Managing Storage Using RAID

Note If you purchased E-Series Server Option 1 (E-Series Server without a preinstalled operating system or
hypervisor), and you want to store data files on local Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), you
must configure RAID.

Important The RAID feature is applicable to E-Series Servers and the SM E-Series NCE. The RAID feature is not
applicable to the EHWIC E-Series NCE and the NIM E-Series NCE.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Configuring RAID, on page 1

Configuring RAID
You can choose to store the E-Series Server data files on local Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID).
The following RAID levels are supported:
• The single-wide E-Series Server supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 levels.
• The double-wide E-Series Server supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 5 levels.
• The double-wide E-Series Server with the PCIe option supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 levels.

Note On Cisco UCS M1 and M2 servers, you can use the CIMC GUI or the WebBIOS, which is accessible from
the KVM console, to configure RAID. On Cisco UCS M3 servers, you can use the CIMC GUI or the MegaRAID
controller, which is accessible from the KVM console, to configure RAID.

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Configuring RAID Using the CIMC GUI

Configuring RAID Using the CIMC GUI

Note On Cisco UCS M1 and M2 servers, you can use the CIMC GUI or the WebBIOS, which is accessible from
the KVM console, to configure RAID. On Cisco UCS M3 servers, you can use the CIMC GUI or the MegaRAID
controller, which is accessible from the KVM console, to configure RAID.

Use this procedure to configure the RAID level, strip size, host access privileges, drive caching, and initialization
parameters on a virtual drive. You can also use this procedure to designate the drive as a hot spare drive and
to make the drive bootable.

Procedure

Step 1 In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.

Step 2 On the Server tab, click RAID. Do one of the following:
• If the Configure Virtual Drive dialog box does not appear, proceed to the next step.
• If the Configure Virtual Drive dialog box appears, and the virtual drives are not configured, complete
the fields as shown in Step 5.

Step 3 In the tabbed menu of the Storage Cards area, click the Virtual Drive Info tab.
Figure 1: Virtual Drive Info Tab

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Configuring RAID Using the CIMC GUI

Figure 2: Virtual Drive Info Tab

Step 4 In the Actions area of the Virtual Drive Info tab, click Create.
The Configure Virtual Drive dialog box appears.

Figure3: Configure
Virtual Drive Dialog Box

Step 5 Complete the following fields as appropriate:

Name Description
Available Drives table Displays the drives that are available for RAID configuration.
Note To move a drive, click and drag a drive to the appropriate
table.

Selected Drives table Displays the drives that are selected for RAID configuration.
Note To move a drive, click and drag a drive to the appropriate
table.

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Configuring RAID Using the CIMC GUI

Name Description
RAID Level drop-down list The RAID level options. This can be one of the following:
• RAID 0—Block striping.
• RAID 1—Mirroring.
• RAID 5—Block striping with parity.

Note The single-wide E-Series Server supports RAID 0 and RAID

1 levels. The double-wide E-Series Server supports RAID 0,
RAID 1, and RAID 5 levels. The double-wide E-Series Server
with the PCIe option supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 levels.

Name field The name of the virtual drive.

Enter a maximum of 15 characters. The characters can have numbers
and upper- or lower-case letters. Special characters are not supported.

Strip Size drop-down list The strip size options. This can be one of the following:
• 64 KB
• 32 KB
• 16 KB
• 8 KB

Initialization drop-down list How the controller initializes the drives. This can be one of the following:
• Quick—The controller initializes the drive quickly. This is the
default and recommended option.
• Full—The controller does a complete initialization of the new
configuration.
Note Depending on the size of the drives, full initialization
can take several hours to complete. To view the progress,
see the Initialize Progress and Initialize Time Elapsed
fields in the General area.

• None—The controller does not initialize the drives.

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Configuring RAID Using the CIMC GUI

Name Description
Drive Cache drop-down list How the controller handles drive caching. This can be one of the
following:
• Disable—Caching is disabled on the drives.
Note This is the default and recommended option.

• Unchanged—The controller uses the caching policy specified on

the drive. This is the default and recommended option.
• Enable—Caching is enabled on the drives. This option minimizes
the delay in accessing data.
Caution Enabling Drive Cache, voids all warranty on the hard
disk drives. This configuration option is not supported.
Use this option at your own risk.

Access Policy drop-down list Configures host access privileges. This can be one of the following:
• Read-Write—The host has full access to the drive.
• Read Only—The host can read only data from the drive.
• Blocked—The host cannot access the drive.

Set this Virtual Drive Bootable How the controller boots the drive. This can be one of the following:
check box
• Enable—The controller makes this drive bootable.
• Disable—This drive is not bootable.

Note If you plan to install an operating system or hypervisor into

the RAID array, we recommend that you check this check
box.

Use the Remaining Drive as Hot Designates the drive that is in the Available Drives table as a hot spare
Spare check box drive.
Note Applicable for RAID 1 only. This check box is greyed out
for other RAID levels.
Applicable for double-wide E-Series Servers.

Step 6 Review the RAID configuration, and then click Confirm to accept the changes.

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Configuring RAID Using the WebBIOS

Configuring RAID Using the WebBIOS

Important The RAID feature is applicable to E-Series Servers and the SM E-Series NCE. The RAID feature is not
applicable to the EHWIC E-Series NCE and the NIM E-Series NCE.

Note Use WebBIOS to configure RAID on M1 and M2 servers. Use MegaRAID controller to configure RAID on
M3 servers. See Configuring RAID Using the MegaRAID Controller, on page 7

Procedure

Step 1 In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.

Step 2 In the work pane, click Host Image Mapping tab.
Step 3 From the Actions area, click Launch KVM Console.
The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

Step 4 From the Server Summary page, click Power Cycle Server to reboot the server.
Step 5 Press the Ctrl key, and then press H during bootup to access the WebBIOS.
The Adapter Selection page from LSI Logic appears, which allows you to configure RAID. For information
about this page, see the LSI Logic documentation.

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Configuring RAID Using the MegaRAID Controller

Figure 4: WebBIOS

Configuring RAID Using the MegaRAID Controller

Important The RAID feature is applicable to E-Series Servers and the SM E-Series NCE. The RAID feature is not
applicable to the EHWIC E-Series NCE and the NIM E-Series NCE.

Procedure

Step 1 In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.

Step 2 In the work pane, click Host Image Mapping tab.
Step 3 From the Actions area, click Launch KVM Console.
The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

Step 4 From the Server Summary page, click Power Cycle Server to reboot the server.
Step 5 Press the Ctrl key, and then press R during bootup to access the MegaRAID Controller.

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 Managing Storage Using RAID
What to Do Next

The Virtual Drive Management page appears, which allows you to configure MegaRAID Controller.
Figure 5: MegaRAID Controller

What to Do Next
If you purchased E-Series Server or NCE Option 1 (E-Series Server or NCE without a preinstalled operating
system or hypervisor), install the operating system. See Installing the Operating System or Hypervisor.

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