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Accusys ExaSAN A12S2-PS User Manual

Summary of ExaSAN A12S2-PS

  • Page 1

    Exasan a12s2-ps user guide support host bus adapter: pcie 2.0: z1m-g2 support host convertor: thunderbolt2.0 to pcie2.0: c1m-g2 support switch system: pcie 2.0: sw08-q4, sw16, swf16 accusys storage ltd., version: v1.8.

  • Page 2

    Revision sheet user guide page i revision sheet release no. Date revision description v1.0 07/30/2011 initial release on cd. V1.1 08/13/2012 modify some wording and contents v1.2 09/13/2012 add a half-high bracket picture in the packing list and modify the wording on the section 1.3.2 v1.3 12/19/201...

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    User guide page ii preface notice the product features and specifications described in this guide are subject to change without notice. The manufacturer shall not be liable for any damage, or the loss of information resulting from the performance or use of the information contained herein. About thi...

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    User guide page iii note this icon indicates useful tips on getting the most from your accusys raid system. Trademarks accusys and the names of accusys products and logos referenced herein are trademarks and/or service marks or registered trademarks and/or service marks of accusys, inc. Xsan, mac, m...

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    User guide page iv exasan a12s2-ps user guide table of contents page # notice ............................................................................................................................................................ Ii about this guide ................................................

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    User guide page v 2.4 operating environment ...................................................................................................... 2-2 2.5 security ................................................................................................................................... 2-2 ...

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    User guide page vi 4.1.7.6 health center ......................................................................................................................4-28 4.1.7.7 unlock drives .....................................................................................................................

  • Page 8

    1. Introduction user guide 1. Introducing exasan pcie 2.0 storage system.

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-1 1. Introducing exasan pcie 2.0 storage system 1.1 system overview your new exasan (pronounced “x-sa-san”) pcie 2.0 storage system is a rack mounted storage that can be used as a das (direct-attached storage) or san (storage area network) for the post production an...

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-2 figure 1 whether it’s collaborative video editing in a post-production workgroup, or a shared research project in a university, the exasan solution offers a range of performance levels and storage capacities that scale to meet the needs of small-to-medium-sized or...

  • Page 11

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-3 a12s2-ps package. The host server and hdd in a das/san environment are not accusys-supplied equipment and are therefore not included in the package. Contact your system integrator/value added reseller if you need assistance in purchasing these components. 1. Exasa...

  • Page 12

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-4 share or run at pcie x1 speed. You are advised to consult your motherboard documentation to verify the real speed of the available pcie slot. 1.1.3.4 qsfp (quad small form-factor pluggable) pcie copper or optical cables a 2m qsfp copper cable is included in your a...

  • Page 13

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-5 1.1.3.5 power cord & power convertors two ac power cords are included in the swf16 package. We also provide three types of power convertors – ek, au, eu, in addition to the us standard power cord. . 1.1.3.6 rail and rail extender this accessory is included in your...

  • Page 14

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-6 variable stripe sizes: 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 (kb) selective initialization method with background initialization online raid set expansion and level migration controller and disk cache control to optimize read/write performance support write-back and write-throu...

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-7 linux: red hat, suse, fedora, centos etc. Mac: os x( 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9 and later) 8. Operating conditions humidity: 5% - 85% operating temperature: 0c – 40c certification: rohs, ul, ce, fcc, c-tick, bsmi 9. Host connection hba: z1m-g2 (pcie2.0, 20gb/s) ...

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-8 4. Open up the top flaps of the carton to reveal the content inside. Remove the protective foam on top of the system. Carefully remove each item from inside the carton. 1.3 what’s in the box carefully check your carton contents against the included packing list, o...

  • Page 17

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-9 1.3.2 exasan accessories the accessories package includes the following items. These items can also be ordered, packaged, and shipped separately from accusys. 1. Qsfp host bus adapter (x1) 2. Half-high bracket (x1) for full-high bracket replacement 3. 2m qsfp copp...

  • Page 18

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-10 item name description 1 controller a status steady blue indicates the controller a is working normally. Flashing blue indicates the host is accessing. Steady red indicates the controller a has failed. Flashing red other error. 2 system fan steady blue indicates t...

  • Page 19

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-11 are working normally. Steady red indicates one or more of the fan modules failed. 3 system temperature steady blue indicates the system temperature is under the preset value. Steady red indicates the system temperature is over the preset value. 4 system power ste...

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-12 etc. Create array successfully one short beep open the beeper setting two short beeps memory test error regularly repeating three rapid short beeps 1.5.1.3 disk mapping disk 1 disk 4 disk 7 disk 10 disk 2 disk 5 disk 8 disk 11 disk 3 disk 6 disk 9 disk 12 1.5.1.4...

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-13 original drives: steady green disk migration flashing blue migrating drives > original drives migrating drives: rotating green & red original drives: steady green migrating drives drives migrating drives: rotating green & red original drives: steady green migrati...

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    1. Introduction user guide page 1-14 no. Name description 1 power supply ac in connects to a power cable and power source. 2 power supply 1 removable redundant power supply 1 steady green led indicates the power supply is working normally. Steady red led indicates the power supply has failed. 3 cool...

  • Page 23

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-15 flashing blue indicates controller accessing is in progress 8 controller provides access to the hard disk drives. 9 cooling fan 2 prevents the disk array from overheating. 10 power supply 2 removable redundant power supply 2 steady green led indicates the power s...

  • Page 24

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-16 3 cooling fan 1 prevents the disk array from overheating. Steady green led indicates the fan modules are working normally. Steady red led indicates that a fan module has failed. 4 heartbeat led indicates the controller status flashing green indicates the controll...

  • Page 25

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-17 1.5.1.7 how to connect multiple jbod please note the follow diagram when connecting up to 3jbod to a single raid system. Insure that the mini sas cable is on the expansion port - “exp” port on the raid storage when connecting to the right sas port on the jbod fro...

  • Page 26

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-18 1.5.2 exasan qsfp host bus adapter (hba) no. Name description 1 qsfp connector port for connection with one of the host module ports on the switch rear panel or a12s2-ps directly. 2 jumper switch led indicator off (no light at all) indicates the jumper pin in que...

  • Page 27

    1. Introduction user guide page 1-19 indicates a link with trouble. 4 access led indicator flashing blue while there are data access activities with the connected device..

  • Page 28

    2. Preparation user guide 2. Preparing to install exasan a12s2-ps.

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    2. Preparation user guide page 2-1 2. Preparing to install exasan a12s2-ps to ensure safe and smooth operation of your exasan a12s2-ps, it is essential that you choose an appropriate location for the system, and provide an appropriate operating environment and adequate power for all components of th...

  • Page 30

    2. Preparation user guide page 2-2 components. To plan for safe and adequate power to the system, follow these guidelines: 1. Check the documentation for all hardware components at the chosen location to determine their power requirements. Then make sure that the available power supply for that loca...

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    3. Installation user guide 3. Installing the exasan a12s2-ps.

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    3. Installation user guide page 3-1 3. Installing the exasan a12s2-ps follow the steps in this chapter to prepare your exasan a12s2-ps system for installation. 3.1 installing the system follow the instructions in this section to hook up all your hardware components of the exasan a12s2-ps system. Do ...

  • Page 33

    3. Installation user guide page 3-2 5. Push the tray inward until the tray firmly connects and you hear the tray click into place. 6. Repeat for all drives to be installed into the a12s2-ps. Note the hard drives in a raid system should match in size and speed. All drives in an array should be of ide...

  • Page 34

    3. Installation user guide page 3-3 4. Locate the available pcie slot; remove the blank plate if one is present, save the screw for later use. 5. Position the connector of the card over the slot, insert the connector into the slot, press gently but firmly until it is securely seated..

  • Page 35

    3. Installation user guide page 3-4 6. Use the screw that you saved in step 2 to secure the metal bracket of the card to the system case. 7. Replace the outer casing cover. 3.1.3 connecting the hba to the a12s2-ps system 1. Connect the hba to the exasan a12s2-ps with a qsfp pcie cable. Insert one en...

  • Page 36

    3. Installation user guide page 3-5 3. Plug a power cord into the ac power-in port in the storage system; do not turn power on yet. Caution once powered on, do not remove the qsfp pcie cable when in use to avoid data loss and corruption. 3.1.4 installing the rail on a12s2-ps system your disk array i...

  • Page 37

    3. Installation user guide page 3-6 2. Slide the disk array into the rack and secure into place with the fixing screws. To mount the disk array in a rack: 1. Attach eight rack nuts into the rack, making sure that they correspond with the mounting points on the rails. 2. Attach the rails and adjust t...

  • Page 38

    3. Installation user guide page 3-7 least one other person. 3.2 powering the system on and off 3.2.1 powering on before powering on, make sure that all cables and cords are properly installed and connected. 1. If you have not yet done so, plug the power cords for exasan a12s2-ps storage system to a ...

  • Page 39

    3. Installation user guide page 3-8 3.3 install driver and gui before installing driver and gui, make sure all connections and power on sequences are all correct. 3.3.1 installing exasan driver and gui raidguardx installation files can be found in dvd of accessory, you can also download the latest v...

  • Page 40

    3. Installation user guide page 3-9 3.3.1.2 installing driver and gui on linux following procedures contain 2 procedures; driver installation gui raidguardx installation driver installation you must have your linux system with developmental environment and kernel source, in other words you should se...

  • Page 41

    3. Installation user guide page 3-10 the driver (acs6x) should be now loaded in linux driver module list. Note: 1. Login as root, install driver will need root permission. 2. If you want to start the driver automatically, please put the compiled driver (acs6x.Ko) to directory as follows: #cp acs6x.K...

  • Page 42

    3. Installation user guide page 3-11 gui raidguardx installation before installing raidguardx, make sure the raid hba drivers is already installed in your linux os. 1. You will need two source files; gs (raidguardx server) and gc (raidguardx client), you can download from accusys website: http://www...

  • Page 43

    3. Installation user guide page 3-12 if your java version is earlier than 1.6, please go to www.Java.Com to upgrade. If version is ok, please enter the following commands: # cd /accusys/gc/x.X.X./x.X.X/ # java –jar raidguardx.Jar now you can add controller to config and manage exasan system..

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    3. Installation user guide page 3-13 3.3.2 confirm the exasan raid system driver on os 3.3.2.1 confirming the exasan raid system driver on mac after installing the exasan raid system hba driver on the mac host server, confirm the driver has been properly installed with the following steps. 1. Click ...

  • Page 45

    3. Installation user guide page 3-14 3.3.2.2 confirming the exasan raid system driver in windows after installing the exasan raid system hba driver on a windows based host server, confirm the driver has been properly installed. Go to control panel -> system properties -> hardware -> device manager (...

  • Page 46

    3. Installation user guide page 3-15 3.4 create array array can be easily created by raidguard x (refer to section: creating an array ). Make sure lun mapping (refer to section: lun mapping ) is setup, and then volume should be appeared on os, now, enjoy the high speed access to new exasan volume. 3...

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    4. How to use user guide 4. Using raidguard x.

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-1 4. Using raidguardx gui 4.1 raidguardx overview raidguardx is a powerful gui management tool, which support local and remote monitoring of multiple controllers that are connected to the same network. Raidguardx have to work with 2 components: raidguardx-server and r...

  • Page 49

    4. How to use user guide page 4-2 4.1.1 raidguardx at a glance 4.1.1.1 menu bar the menu bar across the top contains the following functions: function description file exit close the program load controller list refresh the controller list language english and japanese are supported controller manua...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-3 4.1.1.2 raidguard x main console function description monitoring buttons add controller into raidguard x (for das only) remove controller from raidguard x management buttons create array in the raid system delete array in the raid system email to set email notificat...

  • Page 51

    4. How to use user guide page 4-4 4.1.2 adding controller raidguardx can manage the raid controller locally or remotely via intranet access. Two configurations to add raid controller into raidguardx client. 1) das - click icon add controller in the main page of raidguardx client locally. 2) san - cl...

  • Page 52

    4. How to use user guide page 4-5 (2) san – add controller remotely in a san connection, you can manually add controller via network. 1. Click on controller on the menu bar and select manual add controller. 2. Enter the server or switch ip. 3. Click search and wait for the serial number to populate....

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-6 efficient array type but offers no fault-tolerance raid 1 mirroring, all disks have the same data total of one drive raid 5 block-level striping with distributed parity, one disk fault tolerant total of all drives minus one drive raid 6 block-level striping with dou...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-7 4.1.4 creating an array when the raid controller is first configured, an array needs to be set up. This array tells the controller how many disks to use and what their function should be. Follow the steps below to create an array: 1. Select the raid level from the d...

  • Page 55

    4. How to use user guide page 4-8 and over 2 terabyte function is used. For other oss, please select 512 bytes (default). 4. Click on the drives to be added to the array. You can also click on select all spare drivers. Note unselected drives will be set to hot (global) spare drive. If a drive failur...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-9 optional: from the drop down menu, select either on-the-fly initialization or performance evaluation. On-the-fly initialization – exasan raid systems record the initialized sectors in the bitmap. All sectors are initialized only once. The entire initialization proce...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-10 array initializing percentage after the array has been created, the main screen displays the newly created array with an array number. The array initialization progress is also displayed. Arrays are assigned numbers in the order they are created. For example, the f...

  • Page 58

    4. How to use user guide page 4-11 caution when you delete an array, all data on the hard disk drives will be lost. 4.1.5 email notification it may be necessary for network administrators to receive e-mails in the event of errors, alerts, and changes to the raid array. These alerts can be e-mailed t...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-12 4.1.6 preference 4.1.6.1 disk lag proof mode this feature ensures the stability and continuity of the raid performance. In raid 5 and raid 6, dlp prevents the aging or slow responds of a single hard disk from influencing the overall performance. The advantage of th...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-13 4.1.6.2 ncq ncq (native command queuing) – this mode is designed for increasing disk drive access on scsi and sata disk drives. It can do this under certain situations by allowing the individual hard disk to internally optimize the order in which it executes the re...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-14 different hard disk models and brands will have different attributes in the reporting of s.M.A.R.T. Event message will show all messages generated by the hard disk. The option of time to check disk’s s.M.A.R.T are 1,15,30,60 minutes and 2,4,8 hours. We strongly sug...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-15 4.1.6.6 cache controller cache – check this box to enable the controller cache. This speeds up the data transfer to and from the disks. Caution data in cache may be erased if power down unexpected. Suggest using a ups (uninterruptible power supply) to prevent this ...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-16 4.1.6.7 misc msic (minimal instruction set computer) has standard raid controller cpu time settings. The time of each event is displayed in the event logs in event message. Controller time – click this button to see a calendar and to change the time and date of the...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-17 4.1.7 option the options menu provides the methods for managing array. Click on the radio button for the required option, and then click next to proceed. 4.1.7.1 slicing exasan raid slicing overcomes the inherent design of how data is stored on an hdd or raid syste...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-18 note you can create up to 16 slices per array and 64 luns on the controller. The total number of unique arrays’ slices cannot exceed 16. Follow the steps below to select an array to slice or merge. 1. Select the array to slice or merge by clicking on a drive with a...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-19 3. Click on the slice to create, and use the slider bar or buttons to adjust the size. Click ok to confirm. 4. Check the confirm box and click ok. Note slices must be adjusted in order; for example - slice 0, 1, 2, etc..

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-20 4.1.7.2 lun map lun, which stands for logical unit number, is used to identify a logical unit in computer storage. When creating an array, you may select assign lun automatically to automatically assign a lun to the new array. If assign lun automatically is not sel...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-21 4.1.7.3 expansion expansion adds spare disks or new hard drives to an existing array. This is no need to create a new array or stop an array; you may add new disks online while the array is in use. Expansion can enlarge the capacity and frequency of an array. Altho...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-22 3. The main array information screen will indicate that the array is currently under expansion..

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-23 4.1.7.4 migrations different from expansion, which enlarges an array by adding hard drives to a fixed raid level, migration changes the raid level of an array. It allows live changes to the raid without the need to delete the array and rebuild. This can be useful w...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-24 2. Check the confirm box and click migrate. 3. The main array information screen will indicate that the array is currently migrating..

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-25 4.1.7.5 snapshot a snapshot is initialized with a data duplicate from a source to a target. The mirror snapshot is offered by the exasan raid controller. Note the source and target volume of the snapshot must be identical. Before setting a snapshot, you need to set...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-26 delete shot delete the selected shot. 1. Select the delete shot function from the drop down menu. 2. Select the required shot by clicking on the shot no. Radio button. From the respective drop down menus, select the source volume and destination volume. Unavailable...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-27 resynchronize shot resynchronize the selected shot. This function can speed up mirroring for previous snapshots. 1. Select the resynchronize shot function from the drop down menu. 2. Select the required shot by clicking on the shot no. Radio button. You can only se...

  • Page 75

    4. How to use user guide page 4-28 4.1.7.6 health center to ensure the accuracy of the raid parity data, exasan raid controller offers background checking and “rebuild parity data”. During checking or rebuilding parity, the performance of the array will be affected. You may check the progress of in ...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-29 4.1.7.7 unlock drives the raid controller may lock abnormal drives in an array. You may unlock these drives and rejoin them in an array. Drives may be locked with one of two conditions: 1. If a drive returns data too slowly, the controller determines the drive is e...

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    4. How to use user guide page 4-30 2. Check the confirm box and click unlock drive..

  • Page 78

    4. How to use user guide page 4-31 4.1.8 updating the exasan raid system firmware follow the steps in this section to update the firmware of your exasan raid system. Use caution to prevent a loss of power to the exasan raid system during this process. 4.1.8.1 preparing the firmware update files 1. N...

  • Page 79

    5. Raid user guide 5. Raid overview.

  • Page 80

    Raid user guide 5. Raid overview this chapter gives an overview of raid storage system within the context of recommended setting of exasan based san environment to provide fast, shared storage to client computers. 5.1 how raid works raid, or redundant array of independent disks, is a data-storage te...

  • Page 81

    Raid user guide synchronized; that is, anything written to one disk is also written to the other. Mirrored data is very secure because if one disk fails, the data is available from the other disk. 5.2.3 data parity the controller can generate “parity” for the ability to protect and rebuild data. Par...

  • Page 82

    Raid user guide raid 6 is no more space inefficient than raid 5 with a hot spare drive when used with a small number of drives, but as arrays become bigger and have more drives the loss in storage capacity becomes less important and the probability of data loss is greater. Raid 6 provides protection...

  • Page 83

    Appendices user guide page 1 appendices.

  • Page 84

    Appendices user guide page 2 appendix a: faqs 1. Q: why is my disk led status red? A: this is likely caused by a faulty hard drive. Replace the faulty drive as soon as possible to protect your data. 2. Q: after an array has been created in raidguard x, but the host does not find the array volume. A:...

  • Page 85

    Appendices user guide page 3 name dtrguisrv01 is under the program column. If the situation persists, please verify again that the hardware environment is not the source of the problem and reinstall using the mac installer. 8. Q: my raid system has an actual capacity of more than 2 tb, but in window...

  • Page 86

    Appendices user guide page 4 b. Please check the jumper switch on the hba. When the switch is in the "on” position, the hba card is enabled for storage mode for the a12s2-ps. In the “1” position, the hba is enabled for switch mode for the sw04/08. C. Please check if the installer and the driver have...

  • Page 87

    Appendices user guide page 5 appendix b: icons icon description main menu icons raidguard x server icon – the icon that is on the desktop and notification area add / delete a controller – select the controller to administer create / delete an array – change the arrays within the raid system. Prefere...

  • Page 88

    Appendices user guide page 6 a drive being selected for expansion / migration / rebuilding a transition drive state during the array 1, 2, 3, 4, migration a transition drive state during the array 1, 2, 3, 4, expansion a transition drive state during the array 1, 2, 3, 4, auto- rebuild raid levels a...

  • Page 89

    Appendices user guide page 7 caution risk of explosion if battery is replaced by an incorrect type. Dispose of used batteries according to the instructions.