Nfina Technologies™ uses RAID technology to increase performance, storage capacity, and fault tolerance in our storage systems. Nfina RAID network servers use only best-in-class components like Enterprise-class drives and LSI® RAID Controllers. Nfina uses MegaRAID Storage Manager™ to provide an easy-to-use way to monitor individual devices and the health of the network.
MegaRAID Storage Manager software displays the status of controllers, virtual drives, and drives on the server or workstation that you are monitoring. Special device icons appear on the window providing notification of a drive failure and other events that require immediate attention. The system errors and events are recorded in an event log but alerts can also be configured to sound an audible alarm (if enabled) or send an email.
MegaRAID Storage Manager software can be used to perform system maintenance tasks, such as running patrol read operations, updating firmware, and running consistency checks on drive groups that support redundancy.
Server Details / Host View
When the program is launched, the Host View window appears.
The Host View will display a health status icon for each server that has MegaRAID Storage Manager software installed. The server’s health status is color-coded using the following key:
Green The server is operating properly.
Yellow The server is running in a partially degraded state (possibly a drive in a virtual drive has failed). Orange The server is running in a degraded state.
Configure Host
The Configure Host screen allows selection of the servers to be displayed in the Host View screen. These selected servers can then be monitored and managed.
The options available are:
>Display only the local server of the IP address that was entered on the host view page.
>-63/%<21/<6)59)56:-7,7,) %((5)66)67,%7<28 have entered into the Favorites list.
>-63/%<%//7,))+% 725%+)%1%+)56)59)56 in the network of local server.
Login
After selecting the icon of the desired server the server login page will appear.
Dashboard
The Storage Manager Dashboard displays a basic overview of the Nfina server, LSI RAID controller, and other attached devices. This window provides information regarding the health status, number of drives, drive groups, and virtual drives, as well as drive capacity for the server system. The settings for The MegaRAID® Advanced Software Options and the RAID levels for the Nfina server are displayed and can be managed in this panel.
Using the Actions menu in the Dashboard, firmware for the RAID controller can be updated and alarms can be managed. Links to online help are available under the Help menu on the Dashboard.
Physical View
Logical View
Virtual Drive Properties in Logical View
Under Logical View, when a virtual drive is selected from the tree, properties are displayed in the panel on the right. These include active RAID level and data information. Depending upon the RAID level configured the data information displayed will be as follows:
Raid 0 Size, Strip Size RAID 5, 6, 50, 60 Size, Parity Size,
Strip Size
RAID 1, 10 Size, Mirror Data Size, Strip Size
Physical Drive Properties and Temperature
SSD Caching
When the CacheCade™ option is enabled on the RAID controller, Logical View will display the SSD Caching Drive Group, the drives that make up this drive group and the RAID level assigned to
the group. The name of the Virtual Drive and the Write Policy operation parameters can be modified by highlighting the SSD Caching Virtual Drive and right clicking on Set Virtual Drive Properties in the menu.
Quick Management Tool Access
Configuring Alerts
Patrol Read
The Patrol Read function is a useful tool providing a scan and assessment of the network to detect possible drive errors that could lead to physical and virtual drive failures. This powerful function can help detect a possible failure before it occurs. Patrol Read can be set for manual or automatic operation.
To enable the Patrol Read function, highlight the RAID controller in either the Physical or Logical View screen and select Set Patrol Read Properties. Select the desired Patrol Read mode, the number of physical drives to be read, and add the virtual drives that should be included in the read. Set the frequency of the Patrol Read and the desired starting date and time.
System Alerts
Shield State and Replacing a Drive
In the event a drive or virtual drive loses communication with the RAID controller the system moves the drive to an interim state called a Shield State. This protects the system and allows diagnostics to take place. If an error is found, the system then transitions the drives to an Unconfigured Bad or failed state and preparations must be made to replace the drive.
After the faulty drive is replaced it will still appear in the tree as Unconfigured Bad. Its state must be changed to Unconfigured Good in order for it to be accepted back into the system. This can be accomplished by highlighting the drive, right clicking the mouse, and selecting Change to Unconfigured Good from the menu.
Replacing a Drive Continued
After changing the state to Unconfigured Good a green lightning bolt appears and the system should be scanned for any Foreign Configurations that may be present on the new drives. Afterwards the Re-Configuration of the RAID array can be started by highlighting the RAID controller from the tree and right clicking Scan Foreign Configuration from the menu.
The logical configuration may be imported or cleared from the drive.
Configuring the New Drive
To configure the new drive/s highlight and right click on the RAID controller, and select Create Virtual Drive from the menu. In order to create a Virtual Drive, the drive group that makes up the virtual drive must be created. Selecting the Advanced mode is recommended because it allows configuration of the drives and parameters for the Virtual Drive. In simple mode the system makes those selections automatically.
Next the desired RAID level must be selected along with drive security method and drives; then they are added to the Drive Group. Select Create Drive Group and proceed.
Configuring the New Drive Continued
Enter the Virtual Drive name, capacity, Initialization state, strip size, read and write policy, etc. and select Create Virtual Drive. A Summary page will appear showing the configuration. If the information is correct, select finish. A dialog box will appear stating the virtual drive was successfully created. Select OK.
If SSD Caching is Enabled on the system the “Enable SSD Caching on New Virtual Drives” dialog box will appear. Select OK and continue.
The new drive should be successfully configured and actively participating in the RAID Drive Group.
