Dell 3 User Manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.comDell™ PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 3/QC, 3/DC, 3/DCL and 3/SCPERC 3 User’s Guide

8 ContentsParity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Hot Spares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37D

98 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comUsing the Array Configuration Planner Table 7-12 lists RAID levels, fault tolerance, and effective

Configuring PERC 3 99Random Array DeletionThe PERC controllers support random array deletion, which is the ability to delete any unwanted logical driv

100 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.com NOTE: When a ‘delete’ request reaches the operating system driver, the driver stops all the runn

SECTION 8PERC 3/SC Hardware InstallationRequirementsPERC 3/SC Card LayoutInstallation Steps

102 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comRequirements This chapter describes the installation procedures for the PERC 3/SC bo

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 103PERC 3/SC Card LayoutFigure 8-1 shows the PERC 3/SC card, jumpers, and connectors.Figure 8-1. PERC 3/SC Card Layout

104 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.com6 Connect the SCSI cables to SCSI devices.Make sure all cables are properly attached

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 105Step 3—Set JumpersMake sure the jumper settings on the PERC 3/SC card are correct. The jumpers and connectors are s

106 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comJ9 I2C Interface Connector J9 is a four-pin header that allows the i960RM core proce

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 107J8 Hard Disk LED J8 is a four-pin connector that attaches to a cable that connects to the hard disk light emitting

9 ContentsPERC 3/SC Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58PCI Bridge/CPU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Cac

108 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comJ16, J17 RUBI Slot Interrupt Steering J16 and J17 are 3-pin jumpers. You can short t

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 109SCSI TerminationThe SCSI bus is an electrical transmission line and it must be terminated properly to minimize refl

110 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 8-3. Termination of Internal SCSI Disk ArraysTermination EnabledID2ID0 – Boot

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 111Step 5—Install PERC 3/SCChoose a 3.3 V or 5 V PCI slot and align the PERC 3/SC card bus connector to the slot. Pres

112 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comInsert the PERC 3/SC card in a PCI slot, as shown in Figure 8-5. Screw the bracket t

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 113Step 6—Connect SCSI CablesConnect the SCSI cables to SCSI devices, as shown in Figure 8-6. PERC 3/SC provides two S

114 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comPerform the following steps to connect SCSI devices:1 Disable termination on any SCS

PERC 3/SC Hardware Installation 115The PERC 3/SC controller automatically occupies TID 7 in the SCSI channel. Eight-bit SCSI devices can use the TIDs

116 PERC 3/SC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comThe PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility prompt times out after several seconds. The PE

SECTION 9PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware InstallationRequirementsPERC 3/DC Card LayoutPERC 3/DCL Card LayoutInstallation StepsReplacing a PERC 3/DC C

10 ContentsSCSI Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71RAID Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 726 PERC

118 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comRequirementsThis chapter describes the installation procedures for the

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 119PERC 3/DC Card LayoutFigure 9-1. PERC 3/DC Card LayoutJ7 Channel 0ExternalUltra-High68-pin SCSIConnec

120 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comPERC 3/DCL Card LayoutFigure 9-2. PERC 3/DCL Card LayoutInstallation S

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 1217 Connect SCSI devices.8 Power on the host system.9 Run the BIOS Configuration Utility or the WebBIOS

122 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comJ2, and J3 Termination EnableJ2, and J3 are 3-pin connectors that set

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 123J10 NVRAM ClearJ10 is a 2-pin connector used to clear the memory from the NVRAM, which stores RAID co

124 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comJ14 SCSI Activity LED J14 is a four-pin connector for an LED mounted o

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 125J17 I2C Connector J17 is a 4-pin header. Table 9-9 displays the J17 pinout.Step 4—Set SCSI Terminatio

126 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 9-4. Termination of Internal SCSI Disk Arrays for PERC 3/DC and

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 127Figure 9-5. Installation of the PERC 3/DC and 3/DCL64-bit Slots(5 V)Edge ofMother BoardBracket Screw3

11 ContentsPhysical Device Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Configuring Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

128 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comStep 6—Select and Set Target IDs for SCSI DevicesSet target identifier

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 129Figure 9-6. Connecting SCSI Cables to PERC 3/DC and 3/DCLConnect SCSI DevicesWhen connecting SCSI dev

130 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comStep 8—Power On Host SystemReplace the computer cover and reconnect th

PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installation 131Step 10—Install Operating System Software DriverSee the documentation for the PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL

132 PERC 3/DC or PERC 3/DCL Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.com1 Upgrade the existing driver from 5.22.1 or 5.22.2 to 5.30 or later.

SECTION 10PERC 3/QC Hardware InstallationRequirementsPERC 3/QC Card LayoutInstallation Steps

134 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comRequirementsThis chapter describes the installation procedures for the PERC 3/QC boa

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 135PERC 3/QC Card LayoutFigure 10-1 displays the PERC 3/QC card and jumpers.Figure 10-1. PERC 3/QC Card LayoutDIMM Soc

136 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comInstallation StepsThis section provides an overview of installing the RAID controlle

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 137Step 2—Power Down Turn off the computer and remove the cover. Make sure the computer is turned off and disconnected

12 ContentsStep 5—Install PERC 3/SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Step 6—Connect SCSI Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Step 7—Set

138 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comJ2, J3, J5, and J7 Termination EnableJ2, J3, J5, and J7 are 3-pin connectors that se

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 139J14 Serial Port J14 attaches to a serial cable. Figure 10-2 and Table 10-4 show the pinout for J14.Figure 10-2. J14

140 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comJ23 External BatteryJ23 is a 5-pin connector that attaches to the optional battery p

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 141Figure 10-3. Example of TerminationFor a disk array, set SCSI bus termination so that removing or adding a SCSI dev

142 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comTerminating Internal SCSI Disk ArraysSet the termination so that SCSI termination an

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 143Step 5—Install PERC 3/QCChoose a 3.3 V or 5 V PCI slot and align the PERC 3/QC bus connector to the slot. Press dow

144 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comInsert the PERC 3/QC card into a PCI slot as shown in Figure 10-6. Screw the bracket

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 145Step 6—Connect SCSI CablesConnect SCSI cables to SCSI devices. PERC 3/QC provides two internal SCSI connectors, J1

146 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.comCable Suggestions System throughput problems can occur if SCSI cable use is not maxi

PERC 3/QC Hardware Installation 147Firmware Initializing... [Scanning SCSI Device...(etc.)...]The firmware takes several seconds to initialize. During

13 ContentsOptional Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134PERC 3/QC Card Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Ins

148 PERC 3/QC Hardware Installationwww.dell.com | support.dell.com

SECTION 11PERC 3 BIOS Configuration UtilityConfiguration On DiskStarting the PERC 3 BIOS Configuration UtilityBIOS Configuration Utility Menu OptionsC

150 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comThe PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility configures disk arrays and logical drives. B

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 151Press <Ctrl><H> to Enable BIOSFor each PERC adapter in the host system, the firmware version, dynamic

152 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comConfigure MenuChoose Configure to select a method for configuring arrays and logic

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 153Initialize Menu NOTE: See page 178 for procedures for initializing logical drives.Choose Initialize from the BIOS

154 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comDisk Spin up TimingsChoose this option to set the method and timing for spinning u

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 155Cluster Mode and the Initiator IDYou can enable or disable cluster mode. When you disable cluster mode, the syste

156 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com4 Select Enabled to enable Virtual Sizing. After you have created a logical drive

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 157ChannelChoose Objects—> Channel to select a SCSI channel on the currently selected controller. After you selec

14 ContentsPERC 3/QC and PERC 3/DC Default Settings . . . . . . . . . 161PERC 3/SC and PERC 3/DCL Default Settings . . . . . . . . . 161Reserved Disk

158 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comReset Battery Charge CounterChoose Objects—> Reset Battery Charge Counter to re

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 159Check Consistency MenuChoose Check Consistency to verify the redundancy data in logical drives that use RAID leve

160 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com1 Choose a configuration method.2 Designate hot spares (optional).3 Create arrays

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 161If you select New Configuration, the existing configuration information on the selected controller is destroyed w

162 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comReserved Disk Space during ConfigurationUp to 20.6 MB of disk space is reserved wh

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 1633 Press the arrow keys to select Make HotSpare and press <Enter>. The indicator for the selected drive chan

164 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com NOTE: Try to use drives of the same capacity in a specific array. If you use driv

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 165 NOTE: You can press <F2> to display the number of drives in the array, their channel and ID, and <F3>

166 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comStripe Size specifies the size of the segments written to each disk in a RAID 1 or

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 167– Direct I/O specifies that reads are not buffered in cache memory. Direct I/O does not override the cache policy

Contents 15Dell Manager Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Initialize Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Ob

168 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comAn array selection window displays the devices connected to the current controller

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 169– RAID 50 requires at least six physical drives per array.5 Press <Enter> after you finish creating the cur

170 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comThe logical drive configuration screen appears. Span=Yes displays on this screen i

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 171the criteria are not met, the span setting makes no difference for the current logical drive. 12 Highlight a span

172 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com– No-Read-Ahead specifies that the controller does not use read-ahead for the curr

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 173Using View/Add ConfigurationView/Add Configuration allows you to associate logical drives with physical arrays (t

174 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com NOTE: Try to use drives of the same capacity in a specific array. If you use driv

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 175 NOTE: You can press <F2> to display the number of drives in the array, their channel and ID, and <F3>

176 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com– CanSpan: Array spanning is enabled for the current logical drive. The logical dr

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 177–In Write-back caching, the controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host when the controller ca

16 Contents14 Appendix A: SCSI Cables and Connectors15 Appendix B: Warranties and Return PolicyGlossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

178 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comIf space remains in the arrays, the next logical drive to be configured appears. 2

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 179Individual Initialization 1 Choose Objects—> Logical Drive option from the Management Menu.2 Select the logica

180 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comThis deletes the logical drive and makes the space it occupied available for you t

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 181• Individual Formatting. Choose the Format option from Objects—> Physical Drive action menu for a physical dri

182 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comRebuilding Failed Disk DrivesIf a disk drive fails in an array that is configured

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 183A device selection window displays the devices connected to the current controller. The failed drives have FAIL i

184 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.com10 Press <Esc> to exit the Advanced Menu.You are prompted to accept the sett

PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility 185To enable hardware termination, leave the pins open. The default is hardware termination. Clustering NOTE: Cluste

186 PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utilitywww.dell.com | support.dell.comAfter you start the BIOS configuration utility, perform the following steps to ena

SECTION 12Dell ManagerStarting Dell ManagerDell Manager Menu OptionsDesignating Drives as Hot SparesParametersInitializing Logical DrivesDeleting Logi

Figures 17FiguresFigure 2-1. Example of Disk Striping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Figure 2-2. Example of Disk Mirroring . . . . . . . . . . .

188 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.comStarting Dell ManagerDell™ Manager is a character-based, non-GUI utility that changes policies, and par

Dell Manager 189Management Menu Options Table 12-2 displays the options for the Dell Manager Management Menu.Using Dell Manager in Red Hat Linux GUI M

190 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.com3 Select Settings—> Keyboard—> Linux Console from the Terminal menu.Dell Manager Menu OptionsThe

Dell Manager 191Logical DriveChoose Objects—> Logical Drive to select a logical drive and to perform the actions described in Table 12-4. Logical D

192 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.comPhysical DriveSelect Objects—> Physical Drive to select a physical device and to perform the operati

Dell Manager 193SCSI ChannelChoose Objects—> SCSI Channel to select a SCSI channel on a controller. Table 12-7 displays the operations you can perf

194 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.comFormat MenuChoose Format from the Dell Manager Management Menu to low-level format one or more physical

Dell Manager 195Rebuild MenuChoose Rebuild from the Management Menu to rebuild one or more failed disk drives. Check Consistency MenuChoose this optio

196 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.com1 Select Objects—> Physical Drive and press <Enter>.The Physical Drive Selection Menu displays

Dell Manager 197– Read-ahead specifies that the controller uses read-ahead for the current logical drive. – Adaptive specifies that the controller be

____________________Information in this document is subject to change without notice.© 2002 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.Reproductio

18 Figures

198 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.comThe progress of the initialization for each drive displays in bar graph format.6 When initialization is

Dell Manager 199Perform the following steps to delete logical drives:1 Choose Objects—> Logical Drive. The logical drives display.2 Use the arrow k

200 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.comFormatting Drives You can format the physical drives using:• Batch Formatting The Format option in the

Dell Manager 2014 When formatting completes, press any key to display the previous menu.Rebuilding Failed Disk DrivesIf a physical drive fails in an a

202 Dell Managerwww.dell.com | support.dell.comManual Rebuild – Batch ModePerform the following steps to rebuild more than one drive:1 Choose Rebuild

SECTION 13TroubleshootingOverviewBIOS Boot Error MessagesOther BIOS Error MessagesOther Potential ProblemsAudible Warnings

204 Troubleshootingwww.dell.com | support.dell.comOverviewThis chapter describes the problems that you might encounter during installation and use of

Troubleshooting 205BIOS Boot Error MessagesTable 13-2 explains the error messages that can display when there is an error during bootup.The following

206 Troubleshootingwww.dell.com | support.dell.comConfiguration of NVRAM and drives mismatch. Run View/Add Configuration option of PERC 3 BIOS Configu

Troubleshooting 207X Logical Drives Degradedx number of logical drives signed on in a degraded state.Make sure all physical drives are properly connec

Tables 19TablesTable 1-1. Maximum Cable Length for SCSI Standards . . . . . . 26Table 1-2. SCSI Bus Widths and Maximum Throughput. . . . . . 27Tab

208 Troubleshootingwww.dell.com | support.dell.comOther BIOS Error MessagesTable 13-3 explains the other BIOS error messages that can display.Table 13

Troubleshooting 209Other Potential ProblemsTable 13-4 describes other items that might cause problems.Table 13-4. Other Potential ProblemsTopic Inform

210 Troubleshootingwww.dell.com | support.dell.comAudible WarningsThe PERC card onboard tone generator indicates events and errors. Table 13-5 describ

SECTION 14Appendix A: SCSI Cables and ConnectorsVisit Dell’s web site at www.dell.com for information about qualified SCSI cables and connectors, or c

212 Appendix A: SCSI Cables and Connectorswww.dell.com | support.dell.com

SECTION 15Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy

214 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comDell-branded hardware products purchased in the U.S. or Canada come with ei

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 215 NOTE: Before you ship the product(s) to Dell, back up the data on the hard drive(s) and any other storage

216 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comSOME STATES (OR JURISDICTIONS) DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 217This limited warranty does not cover any items that are in one or more of the following categories: softwa

20 TablesTable 6-3. Hardware Architecture Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Table 6-4. Array Performance Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76T

218 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comLimited Warranty Coverage During Year TwoDuring the second year of this lim

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 219General ProvisionsTHIS LIMITED WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHT

220 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comThree-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) Dell Computer Corporation ("De

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 221Limited Warranty Coverage During Year One NOTE: Before you ship the product(s) to Dell, back up the data o

222 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comYou will pay Dell for replacement parts if the replaced part is not returne

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 223These provisions apply to Dell’s three-year limited warranty only. For provisions of any service contract

224 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comLimited Warranty Coverage During Year One NOTE: Before you ship the produc

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 225You will pay Dell for replacement parts when the replaced part is not returned to Dell. The process for r

226 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comIf Dell elects to exchange a system or component, the exchange will be made

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 227 NOTE: Before you ship the product(s) to Dell, back up the data on the hard drive(s) and any other storage

Tables 21Table 9-6. J13 Dirty Cache LED Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Table 9-7. J14 SCSI Activity Pinout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

228 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comSOME STATES (OR JURISDICTIONS) DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 229This limited warranty does not cover any items that are in one or more of the following categories: softwa

230 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comLimited Warranty Coverage During Year TwoDuring the second year of this lim

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 231DELL'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR MALFUNCTIONS AND DEFECTS IN HARDWARE IS LIMITED TO REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT A

232 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comDamage due to shipping the products to you is covered under this limited wa

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 233Dell owns all parts removed from repaired products. Dell uses new and reconditioned parts made by various

234 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.com"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only)If you are an end-u

Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policy 235One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the Caribbean Only)GuaranteeDell Computer Corp

236 Appendix B: Warranties and Return Policywww.dell.com | support.dell.comLimitation and Statutory RightsDell makes no other warranty, guarantee or l

Glossary 237GlossaryArray—A grouping of hard disk drives combines the storage space on the hard drives into a single segment of contiguous storage spa

22 TablesTable 12-9. Rebuild Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Table 13-1. General Problems and Suggested Solutions. . . . . . 204

238 Glossarywww.dell.com | support.dell.comCache Input/Output (I/O)—A small amount of fast memory that holds recently accessed data. Caching speeds su

Glossary 239Disk Duplexing—A variation on disk mirroring in which a second disk adapter or host adapter and redundant hard drives are present.Disk Mir

240 Glossarywww.dell.com | support.dell.comFlexRAID Power Fail Option—The FlexRAID Power Fail option allows a reconstruction to restart if a power fai

Glossary 241Initialization—The process of writing zeros to the data fields of a logical drive and generating the corresponding parity to bring the log

242 Glossarywww.dell.com | support.dell.comParity—Parity is an extra bit added to a byte or word to reveal errors in storage (in random access memory,

Glossary 243RAID Levels—A style of redundancy applied to a logical drive. It can increase the performance of the logical drive and can decrease usable

244 Glossarywww.dell.com | support.dell.comReplacement Unit—A component or collection of components in a disk subsystem that are always replaced as a

Glossary 245Stripe Size—The amount of data contiguously written to each disk. You can specify stripe sizes of 4 KB, 8 KB, 16 KB, 32 KB, 64 KB, and 128

246 Glossarywww.dell.com | support.dell.com

Index 247IndexAArray, 237Array Configuration Planner, 98Array Management Software, 237Array Performance Features, 56, 67, 76Array Spanning, 237Arrays,

SECTION 1OverviewPERC 3 OverviewPERC 3 Features

248 Index248 IndexOptimizing, 96Data Transfer Capacity, 238Degraded, 238Dell Manager, 61-62, 72, 81-82, 187-190, 194-195, 197-202Check Consistency, 19

249 Index249 IndexLLogical Disk, 241Logical Drives, 115, 130, 147, 150, 159, 205, 207, 241Configuring, 96Creating, 93Definition, 183Initializing, 178,

250 Index250 IndexReplacement Unit, 244Return Policy, 213, 234SSafety Instructions, 1SCSI, 24-27, 30-31, 39, 54, 56, 59-61, 64, 66, 69-71, 74, 76, 79-

www.dell.com | support.dell.comPrinted in the U.S.A.P/N 5C229 Rev. A04

24 Overviewwww.dell.com | support.dell.comPERC 3 OverviewThe Dell™ PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller 3 (PERC 3) PCI card is a high-performance, in

Overview 25• Two internal and four external connectors for the PERC 3/QC, two internal and two external connectors for the PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL, a

26 Overviewwww.dell.com | support.dell.comPERC 3/SC has one ultra-high-density 68-pin external connector for the external storage subsystem and one hi

Overview 27Operating System SupportPERC 3 supports the following operating systems:•Microsoft® Windows® 2000: Server, Advanced Server, Small Business

1Safety Instructions CAUTION: Safety InstructionsUse the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect your

28 Overviewwww.dell.com | support.dell.com

SECTION 2Introduction to RAIDRAID DefinitionPERC 3 Host-Based RAID SolutionComponents and Features

30 Introduction to RAIDwww.dell.com | support.dell.comRAID DefinitionRAID is an array of multiple independent hard disk drives that provides high perf

Introduction to RAID 31• The number of SCSI channels and SCSI hard drivesComponents and Features RAID versions, or levels, are specifications that des

32 Introduction to RAIDwww.dell.com | support.dell.comA hot spare is an unused online disk that, in case of a disk failure in a redundant RAID array,

Introduction to RAID 33Figure 2-1. Example of Disk StripingStripe WidthStripe width is the number of disks involved in an array where striping is impl

34 Introduction to RAIDwww.dell.com | support.dell.comDisk MirroringWith mirroring (used in RAID 1), data written to one disk is simultaneously writte

Introduction to RAID 35Disk SpanningDisk spanning allows multiple physical drives to function like one big drive. Spanning overcomes lack of disk spac

36 Introduction to RAIDwww.dell.com | support.dell.comSpanning for RAID 10 or RAID 50 Table 2-1 describes how to configure RAID 10 and RAID 50 by span

Introduction to RAID 37Figure 2-4. Example of ParityHot SparesA hot spare is an extra, unused disk drive that is part of the disk subsystem. It is usu

2www.dell.com | support.dell.com• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppre

38 Introduction to RAIDwww.dell.com | support.dell.com NOTE: Refer to Chapter 11 "PERC 3 BIOS Configuration Utility" for the procedures used

Introduction to RAID 39Rebuilding can be done only in arrays with data redundancy, which includes as RAID 1, 5, 10 and 50.A hot spare can be used to r

40 Introduction to RAIDwww.dell.com | support.dell.comLogical Drive States The logical drive states are listed in Table 2-4.Enclosure Management Enclo

SECTION 3RAID LevelsOverviewSelecting a RAID LevelRAID 0RAID 1RAID 5RAID 10RAID 50

42 RAID Levelswww.dell.com | support.dell.comOverviewThere are six official RAID levels (RAID 0 through RAID 5.) PERC 3 supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5,

RAID Levels 43RAID 0RAID 0 provides disk striping across all drives in the RAID subsystem. RAID 0 does not provide any data redundancy, but does offer

44 RAID Levelswww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 3-1 displays an example of a RAID 0 array.Figure 3-1. RAID 0 ArraySegment 1Segment 5Segment 7Segme

RAID Levels 45RAID 1In RAID 1, the RAID controller duplicates all data from one drive to a second drive. RAID 1 provides complete data redundancy, but

46 RAID Levelswww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 3-2. RAID 1 ArrayRAID 5RAID 5 includes disk striping at the block level and parity. In RAID 5, the

RAID Levels 47Table 3-4. RAID 5 OverviewUsesRAID 5 provides high data throughput, especially for large files. Use RAID 5 for transaction processing ap

3 NOTE: The voltage selection switch must be set to the 115-V position even though the AC power available in Japan is 100 V.• 100 V/50 Hz in eastern J

48 RAID Levelswww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 3-3 displays an example of a RAID 5 array.Figure 3-3. RAID 5 ArrayRAID 10RAID 10 is a combination

RAID Levels 49Table 3-5. RAID 10 OverviewUsesRAID 10 works best for data storage that needs 100% redundancy of mirrored arrays and that also needs the

50 RAID Levelswww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 3-4. RAID 10 ArrayRAID 50RAID 50 provides the features of both RAID 0 and RAID 5. RAID 50 includes

RAID Levels 51RAID 50 can sustain one to four drive failures while maintaining data integrity if each failed disk is in a different RAID 5 array.Table

52 RAID Levelswww.dell.com | support.dell.comFigure 3-5 displays an example of a RAID 50 array.Figure 3-5. RAID 50 ArraySegment 1Segment 6Parity (9-10

SECTION 4PERC 3/SC FeaturesHardware RequirementsConfiguration FeaturesHardware Architecture FeaturesArray Performance FeaturesPERC 3/SC Fault Toleranc

54 PERC 3/SC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comHardware RequirementsPERC 3/SC has one SCSI) channel that supports 160M and Wide SCSI at data tran

PERC 3/SC Features 55SMART Technology The PERC 3/SC self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology (SMART) detects predictable drive failures. SMAR

56 PERC 3/SC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comHardware Architecture FeaturesThe PERC 3/SC hardware architecture features are shown in Table 4-3.

PERC 3/SC Features 57PERC 3/SC Fault Tolerance FeaturesThe PERC 3/SC fault tolerance features are shown in Table 4-5.Software UtilitiesThe PERC 3/SC s

4www.dell.com | support.dell.com• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cable

58 PERC 3/SC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comOperating System Software DriversOperating System Drivers PERC 3/SC includes a disk operating syst

PERC 3/SC Features 59PCI Bridge/CPUPERC 3/SC uses the Intel i960RM PCI bridge with an embedded i960RM RISC processor running at 100 MHz. The RM bridge

60 PERC 3/SC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comPERC 3/SC BIOSThe BIOS resides on a 1 MB × 8 flash ROM for easy upgrade. The PERC 3/SC BIOS suppor

PERC 3/SC Features 61SCSI FirmwareThe PERC 3/SC firmware handles all RAID and SCSI command processing and also supports the features shown in Table 4-

62 PERC 3/SC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comDell ManagerDell Manager is a character-based, non-GUI utility that changes policies and parameter

SECTION 5PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL FeaturesHardware RequirementsConfiguration FeaturesHardware Architecture FeaturesArray Performance FeaturesFault Tol

64 PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comHardware Requirements NOTE: The PERC 3/DC has a battery option, while the PERC 3/DC

PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Features 65SMART Technology The PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology (SMART) detects pr

66 PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comHardware Architecture FeaturesTable 5-3 displays the PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL hardw

PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Features 67Array Performance FeaturesTable 5-4 displays the PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL array performance features.Fault Toleran

5Ergonomic Computing Habits CAUTION: Improper or prolonged keyboard use may result in injury. CAUTION: Viewing the monitor screen for extended peri

68 PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comSoftware UtilitiesTable 5-6 lists the software utilities.Operating System Software

PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Features 69PCI Bridge/CPUBoth PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL use the Intel i960RN PCI bridge with an embedded i960RN RISC processor

70 PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comCache MemoryEither 64 MB or 128 MB of PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL cache memory reside

PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Features 71SCSI ConnectorsThe PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL adapter has two types of SCSI connectors:• Two 68-pin high density int

72 PERC 3/DC and PERC 3/DCL Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comRAID ManagementRAID management is provided by software utilities that manage and co

SECTION 6PERC 3/QC FeaturesHardware RequirementsConfiguration FeaturesHardware Architecture FeaturesArray Performance FeaturesFault Tolerance Features

74 PERC 3/QC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comHardware RequirementsPERC 3/QC is a high-performance intelligent peripheral component interconnect

PERC 3/QC Features 75 NOTE: The PERC 3/QC does not support clustering.SMART TechnologyThe PERC 3/QC self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology

76 PERC 3/QC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comHardware Architecture FeaturesTable 6-3 lists the PERC 3/QC hardware architecture features.Array P

PERC 3/QC Features 77Fault Tolerance FeaturesThe fault tolerance features are listed in Table 6-5.Software UtilitiesThe software utilities are listed

6www.dell.com | support.dell.com

78 PERC 3/QC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comOperating System Software DriversPERC 3/QC includes a DOS software configuration utility and drive

PERC 3/QC Features 79PCI Bridge/CPUPERC 3/QC uses the Intel i960RN PCI bridge with an embedded i960RN RISC processor running at 100 MHz. The RN bridge

80 PERC 3/QC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comPERC 3/QC BIOSThe BIOS resides on a 1 MB × 8 flash ROM for easy upgrade. The PERC 3/QC BIOS suppor

PERC 3/QC Features 81SCSI FirmwareThe PERC 3/QC firmware handles all RAID and SCSI command processing and supports the features described in Table 6-

82 PERC 3/QC Featureswww.dell.com | support.dell.comDell ManagerDell Manager is a character-based, non-GUI utility that changes policies, and paramete

SECTION 7Configuring PERC 3Configuring SCSI Physical DrivesCurrent ConfigurationLogical Drive ConfigurationPhysical Device LayoutConfiguring ArraysCon

84 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comConfiguring SCSI Physical DrivesPhysical SCSI drives must be organized into logical drives. The ar

Configuring PERC 3 85Use Table 7-2 to list the devices that you assign to each SCSI ID for SCSI Channel 1. 89101112131415Table 7-2. Current Configurat

86 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comUse Table 7-3 to list the devices that you assign to each SCSI ID for SCSI Channel 2. 131415Table

Configuring PERC 3 87Use Table 7-4 to list the devices that you assign to each SCSI ID for SCSI Channel 3.Logical Drive ConfigurationUse Table 7-5 to

Contents 7ContentsSafety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 OverviewPERC 3 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

88 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comLD2LD3LD4LD5LD6LD7LD8LD9LD10LD11LD12LD13LD14LD15LD16LD17LD18LD19LD20LD21LD22LD23LD24LD25LD26LD27LD

Configuring PERC 3 89Physical Device LayoutUse Table 7-6 to list the details for each physical device on the channels. LD31LD32LD33LD34LD35LD36LD37LD3

90 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comDevice typeLogical drive number/ Drive numberManufacturer/Model numberFirmware levelTarge t IDDevi

Configuring PERC 3 91Manufacturer/Model numberFirmware levelTarge t IDDevice typeLogical drive number/ Drive numberManufacturer/Model numberFirmware l

92 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comConfiguring ArraysConnect the physical drives to the RAID controller, configure the disks, then in

Configuring PERC 3 93Arranging ArraysYou must arrange the arrays to provide additional organization for the drive array. You must arrange arrays so th

94 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comMaximizing CapacityRAID 0 achieves maximum drive capacity, but does not provide data redundancy. M

Configuring PERC 3 95Maximizing Drive Performance You can configure an array for optimal performance; however, optimal drive configuration for one typ

96 Configuring PERC 3www.dell.com | support.dell.comConfiguring Logical DrivesAfter you have installed the PERC 3 controller in the server and have at

Configuring PERC 3 97Servers that support Video on Demand typically read the data often, but write data infrequently. Both the read and write operatio