Configuring Automatically

You can configure automatically only if:

• You want to configure one RAID 5 logical RAID drive (requires between three and eight drives of same capacity)

• You want to configure up to 8 JBODs of any capacity To configure automatically, you must do the following:

• Select the Automatic Configuration option

• Initialize the logical drives

• Save your configuration to diskette

If you want to define a spare drive, you must configure interactively. See Section 6.6.3 to define a spare drive.

6.5.1 Selecting the Automatic Configuration Option To configure automatically, follow these steps:

1. Select the Automatic Configuration option from the main menu and either one of the following things happens depending upon whether a configuration currently exists.

If a configuration currently exists, then the utility displays a warning message saying that a valid configuration exists and if you proceed, you will destroy it. A confirmation window also appears. See Step 2.

If no configuration currently exists, then the Automatic Configuration menu appears. Go to Step 3.

2. Select Yes to delete the current configuration (select No to quit without changing the configuration and to return to the main menu). The Automatic Configuration menu appears.

3. Use the arrow keys to highlight RAID 5 or JBOD and press the Enter key to

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4. Press the Enter key to select No. This sets the cache policy to Write Through (the recommended policy, see Section 6.6.2.2 Choosing a Caching Policy for a description of the cache options). The utility displays a window with Automatic Configuration at the top of the screen and the message, Saving configuration, please wait ..., at the bottom of the screen. The utility then displays a screen with your system configuration information, similar to the one shown in Figure 6–11.

5. Press any key to return to the main menu.

Now go to Section 6.5.2 to initialize the logical RAID drive.

Figure 6–11 The Automatic Configuration Screen

Chapter 6. Configuring Your Array

6.5.2 Initializing a Logical RAID Drive

Initialize a logical RAID drive before you use it. The utility initializes the logical RAID drive by writing a pattern of zeros to it. This creates a starting parity for a logical RAID drive with parity, or starting data for a logical RAID drive which does not have parity.

CAUTION

Do not initialize a logical RAID drive if it has valid data. Initialization overwrites and destroys all data.

Also, after you initialize a logical RAID drive, do not change or rearrange the physical drives or cables. Otherwise, all data in the drive group can be lost.

To initialize a logical RAID drive, follow these steps.

1. From the main menu, select the Initialize Logical Drive option. The utility displays the Initialize Logical Drive screen, with logical RAID drive 0, as shown in Figure 6–12.

2. Use the arrow keys to move to logical RAID drive 0 and press the Enter key to select it. A check mark appears beside logical drive 0. Select any

additional logical RAID drives that you created as JBODs. The utility automatically highlights the Start button after you select all logical RAID drives.

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Figure 6–12 Initialize Logical Drive Screen

3. Press the Enter key. A confirmation window appears displaying the following message:

Do you want to proceed with initialization?

4. Select Yes. An Initialize Logical Drive status bar appears at top of screen indicating amount of initialization completed. The bar gradually fills as the initialization process completes. When done initializing, the utility prompts you to press any key to continue.

5. Press any key. The utility displays a message indicating that it is saving the configuration, then the main menu appears.

Go to Section 6.5.3 to continue with the next step of the installation, saving the RAID configuration to a diskette.

Chapter 6. Configuring Your Array

6.5.3 Saving the RAID Configuration to a Diskette

Save a copy of your RAID configuration on a diskette. Then, in the event that your controller ever fails, you can restore your configuration onto a new controller from a backup copy on floppy disk.

To save the configuration, follow these steps:

1. Insert a blank diskette in your system's floppy drive.

2. Press the Enter key to select the Tools option from the main menu. The utility displays the Tools menu, as shown in Figure 6–13.

Figure 6–13 The Tools Menu

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4. Press any key to Continue. The Backup/Restore Conf menu appears.

5. Select Backup from the Backup/Restore Conf menu. The utility prompts you to enter a name for the file.

6. Enter the path (for example, a:) and an appropriate file name with up to eight characters and a three character file extension (for example, a:newconf.sav) and press the Enter key. The utility displays a message asking whether it should overwrite an existing file.

7. Press the Y key to save the new file. A message appears indicating that the utility is saving the configuration. The Backup/Restore menu then appears when the utility finishes saving the configuration.

Or,

Press the N key to return to the Backup/Restore menu without saving the file.

8 Press the Esc key to exit. The main menu appears.

9. Press Esc twice, then highlight Yes and press the Enter key to exit the utility.

10. Reboot your computer and start your operating system.

Go to the RAID Array 200 Online Management Utility User’s Guide for your operating system for information on how to load the online management utility onto your system. The online management utility provides you with automatic notification of a change in status of the subsystem. Loading the online

management utility onto your system completes the installation of your RAID Array 200 Series subsystem.

Chapter 6. Configuring Your Array