, 86

T
troubleshooting, 131
general problems, 142
physical disk issues, 143
post error messages, 131

Index

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178

Index

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