eSATA II ExpressCard RAID Quick Installation Guide Introducing the eSATA ExpressCard RAID The eSATA II Express Card RAID is an ultra high-speed two channel Serial ATA Generation II RAID controller for use in ExpressCard enabled systems. Features and Benefits • • • • • • • • Adds two eSATA (external Serial ATA) ports Supports RAID 0 (stripe) and RAID 1 (mirror) Supports data transfer speeds up to 3.0Gbps (300MBps) Compliant with ExpressCard standards Compliant with Serial ATA 2.
Package Contents • • • eSATA II ExpressCard RAID Driver CD This quick installation guide Layout ExpressCard Connector Activity LED SATA II Connectors Figure 1. eSATA II ExpressCard RAID Hardware Installation General instructions for installing the card are provided below. Since the design of systems may vary, refer to your system’s reference manual for further information, if needed. Insert the Card into the ExpressCard slot of your system.
Software Installation This section provides information on how to install the eSATA II ExpressCard RAID drivers. Windows 2000 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Install the ExpressCard then boot up Windows. At Found New Hardware Wizard, click Next. Select Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended), then click Next. Insert the driver CD, check CD-ROM drives, uncheck the other boxes, click Next, then click Next again. Click Finish. Repeat steps 2-5. Restart Windows to complete the installation.
To Verify Windows 2000/XP/2003 Installation 1. 2. 3. Right click My Computer and click Manage. Select Device Manager. Double click SCSI and RAID controllers, then double click Silicon Image Sil 3132 SoftRaid 5 Controller to display driver properties. A message This device is working properly is displayed in the dialog box, the driver has been correctly installed. SATARaid5 GUI The SATARaid5 GUI provides the user an easy way to configure and monitor your RAID set. Installing SATARaid5 GUI 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
RAID Groups window Device Configuration window RAID Groups window This window identifies SATA host adapters and configured RAID groups. Selecting each RAID group in the RAID Groups window, members consisting of the RAID group will be highlighted in the Device Configuration window. Right clicking on each node in the RAID Groups window, a popup menu will be displayed to let the user select an action to be performed for the selected controller or RAID group.
Creating RAID Array The SATA II ExpressCard RAID is a two channel Serial ATA controller that supports two Serial ATA hard disk drives. It is recommended to use identical hard drives for all RAID configurations, however, it's possible to combine hard drives of different sizes and makes. This section will guide you in setting up a RAID Array. RAID 0 (Striping) Striping will erase any existing data on the hard drive. Make sure you back up your data before striping. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
RAID 1 (Mirror) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Double click the the SATARAID5 icon on the desktop to display the SATARAID5 Array Manager. Before proceeding confirm that both hard drives display as Available. In the menu bar click RAID Group, click Create RAID Group then click Yes. In Configuration box, select Mirrored. In Capacity box, select the desired mirror size. Select MAX for the maximum capacity. In Path ID, select both hard disk drives, then click Create. Click Close, then restart Windows.
6. Click Close, then restart Windows. When Windows resumes, go to Disk Management on page 8 to format the RAID Array. Formating will erase all exixting data from the hard drive. Single Drive Setup (non-RAID) The eSATA II ExpressCard RAID has the flexibility to work in RAID or non-RAID mode. Please use these steps if RAID is not needed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Double click the the SATARAID5 icon on the desktop to display the SATARAID5 Array Manager.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Select the disk, then click OK. Right click Unallocated, then click New Partition. At the New Partition Wizard, click Next. Select a partition type, then click Next. Select Partition Size, then click Next. The default is the maximum capacity of the RAID Array. Accept the default driver letter, then click Next. At the Format Partition window, select File System, Allocation Unit Size and Volume label, then click Next. It is recommended to accept the default values.
SATARAID 5 Configuration Menu SATARAID5 configuration menu includes customization of the settings for Log File, Popup and Advanced Options. By clicking on File, then Configuration, the user may customize the settings for Log File, Popup and Advanced Options tabs. Log File The log file is used to store event information received from all the RAID drivers. The log file can be viewed with any text viewer (such as Notepad) or with the Event Log window of SATARAID5 GUI.
Popup The popup window is a visual notification that an event has occurred. The popup window can be disabled or set to popup for only certain event levels.
Advanced RAID Features: When this feature is selected and the user selects to create RAID group, if the RAID group to be created is fault tolerant group (RAID1), the user will be able to select Improper Shutdown Policy in the Create RAID Group dialog box. The Advanced RAID Features are not supported for Legacy RAID groups. Resources Info Support: When this feature is selected, Resources menu item will be available under the Window menu. This feature is for debugging purpose only.
RAID Group Menu Commands Create RAID Group This command displays a dialog box to let user create a RAID group, the user needs to specify the following parameters: RAID Group Label: Provides a name for the RAID group. RAID Group: Select a group ID from the available ID list. Configuration: Striped: for RAID 0; Mirrored: for RAID 1 Capacity: Select from a list of RAID group sizes. Selecting MAX will create the largest RAID set possible with the drives selected.
RAID Group Summary This command displays a dialog box to show all RAID groups' group ID, configuration and status. The RAID Group Summary window has it's own menu bar. All options available via the menu bar are shown below. Sorting: This command displays a dialog box to let the user choose up to 3 items to sort RAID group items in the RAID Group Summary window. Fields: This command displays a dialog box to let the user choose which fields will be shown in the RAID Group Summary window.
Resume: This command allows the user to resume the suspended task items. Cancel: This command allows the user to cancel the selected task items. Delete: This command displays a dialog box to let the user delete the selected task items. Event Log This command displays the Event Log window. The Event Log window displays SATA device-related events that occur while SATARAID5 GUI is running. The Event Log window has it's own menu bar. All options available via the menu bar are shown below.
RAID Group: Selects a group ID from the available list. Configuration: Striped: for RAID 0; Mirrored: for RAID 1 Capacity: Select from a list of RAID group sizes. Chunk Size: Select one value from the available list. Rebuild Priority: Select from the available list. RAID 0 and virtual disk do not require this. 10 is the highest level of rebuild priority which means that rebuild times will be faster but will take more CPU resources to rebuild.
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Technical Support and Warranty QUESTIONS? SIIG’s Online Support has answers! Simply visit our website at www.siig.com and click on Support. Our online support database is updated daily with new drivers and solutions. Answers to your questions could be just a few clicks away. You can also submit questions online and one of our technical support analysts will promptly respond. A lifetime manufacturer warranty supplied with this product is offered by SIIG, Inc.
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About SIIG, Inc. Founded in 1985, SIIG, Inc. is a leading computer upgrade manufacturer of I/O connectivity products, including PCI & ISA serial and parallel ports, USB, Serial ATA & UltraATA controllers, FireWire (1394a/b), Networking, Sound Cards, and other accessories. SIIG is the premier one-stop source of upgrades. SIIG products offer comprehensive user manuals, many user-friendly features, and are backed by an extensive manufacturer warranty.
