Adaptec Raid Adaptec Raid Controller Iugcontroller Iug 7 2014

.
Serial Attached SCSI RAID

Controllers Installation
and User's Guide
CDP-00283-04-A Rev. A
Issue : May 15, 2014
Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide
Copyright 2014 PMC-Sierra, Inc. All rights reserved.

The information in this document is proprietary and confidential to
PMC-Sierra, Inc. In any event, no part of this document may be reproduced
or redistributed in any form without the express written consent of
PMC-Sierra, Inc.
CDP-00283-04-A Rev. A, Issue
None of the information contained in this document constitutes an express
or implied warranty by PMC-Sierra, Inc. as to the sufficiency, fitness or
suitability for a particular purpose of any such information or the fitness, or
suitability for a particular purpose, merchantability, performance, compatibility
with other parts or systems, of any of the products of PMC-Sierra, Inc., or any
portion thereof, referred to in this document. PMC-Sierra, Inc. expressly
disclaims all representations and warranties of any kind regarding the contents
or use of the information, including, but not limited to, express and implied
warranties of accuracy, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular
use, or non-infringement.
In no event will PMC-Sierra, Inc. be liable for any direct, indirect, special,
incidental or consequential damages, including, but not limited to, lost profits,
lost business or lost data resulting from any use of or reliance upon the
information, whether or not PMC-Sierra, Inc. has been advised of the
possibility of such damage.
For a complete list of PMC-Sierras trademarks and registered trademarks,
visit: http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks
of their respective owners.
Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Document No.: CDP-00283-04-A Rev. A, Issue
Revision History
Issue
Issue Date
Details of Change
1.06
May 15, 2014
Adaptec Firmware/BIOS/Drivers/Utilities Version 1.06

Contents
Adaptec by PMC Product Support..............................................................................................................................8
Limited 3-Year Hardware Warranty..........................................................................................................................10
Regulatory Compliance Statements..........................................................................................................................11
1 About This Guide..................................................................................................................................................14
What You Need to Know Before You Begin..................................................................................................14
Terminology Used in this Guide...................................................................................................................14
How to Find More Information....................................................................................................................15
2 Kit Contents and System Requirements................................................................................................................16
Kit Contents..................................................................................................................................................16
System Requirements ..................................................................................................................................16
3 About Your RAID Controller..................................................................................................................................17
Standard RAID Controller Features..............................................................................................................17
Array-level Features.........................................................................................................................17
Advanced Data Protection Suite......................................................................................................17
Adding a Flash Backup Module....................................................................................................................18
Upgrading the Controller Firmware.............................................................................................................18
About the Adaptec RAID 6405.....................................................................................................................19
About the Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q.........................................................................................................21
About the Adaptec RAID 6405E...................................................................................................................22
About the Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5...................................................................................................23
About the Adaptec RAID 6405T...................................................................................................................24
About the Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ......................................................................................................25
About the Adaptec RAID 71605/71605Q.....................................................................................................27
About the Adaptec RAID 71605E.................................................................................................................28
About the Adaptec RAID 71685...................................................................................................................29
About the Adaptec RAID 81605ZQ...............................................................................................................35
4 Getting Started......................................................................................................................................................36
Choosing a RAID Level..................................................................................................................................36
Selecting Disk Drives and Cables .................................................................................................................36
Disk Drives.......................................................................................................................................36
Cables..............................................................................................................................................36
Replacing the Full-Height Bracket with a Low-Profile Bracket.....................................................................38
Installation Options......................................................................................................................................39
Basic Installation Steps.................................................................................................................................39
Installing with an Operating System................................................................................................40
Installing on an Existing Operating System......................................................................................40
5 Installing the Controller and Disk Drives...............................................................................................................41
Before You Begin..........................................................................................................................................41
Installing the Controller................................................................................................................................41
Installing a RAID Controller without Zero Maintenance Cache Protection......................................41
Installing a RAID Controller with Zero Maintenance Cache Protection ..........................................42
Connecting Disk Drives to Your Controllers..................................................................................................45
Connecting Drives Directly to the Controller...................................................................................45
Connecting Drives to a System Backplane.......................................................................................45
Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs) ..............................................................................................46

Connecting External Devices .......................................................................................................................47
Next Steps....................................................................................................................................................47
6 Creating a Bootable Array ....................................................................................................................................48
Setting the Boot Controller..........................................................................................................................48
Creating an Array..........................................................................................................................................48
Creating an Array with the ARC Utility.............................................................................................48
Creating an Array with maxView Storage Manager.........................................................................49
Making Your Array Bootable........................................................................................................................51
7 Installing the Driver and an Operating System .....................................................................................................52
Before You Begin..........................................................................................................................................52
Creating a Driver Disk...................................................................................................................................52
Installing with Windows ..............................................................................................................................53
Installing with Red Hat Linux 5 or Cent OS 5 ...............................................................................................53
Installing with Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6, or Fedora Linux ........................................................................53
Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6 with Dynamic Kernel Module Support ................................................53
Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6, Fedora Linux without Dynamic Kernel Module Support.....................54
Installing with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server ...............................................................................................55
Installing with Debian Linux.........................................................................................................................55
Installing with Ubuntu Linux........................................................................................................................56
Installing with Solaris...................................................................................................................................57
Installing with FreeBSD ................................................................................................................................58
Installing with VMware ESX 4.1 ...................................................................................................................58
Installing with VMware ESXi 5.x ..................................................................................................................59
Installing with Citrix XenServer ...................................................................................................................62
8 Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating System .........................................................................................63
Before You Begin..........................................................................................................................................63
Creating a Driver Disk...................................................................................................................................63
Installing on Windows .................................................................................................................................63
Installing on Red Hat, Cent OS, SuSE, or Fedora Linux.................................................................................64
Installing on Debian Linux............................................................................................................................64
Installing on Ubuntu Linux...........................................................................................................................64
Installing on Solaris .....................................................................................................................................65
Installing on FreeBSD ...................................................................................................................................66
Installing on VMware...................................................................................................................................66
Installing on Citrix XenServer.......................................................................................................................67
9 Managing Your Storage Space..............................................................................................................................68
About maxView Storage Manager...............................................................................................................68
Installing maxView Storage Manager..............................................................................................68
About the Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration Utility............................................................................68
About the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility.............................................................................................68
About the Adaptec Flash Utility...................................................................................................................69
Which Utility Should I Use?..........................................................................................................................69
10 Solving Problems ................................................................................................................................................70
Troubleshooting Checklist............................................................................................................................70
Monitoring Disk Drives Status......................................................................................................................70
Silencing the Alarm .....................................................................................................................................70
Recovering from a Disk Drive Failure ...........................................................................................................70
Failed Disk Drive Protected by a Hot Spare .....................................................................................71
Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare ..............................................................................71
Failure in Multiple Arrays Simultaneously ......................................................................................71
Disk Drive Failure in a RAID 0 Array ................................................................................................71
Multiple Failures in the Same Array ................................................................................................71
Failed SSD in maxCache Container..................................................................................................72
Resetting the Controller ..............................................................................................................................72

Appendix A Introduction to SAS...............................................................................................................................73

Terminology Used in This Appendix ............................................................................................................73
What is SAS?.................................................................................................................................................73
How Do SAS Devices Communicate?...........................................................................................................73
Whats a Phy?...............................................................................................................................................74
Whats a SAS Port?.......................................................................................................................................74
Whats a SAS Address?.................................................................................................................................74
Whats a SAS Connector?.............................................................................................................................75
What do SAS Cables Look Like?....................................................................................................................75
How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS? ........................................................................................................75
What are the SAS Connection Options?.......................................................................................................75
Direct-attach Connections...............................................................................................................75
Backplane Connections...................................................................................................................76
SAS Expander Connections..............................................................................................................76
How is SAS Different from Parallel SCSI? .....................................................................................................77
Appendix B Understanding RAID.............................................................................................................................78
Understanding Drive Segments....................................................................................................................78
Non-redundant Arrays (RAID 0)...................................................................................................................78
RAID 1 Arrays ...............................................................................................................................................79
RAID 1 Enhanced Arrays...............................................................................................................................79
RAID 10 Arrays..............................................................................................................................................80
RAID 5 Arrays................................................................................................................................................81
RAID 5EE Arrays............................................................................................................................................82
RAID 50 Arrays..............................................................................................................................................83
RAID 6 Arrays................................................................................................................................................84
RAID 60 Arrays..............................................................................................................................................84
Comparing RAID Levels................................................................................................................................84
Appendix C Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility......................................................................................86
Introduction to the ARC Utility.....................................................................................................................86
Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? ...........................................................................................................................86
Running the ARC Utility...................................................................................................................86
Using the ARC Utility to Create and Manage Arrays....................................................................................87
Creating a New Array.......................................................................................................................87
Managing Existing Arrays.................................................................................................................87
Creating Bootable Arrays....................................................................................................87
Modifying Power Management Settings.............................................................................88
Modifying Cache Settings....................................................................................................88
Initializing Disk Drives......................................................................................................................89
Rescanning Disk Drives....................................................................................................................89
Secure Erasing Disk Drives...............................................................................................................89
Stopping a Secure Erase......................................................................................................89
Uninitializing Disk Drives.................................................................................................................89
Managing Global Hot Spares...........................................................................................................90
Creating and Managing JBODs.........................................................................................................90
Creating a New JBOD..........................................................................................................90
Managing Existing JBODs....................................................................................................90
Converting a JBOD Into a Simple Volume............................................................................90
Managing the maxCache Pool.........................................................................................................90
Using the ARC Utility to Modify Controller Settings.....................................................................................91
Opening the Controller Settings Tool ..............................................................................................91
Applying Changes and Exiting..........................................................................................................91
Modifying Your Controllers Configuration......................................................................................91
General Controller Settings ................................................................................................91
Power Management Settings..............................................................................................93
Preserving the Controller Cache.........................................................................................94
Enabling and Disabling Controller Cache Preservation ..........................................94
Clearing the Controller Cache ................................................................................94
Checking the Cache Preservation Status................................................................95
Checking Backup Unit Status...........................................................................................................95

Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives...........................................................................................................95
Locating Disk Drives.....................................................................................................................................95
Identifying Disk Drives .................................................................................................................................95
Setting the Drive Write-Cache Policy...........................................................................................................96
Updating the Controller Firmware...............................................................................................................96
Updating the Controller CPLD......................................................................................................................97
Creating a Support Archive..........................................................................................................................97
Viewing the Event Log .................................................................................................................................97
Appendix D Using the Adaptec Flash Utility............................................................................................................98
System Requirements..................................................................................................................................98
Compatibility Notes.........................................................................................................................98
Before You Begin..........................................................................................................................................98
Obtaining the Firmware...................................................................................................................98
Creating the Firmware Update Disk ................................................................................................98
Running the Menu-based AFU.....................................................................................................................98
Running the AFU from the Command Line..................................................................................................99
AFU Commands...............................................................................................................................99
List.....................................................................................................................................100
Save...................................................................................................................................100
Update...............................................................................................................................100
Verify.................................................................................................................................101
Version..............................................................................................................................101
Help...................................................................................................................................101
Updating the Flash Using the AFU Command Line....................................................................................102
Appendix E Controller LED, I2C, and Alarm Connector Quick Reference...............................................................103
Adaptec RAID 6405/6445 LED and I2C Connector Specification................................................................103
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q LED and I2C Connector Specification.............................................................104
Adaptec RAID 6405E LED Connector Specification....................................................................................105
Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5 LED Connector Specification....................................................................106
Adaptec RAID 6405T LED Connector Specification....................................................................................107
Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ LED Connector Specification.......................................................................107
Adaptec RAID 7805/7805Q/71605/71605Q/71605E Alarm Connector Specification...............................108
Adaptec RAID 71685/72405/78165 Alarm Connector Specification..........................................................109
Appendix F Safety Information..............................................................................................................................110
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).....................................................................................................................110
Appendix G Technical Specifications......................................................................................................................111
Environmental Specifications.....................................................................................................................111
DC Power Requirements............................................................................................................................111
Current Requirements ...............................................................................................................................111

Adaptec by PMC Product Support

If you have questions about installing or using your Adaptec by PMC product, check this document
firstyou will find answers to most of your questions. If you need further assistance, use the support
options listed below. To expedite your service, have your computer in front of you.
Note: The phone numbers below are subject to change. Please visit the Support
section of www.adaptec.com for the most up to date contact information.
Technical Support Identification (TSID) Number
Before contacting Technical Support, you need your product unique TSID number. The TSID number
identifies your product and support status.
The TSID number is included on a white, bar-coded label, like this example:
It's recommended that you register your product so that you have easy access to your TSID when
contacting product support.
Self Help and Support in English
Visit our Web site at www.adaptec.com.
Search the Adaptec Support Knowledgebase (ASK) at ask.adaptec.com for articles, troubleshooting
tips, and frequently asked questions for your product.
For support via e-mail, submit your question at ask.adaptec.com.
To speak with a Technical Support Specialist, call +1 408 934 7274 or +49 89 4366 5544 or +44 845
266 8773.
Technische Informationen und Support in Deutsch
Besuchen Sie unsere Webseite www.adaptec.com/de-de
Suchen Sie in der Adaptec Support Knowledgebase (ASK) unter ask-de.adaptec.com nach Artikeln,
Tipps zur Fehlerbehebung und hufig gestellten Fragen zu Ihrem Produkt.
Support per Email erhalten Sie unter ask-de.adaptec.com.
Fr telefonischen Support whlen Sie +49 89 4366 5522.

www.adaptec.com/ru-ru/.
Adaptec (ASK) ask-ru.adaptec.com ask-ru.adaptec.com ,
.
ask-ru.adaptec.com
, +7 499 918
7200 +49 89 4366 5555.
www.adaptec.com/ja-jp
ask.adaptec.co.jp Adaptec Support Knowledgebase (ASK)
E ask.adaptec.co.jp

Information Technique et d'assistance en Franais

Visitez notre site Web l'adresse www.adaptec.com/fr-fr.
Rechercher dans le base de connaissances Adaptec (ASK) ask-fr.adaptec.com pour des articles,
conseils de dpannage et les questions frquemment poses pour votre produit.

Limited 3-Year Hardware Warranty

1. PMC-Sierra, Inc. (PMC-Sierra) warrants to the purchaser of this product that it will be free from
defects in material and workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase. If
the product should become defective within the warranty period, PMC-Sierra, at its option, will
repair or replace the product, or refund the purchaser's purchase price for the product, provided it
is delivered at the purchaser's expense to an authorized PMC-Sierra service facility or to PMC-Sierra.
2. Repair or replacement parts or products will be furnished on an exchange basis and will either be
new or reconditioned and will be subject to original warranty term. All replaced parts or products
shall become the property of PMC-Sierra. This warranty shall not apply if the product has been
damaged by accident, misuse, abuse or as a result of unauthorized service or parts.
3. Warranty service is available to the purchaser by delivering the product during the warranty period
to an authorized PMC-Sierra service facility or to PMC-Sierra and providing proof of purchase price
and date. The purchaser shall bear all shipping, packing, and insurance costs and all other costs,
excluding labor and parts, necessary to effectuate repair, replacement or refund under this warranty.
4. For more information on how to obtain warranty service, write or telephone:
Americas PMC-Sierra, Inc. at 1380 Bordeaux Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA, +1 408 934-7274
EMEA PMC-Sierra, at Lise-Meitner-Strasse 7, 85737 Ismaning, Germany, +49 89 43665544
Asia Pacific PMC-Sierra, at PO Box 110, Peakhurst NSW 2210, Australia, +61 2 8212-5531
Japan PMC-Sierra, at Tokumasu-Building 4F, 5-5-5, Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003,
Japan, 03-3367-3970 (fax).
5. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY PRODUCT WHICH HAS BEEN DAMAGED AS A
RESULT OF ACCIDENT, MISUSE, ABUSE, OR AS A RESULT OF UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE OR PARTS.
6. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER EXPRESS WARRANTIES WHICH NOW OR HEREAFTER MIGHT
OTHERWISE ARISE RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT. IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THOSE OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT SHALL (A)
HAVE NO GREATER DURATION THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, (B) TERMINATE
AUTOMATICALLY AT THE EXPIRATION OF SUCH PERIOD AND (C) TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW
BE EXCLUDED. IN THE EVENT THIS PRODUCT BECOMES DEFECTIVE DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD,
THE PURCHASER'S EXCLUSIVE REMEDY SHALL BE REPAIR, REPLACEMENT OR REFUND AS PROVIDED
ABOVE. INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF
DATA, ARISING FROM BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY ARE NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF PMC-SIERRA AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED BOTH FOR
PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND TO THE EXTENT NOT UNCONSCIONABLE, FOR PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGE.
7. WITHIN THE US, SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS, AND SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW
LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR
EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
8. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS
WHICH VARY DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU RESIDE.
9. FOR AUSTRALIA RESIDENTS, IF THE PRODUCT SHOULD BECOME DEFECTIVE WITHIN THE WARRANTY
PERIOD, PMC-SIERRA, AT ITS OPTION, WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE THE PRODUCT, OR REFUND THE
PURCHASER'S PURCHASE FOR THE PRODUCT, PROVIDED IT IS DELIVERED AT THE PURCHASER'S
EXPENSE BACK TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE AFTER PMC-SIERRA TECHNICAL SUPPORT HAS ISSUED
AN INCIDENT NUMBER. IN ADDITION TO THE WARRANTIES SET FORTH HEREIN, OUR GOODS COME
WITH GUARANTEES THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED UNDER THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER LAW. YOU
ARE ENTITLED TO A REPLACEMENT OR REFUND FOR A MAJOR FAILURE AND FOR COMPENSATION
FOR ANY OTHER REASONABLY FORESEEABLE LOSS OR DAMAGE. YOU ARE ALSO ENTITLED TO HAVE
THE GOODS REPAIRED OR REPLACED IF THE GOODS FAIL TO BE OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY AND THE
FAILURE DOES NOT AMOUNT TO A MAJOR FAILURE.

10
Regulatory Compliance Statements

Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement
Attention: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur
in a particular installation. However, if this equipment does cause interference to radio or television
equipment reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.
Use a shielded and properly grounded I/O cable and power cable to ensure compliance of this unit
to the specified limits of the rules.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
UL Compliance Statement
Adaptec by PMC products are tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. to UL 60950
-1 Second Edition and IEC-60950-1 Second Edition standards, file numbers E175975. Adaptec
by PMC products are for use only with UL listed ITE.
PMC-Sierra, Inc.
Use only with the listed ITE:

ASR-6405/ASR-6445/ASR-6805/
ASR-6405E/ASR-6805E/ASR-6805E R5/ASR-6805Q/
ASR-6405T/ASR-6805T/ASR-6805TQ/
ASR-7805/ASR-7805Q/ASR-71605/
ASR-71605E/ASR-71605Q/ASR-71685/
ASR-72405/ASR-78165/
ASR-8405/ASR-8805/ASR-8885/ASR-8885Q/
ASR-81605ZQ/
AFM-700

11
European Union Compliance Statement

This Information Technology Equipment has been tested and found to comply with EMC D
irective 89/336/EEC, as amended by 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, in accordance with:
EN55022 (1998+A1:2000+A2:2007) Emissions
Class B ITE radiated and conducted emissions
EN55024 (1998+A1:2001+A2:2010) Immunity:
EN61000-4-2 (2009) Electrostatic discharge: 4 kV contact, 8 kV air
EN61000-4-3 (2010) Radiated immunity: 3V/m
EN61000-4-4 (2004) Electrical fast transients/burst: 1 kV AC, 0.5 kV I/O
EN61000-4-5 (2006) Surges: 1 kV differential mode, 2 kV common mode
EN61000-4-6 (2009) Conducted immunity: 3 V
EN61000-4-11 (2004) Supply dips and variations: 30% and 100%
EN50581 (2012) Technical Documentation:
For the assessment of electrical and electronic products with respect to the restriction
of hazardous substances
In addition, all equipment requiring U.L. listing has been found to comply with EMC Directive 73/23/EE
C as amended by 93/68/EEC in accordance with EN60950 with amendments A1, A2, A3, A4, A11.
Australian/New Zealand Compliance Statement

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3548 set out by the Spectrum M
anagement Agency.
Canadian Compliance Statement
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing E
quipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numrique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Rglement sur le matriel brouilleur
du Canada.
Japanese Compliance (Voluntary Control Council Initiative)

This equipment complies to class B Information Technology equipment based on VCCI (Voluntary
Control Council for Interface). This equipment is designed for home use but it may causes radio
frequency interference problem if used too near to a television or radio. Please handle it
correctly per this documentation.
Korean Compliance (KCC) Statement
Adaptec by PMC products are tested and certified by KCC:
KCC-REM-KHK-ASR-6xx5
KCC-REM-KHK-ASR-7xxx5
MSIP-REM-KHK-ASR-8xxx5
The above certification covers the following series:
ASR-6805, ASR-6445, ASR-6405

ASR-6805E, ASR-6405E, ASR-6805Q
ASR-6805T, ASR-6405T, ASR-6805TQ
ASR-7805, ASR-7805Q, ASR-71605
ASR-71605E, ASR-71605Q
ASR-71685, ASR-72405, ASR-78165
ASR-8405, ASR-8805, ASR-8885, ASR-8885Q

12
ASR-81605ZQ
AFM-700
This equipment is home use (Class B) electromagnetic wave suitability equipment and to be used mainly
at home and it can be used in all areas.

13
About This Guide

This Installation and User's Guide explains how to install your Adaptec by PMC RAID controller. It also
describes the utilities included in your controller kit, and provides a basic overview of Serial Attached
SCSI (SAS) and Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) technology.
These Adaptec Serial Attached SCSI RAID (ASR) controller models are described in this guide:
ASR-6405, ASR-6405E, ASR-6405T
ASR-6445
ASR-6805, ASR-6805Q, ASR-6805E, ASR-6805E R5, ASR-6805T, ASR-6805TQ
ASR-7805, ASR-7805Q
ASR-71605, ASR-71605E, ASR-71605Q
ASR-71685
ASR-72405
ASR-78165
ASR-8405
ASR-8805
ASR-8885, ASR-8885Q
ASR-81605ZQ
What You Need to Know Before You Begin

You should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, RAID technology, and SAS and Serial ATA
(SATA) technology. (For more information about SAS technology, see Introduction to SAS on page 73.)
You should also be familiar with direct-attached storage (DAS) concepts and technology.
Note: Because this guide covers multiple Adaptec RAID products, some of the features
and functions described may not be available for your controller. For more information,
see About Your RAID Controller on page 17.
Terminology Used in this Guide

Because you can use your Adaptec RAID controller to manage data storage in a variety of configurations,
the generic term storage space is used to refer to controller(s) and disk drives being managed with
Adaptec maxView Storage Manager (called simply maxView Storage Manager in the remainder of this
guide) or the other utilities described in this guide.
Many of the terms and concepts referred to in this guide are known to computer users by multiple
names. This guide uses these terms:
Controller (also known as adapter, board, or card)
Disk drive (also known as hard disk, hard drive, or hard disk drive)
Solid State Drive (also known as SSD or non-rotating storage media)
Enclosure (also known as a RAID enclosure, storage enclosure, disk drive enclosure, or expander)
Array (also known as a container, logical device, or logical drive)
Note: maxView Storage Manager refers to arrays as logical drives. Your RAID
controller creates arrays, which your operating system (and maxView Storage
Manager) recognizes as logical drives. For more information, refer to the maxView
Storage Manager Users Guide.

14
How to Find More Information

You can find more information about your Adaptec RAID controller and utilities software by referring
to these documents, available in the Documentation section of the Adaptec Web site at start.adaptec.com.
Readme.txtIncludes updated product information and known issues.
maxView Storage Manager Users GuideDescribes how to install and use the maxView Storage
Manager software (see About maxView Storage Manager on page 68) to manage your direct attached
storage.
maxView Storage Manager Online HelpDescribes how to use the maxView Storage Manager
software; accessible from the main window of maxView Storage Manager.
Adaptec RAID Controller Command Line Utility Users GuideDescribes how to use the included
Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration (ARCCONF) command line utility (see About the Adaptec
RAID Controller Configuration Utility on page 68) to perform basic array and configuration
management functions.

15
Kit Contents and System Requirements

This chapter lists the contents of your Adaptec RAID controller kit and the system requirements that
must be met for you to successfully install and use your controller.
Kit Contents
Adaptec RAID controller
Cables (Not included in Adaptec 'Single' product. If your kit includes cables, the type and quantity
varyfor more information, see Cables on page 36.)
(Select models only) Low-profile bracket
Note: The latest firmware, controller drivers, utilities (Adaptec maxView Storage
Manager, ARCCONF CLI) and documentation can be downloaded from the Adaptec
Web Site at start.adaptec.com. See Creating a Driver Disk on page 52 for information
about downloading drivers.
System Requirements
PC-compatible computer with Intel Pentium, or equivalent, processor
Motherboard with these features:
Support for multi-function devices where one of the devices is a PCI bridge
Large memory-mapped address ranges
Refer to the Readme for additional motherboard compatibility information. (The Readme is available
for download in the Documentation section of the Adaptec Web site at start.adaptec.com.)
One of these operating systems:
Note: Refer to the Readme for up-to-date operating system version support. To
download Linux driver sources, visit the Support area of the Adaptec Web site at
www.adaptec.com/en-us/support.
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 (64-bit), Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit), Windows Server
2008 R2 (64-bit), Windows SBS 2011, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 (32-bit and
64-bit)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5, 6.4, 5.10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, 10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
FreeBSD 9.2, 8.4 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Debian Linux 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Ubuntu Linux 12, 11, 10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Fedora Linux 19, 18 (32-bit and 64-bit)
CentOS 6.4, 5.10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Solaris 10, Solaris 11 Express (32-bit and 64-bit)
VMware ESXi 5.5, VMware ESX 4.1 Classic
Citrix XenServer 6.2
4 GB of RAM minimum
Available compatible PCIe slot (depending on your controller modelsee the descriptions in About
Your RAID Controller on page 17)
350 MB of free disk drive space
16-bit SVGA color monitor with a resolution of at least 800 x 600
USB flash drive or CD burner, for creating driver disks and bootable media

16
About Your RAID Controller

This chapter provides an overview of the features of your Adaptec RAID controller.
Standard RAID Controller Features
Support for SAS disk drives, SATA/SATA II disk drives, and SATA and SAS Solid State Drives (SSDs)
Flash ROM for updates to controller firmware, BIOS, and the Adaptec RAID Configuration utility
Disk drive hot-swapping
Event logging and broadcasting, including email notification messages
Multiple options for creating and managing RAID arraysA browser-based software application
(maxView Storage Manager), a BIOS-based utility (ARC), a command line utility (ARCCONF) (see
Managing Your Storage Space on page 68)
Native command queuing (NCQ), which lets disk drives arrange commands into the most efficient
order for optimum performance
Support for disk drive enclosures with SES2 enclosure management hardware
Support for a flash backup module (see Adding a Flash Backup Module on page 18)
Support for Adaptec maxCache SSD read and write caching (see Modifying Cache Settings on page
88)
Note: Adaptec maxCache is supported on Adaptec Series Q controllers only.
Power-management of disk drives in your storage space to reduce cooling and electricity costs (see
Modifying Power Management Settings on page 88)
Audible alarm
I/O statistics logging
Array-level Features
Note: Not all features are supported by all controllers. For more information, see the
maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, RAID 50, and simple volumes
Support for hybrid RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays comprised of hard drives and Solid State Drives (SSDs)
(Adaptec Series 6 Controllers Only) Support for JBOD disks (appear as a physical disk drives to the
operating system; not redundant)
Support for hot spares (global and dedicated)
Support for automatic failover, so arrays are automatically rebuilt when a failed drive is replaced
(applies to redundant arrays in SES2- or SAF-TE-enabled disk drive enclosures only)
Optimized disk utilization, which ensures that the full capacity of all disk drives can be used, even if
the disk drives vary in size
Online capacity expansion, so you can increase the capacity of an array without recreating it
Support for array migration from one RAID level to another
Advanced Data Protection Suite

Copyback Hot SpareYou can use this feature to move data from a hot spare back to its original
location after a failed disk drive is replaced.
Striped Mirror (RAID 1E)A RAID 1 Enhanced array is similar to a RAID 1 array except that data is
both mirrored and striped, and more disk drives can be included.
(Adaptec Series 6 Controllers Only) Hot Space (RAID 5EE)A RAID 5EE array is similar to a RAID 5
array except that it includes a distributed spare and must be built from a minimum of four disk drives.
Dual Drive Failure Protection (RAID 6)A RAID 6 array is similar to a RAID 5 array except that it
includes two independent sets of parity data instead of one.
Dual Drive Failure Protection (RAID 60)A RAID 60 array is similar to a RAID 50 array except that it
includes four independent sets of parity data instead of two.

17
Adding a Flash Backup Module

This table shows the flash backup module (or zero maintenance cache protection) supported by your
Adaptec RAID controller. To purchase a flash backup module, refer to the Adaptec Web site at
www.adaptec.com.
RAID Controller
Flash Module
Adaptec RAID 6805/Adaptec RAID 6445/Adaptec RAID 6405/Adaptec R Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-60
AID 6805T/Adaptec RAID 6405T
0 with Supercapacitor module (optional)
Adaptec RAID 6805Q/Adaptec RAID 6805TQ
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-60

0 with Supercapacitor module (preinstalled)
Adaptec RAID 7805/Adaptec RAID 71605/Adaptec RAID 71685/A Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM
daptec RAID 72405/Adaptec RAID 78165/Adaptec RAID 8405/A -700 with Supercapacitor module
daptec RAID 8805/Adaptec RAID 8885
(optional)
Adaptec RAID 7805Q/Adaptec RAID 71605Q/Adaptec RAID 8885Q Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM
-700 with Supercapacitor module
(pre-installed)
Adaptec RAID 81605ZQ
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM

-700 with Supercapacitor module
(integrated)
Upgrading the Controller Firmware

You can upgrade the firmware on your Adaptec RAID controller using the Adaptec Flash Utility or from
the computer's uEFI BIOS. Follow the instructions in Using the Adaptec Flash Utility on page 98 or
Updating the Controller Firmware on page 96. You can also upgrade the controller firmware with
maxView Storage Manager and the ARCCONF command-line utility. Refer to the maxView Storage
Manager User's Guide and the Adaptec Command Line Interface User's Guide for more information. If
the firmware upgrade is unsuccessful, follow the instructions in Resetting the Controller on page 72.

18
About the Adaptec RAID 6405

The Adaptec RAID 6405 is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
Drive Activity LED connector f or CN0
I2C connector for CN0
Ext. Alarm connector
Aggregate Activity
HDA mode connector
Diagnostic LEDs
Activity LEDs
(back of card)
Daughterboard
Connector
Internal mini-SAS
connector CN0
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Phys (Unified Serial Ports)
Standard cache
512 MB DDR2
Connectors, internal
1 mini-SAS x4 (SFF-8087)
Maximum number of disk drives
4 direct-attached (or up to 256 with expanders)
Enclosure Support
I2C and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)
Onboard speaker
Yes
Zero Maintenance Cache Protection M

odule
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-600 (optional; sold separately)

19

Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
512 MB DDR2
Connectors
1 mini-SAS x4 (SFF-8087) internal

1 mini-SAS x4 (SFF-8088) external
Enclosure Support
SES, I2C, and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)
Onboard speaker
Yes
Zero Maintenance Cache Protection M Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-600 (optional; sold separately)
odule

20
About the Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q

The Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
512 MB DDR2
maxCache SSD support
6805Q: Up to 8 solid state drives, 1TB capacity, max. See the maxCache
compatibility list at www.adaptec.com/compatibility.
Enclosure Support
I2C and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-600 (6805: optional, sold separately;

6805Q: standard, pre-installed)

21
About the Adaptec RAID 6405E

The Adaptec RAID 6405E is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
Drive Activity LED connector for CN0
HDA mode connector
Ext. Alarmconnector
Aggregate Activity
PCIe x1 connector
Internal mini-SAS
connector CN0
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2 (reduced length: 5.12 inches)
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x1
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
128 MB DDR2
4 direct-attached
Enclosure Support
SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
No

22
About the Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5

The Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5 is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
Drive Activity LED connector for CN0/CN1
HDA mode connector
Ext. Alarm connect or
Aggregate Activity
CN1
CN0
2 internal mini-SAS
connectors
PCIe x4 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2 (reduced length: 6.1 inches)
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x4
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
128 MB DDR2
8 direct-attached
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
No

23
About the Adaptec RAID 6405T

The Adaptec RAID 6405T is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
Internal mini-SAS connector CN0
Drive Activity LED connectorfor CN0
Diagnostic/Activity LEDs

HDA mode connector
Aggregate Activity
PCIe x8 connector
Daughterboard
connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
512 MB DDR2
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-600 (optional; sold separately)

24
About the Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ

The Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
2 internal mini-SAS connectors
Drive Activity LED connector for CN0/CN1
Diagnostic/Activity LEDs

HDA mode connector
Aggregate Activity
CN0
CN1
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 2.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
512 MB DDR2
6805TQ: Up to 8 solid state drives, 1TB capacity, max. See the maxC
ache compatibility list at www.adaptec.com/compatibility.
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-600 (6805T: optional, sold

separately; 6805TQ: standard, pre-installed)

25

HDA mode connector
CN1
CN0
2 internal mini-SAS HD connectors
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
2 mini-SAS HD x4 (SFF-8643)
Enclosure Support
IBPI and SGPIO (Serial General Purpose Input/Output)
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule


26

HDA mode connector
CN3
CN2
CN1
CN0
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
16
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
71605Q: Up to 8 solid state drives, 2TB capacity, max. See the maxC
ache compatibility list at www.adaptec.com/compatibility.
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-700 (71605: optional, sold

separately; 71605Q: standard, pre-installed)

27
About the Adaptec RAID 71605E

The Adaptec RAID 71605E is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
HDA mode connector
CN3
CN2
CN1
CN0
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
16
Standard cache
256 MB DDR3
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
No

28

Ext. Alarm
connector
HDA mode
connector
2 external
mini-SAS HD
connectors
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Full Height, Half Length
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
24
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Connectors, external
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-700 (optional, sold separately)

29

4 internal mini-SAS
HD connectors
2 internal mini-SAS
HD connectors
HDA mode
connector
Ext. Alarm
connector
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Full Height, Half Length
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
24
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule

30

HDA mode
connector
Ext. Alarm
connector
4 external
mini-SAS HD
connectors
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
6 Gb/s per port
24
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule

31

1 internal mini-SAS HD connector
PCIe x8 connector
HDA mode connector
Daughterboard
connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
12 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule

32

PCIe x8 connector
Daughterboard
connector
HDA mode connector

Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
12 Gb/s per port
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule

33

2 external
mini-SAS HD
connectors
Daughterboard
connector
PCIe x8 connector
HDA mode connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
12 Gb/s per port
16
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule


34
About the Adaptec RAID 81605ZQ

The Adaptec RAID 81605ZQ is a SAS RAID controller with these features:
Stiffener (back of board)
2 internal
mini-SAS HD
connectors
Reserved
HDA mode
connector
PCIe x8 connector
Flash backup
module
connector
Mounting bracket
Form Factor
Low-profile MD2
Bus compatibility
PCIe 3.0
PCIe bus width
x8
Data transfer rate
12 Gb/s per port
16
Standard cache
1024 MB DDR3
Up to 8 solid state drives, 2TB capacity, max. See the maxCache

Enclosure Support
Onboard speaker
Yes

odule
Integrated Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-700

35
Getting Started
This chapter provides the basic information you need to set up your disk drives and arrays the way you
want them. It describes the options you have for installing your Adaptec RAID controller and disk drives
and creating arrays for storage. It also describes how to prepare your controller for installation into a
low-profile computer cabinet.
Choosing a RAID Level

This section provides a brief overview of the RAID levels supported by your Adaptec RAID controller,
including the minimum and maximum number of disk drives required by each.
Note: Before you begin, familiarize yourself with your controller's physical features
and the RAID levels that it supports (see Standard RAID Controller Features on page
17).
RAID 0 (Non-redundant Array)Stripes data across multiple disk drives. Improved performance but
no redundancy (see Non-redundant Arrays (RAID 0) on page 78).
RAID 1 ArrayCreated from two disk drives where one disk drive is a mirror of the other (the same
data is stored on each disk drive). Redundancy, but reduced capacity (see RAID 1 Arrays on page
79).
RAID 1E ArraySimilar to a RAID 1 array except that data is mirrored and striped, and more disk
drives can be included (see RAID 1 Enhanced Arrays on page 79).
RAID 5 ArrayStripes data for improved performance and uses parity data to provide redundancy
(see RAID 5 Arrays on page 81).
(Adaptec Series 6 Controllers Only) RAID 5EE ArraySimilar to a RAID 5 array, but includes a distributed
spare and must include a minimum of four disk drives (see RAID 5EE Arrays on page 82).
RAID 10 ArrayBuilt from two or more equal-sized RAID 1 arrays, stripes and mirrors data across
multiple disk drives. Redundancy and improved performance (see RAID 10 Arrays on page 80).
RAID 50 ArrayBuilt from multiple disk drives configured as two or more RAID 5 arrays, stripes
stored data and parity data across all disk drives (see RAID 50 Arrays on page 83).
RAID 6 ArraySimilar to a RAID 5 array except that it includes two independent sets of parity data
instead of one (see RAID 6 Arrays on page 84).
RAID 60 ArraySimilar to a RAID 50 array except that it includes four independent sets of parity
data instead of two (see RAID 60 Arrays on page 84).
See Comparing RAID Levels on page 84 to see how many disk drives you must connect to your RAID
controller to support the RAID level you want.
Selecting Disk Drives and Cables

Disk Drives
Your SAS controller supports SAS disk drives, SATA disk drives, and SATA and SAS Solid State Drives
(SSDs). When selecting disk drives for your RAID array, ensure that all the disk drives have the same
performance level. You can use different-sized disk drives in the array, but the array will be limited to
the capacity of the smallest and slowest disk drive. For more information about arrays, refer to the
maxView Storage Manager Users Guide or online Help. For more information about compatible disk
drives, refer to the Adaptec Web site at www.adaptec.com/compatibility.
Cables
Depending on your requirements, you can use any of the cables listed below. Cable connectors are
keyed so that you can't insert them incorrectly. For more information about cabling options for your
RAID controller, visit the Adaptec Web site at www.adaptec.com.
Note: We recommend using only Adaptec SAS cables.

36
SAS HD Cables (Adaptec Series 7 and Adaptec Series 8 controllers)
Internal SAS HD to SAS HD (SFF-8643 to SFF8643)Connects to a backplane or enclosure.
External SAS HD to SAS HD (SFF-8644 to SFF8644)Connects to a backplane or enclosure.
mini-SAS Cables (Adaptec Series 6 controllers)
External mini-SAS (SFF-8088 to SFF-8470)C

onnects to an external SAS enclosure.
Internal mini-SAS with power (SFF-8087 to SFF8482)Connects to four SAS or SATA disk drives.

37
Internal mini-SAS to SATA fan-out (SFF-8087 to 4x

SATA)Connects to four SATA disk drives.
Internal mini-SAS to mini-SAS (SFF-8087 to SFF-80

87)Connects to a backplane or enclosure.
Replacing the Full-Height Bracket with a Low-Profile Bracket

If you are installing your Adaptec RAID controller into a low-profile computer cabinet, replace the original
full-height bracket with the low-profile bracket included in your distribution kit. The full-height bracket
is mounted on the front of the controller, the low-profile bracket is mounted on the back of the controller,
as shown in the figure below.
Full-height bracket
Low-profle bracket
Back of board
Front of board
To replace the full-height bracket with the low-profile bracket:

1. Remove the full-height bracket from the controller board. The full-height bracket is installed on the
front side of the controller, with the mounting screws inserted from the back of the controller, as
shown in the Figure 1.
Using a Phillips head screw driver, remove the mounting screws, as shown in Figure 2, then set the
screws aside for use in the next step.

38
Remove mounting
screws with Phillips
screw driver
Back of board
Front of board
Figure 1
Figure 2
2. Attach the low-profile bracket to the controller board. The low-profile bracket is installed on the
back side of the controller, with the mounting screws inserted from the front of the controller, as
shown the Figure 3.
Insert the screws through the holes on the front of the controller, then fasten the screws to the
bracket with a Phillips screw driver.
Caution: The mount points on the low-profile bracket have a smooth or flat side
and a raised side that looks like a spacer (see Figure 3). Be sure to install the bracket
with the flat side against the controller PCB and the raised side facing away from
the PCB.
Flat side of bracket
Front of board
Back of board
Raised side of bracket
Figure 3
Caution: The torque on the mounting screws should be a maximum of 3.0-4.0

lbf-in to avoid deformation. Be sure that the controller is not bent after attaching
the low-profile bracket to the controller board.
Installation Options
When you install your Adaptec RAID controller, you can choose to create a bootable array and then
install your operating system and the controller driver on that array.
Alternatively, you can complete a standard installation, where the controller driver is installed on an
existing operating system.
Basic Installation Steps

This section describes the installation process. Follow the steps for the installation option youve chosen.

39
Installing with an Operating System

1. Install and connect your controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller and Disk
Drives on page 41).
If your controller has an external connector, you can connect external disk drives as well (or instead).
2. Set the boot controller (see Setting the Boot Controller on page 48).
3. Create a bootable array (see Creating an Array on page 48).
4. Install your operating system and the controller driver (see Installing the Driver and an Operating
System on page 52.)
5. Install maxView Storage Manager and begin to manage your data storage (see Managing Your Storage
Space on page 68).
Installing on an Existing Operating System

1. Install and connect your controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller and Disk
Drives on page 41).
If your controller has an external connector, you can connect external disk drives as well (or instead).
2. Install the controller driver (see Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating System on page 63).
3. Install maxView Storage Manager and begin to manage your data storage (see Managing Your Storage
Space on page 68).

40
Installing the Controller and Disk Drives

This chapter explains how to install your Adaptec RAID controller, and how to install and connect internal
and external disk drives.
Before You Begin

Read Safety Information on page 110.
Familiarize yourself with your RAID controller's physical features and the RAID levels that it supports
(see Standard RAID Controller Features on page 17).
Ensure you have the right quantity of disk drives for the RAID level you want to use for your arrays
(see Selecting Disk Drives and Cables on page 36).
If you are installing the RAID controller into a low-profile computer cabinet, replace the original
full-height bracket with the low-profile bracket included in the kit (see Replacing the Full-Height
Bracket with a Low-Profile Bracket on page 38).
Installing the Controller

This section describes how to install the Adaptec RAID controller into your computer cabinet. Adaptec
RAID controllers come in two basic configurations: standard and zero maintenance cache protection
with batteryless backup (ZMCP). ZMCP uses flash memory and a supercapacitor module to protect the
cache without a battery.
Follow one of these sets of instructions:
To install an Adaptec RAID controller without zero maintenance cache protection, see the next
section.
To install an Adaptec RAID controller with zero maintenance cache protection, see Installing a RAID
Controller with Zero Maintenance Cache Protection on page 42.
Caution: Be sure to handle the controller by its bracket or edges only.
Installing a RAID Controller without Zero Maintenance Cache Protection

To install an Adaptec RAID controller without zero maintenance cache protection:
1. Turn off your computer and disconnect the power cord. Open the cabinet, following the
manufacturer's instructions.
2. Select an available PCIe expansion slot that's compatible with your RAID controller and remove the
slot cover, as shown below. (PCIe bus compatibility is marked to the controller figures in About Your
RAID Controller on page 17.)

41
3. Insert the RAID controller into the expansion slot and press down gently but firmly until it clicks into
place. When installed properly, the RAID controller should appear level with the expansion slot.
Caution: Touch a grounded metal object before handling the RAID controller.
4. Secure the bracket in the expansion slot, using the retention device (for instance, a screw or lever)
supplied with your computer.
5. (Adaptec Series 6 controllers only) Connect your computer's disk activity LED cable to the LED
connector on the controller (marked on the figures in About Your RAID Controller on page 17).
Ensure that the positive lead of the LED cable (usually a red wire or a wire marked with a red stripe)
is attached to pin 1.
6. (Adaptec Series 6 controllers only) Optionally, connect your RAID controller's I2C connector (not
available on all models) to an I2C connector on an internal backplane or enclosure, using an I2C
cable. For more connection details, see About Your RAID Controller on page 17.
7. Prepare and install your internal disk drives, following the instructions in Connecting Disk Drives to
Your Controllers on page 45.
If you are not installing internal disk drives, close your computer cabinet, reattach the power cord,
then continue with Connecting External Devices on page 47.
Installing a RAID Controller with Zero Maintenance Cache Protection

Adaptec RAID controllers with zero maintenance cache protection include a flash module daughterboard
and a supercapacitor module. On Adaptec Series Q controllers, the daughterboard is pre-installed. On
Adaptec RAID controllers with optional zero maintenance cache protection (see Adding a Flash Backup
Module on page 18), the daughterboard is user installed. The supercapacitor module is always user
installed.
The following instructions describe how to install the RAID controller and supercapacitor module on an
Adaptec Series 7/8/8ZQ controller using the mounting plate method. It assumes that the daughterboard
is already installed.
Note: Adaptec Series 6Q controllers do not include a mounting plate for the
supercapacitor module. You must affix the supercapacitor to the computer chassis
with cable ties. For controllers with optional zero maintenance cache protection (non-Q
controllers), refer to the AFM-700 Installation Guide for details about installing the
daughterboard on the controller.
Warning: Do NOT remove or insert a fully charged supercapacitor module. Always discharge the unit
first to avoid damage to the controller or flash backup module. The factory ships with discharged units,
so they are safe to install when you receive them. To ensure that an installed unit is discharged, switch
42
your system OFF, then wait 5 minutes. After a dirty shutdown, wait 3 minutes after backup is complete,
then remove the unit.
To install an Adaptec RAID controller with zero maintenance cache protection:
1. Assemble the mounting plate and attach the supercapacitor module:
a) Attach the full-height bracket and mounting clip to the mounting plate. The full-height bracket
is installed on the front side of the mounting plate (the side with the bents), with the mounting
screws inserted from the back, as shown in the figure below. (Be sure to attach the mounting
plate to the bracket with recessed side at the bottom!) Attach the mounting clip to the front of
the mounting plate with four (4) Phillips screws. The large friction clip should face the front of
the mounting plate.
Large friction
clip
Recessed side
Mounting clip
b) Insert the supercapacitor module into the mounting clip. The supercapacitor module snaps
securely into place between the large and small friction clips, as shown in the figure below. Be
sure to orient the supercapacitor module such that the connecting cable faces the rear of the
mounting plate.
c) Set the mounting plate aside; continue with the steps below.
2. Turn off your computer and disconnect the power cord. Open the cabinet, following the
manufacturer's instructions.
3. Select an available PCIe expansion slot that's compatible with your RAID controller and remove the
slot cover, as shown in the figure below. (PCIe bus compatibility is marked on the controller figures
in About Your RAID Controller on page 17.) Be sure to choose a slot in the backplane with an empty
slot next to it; you will use the empty slot to install the supercapacitor mounting plate, after you
install the controller. Remove the slot cover for the mounting plate, then continue with the next
step.

43
4. Insert the RAID controller into the expansion slot and press down gently but firmly until it clicks into
place. When installed properly, the RAID controller should appear level with the expansion slot.
Secure the bracket in the expansion slot, using the retention device (for instance, a screw or lever)
supplied with your computer.
Caution: Touch a grounded metal object before handling the RAID controller.
5. Attach the supercapacitor module to the RAID controller by inserting the connector into the socket
on the flash module daughterboard, as shown in the figure below. (The connector attaches to the
socket in only one direction.) Use the included extender cable if you need extra length to reach the
connector on the daughterboard.
Extender cable
6. Install the mounting plate in the empty slot next to the controller, as shown in the next figure. After
securing the mounting plate to the card cage, verify that the supercapacitor module and mounting
plate sit above (and do not touch) the PCIe slot.

44
Gap
7. Prepare and install your internal disk drives, following the instructions in Connecting Disk Drives to
Your Controllers on page 45.
If you are not installing internal disk drives, close your computer cabinet, reattach the power cord,
then continue with Connecting External Devices on page 47.
8. Restart your computer.
The supercapacitor starts charging automatically. It should reach full charge in 5-6 minutes.
Connecting Disk Drives to Your Controllers

You can connect SAS disk drives, SATA disk drives, and SATA and SAS Solid State Drives (SSDs) to your
Adaptec RAID controller. (See www.adaptec.com/compatibility for a list of compatible drives.) There
are no jumpers or switches to set before installation.
If you plan to build a bootable array, ensure that you install at least the minimum number disk drives
required to support the RAID level you want. See Choosing a RAID Level on page 36 for more information.
Note: Although you can connect both SAS and SATA disk drives to your SAS controller,
we recommend that you do not combine SAS and SATA disk drives within the same
array. See What is SAS? on page 73 for more information.
You have two connection options:
To connect directly to the controller, see the following section.
To connect to a backplane, see Connecting Drives to a System Backplane on page 45.
To connect Solid State Drives to your controller, see Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs) on page 46.
Connecting Drives Directly to the Controller

In a direct-attach connection, SAS or SATA disk drives are connected directly to a SAS card with SAS
cables. The number of direct-attached disk drives is limited to four per internal SAS connector. (For
more information about direct-attach connections, see How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS? on page
75.)
1. Install your internal SAS or SATA disk drives, following the instructions in your system's documentation.
2. Use internal SAS, mini-SAS, or mini-SAS HD cables to attach the disk drives to the controller, as
required.
3. When all internal disk drives have been installed and attached to the controller, close your computer
cabinet, reattach the power cord, then continue with Connecting External Devices on page 47.
Connecting Drives to a System Backplane

In a backplane connection, disk drives and SAS cards are attached to and communicate with each other
through a system backplane.
45
The number of disk drives is limited to the number of slots available on the backplane. Some backplanes
have embedded SAS expanders and can support up to 128 end devices. (For more information about
backplane and expander connections, see How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS? on page 75.)
1. Connect one or more internal SAS or SATA disk drives to the backplane. (Refer to your system's
documentation for more information.)
2. Use an internal mini-SAS or mini-SAS HD cable to connect the controller to the backplane, as required.
3. When all internal disk drives have been installed and connected, close your computer cabinet,
reattach the power cord, then continue with Connecting External Devices on page 47.
Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs)

To connect a Solid State Drive to your controller, you can use a direct-attached connection or a backplane
connection, as required. If your server does not have a standard 2.5-inch drive tray, you must use a
bracket/SLED which enables the SSD to fit properly.
Note: For Adaptec maxCache applications or hybrid RAID arrays (comprised of hard
drives and SSDs) you can use any Solid State Drive on the compatibility list. See
www.adaptec.com/compatibility for a list of compatible SSDs. Adaptec maxCache is
supported on Adaptec Series Q controllers only.
In a direct-attach connection (described in the steps below), you connect SSDs directly to the controller
with SAS cables (mini-SAS to SATA). In a backplane connection, use the appropriate cable for your
backplane type (see Connecting Drives to a System Backplane on page 45 for more about backplane
connections). For maxCache caching applications, you can connect a maximum of 8 maxCache-compatible
SSDs to a controller. For RAID arrays, Adaptec controllers support a maximum of 256 drives, including
SSDs (for details, see About Your RAID Controller on page 17).
1. Install the SSDs in your server. For servers with a standard 2.5-inch drive tray, install the SSD directly
into the tray. If your server does not have a standard 2.5-inch drive tray, use a bracket or adapter
which enables it to fit properly.
Use a 2.5 to 3.5 adapter to

install your SSD if server does
not have 2.5 tray.
Typical SSD installation
2. Use an internal mini-SAS or mini-SAS HD to SATA cable, as required, to attach the SSD(s) to the
controller, as shown in the example below.
46
To other SSDs
Internal x4 mini-SAS HD connector
Single-port connector
SSD connected to controller with

internal mini-SAS HD to SATA Fanout cable
3. When all SSDs have been installed and connected, close your computer cabinet, reattach the power
cord, then continue with Connecting External Devices on page 47.
Connecting External Devices

Note: If you are not connecting any external devices, see the following section, Next
Steps on page 47.
Use high-quality cables to connect your controller to your external device(s), such as disk drives or disk
drive enclosures.
We recommend using only Adaptec cables. For more information about cabling options for your
controller, see Cables on page 36.
Next Steps
If you are installing the controller driver and an operating system onto a bootable array, continue with
Creating a Bootable Array on page 48.
If you are completing a standard installation onto an existing operating system, continue with Installing
the Driver on an Existing Operating System on page 63.

47
Creating a Bootable Array

This chapter explains how to set your Adaptec controller to be the boot controller, and how to create
a bootable array.
Note: If you are completing a standard installation onto an existing operating system,
you dont have to complete this task. Skip to Installing the Driver on an Existing
Operating System on page 63.
Setting the Boot Controller

Note: If your system wont contain more than one bootable controller, skip to the
next section, Creating an Array on page 48.
Your Adaptec RAID controller supports bootable disk drives and bootable arrays. To enable your system
to boot from either a disk drive or an array connected to your controller:
1. Enter the system setup.
2. Navigate to the drive boot sequence.
3. Move the boot controller to the top of the list.
For more information, refer to your computer documentation.
Creating an Array
This section explains how to create an array.
A RAID 5 array is created in the examples shown in this section because RAID 5 provides the most security
and best performance with a minimum of three disk drives. However, you can choose to create an array
with a different RAID level; you can also change array level later, after the operating system is installed.
You can create an array using any of these tools:
Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility (ARC)BIOS-based menus and keyboard navigation (see the
following section).
maxView Storage ManagerGraphical software application (running from a bootable USB image)
that you can navigate with your mouse (see About maxView Storage Manager on page 68).
ARCCONFCommand line utility. For instructions, refer to the Adaptec RAID Controller Command
Line Utility Users Guide.
You can use any of these tools, but the ARC utility is the quickest and easiest tool for this task.
Note: We recommend that you do not combine SAS and SATA disk drives within the
same array. maxView Storage Manager displays a warning if you try to create a logical
drive using a combination of SAS and SATA disk drives. See What is SAS? on page 73
for more information.
Creating an Array with the ARC Utility

The ARC utility is menu-based. Instructions for completing tasks appear on-screen. Menus can be
navigated using the arrows, Enter, Esc, and other keys on your keyboard.
To create a RAID 5 array:
1. Power on your computer. When prompted, press Ctrl+A to enter the ARC utility.
Note: On computers that support the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or
uEFI, ARC utility options are presented with a uEFI/HII interface rather than the
Adaptec Ctrl-A interface described below. To begin using the ARC utility with the
uEFI/HII interface, see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 86.
2. If you have more than one controller of the same model or family in your computer, select your
controller, then press Enter .
48
3. Select Logical Device Configuration, then press Enter .

4. Select Initialize Drives, then press Enter .
5. Select at least three disk drives for the array, press Insert for each selected disk drive, then press
Enter.
Caution: During initialization, all data is deleted from the disk. Before continuing,
back up any data you want to keep.
6. Press Y , then press Enter .
The selected disk drives are initialized, then the Logical Device Configuration screen appears.
7. Select Create Array, then press Enter .
8. Select the disk drives that were just initialized, press Insert for each selected disk drive, then press
Enter .
9. When the Array Properties screen opens, follow the instructions in the following table.
Property Line
Entry or Selection
Array Type
Select RAID 5, then press Enter .
Array Label
Type a name, then press Enter .
Array Size
Press Enter , then press Enter again to use the default granularity of GB.
Stripe Size
Press Enter to use the default (256 KB).

Note: This property applies only to striped arrays (RAID 0, 1E
, 10, 5, 50, 5EE, 6, and 60).
Read Caching
Press Enter to use the default (Enable).
Write Caching
Press Enter to use the default (Enable always), then press Y to confirm.
Create RAID via
Press Enter to use the default (Build/Verify).
MaxCache Read
Press Enter to use the default (Enable)
MaxCache Write Press Enter to use the default (Disable)

[Done]
Press Enter .
10. When a cache warning message displays, type Y .

11. Once the array is created, a message displays telling you that the array can now be used. Press any
key to return to the Logical Device Configuration menu.
You can start using the array immediately. However, performance is reduced until the build process
is complete.
12. Press Esc until the Exit utility window appears.
13. Select Yes, then press Enter.
The computer restarts.
14. Continue with Making Your Array Bootable on page 51.
Creating an Array with maxView Storage Manager

This section describes how to use the maxView Storage Manager configuration wizard to build an array.
Note: Before you begin, download the maxView Storage Manager bootable USB
image from the Adaptec Web site at start.adaptec.com, then copy the bootable image
to a USB flash drive. For details, refer to the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
To create a RAID 5 array:
49
1. Insert the bootable USB drive on the machine you want to configure.
The Boot menu opens in a shell window.
2. Select Launch maxView from the menu.
After a minute or so, the maxView Storage Manager login screen opens in a browser window.
3. Enter root/root for the login credentials.
4. On the ribbon, in the Logical Disk group, click Create Logical Drive.
5. When the wizard opens, ensure that Express Configuration is selected, then click Next.
6. Review the logical drive configuration summary.

maxView Storage Manager uses the term logical drive when referring to an array (see Terminology
Used in this Guide on page 14).
The following example shows a RAID 5 array, ready to be created.

50
7. Click Finish.
maxView Storage Manager builds the logical drives.
8. Partition and format the logical drive(s).
The logical drives you created appear as a physical disk drives on your operating system. You must
partition and format these logical drives before you can use them to store data.
9. Close all windows, remove the bootable USB drive, then restart your system.
For information about installing and using maxView Storage Manager as a full software application,
see the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
10. Continue with the following section.
Making Your Array Bootable

Use the ARC Utility to make the array bootable (see Creating Bootable Arrays on page 87).
Then continue with Installing the Driver and an Operating System on page 52.

51
Installing the Driver and an Operating System

This chapter explains how to install your Adaptec RAID controller driver and an operating system on a
bootable array (see Creating a Bootable Array on page 48).
To install the driver on an existing operating system, see Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating
System on page 63.
Before You Begin

Install and connect your Adaptec RAID controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller
and Disk Drives on page 41).
Create a bootable array (see Creating a Bootable Array on page 48).
Download drivers from the Adaptec Web site
Create a driver disk (see the following section)
Note: For up-to-date operating system version support, visit the Adaptec Web
site at www.adaptec.com . From the main menu, select Support>Knowledgebase,
then click Advanced Search. Select your controller type, limit the category by OS
Support, then click Search.
Creating a Driver Disk

Download the latest drivers from the Adaptec Web site, then create a driver disk by completing the
steps below. You will need a USB flash drive to complete this task. If the driver binary is an iso image,
use a writable CD instead of a flash drive.
To download drivers from the Adaptec Web site and create a driver disk:
1. Open a browser window, then type start.adaptec.com in the address bar.
2. Select your RAID controller family (Series 7, Series 8, and so on) and controller model.
3. Select your operating system version, for instance, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 x64 or Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 6; then select the appropriate driver from the list.
Note: For Linux OSs, the list of drivers typically includes a rpm file and an Images
file. Select the Images file only if you are installing the driver on an existing
operating system (for more information, see Installing the Driver on an Existing
Operating System on page 63). Adaptec also provides DKMS source code for a
variety of Linux distributions, including pre-compiled DKMS drivers for Red Hat 6
and Cent OS 6 (see Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6 with Dynamic Kernel Module Support
on page 53).
4. Click Download Now and accept the license agreement.
5. When the download completes, extract the contents of the driver archive file to a temporary location.
If the archive includes drivers for multiple operating system versions (Windows, for instance), each
driver is stored in a separate folder, including one each for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
6. Change to the folder for your operating system version, as needed.
7. Copy the driver binary file or the entire driver folder contents to a USB flash drive.
For VMware and Citrix XenServer, see Step [8].
8. If the driver binary is an iso image for instance, for VMware 4.1 or Citrix XenServer burn the iso to
a writeable CD.
Use whatever tool you prefer to burn the CD, such as an interactive, GUI-based, tool or the Linux
command line.
Note: For VMware ESXi 5.x, see Installing with VMware ESXi 5.x on page 59.
9. Remove and label the driver disk.
10. Continue the installation with the instructions for your operating system.
52
Installing with Windows

Note: The following instructions apply to all supported Windows operating systems.
You will need your Windows Installation CD to complete this task.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Windows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Insert your Windows CD, then restart the computer.

Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the Windows installation.
When prompted to specify a location for Windows, select Load Driver.
Insert the USB driver disk, browse to the driver location, then click OK.
When the Adaptec driver is found, press Next.
You may see the message No drives were found. Repeat [3], [4] (browse to driver location), and
[5]. On the second attempt, the driver will load successfully.
6. Click Next again to accept the default partition configuration, or refer to your Windows documentation
to configure partitions manually.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
8. Continue with Managing Your Storage Space on page 68.
Installing with Red Hat Linux 5 or Cent OS 5

Note: You will need the installation CD for your operating system to complete this
task.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Red Hat Linux 5 or Cent OS 5:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Insert your installation CD.

Restart your computer.
When the first installation screen appears, insert the USB driver disk.
Type this command at the Boot: prompt and press Enter:
linux dd
5. Select Yes to indicate that you have a driver disk, then select the driver image from the USB drive
(typically, /dev/sda1).
6. Complete the Linux installation, following the on-screen instructions.
Installing with Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6, or Fedora Linux

Follow the instructions in this section to install the controller driver with Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6, or
Fedora Linux. We recommend that you install the driver with Dynamic Kernel Module Support, or DKMS.
DKMS ensures that the driver remains installed across OS or online updates. The DKMS instructions
apply to Red Hat 6 and Cent OS 6 only.
Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6 with Dynamic Kernel Module Support

Note: This section describes how to install the pre-complied DKMS drivers for Red
Hat 6 and Cent OS 6. (See the Readme for details about downloading the pre-compiled
drivers from the Adatpec Web site.) You will need your OS installation CD and a USB
flash drive to complete this task. You must have root privileges to install the driver
image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Red Hat 6 or Cent OS 6:
1. Copy aacraid-1.2.1.29900-dd.img and aacraid.conf to a USB flash drive. Remove the USB
drive when you are finished.
2. Insert the OS installation CD, then restart your computer.
53
3. When the graphical Welcome screen appears, press Tab, then insert the USB driver disk.
4. Make sure that "Install a new system or upgrade an existing system" is highlighted, then, at the end
of the "vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img" line press Space, type the following command, and press Enter:
linux dd
5. Select Yes to indicate that you have a driver disk, then select the driver image from the USB drive
(typically, /dev/sda1).
6. Complete the Linux installation, following the on-screen instructions, then reboot.
7. Assuming the USB driver disk is /dev/sda1, type the following commands to ensure that the driver
remains installed when you update the OS:
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
cp /mnt/aacraid.conf /etc/depmod.d/aacraid.conf
Red Hat Linux 6, Cent OS 6, Fedora Linux without Dynamic Kernel Module Support
Note: You will need the Installation CD for your operating system to complete this
task. You must have root privileges to install the driver image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Red Hat 6, Cent OS 6, or Fedora Linux:
1. Insert your installation CD.
3. When the Welcome screen appears, press Enter at the boot prompt, type CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch
to the shell, then continue the installation by selecting your language and keyboard.
4. Insert the USB driver disk.
5. Assuming the USB drive is assigned to /dev/sda1, type the following commands to load the
controller driver:
mkdir /mnt2 /AACRAID
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt2
cp -r /mnt2/* /AACRAID
umount /mnt2
cd /AACRAID
sh ./fc-pre-install.sh
6. Press ALT+F6 to switch back to the installation screen, then click Next.
7. Follow the on-screen prompts to continue the installation. When prompted to reboot the system,
press CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console. Do not reboot before completing Step [8]!
8. Type the following commands to complete the driver installation:
mkdir /mnt/sysimage/tmp/AACRAID
cp -r /AACRAID/* /mnt/sysimage/tmp/AACRAID
chroot /mnt/sysimage/
cd /tmp/AACRAID
sh ./fc-post-install.sh
exit
9. Press ALT+F6 to switch back to the installation screen, finish the installation, then reboot.

54
Installing with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server

To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing SuSE Linux:
1. Insert the first SuSE Installation CD.
3. When the SuSE installation selection screen appears, choose the type of installation you want, press
the F6 key, then select Yes to indicate that you have a driver disk. (If F6 is not shown on the screen,
you may have an older version of SuSE; press the Alt key instead.)
4. Insert the USB driver disk.
5. Type this command on the 'Boot Options' line and press Enter:
linux dd
6. When prompted to "Please choose the Driver Update medium," highlight the USB partition, then
select OK.
If the "choose Driver Update medium" screen is displayed again, assume that the driver was accepted
and select Back.
7. Follow the prompts to continue the installation.
Note: For SuSE Linux 11, switch to the console by typing CTRL+ALT+F2 when the
installation is between 50%-90% complete, type this command:
cp -a /update/install /mnt/tmp
...then press CTRL+ALT+F7 to return to the installation screen and complete the
installation as usual.
8. Complete the installation, following the on-screen instructions.
Installing with Debian Linux

Note: You will need your Debian Installation CD to complete this task. You must have
root privileges to install the driver image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Debian Linux:
1. Insert the Debian Installation CD, then restart your computer.
2. When the Welcome screen appears, select Graphical Install. Continue the installation until you see
the "Configure Network" screen, then type CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console.
3. Insert the USB driver disk, then type the following command to scan for the device:
fdisk -l
4. Assuming the USB drive is assigned to /dev/sda1, type the following commands to begin loading
the driver:
mkdir /AACRAID
cp -R /mnt/* /AACRAID
umount /mnt
Note: The following steps assume you are installing Debian 6 using kernel 2.6.32-5.
5. Copy the driver file to the /lib/modules directory:
Debian 32-bit:

55
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko-PRE_MOD
/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-486/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
Debian 64-bit:
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
6. Remove the USB drive.

7. Install the loadable module:
Debian 32-bit:
insmod /lib/modules/2.6.32-5-486/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
Debian 64-bit:
insmod /lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
8. Press CTRL+ALT+F5 to switch back to the installation screen, then follow the on-screen prompts
to continue the installation.
Note: Do not press Continue at the end of the installation until you complete Step
[9]!
9. When prompted to reboot the system, press CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console.
Debian 32-bit:
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko-POST_MOD
/target/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-486/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
chroot /target
/sbin/depmod -a 2.6.32-5-486
update-initramfs -u -v
exit
Debian 64-bit:
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko
/target/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
chroot /target
/sbin/depmod -a 2.6.32-5-amd64
exit
11. Press CTRL+ALT+F5 to switch back to the installation screen, then reboot.
Installing with Ubuntu Linux

Note: You will need your Ubuntu Installation CD to complete this task. You must have
root privileges to install the driver image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Ubuntu Linux:
1. Insert the Ubuntu Installation CD, then restart your computer.
2. When the installation menu appears, select Install Ubuntu Server. Continue the installation until
the "Configure Network" screen appears, then type CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console.
3. Insert the USB driver disk, then type the following command to scan for the device:
fdisk -l

56
4. Assuming the USB drive is assigned to /dev/sda1, type the following commands to begin loading
the driver:
mkdir /AACRAID
cp -R /mnt/* /AACRAID
umount /mnt
Note: The following steps assume you are installing Ubuntu 10 or 11, using kernel
2.6.32-28. For Ubuntu 12 or higher, the driver files aacraid.ko-PRE_MOD and
aacraid.ko-POST_MOD are both replaced by the single file aacraid.ko.
5. Copy the driver file to the /lib/modules directory:
cp -f /AACRAID/aacraid.ko-PRE_MOD
/lib/modules/2.6.32-28-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
6. Remove the USB drive.

7. Install the loadable module:
insmod /lib/modules/2.6.32-28-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
8. Press CTRL+ALT+F1 to switch back to the installation screen, then follow the on-screen prompts
to continue the installation.
Note: Do not press Continue at the end of the installation until you complete Step
[9]!
9. When prompted to reboot the system, press CTRL+ALT+F2 to switch to the console.
Ubuntu 32-bit:
/target/lib/modules/2.6.32-28-generic-pae/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
chroot /target
/sbin/depmod -a 2.6.32-28-generic-pae
exit
Ubuntu 64-bit:
/target/lib/modules/2.6.32-28-server/kernel/drivers/scsi/aacraid/aacraid.ko
chroot /target /sbin/depmod -a 2.6.32-28-server
exit
11. Press CTRL+ALT+F1 to switch back to the installation screen, then reboot.
Installing with Solaris

Note: This task is not necessary if you are installing Solaris 10 Update 2 or later.
Instead, you can choose to install Solaris using the in-box driver and update it either
during or after the installation is complete, if required.
Note: If necessary, you can create a driver disk by burning a CD with the
aac_solaris-x86.iso file; for more information, see Creating a Driver Disk on
page 52.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Solaris:
1. Start your computer.
57
2.
3.
4.
5.
Interrupt the autoboot, press the ESC key. The Device Configuration Assistant (DCA) Utility will open.
Select Apply driver updates.
Insert the driver disk or other update media, then press Return.
Complete the Solaris installation, following the instructions included with your operating system.
Installing with FreeBSD

Note: You will need your FreeBSD Installation CD to complete this task.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing FreeBSD:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Insert the FreeBSD Installation CD.

Insert the USB driver disk.
Restart your computer. (Be sure to boot from the installation CD!)
When the FreeBSD start screen opens, select 2 for 'Escape to Loader Prompt'.
Type: load kernel
Type this command to locate the USB drive: lsdev
Assuming the USB drive is disk2s1, type this command:
load disk2s1:aacu.ko
8. Type this command: boot

9. Complete the FreeBSD installation, as usual. When finished, remove the installation CD, but not the
USB driver disk, then reboot.
Note: Be sure the system is configured to boot from the controller's bootable
array, not the USB drive!
10. To ensure that the driver is loaded automatically as a module at boot time, repeat Steps [4]-[7], then
complete the steps below.
11. Type this command to boot to the kernel: boot
12. Login as root, then type:
dmesg
13. Assuming the USB drive is da1s1, type this command to mount the drive:
mount -t msdosfs /dev/da1s1 /mnt
14. Install the driver package:

pkg_add /mnt/aac9x-amd64.tgz
Note: The distribution also includes driver packages for FreeBSD 8.

15. Reboot the computer.
Installing with VMware ESX 4.1

Note: To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver with VMware ESX 4.1, you must
burn the driver iso image to a writeable CD (see Creating a Driver Disk on page 52).
You will need your VMware Installation CD to complete this task. You must have root
privileges to install the driver image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing VMware ESX 4.1:
1. Insert the VMware Installation CD.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the VMware installation.
58
4. Select Yes to install a custom driver, then click Add.

5. Insert the CD containing the driver, then click OK.
6. Select the driver from the displayed list, click OK, then follow the on-screen instructions to load the
driver.
7. Complete the VMware installation, following the on-screen instructions.
8. Reboot your computer, then remove the VMware Installation CD.
Installing with VMware ESXi 5.x

Note: You will need a writable CD to complete this task. You must have administrator
privileges to create the driver disk and install the driver image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver with VMware ESXi 5.x, you must create a custom boot
image using the VMware Image Builder tool. The VMware Image Builder is distributed as a snap-in
component for vSphere PowerCLI, a command-line and scripting tool from VMware based on Microsoft
PowerShell.
You can download PowerCLI from the VMware Download Center at www.vmware.com/downloads. To
perform the installation, you will also need to download the VMware ESXi5.x Standard Software Depot
from the VMware Download Center.
Note: In the following instructions, perform Step [1] through Step [7] on the Windows
machine used to build the custom boot image, and Step [8] through Step [11] on the
machine where you want to install the custom image. Be sure to install the prerequisite
software first, including Powershell and Microsoft .NET 2.0, before you install PowerCLI
or create the custom boot image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing VMware ESXi 5.x:
1. Download Microsoft PowerShell and Microsoft .NET 2.0 (if not installed on your machine already)
and install on your Windows build machine. You can download PowerShell and Microsoft .NET from
the Microsoft Download Center at www.microsoft.com/download.
Note: PowerShell is preinstalled on many Windows systems, including Windows
Server 2012, Windows 7, and Windows 8.
2. Download and install vSphere PowerCLI on your Windows build machine. You can download PowerCLI
from the VMware Download Center at www.vmware.com/downloads (for example,
VMware-PowerCLI-5.0.0-374833.exe).
3. Run PowerShell as Administrator, then set the execution policy to Remote Signed:
# Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
4. Download the VMware ESXi5.x Standard Software Depot (for example,

vmware-ESXi-5.0.0-469512-depot.zip, vmware-ESXi-5.1.0-799733-depot.zip, or
vmware-ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-depot.zip) and store in a temporary location on your Windows build
machine. You can download the software depot from the VMware Download Center at
www.vmware.com/downloads. When you start the download, be sure to choose "ESXi Offline
Bundle".
Note: You may need to provide account credentials to download the software
depot from the VMware Web site.
5. Copy the Adaptec AACRAID driver binary to a temporary location on the Windows build machine
(where xxxxx is the build number):
Options
Description
ESXi 5.0
aacraid-esxi5.0-1.2.1.xxxxx.zip
ESXi 5.1
ESXi 5.5

59
6. Launch vSphere PowerCLI, then follow the steps below to create the custom boot image:
a) At the PowerCLI prompt, add the VMware Image Builder snap-in by running the following cmdlet:
# Add-PSSnapIn VMware.ImageBuilder
Note: You will see a message if the Image Builder snap-in is already installed.
You can ignore this message.
Note: Continue using PowerCLI in Steps [2] through [10].
b) Add the VMware ESXi 5.x Software Depots:
VMware ESXi 5.0:
# Add-EsxSoftwareDepot
C:\ESXi5.0-PMC-CustomISO\vmware-ESXi-5.0.0-469512-depot.zip
VMware ESXi 5.1:

VMware ESXi 5.5:

where C:\ESXi5.x-PMC-CustomISO is the temporary folder on your build machine where the
software depot is stored.
c) Add the AACRAID driver binary as a software depot (where xxxxx is the build number):
VMware ESXi 5.0:
C:\ESXi5.0-PMC-CustomISO\aacraid-esxi5.0-1.2.1.xxxxx.zip
VMware ESXi 5.1:

VMware ESXi 5.5:

where C:\ESXi5.x-PMC-CustomISO is the temporary folder on your build machine where the
software depot is stored.
d) Verify that the software depots are added:
# $DefaultSoftwareDepots
e) List ESX Image Profiles:

# Get-EsxImageProfile
You should see a display similar to this:

ESXi-5.1.0-799733-no-tools
ESXi-5.1.0-799733-standard
f) Create a copy of the standard image profile, using the -CloneProfile option:
VMware ESXi 5.0:

60
# New-EsxImageProfile -CloneProfile ESXi-5.0.0-469512-standard -Name

"ESXi 5.0 Adaptec Series 8"
VMware ESXi 5.1:

VMware ESXi 5.5:

g) Change the vendor and acceptance level of the new image profile:
VMware ESXi 5.0:
# Set-EsxImageProfile -ImageProfile "ESXi 5.0 Adaptec Series 8" -vendor
PMC-Sierra -AcceptanceLevel VMwareCertified
VMware ESXi 5.1:

VMware ESXi 5.5:

h) Check if the new driver package is available:

# Get-EsxSoftwarePackage
You should see a line like this:

scsi-aacraid 5.1.5.2.1.29900-1...
i) Add the scsi-aacraid software package to the new image profile:

VMware ESXi 5.0:
# Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile "ESXi 5.0 Adaptec Series 8"
-SoftwarePackage scsi-aacraid
VMware ESXi 5.1:

VMware ESXi 5.5:

j) Export the custom ISO image:

VMware ESXi 5.0:
# Export-EsxImageProfile -ImageProfile "ESXi 5.0 Adaptec Series 8"
-FilePath C:\ESXi5.0-PMC-CustomISO\ESXi5.0-PMC-Sierra-Series-8.iso
-NoSignatureCheck -ExportToISO
VMware ESXi 5.1:

VMware ESXi 5.5:

61

where -FilePath specifies the path to the custom iso image.

7. Burn the custom ISO image to a writable CD.
Note: Use whatever tool you prefer to burn the CD, such as an interactive
(GUI-based) tool or a command line tool.
Remove the CD after you finish burning the image.
8. On the VMware ESXi machine, insert the custom boot CD, then restart your computer.
9. Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the VMware installation.
10. Complete the VMware installation, following the on-screen instructions.
11. Remove the custom boot CD, then reboot your computer.
Installing with Citrix XenServer

Note: To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver with Citrix XenServer, you must
burn the XenServer driver iso image to a writeable CD (see Creating a Driver Disk on
page 52). You will be prompted to insert the XenServer driver CD twice. You need the
XenServer installation CD to complete this task. You must have administrator privileges
to install the driver image.
To install the Adaptec RAID controller driver while installing Citrix XenServer:
1. On the machine where you want to install the OS and RAID controller driver, insert the XenServer
installation CD, then restart your computer.
2. When prompted to add a driver, press F9.
3. Remove the XenServer installation CD and insert the driver CD.
4. When the driver update is complete, remove the driver CD and insert the XenServer installation CD.
5. Continue the XenServer installation, following the on-screen instructions.
6. When prompted to add a driver (at the end of the OS installation),remove the XenServer installation
CD and insert the driver CD.
7. Complete the XenServer installation, following the on-screen instructions.
8. Remove the driver CD, then reboot your computer.

62
Installing the Driver on an Existing Operating System

This chapter explains how to install your Adaptec RAID controller driver on an existing operating system.
Note: To install the driver while you're installing an operating system, see Installing
the Driver and an Operating System on page 52.
Before You Begin

Install and connect your Adaptec RAID controller and internal disk drives (see Installing the Controller
and Disk Drives on page 41).
Download drivers from the Adaptec Web site
Create a driver disk (see the following section)
Note: For up-to-date operating system version support, visit the Adaptec Web
site at www.adaptec.com . From the main menu, select Support>Knowledgebase>
Answers>Advanced Search. Select your controller type, limit the category by OS
Support, then click Search.
Creating a Driver Disk

Download the latest drivers from the Adaptec Web site, then create a driver disk by completing the
steps below. You will need a USB flash drive to complete this task.
To download drivers from the Adaptec Web site and create a driver disk:
1. Open a browser window, then type start.adaptec.com in the address bar.
2. Select your RAID controller family (Series 7, Series 8, and so on) and controller model.
3. Select your operating system version, for instance, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 or Microsoft Windows
Server 2012 x64; then select the appropriate driver from the list.
Note: For Linux OSs, the list of drivers typically includes a rpm file and an Images
file. You can use either one to install the driver on an existing operating system.
The instructions in this chapter use the rpm.
4. Click Download Now and accept the license agreement.
5. When the download completes, extract the contents of the driver archive file to a temporary location.
If the archive includes drivers for multiple operating system versions (Windows, for instance), each
driver is stored in a separate folder, including one each for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
6. Change to the folder for your operating system version, as needed.
7. Copy the driver binary file or the entire driver folder contents to a USB flash drive.
Note: For VMware and Citrix XenServer, use a remote copy utility to copy the
driver to the local machine; see Installing on VMware on page 66 and Installing
on Citrix XenServer on page 67.
8. Remove and label the driver disk.
9. Continue the installation with the instructions for your operating system.
Installing on Windows
Note: The following instructions apply to all supported Windows operating systems.
To install the driver on Windows:
1. Start or restart Windows.
2. In the Control Panel, launch the Device Manager, right-click your RAID controller, then select Update
Driver Software.
3. Insert the driver disk, then select Browse my computer for driver software.
63
4.
5.
6.
7.
Browse to the driver disk location, then click Next.

Select the driver from the list, then click Next.
When the installation is complete, remove the driver disk and restart your computer.
Continue with Managing Your Storage Space on page 68.
Installing on Red Hat, Cent OS, SuSE, or Fedora Linux

To install the driver on Red Hat Linux, Cent OS, SuSE Linux, or Fedora Linux:
1. Insert and mount the driver disk (assuming the USB drive is /dev/sda1):
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb
2. Install the module RPM:

rpm -ivh mount-point/xxx/yyy.rpm
where mount-point is the mount point on the Linux system, xxx is the driver path, and yyy.rpm is
the rpm file name.
3. Reboot your computer to ensure the driver loaded correctly.
Installing on Debian Linux

Note: You must have root privileges to install the driver image. For Debian Linux, the
su command is sufficient.
To install the driver on Debian Linux:
1. Insert and mount the Debian Installation DVD:
mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
2. Load the Debian unpacking tools:

apt-get install build-essential
4. Install the DEB driver package (where xxxxx is the build number):
dpkg -i /mnt/usb/aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx-Debian6.0-all.deb

Installing on Ubuntu Linux

Note: For driver installation on Ubuntu Linux, you may need to create the root account
and password. Enter these commands: sudo bash; sudo passwd root. You
must have root privileges to install the driver image.
To install the driver on Ubuntu Linux:
1. Update the Ubuntu package index:
sudo apt-get update
2. Load the Ubuntu unpacking tools:

sudo apt-get install build-essential

64
4. Install the DEB driver package (where xxxxx is the build number):
Ubuntu 10.x:
sudo dpkg -i /mnt/usb/aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx-Ubuntu10.04.3+10.04.4-all.deb
Ubuntu 11.x and Ubuntu 12.x:

sudo dpkg -i
/mnt/usb/aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx-Ubuntu11.10+12.04+12.04.1+12.04.2-all.deb

Installing on Solaris
To install the driver on Solaris:
2. (Solaris 10 only) Check for any pre-existing Adaptec driver by running pkginfo SUNWaac in a
terminal window . If there is no pre-existing Adaptec driver on your computer, continue with [3]. If
an Adaptec driver is already installed on your computer, run pkgrm SUNWaac to remove it.
Caution: If your operating system currently boots from the Adaptec controller,
do not reset your computer after you remove the pre-existing Adaptec driver.
Instead, follow the steps in this section to install a new driver before rebooting
your computer.
3. Insert and mount the driver disk:
volcheck
4. Change to the driver installer directory:

Solaris 10:
cd /rmdisk/aacraid/DU/sol_210/i86pc/Tools
Solaris 11:
cd /rmdisk/aacraid/DU/sol_211/i86pc/Tools
5. Start the driver installer:

./install.sh -i
6. Remove the driver disk, then reboot your computer.


65
Installing on FreeBSD
To install the driver on FreeBSD:
2. Insert and mount the driver disk:
mount -t msdos /dev/fd1 /mnt
3. Copy the driver package to the /tmp directory:

cp /mnt/aac9x-i386.tgz /tmp
4. Install the driver package:

pkg_add /tmp/aac9x-i386.tgz
5. Remove the driver disk, then reboot your computer.

Installing on VMware
Note: You must remove the old driver before you can install the new one. You must
have root privilege to install the new driver.
Note: To copy the driver VIB file to the VMware ESX/ESXi server (in [2] below), you
must have access to a remote copy utility, such as WinSCP, putty, or Linux scp.
To install the driver on VMware:
1. At the VMware console screen, type these commands to remove the old driver:
VMware ESX 4.1:
esxupdate query --vib-view | grep -i aacraid (list driver packages)
esxupdate -b <vibID> --maintenancemode remove (remove package)
where vibID is the full name of the driver package.

Note: For VMware 4.0 or earlier, use the rpm -e command to remove the driver.
VMware ESXi 5.x:
esxcli software vib list | grep -i aacraid (list driver packages)
esxcli software vib remove --vibname=scsi-aacraid --maintenance-mode (remove
package)
2. Using a remote copy utility, copy the driver VIB file for your operating system version to a local
directory on the ESX server. This example uses Linux scp to copy the driver to /tmp/aacraid (where
xxxxx is the build number):
VMware ESX 4.1:
scp
/mnt/sda1/linux/driver/vmware-esx-drivers-scsi-aacraid-400.4.2.1.xxxxx-1.0.4.260247.x86_64.vib
root@<esx-server-ip>:/tmp/aacraid
VMware ESXi 5.1:

scp
/mnt/sda1/linux/driver/vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-510.5.2.1.xxxxx.-1.1.5.799733.x86_64.vib
VMware ESXi 5.5:

66
scp
/mnt/sda1/linux/driver/vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-550.5.2.1.xxxxx.-1.5.5.1331820.x86_64.vib
3. Install the VIB module (where xxxxx is the build number):

VMware ESX 4.1:
esxupdate -b
/tmp/aacraid/vmware-esx-drivers-scsi-aacraid-400.4.2.1.xxxxx-1.0.4.260247.x86_64.vib
--nodeps --nosigcheck --maintenancemode update
VMware ESXi 5.1:

esxcli software vib install -f -v
file:/tmp/aacraid/vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-510.5.2.1.xxxxx.-1.1.5.799733.x86_64.vib
VMware ESXi 5.5:

esxcli software vib install -f -v
file:/tmp/aacraid/vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-550.5.2.1.xxxxx.-1.5.5.1331820.x86_64.vib
4. Reboot your computer.
Installing on Citrix XenServer

Note: To copy the driver RPM file to XenServer (in [1] below), you must have access
to a remote copy utility, such as WinSCP, putty, or Linux scp. You must have root
privilege to install the driver.
To install the driver on XenServer:
1. Using a remote copy utility, copy the driver RPM file to a local directory on XenServer. This example
uses Linux scp to copy the driver to /tmp/aacraid (where xxxxx is the build number):
scp /mnt/sda1/linux/driver/citrix-aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx.xen-6.1.rpm
root@<xen-server-ip>:/tmp/aacraid
2. Install the driver module rpm (where xxxxx is the build number):
rpm -ivh /tmp/aacraid/citrix-aacraid-1.2.1-xxxxx.xen-6.1.rpm
3. Reboot your computer.

67
Managing Your Storage Space

Once you have installed your Adaptec RAID controller, disk drives (or other devices), and device driver,
you can begin to build and manage your storage space.
This chapter introduces maxView Storage Manager, and describes the other utilities included with your
Adaptec RAID controller.
About maxView Storage Manager

maxView Storage Manager is a browser-based software application that helps you build a storage space
for your online data, using Adaptec RAID controllers and disk drives.
With maxView Storage Manager, you can group disk drives into logical drives and build in redundancy
to protect your data and improve system performance.
From a single workstation, you can use maxView Storage Manager to monitor and manage all the
controllers and disk drives in your storage space.
When maxView Storage Manager is installed on a computer, the maxView Storage Manager Agent (and
other related services) is also installed automatically. The Agent is designed to run in the background,
without user intervention. Its job is to monitor system health, manage event notifications, task schedules,
and other on-going processes on a system. It sends notices when tasks are completed successfully, and
notifies you when errors or failures occur on that system.
If your storage space includes systems that won't be connected to monitors (and therefore won't require
the graphical user interface), you can choose to run the Agent only on those systems instead of the full
application. For more information, refer to the maxView Storage Manager Users Guide.
Installing maxView Storage Manager

For details about installing maxView Storage Manager on different operating systems, refer to the
maxView Storage Manager Users Guide.
About the Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration Utility

The Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration (ARCCONF) is a command line utility that you can use to
perform basic array and configuration management functions.
With ARCCONF, you can:
Create and delete logical drives
Modify and copy configuration settings
Recover from disk drive failures and troubleshoot your system
For information about installing and using ARCCONF, refer to the Adaptec RAID Controller Command
Line Utility User's Guide.
About the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility

The Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) utility is a BIOS-based utility that you can use to create and
manage controllers, disk drives and other devices, and arrays. The ARC utility comprises these tools:
Logical Device ConfigurationFor creating and managing arrays, and initializing and rescanning disk
drives.
Controller SettingsFor modifying your controller and disk drive settings.
Disk UtilitiesFor formatting or verifying disk drives.
The ARC utility is included in your controller's BIOS. For more information, see Using the Adaptec RAID
Configuration Utility on page 86.
Note: The ARC utility is primarily intended for pre-operating system installation
configuration.
68
About the Adaptec Flash Utility

The Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU) is a text-based DOS utility that you can use to update, save, or verify
your RAID controller's firmware.
Caution: Although the AFU contains safeguards to prevent you from accidentally
damaging your RAID controller's flash contents, it is still important to use the AFU
carefully and correctly to avoid rendering your RAID controller inoperable. We
recommend that only advanced users familiar with working in DOS use the AFU. You
can also use maxView Storage Manager to update the controller firmware. See the
maxView Storage Manager Users Guide for more information.
Which Utility Should I Use?

To create a bootable array, we recommend that you use the BIOS-based ARC utility (See Using the
Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility on page 86).
For subsequent storage management tasks on most supported operating systems, including VMware
Guest OSs, we recommend that you install and use maxView Storage Manager (see About maxView
Storage Manager on page 68). As a full-featured software application with a graphical user interface,
it is the easiest to use and offers the widest range of management functions. For operating systems
that do not support the maxView Storage Manager GUI, such as FreeBSD, use the ARCCONF command
line utility to configure and manage arrays.

69
10
Solving Problems
This chapter provides basic troubleshooting information and solutions for solving controller problems.
Troubleshooting Checklist
If you encounter difficulties installing or using your Adaptec RAID controller, check these items first:
With your computer powered off, check the connections to each disk drive, power supply, LED
connector, and so on.
Try disconnecting and reconnecting disk drives from the Adaptec RAID controller.
Check that your Adaptec RAID controller is installed in a compatible PCIe expansion slot. To
double-check the bus compatibility of your controller, see About Your RAID Controller on page 17.
Ensure that your Adaptec RAID controller is firmly seated and secured in the PCIe expansion slot.
If your Adaptec RAID controller is not detected during system boot, try installing it in a different
compatible expansion slot. (See Installing the Controller on page 41 for instructions.)
Did the driver install correctly?
If you have external disk drives (or other devices), are they powered on?
Check the Readme for compatibility issues and known problems.
If you are still unable to resolve a problem, you can find additional troubleshooting information and
direction on the Adaptec Web site at www.adaptec.com or the Support Knowledgebase at
ask.adaptec.com.
Monitoring Disk Drives Status

You can use the blink feature in maxView Storage Manager to monitor the status of your SAS and SATA
disk drives. When you blink a specific disk drive or set of disk drives, the LED(s) on the selected disk
drives flash.
This table describes the LED flash states.
Controller Device State
Slot State
LED Flash State
Failed
Device is faulty
On
Rebuilding
Device is rebuilding
Slow flash
Blink
Identify the device
Fast flash
Other
No error
Off
For more information about using maxView Storage Manager to monitor your disk drives, refer to the
maxView Storage Manager Users Guide or the online Help.
Silencing the Alarm

If your Adaptec RAID controller includes an alarm, the alarm will sound when an error occurs. To silence
the alarm, use maxView Storage Manager (see Managing Your Storage Space on page 68.) OR the ARC
utility (see Modifying Your Controllers Configuration on page 91.)
Recovering from a Disk Drive Failure

This section explains how to recover when a disk drive or SSD fails:
If the array was protected by a hot spare, see Failed Disk Drive Protected by a Hot Spare on page
71.
If the array was not protected by a hot spare, see Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare
on page 71.
If there is a disk drive failure in more than one array simultaneously, see Failure in Multiple Arrays
Simultaneously on page 71.
70
If it is a RAID 0 array, see Disk Drive Failure in a RAID 0 Array on page 71.
If multiple disk drives fail within the same array, see Multiple Failures in the Same Array on page
71.
If the drive is part of the maxCache Container, see Failed SSD in maxCache Container on page 72.
Note: maxView Storage Manager uses the term logical drives or logical devices when
referring to arrays (see Terminology Used in this Guide on page 14).
Failed Disk Drive Protected by a Hot Spare

When an array is protected by a hot spare, if a disk drive in that array fails the hot spare is automatically
incorporated into the array and takes over for the failed drive.
To recover from the failure:
1. Remove and replace the failed disk drive.
2. If copyback is not enabledIn maxView Storage Manager, remove the hot spare designation from
the original hot spare (the disk drive that was built into the array). Then, designate a new hot spare
to protect the arrays on that controller.
If copyback is enabledData is automatically moved back to its original location once the controller
detects that the failed drive has been replaced. No action is required.
Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare

When an array is not protected by a hot spare, if a disk drive in that array fails, remove and replace the
failed disk drive. The controller detects the new disk drive and begins to rebuild the array.
If the controller fails to rebuild the array, check that the cables, disk drives, and controllers are properly
installed and connected. Make sure that the new disk drive is equal or greater in size than the failed
disk drive. Then, if necessary, use maxView Storage Manager to rebuild the array. For instructions, refer
to the maxView Storage Manager Users Guide or online Help.
Failure in Multiple Arrays Simultaneously

If there's a disk drive failure in more than one array at the same time (one failure per array), and the
arrays have hot spares protecting them, the controller rebuilds the arrays with these limitations:
A hot spare must be of equal or greater size than the failed disk drive it's replacing.
Failed disk drives are replaced with hot spares in the order in which they failed. (The array that
includes the disk drive that failed first is rebuilt first, assuming an appropriate hot spare is
availablesee bullet above.)
If there are more disk drive failures than hot spares, see Failed Disk Drive Not Protected by a Hot Spare
on page 71.
If copyback is enabled, data is moved back to its original location once the controller detects that the
failed drive has been replaced.
Disk Drive Failure in a RAID 0 Array

Because RAID 0 volumes do not include redundancy, if a disk drive fails in a RAID 0 array, the data cant
be recovered.
Correct the cause of the failure or replace the failed disk drives. Then, restore your data (if available).
Multiple Failures in the Same Array

Except in RAID 6 and RAID 60 arrays (see Understanding RAID on page 78), if more than one disk drive
fails at the same time in the same array, the data normally can't be recovered.
You may be able to recover the data by forcing the logical drive online or by recreating the logical drive
without the initialization step. You can use the BIOS utility, ARC (see About the Adaptec RAID
Configuration Utility on page 68), the command-line utility, ARCCONF, or maxView Storage Manager.
For more information, refer to the Adaptec RAID Controller Command Line Interface Users Guide and
the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.

71
Note: In some instances, RAID 10 and RAID 50 arrays may survive multiple disk drive
failures, depending on which disk drives fail.
Failed SSD in maxCache Container

Because the maxCache Container is a redundant logical device, comprised of SSDs only, it is rebuilt
automatically when a failed SSD is replaced, just like an ordinary array. Once you identify the failed SSD,
for example, by using maxView Storage Manager's rapid fault isolation feature, replace it with a new
one (see Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs) on page 46). The controller detects the new SSD and
begins rebuilding the maxCache Container.
Resetting the Controller

You may need to reset, or flash, your Adaptec RAID controller if it becomes inoperable or if a firmware
upgrade is unsuccessful. Adaptec RAID controllers support a reset protocol called HDA mode flash. For
information about HDA mode, see the Readme or contact your support representative. To locate the
flash jumper on your RAID controller board, see the illustrations in About Your RAID Controller on page
17.

72
Introduction to SAS
This section provides a basic overview of the main features of SAS, introduces some common SAS terms,
and explains how SAS differs from parallel SCSI.
Note: For technical articles and tutorials about SAS, refer to the SCSI Trade Association
(STA) Web site at www.scsita.org.
Terminology Used in This Appendix

For convenience, SAS HBAs and SAS RAID controllers are referred to generically in this chapter as SAS
cards. HBAs, RAID controllers, disk drives, and external disk drive enclosures are referred to as end
devices and expanders are referred to as expander devices.
For convenience, this chapter refers to end devices and expander devices collectively as SAS devices.
What is SAS?
Legacy parallel SCSI is an interface that lets devices such as computers and disk drives communicate
with each other. Parallel SCSI moves multiple bits of data in parallel (at the same time), using the SCSI
command set.
SAS is an evolution of parallel SCSI to a point-to-point serial interface. SAS also uses the SCSI command
set, but moves multiple bits of data one at a time. SAS links end devices through direct-attach connections,
or through expander devices.
SAS cards can typically support up to 128 end devices and can communicate with both SAS and SATA
devices. (You can add 128 end devicesor even morewith the use of SAS expanders. See SAS Expander
Connections on page 76.)
Note: Although you can use both SAS and SATA disk drives in the same SAS domain
(see SAS Expander Connections on page 76), we recommend that you do not combine
SAS and SATA disk drives within the same array or logical drive. The difference in
performance between the two types of disk drives may adversely affect the
performance of the array.
Data can move in both directions simultaneously across a SAS connection (called a linksee How Do
SAS Devices Communicate? on page 73). Link speed is 300 MB/sec in half-duplex mode. Therefore, a
SAS card with eight links has a bandwidth of 2400 MB/sec.
Although they share the SCSI command set, SAS is conceptually different from parallel SCSI physically,
and has its own types of connectors, cables, connection options, and terminology, as described in the
rest of this chapter.
To compare SAS to parallel SCSI, see How is SAS Different from Parallel SCSI? on page 77.
How Do SAS Devices Communicate?

SAS devices communicate with each other through links. A link is a physical connection between two
phys.
As shown in the following figure, SAS devices contain ports (see Whats a SAS Port? on page 74), ports
contain phys, and each phy contains one transmitter and one receiverone transceiver. A phy can
belong to one port only.

73
SAS Device
SAS Device
link
Narrow
Phy
Port
Receiver
Transmitter
SAS Device
Wide
Port
Phy
Receiver
Transmitter
Phy
Receiver
Transmitter
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Narrow
Port
Wide
Port
SAS Device
Wide
Port
Phy
Receiver
Transmitter
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Phy
Receiver
Transmitter
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Phy
Receiver
Transmitter
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Phy
Receiver
Transmitter
Transmitter
Receiver
Phy
Wide
Port
Whats a Phy?
Phys are part of the physical communication connection between SAS devices. Each phy contains a
transceiver that sends data back and forth between SAS devices.
When a connection is formed between two end devices, a link is established from a phy in one port to
a phy in the other port. As shown in the figure above, a wide port can support multiple independent
links simultaneously.
Phys are internal, within SAS connectors (see Whats a SAS Connector? on page 75).
SAS cables physically connect one or more phys on one SAS device to one or more phys on another SAS
device.
Whats a SAS Port?

Note: Because the physical link between SAS devices is from phy to phy, rather than
port to port, a port is more of a virtual concept, different from what is normally
considered a port on other types of RAID controllers and storage devices.
A port is one or more phys. A narrow port contains one phy. A wide port typically contains four phys.
Each port has its own unique SAS address (see How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS? on page 75), and
all the phys in a port share that same SAS address.
SAS card port options vary. A SAS card with four phys could be configured with one wide port, with two
wide ports that comprise two phys, or with four narrow ports each containing one phy. (A wide port
with four phys is referred to as a 4-wide or 4x port.)
Whats a SAS Address?

Each SAS port is identified with a unique SAS address, which is shared by all phys on that port.
For example, a SAS disk drive might have two narrow ports. Each port has one unique SAS address. The
single phy in each port uses its ports SAS address.
In another example, a SAS device might have one 4-wide port. That port has one SAS address, which is
shared by all four phys in the port.
Unlike SCSI devices and SCSI IDs, SAS devices self-configure their SAS addresses. User intervention is
not required to set SAS addresses, and SAS addresses cannot be modified.
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Whats a SAS Connector?

A SAS or mini-SAS connector is the physical plug or receptacle that you see on a SAS device. It's what
you plug a SAS cable into, or the end of the SAS cable thats being plugged in. (See Cables on page 36.)
A connector is what forms physical links between phys. Some SAS connectors can support multiple links.
The number of links a SAS connector can support is referred to as its width. Narrow connectors support
a single link; wide connectors supports more than 1 link.
A single SAS device may have one or more connectors. A single SAS connector may help form links
between more than two SAS devices. (For instance, as shown in the figure in Connecting Drives Directly
to the Controller on page 45, the 4-wide internal SAS connector forms links with four independent disk
drives.)
What do SAS Cables Look Like?

Internal standard SAS cables are narrower than internal parallel SCSI cables. The connectors vary in size
depending on the number of links they support, from single link connectors to 4-wide (or larger)
connectors. Internal fan-out cables let you attach four disk drives to a single 4-wide connector.
Mini-SAS connectors support both internal and external SAS connections. The mini-SAS connectors are
smaller than the standard SAS internal and external connectors. Mini-SAS connectors support single
and multilinks with the ability to scale to future speed needs.
For examples of some internal SAS/mini-SAS cables and an external SAS/mini-SAS cables, see Cables on
page 36.
How are Disk Drives Identified in SAS?

In the BIOS and in the management utilities (see Identifying Disk Drives on page 95), disk drives are
identified in the following formats:
CNX:DevY = Device Y is attached to Connector X (see Direct-attach Connections on page 75 for more
information)
BoxX:SlotX = Enclosure X is attached to a disk drive in Slot X (see Backplane Connections on page 76
for more information)
ExpX:PhyX = Expander X is attached to Phy X (see SAS Expander Connections on page 76 for more
information)
where X is the count number.
Note: Devices other than disk drives (CDROM, tape drives, etc...) are listed in order
after your system disk drives.
In parallel SCSI, XX is the disk drives channel number, YY is the target number, and ZZ is the logical unit
number (LUN).
What are the SAS Connection Options?

You can connect end devices to each other through direct cable connections and through backplane
connections. When you use one or more expander devices (see SAS Expander Connections on page 76),
you can create large configurations.
Direct-attach Connections
In a direct-attach connection, SAS or SATA disk drives are connected directly to a SAS card with SAS or
mini-SAS cables. One disk drive is attached to one SAS/mini-SAS connector with one SAS/mini-SAS cable
(or multiple disk drives are attached to one SAS/mini-SAS connector with one fan-out cable). The figure
in Connecting Drives Directly to the Controller on page 45 shows an example of direct-attach connections.

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The number of direct-attached disk drives is limited to the number of phys supported by the SAS card.
(Note that there may be multiple phys within a single connector. See SAS Expander Connections on
page 76.)
Backplane Connections
In a backplane connection, disk drives and SAS cards are attached to and communicate with each other
through a system backplane.
There are two types of backplane connections, passive and active. When connecting to either backplane,
its important to properly connect your disk drive LEDs in order to identify disk drive conditions. See
About Your RAID Controller on page 17 for your RAID controller Activity LED connections and locations.
Once you have connected to a backplane, use maxView Storage Manager to manage your disk drives.
For more information, refer to the maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
The number of end devices is limited to the number of slots available on the backplane.
Some backplanes support daisy-chain expansion to other backplanes, allowing you to connect multiple
enclosures to a single SAS card in a host system.
SAS Expander Connections

A SAS expander device literally expands the number of end devices that you can connect together.
Expander devices, typically embedded into a system backplane (see Backplane Connections on page
76), support large configurations of SAS end devices, including SAS cards and SAS and SATA disk drives.
With expander devices, you can build large and complex storage topologies.
There are two types of SAS expanders: fanout expanders and edge expanders. Each performs a different
role in a storage system. (For more information about how SAS expanders work, refer to the STA Web
site at www.scsita.org.)
You can connect up to 128 SAS ports to an edge expander. (A single edge expander can therefore support
up to 128 SAS addresses.)
You can connect up to 128 edge expanders to a fanout expander.
You can use only one fanout expander in any single SAS domain (a topology of SASand possibly
SATAend devices and expander devices). A single SAS domain can therefore comprise up to 16,384
SAS ports (and therefore up to 16,384 SAS addresses including the fanout expander).
The next figure illustrates (in very basic terms) a SAS domain and shows how SAS cards, SAS and SATA
disk drives, and expander devices can fit together in a large data storage topology.

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How is SAS Different from Parallel SCSI?

In summary, although SAS and parallel SCSI both use the SCSI command set, how they move data from
one place to another is very different. To support point-to-point serial data transport, SAS introduces
new types of connectors, cables, connection options, and terminology.
Generally speaking, SAS is faster and more flexible than parallel SCSI, and provides more options for
building your storage space. SAS lets you mix SAS and SATA disk drives together, and lets you connect
many, many more devices.
This table describes many of the main differences between the two interfaces.
Parallel SCSI
Serial Attached SCSI
Parallel interface
Serial interface
Maximum speed 320 MB/sec shared by all devices

on the bus
Maximum speed 300 MB/sec per phy when in half-duplex

mode
Supports SCSI devices only
Supports SATA and SAS disk drives simultaneously
Up to 16 devices per SCSI channel
More than 100 disk drives per SAS card, using an expander
(see SAS Expander Connections on page 76) or 50 SATAII
disk drives.
Supports single-port devices only
Supports single- and dual-port devices
Uses SCSI IDs to differentiate between devices

connected to the same adapter
Uses unique SAS addresses to differentiate between devices
User intervention required to set SCSI IDs
SAS addresses self-configured by SAS devices
Requires bus termination
Requires no bus termination
Standard SCSI connectors
SAS connectors (see Cables on page 36)

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Understanding RAID
When you create arrays (or logical drives), you can assign a RAID level to protect your data.
Each RAID level offers a unique combination of performance and redundancy. RAID levels also vary by
the number of disk drives they support.
This appendix describes the RAID levels supported by your Adaptec RAID controller, and provides a basic
overview of each to help you select the best level of protection for your data storage.
Understanding Drive Segments

A drive segment is a disk drive or portion of a disk drive that is used to create an array. A disk drive can
include both RAID segments (segments that are part of an array) and available segments. Each segment
can be part of only one logical device at a time. If a disk drive is not part of any logical device, the entire
disk is an available segment.
Non-redundant Arrays (RAID 0)

An array with RAID 0 includes two or more disk drives and provides data striping, where data is distributed
evenly across the disk drives in equal-sized sections. However, RAID 0 arrays do not maintain redundant
data, so they offer no data protection.
Compared to an equal-sized group of independent disks, a RAID 0 array provides improved I/O
performance.
Drive segment size is limited to the size of the smallest disk drive in the array. For instance, an array
with two 250 GB disk drives and two 400 GB disk drives can create a RAID 0 drive segment of 250 GB,
for a total of 1000 GB for the volume, as shown in this figure.
Disk Drive 1
250 GB
Disk Drive 2
250 GB
Disk Drive 3
400 GB
Drive Segment Size

(Smallest Disk Drive)
Disk Drive 1
1 5 . . . 997
Disk Drive 2
2 6 . . . 998
Disk Drive 3
3 7 . . . 999
Unused Space = 150 GB
Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4
400 GB
Disk Drives in Logical Drive

4 8 . . . 1000
RAID 0 Logical Drive = 1000 GB
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RAID 1 Arrays
A RAID 1 array is built from two disk drives, where one disk drive is a mirror of the other (the same data
is stored on each disk drive). Compared to independent disk drives, RAID 1 arrays provide improved
performance, with twice the read rate and an equal write rate of single disks. However, capacity is only
50 percent of independent disk drives.
If the RAID 1 array is built from different- sized disk drives, the free space, drive segment size is the size
of the smaller disk drive, as shown in this figure.
Drive Segment Size

Disk Drive 1
Disk Drive 2
250 GB
400 GB
Disk Drive 1
1 250
Disk Drive 2
1 250
RAID 1 Enhanced Arrays

A RAID 1 Enhanced (RAID 1E) arrayalso known as a striped mirroris similar to a RAID 1 array except
that data is both mirrored and striped, and more disk drives can be included. A RAID 1E array can be
built from three or more disk drives.
In this example, the large bold numbers represent the striped data, and the smaller, non-bold numbers
represent the mirrored data stripes.
Disk Drive 1
400 GB
Disk Drive 2
400 GB
Disk Drive 3
400 GB

Disk Drive 1
Disk Drive 2
Disk Drive 3
RAID 1E Logical Drive = 600 GB
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RAID 10 Arrays
A RAID 10 array is built from two or more equal-sized RAID 1 arrays. Data in a RAID 10 array is both
striped and mirrored. Mirroring provides data protection, and striping improves performance.
with two 250 GB disk drives and two 400 GB disk drives can create two mirrored drive segments of 250
GB, for a total of 500 GB for the array, as shown in this figure.
Disk Drive 1
250 GB
Disk Drive 2
250 GB
Disk Drive 3
400 GB
Drive Segment Size

Disk Drive 1
1 3
. . . 499
Disk Drive 2
2 4
. . . 500
Disk Drive 3
1 3
. . . 499
Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4
400 GB

2 4
. . . 500
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RAID 5 Arrays
A RAID 5 array is built from a minimum of three disk drives, and uses data striping and parity data to
provide redundancy. Parity data provides data protection, and striping improves performance.
Parity data is an error-correcting redundancy thats used to re-create data if a disk drive fails. In RAID
5 arrays, parity data (represented by Ps in the next figure) is striped evenly across the disk drives with
the stored data.
with two 250 GB disk drives and two 400 GB disk drives can contain 750 GB of stored data and 250 GB
of parity data, as shown in this figure.
Disk Drive 1
250 GB
Disk Drive 2
250 GB
Disk Drive 3
400 GB
Drive Segment Size

Disk Drive 1
1 4
.. .
Disk Drive 2
2 5
. . . 748
Disk Drive 3
3 P
. . . 749
Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4
400 GB

P 6
. . . 750
RAID 5 Logical Drive = 750 GB plus Parity
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RAID 5EE Arrays

A RAID 5EE arrayalso known as a hot spaceis similar to a RAID 5 array except that it includes a
distributed spare drive and must be built from a minimum of four disk drives.
Unlike a hot spare, a distributed spare is striped evenly across the disk drives with the stored data and
parity data, and cant be shared with other logical disk drives. A distributed spare improves the speed
at which the array is rebuilt following a disk drive failure.
A RAID 5EE array protects your data and increases read and write speeds. However, capacity is reduced
by two disk drives worth of space, which is for parity data and spare data.
In this figure, S represents the distributed spare, P represents the distributed parity data.
Disk Drive 1
250 GB
Disk Drive 2
250 GB
Disk Drive 3
Drive Segment Size

400 GB
Disk Drive 1
1 S
.. .
Disk Drive 2
2 P
. . . 449
Disk Drive 3
S 3
.. .
S
Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4
400 GB

P 4
. . . 500
Based on the drive segment sizes used:

RAID 5EE Logical Drive = 500 GB plus parity
and hot spare
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RAID 50 Arrays
A RAID 50 array is built from six to forty-eight disk drives configured as two or more RAID 5 arrays, and
stripes stored data and parity data across all disk drives in both RAID 5 arrays. (For more information,
see RAID 5 Arrays on page 81.)
The parity data provides data protection, and striping improves performance. RAID 50 arrays also provide
high data transfer speeds.
Drive segment size is limited to the size of the smallest disk drive in the array. For example, three 250
GB disk drives and three 400 GB disk drives comprise two equal-sized RAID 5 arrays with 500 GB of
stored data and 250 GB of parity data. The RAID 50 array can therefore contain 1000 GB (2 x 500 GB)
of stored data and 500 GB of parity data.
In this figure, P represents the distributed parity data.
RAID 50
Logical Drive
=
1000 GB
plus Parity
RAID 5
A
Each RAID 5 Logical Drive has

500 GB Data Storage
250 GB Parity Data
1, 5, P
3, P, 9
P, 7, 11
Drive 1
250 GB
Drive 2
250 GB
Drive 3
250 GB

RAID 5
B
2, 6, P
4, P, 10
P, 8, 12
Drive 4
400 GB
Drive 5
400 GB
Drive 6
400 GB
Total Unused
Space = 150 GB
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RAID 6 Arrays
A RAID 6 arrayalso known as dual drive failure protectionis similar to a RAID 5 array because it uses
data striping and parity data to provide redundancy. However, RAID 6 arrays include two independent
sets of parity data instead of one. Both sets of parity data are striped separately across all disk drives
in the array.
RAID 6 arrays provide extra protection for your data because they can recover from two simultaneous
disk drive failures. However, the extra parity calculation slows performance (compared to RAID 5 arrays).
RAID 6 arrays must be built from at least four disk drives. Maximum stripe size depends on the number
of disk drives in the array.
Disk Drive 1
250 GB
Disk Drive 2
250 GB
Drive Segment Size

400 GB
Disk Drive 3
Disk Drive 1
1 P1 . . . P2
Disk Drive 2
2 P2 . . . 449
Disk Drive 3
P1 3 . . . P1
Disk Drive 4
Disk Drive 4
P2 4 . . . 500
400 GB
Based on the drive segment sizes used:

RAID 6 Logical Drive = 500 GB plus parity
(P1 & P2)
RAID 60 Arrays
Similar to a RAID 50 array (see RAID 50 Arrays on page 83), a RAID 60 arrayalso known as dual drive
failure protectionis built from eight disk drives configured as two or more RAID 6 arrays, and stripes
stored data and two sets of parity data across all disk drives in both RAID 6 arrays.
Two sets of parity data provide enhanced data protection, and striping improves performance. RAID 60
arrays also provide high data transfer speeds.
Comparing RAID Levels

Use this table to select the RAID levels that are most appropriate for the logical drives on your storage
space, based on the number of available disk drives and your requirements for performance and reliability.
RAID Level
Redundancy
Disk Drive
Usage
Read P
erformance
Write P
erformance
Built-in Hot
Spare
Minimum
Disk Drives
RAID 0
No
100%
***
***
No

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RAID Level
Redundancy
Disk Drive
Usage
Read P
erformance
Write P
erformance
Built-in Hot
Spare
Minimum
Disk Drives
RAID 1
Yes
50%
**
**
No
RAID 1E
Yes
50%
**
**
No
RAID 10
Yes
50%
**
**
No
RAID 5
Yes
67 94%
***
No
RAID 5EE
Yes
50 88%
***
Yes
RAID 50
Yes
67 94%
***
No
RAID 6
Yes
50 88%
**
No
RAID 60
Yes
50 88%
**
No
Disk drive usage, read performance, and write performance depend on the number of drives in the
logical drive. In general, the more drives, the better the performance.

85
Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility

The Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) utility is a BIOS-based utility that you can use to create arrays
and manage controllers, disk drives and other devices.
Introduction to the ARC Utility

The ARC utility comprises these tools:
Logical Device ConfigurationFor creating and managing arrays, and initializing and rescanning disk
drives (see Using the ARC Utility to Create and Manage Arrays on page 87).
Note: On Adaptec Series 6 controllers, the tool for creating and managing arrays
is called "Array Configuration Utility".
Controller SettingsFor modifying your controller settings (see Using the ARC Utility to Modify
Controller Settings on page 91).
Disk UtilitiesFor formatting or verifying disk drives (see Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives on
page 95), locating disk drives, or setting the drive-specific write cache policy.
Administration (uEFI only)For flashing the controller, updating the CPLD, and creating a support
archive (see Updating the Controller Firmware on page 96).
Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII?
Your Adaptec RAID controller supports two interfaces to the BIOS-level RAID configuration options of
the ARC utility: Ctrl-A and uEFI/HII. On computers that support the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface,
or uEFI (version 2.10 or higher), the BIOS-level RAID configuration options are presented with a HII
interface, or Human Interaction Infrastructure, rather than the Adaptec Ctrl-A interface described in
this chapter. uEFI/HII provides an architecture-independent mechanism for initializing add-in cards, like
the Adaptec RAID controller, and rendering contents to the screen in a uniform way.
In the uEFI/HII interface, access to the RAID configuration options is provided through the computer's
standard BIOS. How you access the BIOS varies, depending on the computer manufacturer, but typically
it's started by simply pressing DEL. Once you enter setup, navigate to the "PMC maxView Storage
Manager" option, typically on the BIOS' "Advanced" menu, then scan for and select a controller.
From that point on, the uEFI/HII menus and the Ctrl-A menus for configuring your RAID controller are
almost identical. For example, the top-most menu contains the same three options: Logical Device
Configuration, Controller Settings, Disk Utilities (described above). But it also contains the Administration
option, which is available only in the uEFI/HII menu. Options in the lower-level menus are also similar.
In both interfaces, all the tools are menu-based and instructions for completing tasks appear on-screen.
Menus can be navigated using the arrows, Enter, Esc, and other keys on your keyboard.
This chapter provides instructions for navigating and completing tasks with the Ctrl-A interface. To
complete tasks with the uEFI/HII interface:
Refer to the on-screen instructions for keyboard navigation and selection options.
Refer to the option descriptions in this chapter for details about individual RAID configuration settings
and tasks.
Note: In this release, some RAID configuration options are available only in the uEFI/HII
interface. See Updating the Controller Firmware on page 96 and Creating a Support
Archive on page 97.
Running the ARC Utility

If your Adaptec controller is connected to a RAID enclosure, power on your enclosure (or enclosures)
before you power on your computer.
Start or restart your computer. When prompted, press Ctrl+A.
During boot up, if your system has insufficient memory this message displays:
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Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility will load after, system initialization. Please wait... Or press <Enter> Key to
attempt loading the utility forcibly [Generally, not recommended]
Note: The first time you power on your computer after you install a new controller,
the BIOS may display a configuration that doesn't match your system's configuration.
This is normal.
Using the ARC Utility to Create and Manage Arrays

To use the ARC utility to create and manage arrays, start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility on
page 86), select your controller (if you have more than one), then press Enter. Select Logical Device
Configuration (or Array Configuration Utility on Adaptec Series 6 controllers) from the ARC main menu,
then press Enter.
Follow the on-screen instructions to create and manage arrays, and initialize, rescan, and erase disk
drives.
Creating a New Array

To begin creating an array, select Create Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
Only disk drives that can be used in a new array are available for selection. (Disk drives must be initialized
before they can be used in an array. See Initializing Disk Drives on page 89 for more information.)
Note:
To create a hybrid array that leverages the performance benefits of the SSDs in
your system, you must select an equal number SSDs and HDDs. You can create a
hybrid RAID1 or hybrid RAID10 only.
When you create an all SSD array, we recommend disabling all caching, including
maxCache caching. If any caching is enabled when you create the array, you will
be prompted to turn caching off.
Use the Array Properties menu to modify the array's RAID level, size, name, stripe size, cache settings,
and maxCache settings.
Note: For more information about RAID levels and using disk drives to create arrays,
see Choosing a RAID Level on page 36. For more information about maxCache, see
Modifying Cache Settings on page 88.
Managing Existing Arrays

To view or modify existing arrays, select Manage Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
From the Manage Arrays menu, you can:
View the properties of an array.
Note: Failed drives are displayed in a different text color.
Make an array bootable (see Creating Bootable Arrays on page 87).

Assign or remove hot spares.
Modify power management settings.
Change the cache settings for an array.
Delete an array.
Caution: Before deleting an array, back up the data to avoid permanently losing
it.
Creating Bootable Arrays

Note: You may need to change the system BIOS to modify the boot order. For more
information, refer to your computer documentation.
The controller always uses the lowest numbered array as its bootable array.
To make an array bootable:
1. Select Manage Arrays from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
2. Select the array that you want to make bootable, then press Ctrl+B.
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Note: You cannot make an array bootable while it's building, verifying, or
rebuilding.
The array's number changes to Array 00, which makes this array the controller's boot array.
Modifying Power Management Settings

Power management settings switch the array to low power state when it is inactive for a specific time.
To modify power management settings:
2. Select the array, then press Ctrl+W.
In the power management console, enter these details:
Option
Description
Power Management
When enabled, switches the array to low power state, when the array/
drive is inactive.
Slow Down Drive After
The duration of inactive state of the array/drive after which it is slowed

down to low power mode. This is an optional setting.
Note: The disk drive should support low power mode.
Power Off Drive After
The duration of inactive state of the array/drive after which it is powered

off. This is an optional setting.
Note: Power Off Drive After duration should be greater
than Slow Down Drive After Duration.
Verify Drive After
The regular time interval at which the system performs a health check
of the array/drive.
Modifying Cache Settings

You can modify the read and write cache settings for an array. You can also modify the maxCache
settings. Adaptec maxCache uses the compatible Solid State Drives (SSDs) in your system as fast cache
memory to improve performance for both read and write operations in I/O-intensive applications with
mixed workloads.
Note: maxCache SSD Caching is supported on Adaptec Series Q controllers only.
To modify the cache settings for an array:
2. Select the array, then press Ctrl+C.
The Modify Cache Settings window opens.
3. Enable or disable read caching.
4. Press Tab.
5. Enable or disable write caching:
Select Enable always for write-back caching
Select Enable with Backup Unit if your controller has a zero-maintenance cache protection module
Select Disable for write-through caching
6. Press Tab.
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7. Select the maxCache Read Cache setting (Enable/Disable).

8. Select the maxCache Write Cache setting (Enable/Disable).
9. Press Enter to accept the values.
Initializing Disk Drives

If a disk drive appears grayed-out (unavailable for use in a new array), it may need to be initialized.
To begin initializing a disk drive, select Initialize Drives from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
You can initialize one drive or multiple drives. If an error occurs during initialization, the message
Initializing drives...FAILED x of n is displayed. Press Enter to see a list of drives that failed to initialize.
Press Esc to continue.
Caution: Do not initialize a disk drive that is part of an array. Initializing a disk drive
that's part of an array may make the array unusable. Back up all data from your disk
drive before you initialize it.
Rescanning Disk Drives

To begin rescanning a disk drive, select Rescan Drives from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
Secure Erasing Disk Drives

When you perform a secure erase on a disk drive, all data on that disk drive is completely and irretrievably
eradicated. Secure erase performs three distinct writing passes to the disk drive being erasedit does
not just write zeros.
Performing a secure erase takes up to six times longer than clearing (or zeroing) a disk drive; on a 2TB
or 3TB drive, often it takes hours, possibly as long as a day! You may want to perform a secure erase
only on disk drives that contain confidential or classified information.
Note: To erase (or zero) a disk drive with non-classified information, you may choose
to format it (see Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives on page 95) instead, or initialize
it using maxView Storage Managerboth options take much less time than the secure
erase option.
To begin a secure erase, select Secure Erase from the Logical Device Configuration menu, then select
Y (yes). To return to the main Logical Device Configuration menu once the secure erase has begun, press
Esc.
Note: For newer SATA drives, you can choose to perform a Secure ATA Erase, which
implements the secure erase feature at the drive firmware level. To start a Secure
ATA Erase, select a SATA drive, then type Ctrl-S to open the Secure ATA Erase dialog.
You will see this dialog only if the drive supports Secure ATA Erase.
The selected disk drive(s) cannot be used until the erase is complete.
Stopping a Secure Erase

To stop a secure erase in progress:
1. In the Logical Device Configuration menu, select Secure Erase.
2. Select the disk drive being secure erased, then press Ctrl+Q.
The secure erase stops and you return to the main Logical Device Configuration menu.
Uninitializing Disk Drives

Note: This option is available on Adaptec Series 7 and Adaptec Series 8 controllers
only.
Uninitializes one or more physical drives. This option clears Adaptec meta-data and reserved space and
any OS partitions from a drive; any existing data on the drive is destroyed. Drives can uninitialized only
if they are not part of any array.
Note: Uninitialized drives are surfaced to the OS as RAW Pass Through Devices.
Typically, they are used with the controller in HBA mode. Uninitialized drives are also
compatible with any HBA and can be exchanged with drives on the motherboard's
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SATA interface. For more information about uninitialized devices and controller modes,
see General Controller Settings on page 91.
To begin uninitializing a disk drive, select Uninitialize Drives from the Logical Device Configuration menu,
then type Y to continue.
Managing Global Hot Spares

Note: For Adaptec Series 7 and Adaptec Series 8 controllers, this option is available
in the uEFI interface only.
A hot spare is a disk drive that automatically replaces any failed drive in a logical drive. A global hot
spare is not assigned to a specific logical drive. It protects any logical drive on the controller (except
RAID 0 logical drives). You can create and delete global hot spares even if no arrays exist.
To create and delete global hot spares:
1. Select Global Hotspares from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
The Global Hotspare Management window opens.
2. Using the arrow keys, select a drive from the list. Existing hot spares are highlighted.
3. Press Ins to create a new global hot spare. Press Del to delete a hot spare.
4. Press Enter to save your changes and return to the main menu.
Creating and Managing JBODs

Note: This option is available on Adaptec Series 6 controllers only.
Follow the on-screen instructions to create and manage JBODs.
Creating a New JBOD

A JBOD disk appears as a physical disk drive to the operating system. A JBOD disk is not redundant and
not bootable.
To begin creating a JBOD, select Create JBOD from the Logical Device Configuration menu. All the
supported disk drives are displayed. Select a disk drive and Enter.
Managing Existing JBODs

To delete a JBOD or morph a JBOD into a simple volume, select Manage JBODs from the Logical Device
Configuration menu.
From the Manage JBODs menu, you can:
Morph a JBOD into a simple volume.
Delete a JBOD
Note: When you delete a JBOD, you lose all data on that disk.
Converting a JBOD Into a Simple Volume

You can convert any JBOD into a simple volume.
1. Select Manage JBODs from the main Logical Device Configuration menu.
2. Select the JBOD that you want to morph into a simple volume and press Ctrl+V.
Managing the maxCache Pool

Note: This option is available on Adaptec Series 6Q controllers only.
Adaptec maxCache uses the compatible Solid State Drives (SSDs) in your system as fast cache memory
for read-intensive operations. Before you can enable maxCache read caching on a logical device (see
Modifying Cache Settings on page 88), you must assign at least one SSD to the maxCache pool.
Note: You can configure the maxCache pool only if you have one or more compatible
Solid State Drives installed on the RAID controllers in your system. For a list of
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maxCache-compatible SSDs, refer to the Adaptec Web site at

www.adaptec.com/compatibility.
To add a SSD to the maxCache pool or to remove a SSD from the pool:
1. Select Manage MaxCache Pool from the Logical Device Configuration menu.
All supported SSDs are displayed.
Note: Uninitialized SSDs may not appear in the list; see Initializing Disk Drives on
page 89 for more information.
2. Using the arrow keys, select a SSD from the list.
3. Press Ins to add the SSD to the maxCache pool.
4. To remove a SSD from the pool, press the right arrow to switch windows, use the arrow keys to
select a SSD, then press Del.
5. Press Enter to save your changes and return to the main menu.
Using the ARC Utility to Modify Controller Settings

The ARC Controller Settings tool allows you to modify the settings of your controller and the disk drives
connected to it.
Opening the Controller Settings Tool

To open the ARC Controller Settings tool, start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility on page 86),
select Controller Settings from the ARC main menu, then press Enter.
Follow the on-screen instructions to modify the settings of your controller and connected disk drives,
as needed.
Applying Changes and Exiting

1. To exit the Controller Settings tool, press Esc until you are prompted to exit.
If you modified any settings, you are prompted to save the changes before you exit.
2. Select Yes to exit, then press any key to restart your computer.
Any changes you made take effect after the computer restarts.
Modifying Your Controllers Configuration

Note: Default controller settings are suitable for most computers. We recommend
that you do not change the default setting.
To modify your controller's basic settings, select Controller Configuration from the main Controller
Settings menu.
To modify your controller's power management settings, select Advanced Configuration.
Some options may not be available for your controller.
General Controller Settings

Note: Default settings are shown in bold type.
Option
Description
Drive's Write Cache (uEFI only) When set to Enable All, write cache is enabled on all disk drives on the controller.
(Enabling the write cache overrides any individual drive settings in maxView S
torage Manager or the BIOS.) When set to Disable All, write cache is not used on
the disk drives. When set to Drive Specific, write cache is enabled/disabled on a
per-drive basis in maxView Storage Manager or the BIOS. Default is Disable All.
Caution: When write cache is enabled, there is a slight
possibility of data loss or corruption during a power failure.
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Option
Description
Runtime BIOS
When enabled, the controller BIOS allows the controller to act as a bootable
device. Disabling the BIOS allows another controller to act as a bootable device.
Automatic Failover
When enabled, the controller automatically rebuilds an array when a failed disk
drive is replaced. When disabled, the array must be rebuilt manually.
Array Background Consistency When enabled, the controller constantly verifies a redundant array. Note that
Check
there may be a significant performance reduction. Default is disabled.
Array-based BBS Support
When enabled in systems that support BBS, the controller presents attached
bootable devices up to the BIOS for boot device selection. This is relevant for
logical arrays. Default is disabled.
SATA Native Command Q

ueuing (NCQ)
When enabled, NCQ is enabled. Only available with SATA II disk drives.
Physical Drives Display During When enabled, connected disk drives are displayed during system Power On Self
POST
Test (POST). Displaying the disk drives adds a few seconds to the overall POST
time. Default is disabled.
DVD/CD-ROM Boot Support
When enabled, the system can be booted from a bootable DVD/CD. (This setting
is not available on all RAID controller models.)
Removable Media Devices B

oot Support
When enabled, removable media devices, such as CD drives, are supported. (This
setting is not available on all RAID controller models.)
Alarm Control
When enabled, the alarm sounds. Default is enabled.
Note: When the alarm is turned off (disabled), it will

remain off after a reboot.
Default Background Task P
riority
Sets the default priority for background tasks on the controller (such as logical
drive creation) to High, Medium, or Low. Default is High.
Note: This setting applies to new tasks. It does not affect
currently running tasks.
LED Indication Mode
When set to Activity and Fault, the drive activity LEDs blink to indicate I/O activity
(randomly depending on I/O load) and fault (steady 1Hz). When set to Fault Only,
the drive activity LEDs blink to indicate fault state only. For Series 6/6E controllers,
default is Fault Only.
Backplane Mode
Adaptec Series 6 Controllers (except Series 6E/6T):

When set to Auto, controller automatically detects backplane signal type: I2C or
SGPIO. To set the backplane mode explicitly select SGPIO, I2C, or Disabled. Default
is Auto.
Adaptec Series 7, Series 8, and Series 6E/6T Controllers:
When set to Default, controller automatically sets the backplane mode to IBPI. T
o set the backplane mode explicitly, select IBPI, SGPIO, or Disabled. Default is IB
PI.
Note: With the default IBPI setting, the firmware sends

a SGPIO "Backplane_TYPE" signal if it recognizes that a
SGPIO Backplane is connected. If any connected SGPIO
backplane does not support the "Backplane_TYPE"
signal, or it does not support the IBPI protocol, you can
manually set the Backplane Mode to "SGPIO".
Selectable Performance Mode When set to Dynamic, performance criteria adjusts automatically based on
controller usage, RAID level, and disk drive type. When set to OLTP/Db,
performance criteria is optimized for transaction-oriented applications, such as
data entry and retrieval. When set to Big Block Bypass, DRAM write cache is
bypassed based on IO write size; performance criteria is optimized for serving W
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Option
Description
eb pages, file serving, and data retrieval. When set to User Defined, you are
prompted to use the OS tools to set individual parameters (contact Adaptec
support for more information). Default is Dynamic.
Controller Mode
Adaptec Series 7 and Adaptec Series 8 Controllers Only:
When set to RAID: Expose RAW mode, all RAID functions of the
controller are enabled. Attached drives without Adaptec meta-data
are surfaced to the host operating system as RAW Pass Through
devices (similar to JBODs on legacy Adaptec controllers).
When set to RAID: Hide RAW mode, all RAID functions of the controller
are enabled, but RAW devices are not exposed to the operating system.
When set to HBA Mode, attached drives are surfaced as RAW devices.
The intent of this mode is to allow the RAID controller to act and be
used as an HBA. Changing into HBA mode is allowed only if there are
no drives with Adaptec meta-data attached to the controller, including
hot spare drives (see Uninitializing Disk Drives on page 89 for more
information). Uninitialized drives are compatible with any HBA and
can be exchanged with drives on the motherboard's SATA interface.
When set to Auto Volume Mode, attached drives without Adaptec
meta-data, but with an OS partition, are surfaced to the host operating
system as RAW devices, where the RAID layer of the controller
firmware is bypassed when the host issues commands to the device.
Attached drives without Adaptec meta-data and without OS partitions,
are automatically configured as Simple Volumes (single drives with A
daptec meta-data). In Auto Volume Mode, you can create up to a
maximum of 128 Simple Volumes; no other RAID types are supported.
Auto Volume Mode enables DRAM caching on rotating media to help
reduce latency and accelerate performance.
When set to Simple Volume mode, you can create Simple Volumes
only (up to a maximum of 128 volumes); no other RAID types are
supported.
Note: Before you can change into Auto Volume mode or S
imple Volume mode, you must delete existing RAID arrays,
maxCache Containers, and hot spares drives (if any).
Default is RAID: Expose RAW mode.

Max Link Speed (uEFI only)
Sets the maximum connection speed for SAS devices to 6Gb/s or 12Gb/s. Default
is taken from firmware.
Power Management Settings

Note: Default settings are shown in bold type.
Option
Description
Power Management S
ettings
When enabled, switches the system to low power state, based on the specified
settings.
Time Zone
The time zone of the place in which the system is located. Time specific power
management settings are implemented based on the set time zone. By default, it is
set to 00:00.
The valid range for the time zone settings is -12:00 to +12:00.

93
Option
Description
Stay Awake Start
The time from which the system should operate in the full power mode, irrespective
of other power management settings, daily. By default it is set to 00:00.
The valid range is 00:00 to 23:59.
Stay Awake End
The time until which the system should operate in the full power mode, irrespective
of other power management settings, daily. By default it is set to 00:00.
The valid range is 00:00 to 23:59.
Spin Up Limit (Internal)
The number of internal drives to be spun up at wakeup. By default it is set to 0. In

the default setting, all the internal drives will spin up.
Spin Up Limit (External)
The number of external drives to be spun up at wakeup. By default it is set to 0. In

the default setting, all the external drives will spin up.
Preserving the Controller Cache

Note: This option is available in the uEFI interface only.
Follow the on-screen instructions to toggle the controller's cache preservation policy; clear the preserved
cache for one or more logical drives; and check the controller cache preservation state.
Enabling and Disabling Controller Cache Preservation

This option toggles the controller cache preservation state. With cache preservation enabled, the system
preserves the controller's DDR cache to prevent data loss in the event of a power failure or unsafe
shutdown. "Dirty pages" (data that have not been committed to disk) are restored to the cache when
power is restored and the logical drives on the controller are back online. Once the preserved cache is
restored, the controller flushes the data to disk using its normal scheduling mechanism.
Note: You cannot enable maxCache (SSD caching) on a controller in the Cached
Preserved state. In addition, the following operations are not permitted:
Creating a logical drive
Changing the Performance mode
Running a consistency check
Changing the RAID Level of a logical drive
Forcing a logical drive online or offline
Changing the cache page size
To enable controller cache preservation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 86).
Scan for controllers, then select the controller you want.
Select Controller Settings.
Select Controller Configuration, then select Cache Preservation.
Select Enabled.
Clearing the Controller Cache

You can clear the preserved dirty cache (data not committed to disk) for a specific logical drive or for
all logical drives on the controller if you expect a failed enclosure or logical drive to remain offline.
To clear the cache for all logical drives on the controller:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Scan for controllers, then select the controller you want.
Select Controller Settings.
Select Clear Cache Preserved on Controller.
To clear the cache for a specific logical drive:

1. Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Ctrl-A or uEFI/HII? on page 86).
2. Scan for controllers, then select the controller you want.
94
3. Select Logical Device Configuration, then select a logical drive.

4. Select Clear Cache Preserved.
Checking the Cache Preservation Status

To check the controller's cache preservation status, select Controller State from the Controller Settings,
Advanced Configuration menu. With cache preservation enabled, the controller enters the Cache
Preserved state; otherwise, it remains in the Optimal state.
Checking Backup Unit Status

To check the status of the controller's flash backup unit, select Backup Unit Status from the Controller
Settings menu. This option is available only if the controller is configured with a flash backup unit.
Formatting and Verifying Disk Drives

You can use the ARC Disk Utilities tool to low-level format or verify your disk drives. (New disk drives
are low-level formatted at the factory and do not need to be low-level formatted again.)
Caution: Before you format a disk drive, back up all data. Formatting destroys all data
on a disk drive.
To format or verify a disk drive:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility on page 86).
Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
Select Disk Utilities.
Select the disk drive you want, then press Enter.
Select Format Disk or Verify Disk Media.
Locating Disk Drives

You can use the Identify Drive feature to physically locate a disk drive by blinking the LED.
Note: This feature is only available with disk drives that have an activity LED.
To locate a disk drive:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Select Identify Drive, then press Enter.
When you have finished locating your disk drive, press any key to stop the blinking.
Identifying Disk Drives

You can identify disk drives by viewing the list of disk drives on your system. Only physical drives that
display during POST are shown.
To identify a disk drive:
1. Start the ARC utility (see Running the ARC Utility on page 86).
2. Select the controller you want, then press Enter.
3. Select Disk Utilities.
The Disk Utilities view provides you with the following information:

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Location
Model
Rev#
Speed
CN1=DEV1
Box0=Slot0
Exp0=phy0
The manufacturer The revision

The speed of the
information.
number of the disk disk drive.
drive.
Size
The size of the disk
drive.
The location information of a disk drive is determined by three types of connections:

Direct attached drivesThe connection is determined by the cable connected to a device, for
example CN1 (connector 1) is connected to DEV1 (device 1). For more information, see
Direct-attach Connections on page 75.
Storage Enclosure Processor (SEP) managed devicesThe connection is determined by an active
backplane. Box0 (enclosure 0) is connected to slot0 (disk drive slot 0 in the enclosure). For more
information, see Backplane Connections on page 76.
ExpandersThe connections is determined by an expander. Exp0 (expander 0) is connected to
phy0 (phy 0 within a connector). For more information, see SAS Expander Connections on page
76.
Note: Devices other than disk drives (CDROM, tape drives, etc...) are listed in order
after your system disk drives.
Setting the Drive Write-Cache Policy

If the global write cache policy is set to "Drive Specific" (see General Controller Settings on page 91),
you can set the write-cache policy for individual disk drives on the controller. (If the global write-cache
policy is set to Enable All or Disable All, this option is grayed out.)
To set the drive-specific write-cache policy:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Start the ARC utility in uEFI mode (see Running the ARC Utility on page 86).
Select Write Cache, then choose the policy for the drive: Write-Back (Enable) or Write-Through
(Disable).
6. Select Submit.
Updating the Controller Firmware

Use this option to flash the controller's firmware.
To update the controller firmware:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Select Administration, then select FW update from Media.
Select the device you want to flash, then press Enter.
Browse the folder hierarchy, select the firmware update (.UFI) file, then press Enter.
Select Update Firmware.
The firmware is sent to the controller and the system verifies the operation to ensure that it was
successful.
6. When the verification is complete, press Enter to reboot the server.

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Updating the Controller CPLD

Use this option to update the controller CPLD. (The CPLD includes reset logic, determines board type
and feature set, and also provides cable management functions.) You should update the CPLD if the
version running on the controller is lower than the version in flash.
Note: CPLD Update is for advanced users only. It is typically used in manufacturing
by an OEM/ODM/System Integrator when building a new machine. For more
information, contact Adaptec Support.
To update the controller CPLD:
2. Select Administration, then select CPLD Information.
The system displays the current (running) version of the CPLD and the version available in flash.
3. If the version in flash is newer than the running version, select Update CPLD.
4. When prompted, restart the computer.
Creating a Support Archive

Use this option to save configuration and status information to help Adaptec Customer Support diagnose
a problem with your system. Saved information includes (but is not limited to) device logs, drive logs,
event logs, error logs, controller logs, and statistics.
To create a support archive:
2. Select Administration, then select Save Support Archive.
3. Select the device where the support archive information will be gathered and stored, then press
Enter.
The system gathers the logs and statistics for the device and displays the path where the information
is saved.
4. Press any key to complete the operation and exit.
Viewing the Event Log

The BIOS-based event log records all firmware events, such as configuration changes, array creation,
and boot activity.
Some events are not stored indefinitelythe event log is cleared of any non-persistent events each
time you restart your computer; additionally, once the log is full, new events overwrite old events.
To view the event log:
1.
2.
3.
4.
When the ARC utility menu appears, press Ctrl+P.
Select Controller Log Information, then press Enter.
The current event log opens.

97
Using the Adaptec Flash Utility

This chapter describes how to use the Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU), a text-based DOS utility that you can
use to update, save, or verify the RAID controller's firmware.
Caution: Although the AFU contains safeguards to prevent you from accidentally
damaging your RAID controller's flash contents, it is still important to use the AFU
carefully and correctly to avoid rendering your RAID controller inoperable. We
recommend that only advanced users familiar with working in DOS use the AFU. For
more information, see Managing Your Storage Space on page 68.
System Requirements
DOS version 5.0 or later.
Note: You cant run the AFU from a DOS command prompt window under any
version of Windows.
At least 8 MB of extended memory.
Compatibility Notes
Supports HIMEM.SYS; compatible with other DOS drivers running under HIMEM.SYS (for example,
SMARTDRV.SYS and SETVER.SYS).
Does not support DOS extenders installed in memory, such as EMM386.SYS and DOS4GW.
Before You Begin

1. Obtain the firmware (see the following section).
2. Create firmware disk (see Creating the Firmware Update Disk on page 98).
There are two ways to run the AFU:
1. Using the AFU menus (see Running the Menu-based AFU on page 98)
2. From the command line (see Running the AFU from the Command Line on page 99)
Obtaining the Firmware

To obtain RAID controller firmware, go to:
Adaptec Web siteDownload a new firmware file to get the most recent version of firmware/BIOS
and the AFU executable (AFU.exe). The flash image comprises a single User Flash Image (UFI) file.
See www.adaptec.com for more information.
Creating the Firmware Update Disk

To create the firmware update disks:
1. Copy these files to a USB flash drive or writable CD:
AFU.exe
Axxxx01.ufi
where xxx is the model number of your controller.
Note: Most controller model numbers have a suffix (for example, Adaptec RAID
6405). Check that the .ufi file is the correct file for your controller before copying.
2. To use a menu-based AFU, see the following section.
To run the AFU from the command line, see Running the AFU from the Command Line on page 99.
Running the Menu-based AFU

To run the menu-based AFU:
98
1. Shut down your operating system and reboot to DOS from a bootable DOS floppy disk or from a DOS
partition on a bootable drive. (You can use a disk drive connected to the controller you are updating.)
If your computer isnt set up to boot from the bootable floppy disk, enter the system setup utility
and change the setting.
2. Insert the firmware update disk (created using the steps above) containing AFU.exe
3. At the DOS command prompt, type AFU with no arguments.
The AFU's main menu is displayed.
4. Select Select Controllers, then select the Adaptec RAID controller(s) to be flashed.
To update multiple RAID controllers in the same system, update the boot controller's flash first,
restart the computer, then update the flash for the remaining controllers.
5. Select Select an Operation.
6. Choose the operation you want, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the task:
Update flash imageUpdates all the flash components on a RAID controller with the flash image
data from the UFI file.
Save flash imageReads the contents of a RAID controller's flash components and saves the
data to a UFI file, which you can use to restore a RAID controller's flash if required.
Verify flash imageReads the contents of a RAID controller's flash components and compares
it to the contents of the specified UFI file.
Display flash informationDisplays version information about a RAID controller's flash
components.
7. Complete the flash operation and restart your computer before trying to use the RAID controller
again. (You can not use your RAID controller while you are updating its flash.)
The AFU processes the selected command and reports either success or an error message code.
Running the AFU from the Command Line

Note: You can also run a menu-based AFU (see Running the Menu-based AFU on page
98).
To run the AFU from the command line:
partition on a bootable drive. (You can use a disk connected to the controller you're updating.) If
your computer isn't set up to boot from the bootable floppy disk, enter the system setup utility to
change the setting.
2. Insert the firmware update disk containing AFU.exe.
3. At the DOS command, type AFU followed by a command (see AFU Commands on page 99) and any
switches you want.
Note: To find a controller number, type AFU LIST, then press Enter.
The AFU processes the command and reports either success or an error message code.
To update a RAID controller's flash using the command line utility ARCCONF, see Updating the Flash
Using the AFU Command Line on page 102.
AFU Commands
This section lists the available AFU commands.

99
List
Displays the AFU-supported RAID controllers installed on your computer. Also displays the ID numbers
assigned to each controller.
You dont have to restart the computer after completing this command.
This example shows a typical system response to a LIST command:
A:\> AFU LIST
Adaptec Flash Utility V4.0-0 B5749 (c)Adaptec Inc. 19992005.
All Rights Reserved.
Controllers Detected and Recognized:
Controller #0 (03:05:00) Adaptec RAID 51645
Save
Saves the contents of a RAID controller's flash in a UFI file. The name of the UFI file is based on the
controller type and can't be changed.
You must restart the computer following a SAVE command.
The command syntax for the SAVE command is:
AFU SAVE [/C<Controller ID>] [/D <UFI File Path>]
These switches are available:

/C <Controller ID>One or more RAID controller IDs representing the set of RAID controllers on
which to perform the specified command. The default is 0; if the computer has multiple RAID
controllers, the AFU defaults to controller 0 unless you specify otherwise.
For example:
To specify a single RAID controller ID: /C 0
To specify multiple IDs separated by commas: /C 0,2
To indicate all RAID controllers:ALL
If you are using multiple RAID controllers, you must specify the controller you want by using the /C
switch; otherwise, the AFU displays an error message and exits.
/D <UFI File Path>Specifies the path where the UFI files are located. If you do not specify the /D
switch, the AFU looks for (or creates) its UFI files in the default location.
You cannot specify the name of a UFI file, only its path. UFI filenames are predefined, based on the
RAID controller type.
In this example, the AFU saves flash contents from RAID controller 0 to a UFI file in the current
default drive and directory:
A:\> AFU SAVE /C 0
In this example, the AFU saves flash contents from Controller 1 to a UFI file in C:\UFI_FILES:
A:\> AFU SAVE /C 1 /D C:\UFI_FILES
Update
Updates the flash components of one or more RAID controllers on your computer from the flash image
data in a UFI file. You must restart the computer following an UPDATE command.
The command syntax for the UPDATE command is:
AFU UPDATE [/C<Controller ID>] [/D <UFI File Path>]
This example shows a typical system response after an update.

A:\> AFU UPDATE /C 0
Adaptec Flash Utility V4.0-0 B5749
(c)Adaptec Inc. 19992005. All Rights Reserved.
Updating Controller 0 (Adaptec RAID 31205)
Reading flash image file (Build 5749)
100
AFU is about to update firmware on controllers Adaptec RAID

51645
***PLEASE DO NOT REBOOT THE SYSTEM DURING THE UPDATE***
This might take a few minutes.
Writing Adaptec RAID 51645 (4MB) Flash Image to controller
0...OK.
Verifying...OK
Please restart the computer to allow firmware changes to take
effect.
Verify
Compares the contents of each of the flash components on a RAID controller to the corresponding
image in a UFI file, and indicates whether they match. After using the VERIFY command, you must restart
the computer.
The command syntax for the VERIFY command is as follows:
AFU VERIFY [/C<Controller ID>] [/D <UFI File Path>]
This example shows a typical system response after a VERIFY command.

A:\> AFU VERIFY /C 0
Reading flash image file (Build 5748) Controller #0: Adaptec
RAID 51645
ROM: Checksum: 797B [VALID] (Build 5748)
File: Checksum: 797B [VALID] (Build 5748)
Image Compares Correctly
Version
Displays version information about the flash components on a RAID controller. After using the VERSION
command, restart your computer.
The command syntax for the VERSION command is:
AFU VERSION [/C<Controller ID>]
This example displays version information about all supported RAID controllers.
A:\> AFU VERSION /C 0
Version Information for Controller #0 (Adaptec RAID 51645)
ROM: Build 5748 [VALID] Fri Sep 27 13:28:40 EDT 2005
A:\> AFU VERSION /C ALL
Help
Displays a summary of AFU functions and command switches.
For example:
A:\> AFU HELP
A:\> AFU /?

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Updating the Flash Using the AFU Command Line

1. Create the firmware update disk (see Creating the Firmware Update Disk on page 98).
partition on a bootable drive. (You can use a disk connected to the controller you're updating.) If
your computer isn't set up to boot from the bootable floppy disk or a bootable device other than a
disk drive, enter the system setup utility to change the setting.
3. Insert the firmware update disk containing AFU.exe
4. At the DOS command, if you have multiple controllers and you don't know the number of the
controller you want to update, type AFU LIST, then press Enter. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
5. At the DOS command, type AFU followed by a command (see AFU Commands on page 99) and any
switches you want.
6. Update the flash using the instructions suitable for your requirements:
To update a single RAID controller:
AFU UPDATE /C <cont_number>
Where <cont_number> is the number of the RAID controller whose firmware you are updating.
For example, to upgrade Controller 0, type AFU UPDATE /C 0
To update multiple RAID controllers:
AFU UPDATE /C <cont_number_a>,<cont_number_b>
Where <controller_number_a> and <controller_number_b> are the numbers of the Adaptec RAID
controllers whose firmware you are updating. For example, to upgrade controllers 0, 2, and 3,
type AFU UPDATE /C 0, 2, 3
To update all RAID controllers simultaneously:
AFU UPDATE /C all
Note: The UFI file identifies the RAID controllers, so you don't have to worry
about flashing the wrong controller.
7. When prompted, insert the firmware disk.
The AFU processes the command and reports either success or an error message code.

102
Controller LED, I2C, and Alarm Connector Quick Reference

This appendix provides a reference guide for Adaptec RAID controller activity LED connectors, I2C
connectors, and external alarm connectors.
Adaptec RAID 6405/6445 LED and I2C Connector Specification

2271100-R
ASR-6405 Kit
2270000-R
ASR-6405 SGL
2270200-R
ASR-6445 SGL
Adaptec RAID 6405/6445 Activity LED Header Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
Activity LED Header Mating Cable Connector: Molex 22-55-2161 or equivalent
J2:
J2 Pin Number
Signal
Description
22-55-2161 Pin
Number
+3.3V
LED Anode
ACTIVITY CN0, LANE 0
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
Adaptec RAID 6405/6445 Aggregate Activity LED Board Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent
Aggregate LED Mating Cable Connector: Molex 50-57-9002 or equivalent
J1:
J1 Pin Number
Signal
Description
ACTIVITY
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
Adaptec RAID 6405/6445 External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

Alarm Mating Cable Connector: Molex 50-57-9002 or equivalent
J12:
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
Open collector transistor
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 6405/6445 I2C CN0 Board Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
I2C Mating Cable Connector: Molex 22-43-3030 or equivalent
J4:
J4 Pin Number
Signal
I2C Clock, CN0
Ground

103
J4 Pin Number
Signal
I2C Data, CN0
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q LED and I2C Connector Specification

2271200-R
ASR-6805 Kit
2270100-R
ASR-6805 SGL
2270700-R
ASR-6805Q SGL
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q Activity LED Header Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J2:
J2 Pin Number
Signal
Description
22-55-2161 Pin
Number
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
10
10
LED Cathode
11
+3.3V
LED Anode
12
12
LED Cathode
11
13
+3.3V
LED Anode
14
14
LED Cathode
13
15
+3.3V
LED Anode
16
16
LED Cathode
15
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q Aggregate Activity LED Board Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent
J1:
J1 Pin Number
Signal
Description
ACTIVITY
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

J12:
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave

104
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q I2C CN0 Board Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J4:
J4 Pin Number
Signal
I2C Clock, CN0
Ground
I2C Data, CN0
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q I2C CN1 Board Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J5:
J4 Pin Number
Signal
I2C Clock, CN1
Ground
I2C Data, CN1
Adaptec RAID 6405E LED Connector Specification

2271700-R
ASR-6405E Kit
2270800-R
ASR-6405E SGL
Adaptec RAID 6405E Activity LED Header Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J2:
J2 Pin Number
Signal
Description
22-55-2161 Pin
Number
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
Adaptec RAID 6405E Aggregate Activity LED Board Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent
J1:
J1 Pin Number
Signal
Description
ACTIVITY
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode

105
Adaptec RAID 6405E External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

J12:
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5 LED Connector Specification

2271800-R
ASR-6805E Kit
2270900-R
ASR-6805E SGL
2275600-R
ASR-6805E R5 BULK
Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5 Activity LED Header Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J2:
J2 Pin Number
Signal
Description
22-55-2161 Pin
Number
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
10
10
LED Cathode
11
+3.3V
LED Anode
12
12
LED Cathode
11
13
+3.3V
LED Anode
14
14
LED Cathode
13
15
+3.3V
LED Anode
16
16
LED Cathode
15
Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5 Aggregate Activity LED Board Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or
equivalent
J1:
J1 Pin Number
Signal
Description
ACTIVITY
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode

106
Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5 External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

J12:
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 6405T LED Connector Specification

2272700-R
ASR-6405T SGL
Adaptec RAID 6405T Activity LED Header Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J2:
J2 Pin Number
Signal
Description
22-55-2161 Pin
Number
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
Adaptec RAID 6405T Aggregate Activity LED Board Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent
J1:
J1 Pin Number
Signal
Description
ACTIVITY
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
Adaptec RAID 6405T External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

J12:
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ LED Connector Specification

2272800-R
ASR-6805T SGL
2273700-R
ASR-6805T with AFM-600 Bulk
2273600-R
ASR-6805TQ SGL

107
Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ Activity LED Header Connector: Molex 22-43-6030 or equivalent
J2:
J2 Pin Number
Signal
Description
22-55-2161 Pin
Number
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
10
10
LED Cathode
11
+3.3V
LED Anode
12
12
LED Cathode
11
13
+3.3V
LED Anode
14
14
LED Cathode
13
15
+3.3V
LED Anode
16
16
LED Cathode
15
Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ Aggregate Activity LED Board Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent
J1:
J1 Pin Number
Signal
Description
ACTIVITY
LED Cathode
+3.3V
LED Anode
Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

J12:
J12 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 7805/7805Q/71605/71605Q/71605E Alarm Connector

Specification
2274100-R
ASR-7805 SGL
2274200-R
ASR-7805 Kit
2274300-R
ASR-7805Q SGL

108
2274400-R
ASR-71605 SGL
2274500-R
ASR-71605E SGL
2274600-R
ASR-71605Q SGL
Adaptec RAID 7805/7805Q/71605/71605Q/71605E External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023

or equivalent
J6:
J6 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
+3.3V
Adaptec RAID 71685/72405/78165 Alarm Connector Specification

2274700-R
ASR-71685 SGL
2274900-R
ASR-72405 SGL
2280900-R
ASR-78165 SGL
Adaptec RAID 71685/72405/78165 External Alarm Connector: Molex 22-28-4023 or equivalent

J6:
J6 Pin Number
Signal
Description
~2kHz Square Wave
+3.3V

109
Safety Information
To ensure your personal safety and the safety of your equipment:
Keep your work area and the computer clean and clear of debris.
Before opening the system cabinet, unplug the power cord.
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

Caution: ESD can damage electronic components when they are improperly handled,
and can result in total or intermittent failures. Always follow ESD-prevention procedures
when removing and replacing components.
To prevent ESD damage:
Use an ESD wrist or ankle strap and ensure that it makes skin contact. Connect the equipment end
of the strap to an unpainted metal surface on the chassis.
Avoid touching the controller against your clothing. The wrist strap protects components from ESD
on the body only.
Handle the controller by its bracket or edges only. Avoid touching the printed circuit board or the
connectors.
Put the controller down only on an antistatic surface such as the bag supplied in your kit.
If you are returning the controller to Adaptec by PMC Product Support, put it back in its antistatic
bag immediately.
If a wrist strap is not available, ground yourself by touching the metal chassis before handling the
controller or any other part of the computer.

110
Technical Specifications
Environmental Specifications
Note: Adaptec RAID controllers require adequate airflow to operate reliably. The
recommended airflow is 200 LFM (linear feet per minute), minimum. Forced airflow
is required.
Ambient temperature with forced airflow
0 C to 55 C
Ambient temperature with Flash Backup Unit
0 C to 50 C
Relative humidity
10% to 90%, non-condensing
Altitude
Up to 3,000 meters
Note: Ambient temperature is measured 1 from the RAID processor.
DC Power Requirements
Bus Type
Description
Requirements
PCIe
Ripple and noise
50 mV peak-to-peak (max)
PCIe
DC Voltage
3.3 V 9%, 12 V 8%
Current Requirements
Adaptec Model
Typical Current
Adaptec RAID 6405
0.17A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.25A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 6445
0.17A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.25A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 6805/6805Q
0.17A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.25A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 6405E
0.11A @ 3.3 VDC; 0.75A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 6805E/6805E R5
0.125A @ 3.3 VDC; 0.80A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 6405T
0.125A @ 3.3 VDC; 0.97A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 6805T/6805TQ
0.125A @ 3.3 VDC; 0.97A @ 12.0 VDC
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.5A @ 12.0 VDC
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.6A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 71605E
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.5A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 71685
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.8A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 72405
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.8A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 78165
1.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.3A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 8405
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.2A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 8805
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.2A @ 12.0 VDC
0.1A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.2A @ 12.0 VDC
Adaptec RAID 81605ZQ
1.0A @ 3.3 VDC; 1.1A @ 12.0 VDC

111
Index
A
activity LED connector specifications 103
Adaptec Flash Utility, See AFU
Adaptec RAID Configuration utility 68
Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration utility, See
ARCCONF
adapters, See controllers
advanced data protection 17
AFU 69, 98
Alarm Control setting 92
ARC
17, 48, 51, 70, 8789, 91, 93, 95
checking flash backup unit 95
creating arrays 48, 87
creating bootable arrays 17, 51, 8788
HII interface 48
initializing disk drives 87, 89, 91
managing arrays 87
modifying controller settings 70, 91
opening Controller Settings tool 91
rescanning disk drives 89
secure erasing disk drives
89
stopping a secure erase 89
uninitializing disk drives 89, 93
ARC Controller Settings
91
applying changes 91
exiting 91
ARCCONF 17, 68
Array Background Consistency Check setting 92, 94
array migration 17
Array-based BBS Support setting 92
arrays
17, 36, 4849, 51, 7884, 8788
creating (ARC) 48, 87
creating (maxView Storage Manager) 49
creating bootable arrays 17, 51, 8788
making an array bootable 49, 51
managing with ARC 87
non-redundant 36, 78
RAID 1 36, 79
RAID 10 36, 80
RAID 1E 36, 79
RAID 5 36, 81, 83
RAID 50 36, 8384
RAID 5EE 36, 82
RAID 6 36, 84
arrays (continued)
RAID 60 36, 84
arrays (bootable) 4748, 52
audible alarm 70
automatic failover 17
Automatic Failover setting 92
B
backplane connections 4546, 7576, 96
batteryless backup 4142
boards, See controllers
boot controller 40, 48
bootable arrays
17, 4749, 5152, 8788
creating 17, 4748, 5152, 8788
C
cards, See controllers
CD-ROM Boot Support setting 92
checking cache preservation status 95
checking flash backup unit 95
command line interface (flash utility) 9899
command line utility 68
concept 15, 48, 6869, 71
connectors 75, 96
contents of controller kit 16
Controller Cache Preservation
94
clearubg 94
enabling 94
controller modes 93
controllers
14, 1618, 36, 3943, 4548, 70, 72, 75
77, 8687, 9092, 94, 9698, 103, 111
activity LED connector specifications 103
alarm connector specifications 103
Alarm Control setting 92
Array Background Consistency Check setting 92,
94
Array-based BBS Support setting 92
array-level features 17
Automatic Failover setting 92
CD-ROM Boot Support setting 92
connecting disk drives 42, 45
connecting external devices 42, 4547
data protection 17
descriptions 14, 1617, 4143, 46, 70, 72, 76
112
controllers (continued)
disk drives 36, 41
Drive's Write Cache setting 91
event log 97
figures 14, 1617, 4143, 46, 70, 72, 76
firmware 98
flashing 18, 72
I2C connector specifications 103
installation options 39
installing 41, 70
modifying general settings 9091, 96
modifying settings with ARC 86, 91
Physical Drives Display During POST setting 92
RAID levels 36, 45, 87
Removable Media Devices Boot Support setting 92
resetting 18, 72
Runtime BIOS setting 92
SAS cables 16, 36, 47, 75, 77
setting boot controller 40, 48
specifications 111
standard features 17, 36, 41
troubleshooting 70
updating firmware 98
upgrading firmware 18
D
direct-attach connections 45, 75, 96
disk drives
17, 36, 4142, 4547, 7071, 7475, 86
87, 89, 91, 93, 9596
connecting to controllers 42, 45
connections 96
external 42, 4547
failure recovery
7071
multiple arrays 7071
multiple disk drives 71
RAID 0 arrays 71
with hot spare 7071
without hot spare 7071
formatting 86, 89, 95
identifying 75, 95
initializing 87, 89, 91
recovering from failure 70
rescanning 89
SAS identifiers 4546, 7475
secure erasing
89
solid state 17, 36, 45
types of connections 96
uninitializing 89, 93
verifying 86, 89, 95
DKMS 5253
drive requirements 36
Drive's Write Cache setting 91
driver and operating system installation 40, 5152, 63
driver disk 16, 52, 5758, 62
driver installation 40, 4748, 52, 63
drivers
5253, 55, 5859, 6263, 6566
installing on FreeBSD 66
installing on Solaris 65
installing on Windows 63
installing with FreeBSD 58
installing with Linux 53, 55
installing with VMware 52, 5859
installing with Windows 53
installing with XenServer 62
Dynamic Kernel Module Support 5253
E
electrostatic discharge 110
end devices 73
event log 97
expander connections 73, 7577, 96
expander devices 73
external devices 42, 4547
F
failed disk drives
7071
multiple arrays 7071
multiple disk drives 71
RAID 0 arrays 71
without hot spare 7071
firmware
98, 102
creating floppy disks 98, 102
firmware upgrades 18
flashing controllers 18, 72
floppy disks for firmware update 98, 102
formatting disk drives 86, 89, 95
FreeBSD
58, 66
driver installation 66
OS installation 58
H
hard disk
14
hard disk drive
14
hard drive, See disk drive
113
HBA mode 89, 93

HDA mode 72
HDA mode jumper 72
HII interface 48, 86, 94, 9697
hot spares 17
Human Interaction Infrastructure Interface (HII) 48, 86,
94, 9697
hybrid RAID 17, 46
I
I2C connector specifications 103
initializing disk drives 87, 89, 91
installation
16, 3942, 4548, 5153, 55, 5759, 62
63, 70, 72, 75
backplane 4546
controllers 41, 70
creating a driver disk 16, 52, 5758, 62
direct-attach 45, 75
disk drives 42, 45
driver 40, 4748, 52, 63
driver and FreeBSD 58
driver and Linux 53, 55
driver and operating system 40, 5152, 63
driver and VMware 52, 5859
driver and Windows 53
driver and XenServer 62
existing operating system 40
external devices 42, 4547
installation options 39
solid state drives 4546, 72
with operating system 40
maxCache pool 90
maxCache Solid State Drive
4546, 7172
failed 7172
installing 4546, 72
maxView Storage Manager
49, 68
creating arrays 49
installing 68
mini-SAS
45, 75
direct connection 45
overview 75
mirroring 36
N
NCQ 17
non-redundant arrays 36, 78
O
online expansion 17
operating system installation 40, 5152, 63
operating systems 16
P
parity 36
PHY link rate 93
phys 74
Physical Drives Display During POST setting 92
R
K
RAID
kit contents 16
L
LED connector specifications 103
LED Indication Mode 92
Linux
55
OS installation 55
Linux installation 53
low-profile bracket
16, 39
installing 39
low-profile computer cabinet 36
M
maxCache cache settings 87
14, 17, 36, 7884

non-redundant arrays 36, 78
RAID 0 36, 78
RAID 1 36, 79
RAID 10 36, 80
RAID 1E 17, 36, 79
RAID 5 36, 81, 83
RAID 50 36, 8384
RAID 5EE 17, 36, 82
RAID 6 17, 36, 84
RAID 60 17, 36, 84
RAID controllers, See controllers
RAID levels 36, 45, 87
recovering from disk drive failure 70
Red Hat
53
OS installation 53
Redundant Array of Independent Disks, See RAID
114
Removable Media Devices Boot Support setting 92

replacing failed disk drives 70
requirements
16, 36
drive 36
rescanning disk drives 89
resetting controllers 18, 72
Runtime BIOS setting 92
S
safety information 41, 110
SAS
14, 16, 36, 4548, 7377, 96
4-wide ports 74
backplane connections 7576, 96
cables 16, 36, 47, 75, 77
comparison to parallel SCSI 73, 77
connectors 7475
description 45, 48, 73
direct-attach connections 75, 96
disk drives 4546, 7475
edge expanders 76
end devices 73
expander connections 73, 7577, 96
expander devices 73
fanout expanders 76
link speed 73
links 73
narrow connectors 75
narrow ports 74
phys 74
ports 7374
SAS address 74
SAS cards 73
SAS devices 73
SAS domain 76
terminology 73
transceivers 73
wide connectors 75
wide ports 74
SAS devices 73
SAS disk drive identifiers 4546, 7475
secure ATA erase 89
secure erasing disk drives
89
Selectable Performance Mode 92
Serial Attached SCSI, See SAS
software 68
Solaris
65

Solid State Drive (SSD)

17, 36, 4546, 72
installing 4546, 72
specifications 111
storage management
6869
AFU 69
ARCCONF 68
maxView Storage Manager 68
storage space 14
SUSE installation 55
system requirements 16
T
technical specifications 111
terminology
14, 50, 71, 73
SAS 73
tools
6869
AFU 69
ARCCONF 68
maxView Storage Manager 68
topic 14, 17, 40, 5357, 6466, 68, 70, 73, 98
troubleshooting tips 70
U
uEFI 48, 86, 94, 9697
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (uEFI) 48, 86, 94,
9697
uninitializing disk drives 89, 93
updating firmware 98
upgrading firmware 18
utilities
6869
Adaptec RAID Controller utility 68
AFU 69
ARCCONF 68
V
verifying disk drives 86, 89, 95
VMware
52, 5859
OS installation 52, 5859
W
Windows
53, 63
115
Windows (continued)
OS installation 53
XenServer (continued)
OS installation 62
Z
X
zero maintenance cache protection 17, 4142
XenServer
62

116
PMC-Sierra, Inc.
1380 Bordeaux Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA
Copyright PMC-Sierra, Inc. 2014
All rights reserved. Adaptec and the Adaptec by PMC logo
are trademarks of PMC-Sierra, Inc.
Part Number: CDP-00283-04-A Rev A
JPB 03/11

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Serial Attached SCSI RAID

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Copyright 2014 PMC-Sierra, Inc. All rights reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

May 15, 2014

Adaptec Firmware/BIOS/Drivers/Utilities Version 1.06

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Connecting Solid State Drives (SSDs) ..............................................................................................46

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Appendix A Introduction to SAS...............................................................................................................................73

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Checking Backup Unit Status...........................................................................................................95

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Adaptec by PMC Product Support

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Information Technique et d'assistance en Franais

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Limited 3-Year Hardware Warranty

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Regulatory Compliance Statements

Use only with the listed ITE:

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

European Union Compliance Statement

Australian/New Zealand Compliance Statement

Japanese Compliance (Voluntary Control Council Initiative)

ASR-6805, ASR-6445, ASR-6405

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

About This Guide

What You Need to Know Before You Begin

Terminology Used in this Guide

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

How to Find More Information

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Kit Contents and System Requirements

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

About Your RAID Controller

Standard RAID Controller Features

Advanced Data Protection Suite

Proprietary and Confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Serial Attached SCSI RAID Controllers Installation and User's Guide

Adding a Flash Backup Module

Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM-60

Adaptec Flash Backup Module AFM