DELL R710 Server does RAID5 disk array graphics tutorial

This article is reproduced in: http://www.jb51.net/article/53707.htm, used only for making notes

A disk array can be generated before or after the system is installed, and it is considered a (large) hard disk, and it has fault-tolerant and redundant functionality. The disk array can not only be added to a ready-made system, it can also support capacity expansion, the method is very simple, only need to add a new hard disk and execute some simple instructions, the system can take advantage of this new capacity in real time.

· types and applications of RAID
The IDE and SCSI are two different interfaces for computers, which are commonly used in PCs, which are generally used for servers. Based on these two interfaces, raid is divided into two types: the IDE-based RAID application called IDE RAID, and the SCSI-based RAID application is referred to as SCSI raid.
Depending on the architecture, RAID can also be divided into:
Software RAID (software RAID)
Hardware RAID (Hardware RAID)
External raid (External RAID)

• Software RAID is already included in the system in many cases and becomes one of the features, such as Windows, NetWare, and Linux. All operations in software RAID are handled by the central processor, so the utilization of system resources can be very high, thus reducing the performance of systems. Software RAID is not required to add any additional hardware, because it relies on your system-primarily the CPU's functionality-to provide all the ready-made resources.

• Hardware RAID is usually a PCI card and you will see a processor and memory on this card. Because the processor on the card already provides all the resources required for raid, it does not take up system resources, which can greatly improve the performance of the system. Hardware RAID can connect internal hard disks, hot-swappable backplanes, or external storage devices. Regardless of which drive is connected, control is on the raid card, which is controlled by the system. In the system, hardware RAID PCI cards usually require a driver, or the system will refuse support.

• External raid is also part of a hardware RAID, except that the RAID card is not installed in the system, but is installed in an external storage device. This external storage device is connected to the system's SCSI card. The system does not have any RAID functionality because it has only one SCSI card and all RAID functions will be moved to this external storage. The advantage is that external storage can often connect more hard drives without being affected by the size of the system chassis. Some advanced technologies, such as dual-machine fault tolerance, require multiple servers to be connected to an external storage to provide fault tolerance.

• Configuring RAID disk Arrays

First, why do you want to create a logical disk?
When the hard drive is connected to an array card (RAID), the operating system will not be able to see the physical hard disk directly, so it needs to be created as a logical disk (also known as a container) that is set to raid0,1 and 5, so that the system can recognize it correctly.
logical drives, Containers (Container), or virtual disks are all meant to mean that they are just different names for different array card producers.
Ii. How to create a logical disk
Use the configuration tool of the array card itself, the BIOS of the array card. (typically used to reinstall a system or without an operating system, create a container (Adaptec array card)/logical drive (Ami/lsi array card).
Use the Configuration tool software provided by the third party to achieve the management of the card. such as Dell Array Manager. (These software is used for the operating system already installed on the server)
Third, the correct identification of your array card model (in this case, Dell for example, in fact, all the same)
Identify your disk array controller (disk array controller is optional and can be omitted if a disk array controller is not purchased)

If you have a Adaptec disk array controller (PERC 2,perc2/si,perc3/si,perc3/di), you will see the following information when the system is powered on self-test:
Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 3/di, BIOS v2.7-x [Build xxxx] (c) 1998-2002 Adaptec, Inc. All rights Reserved. <<< Press CTRL + A for Configuration utility! >>>

If you have a AMI/LSI disk array controller (PERC2/SC,PERC2/DC,PERC3/SC,PERC3/DC, Perc4/di, PERC4/DC), you will see the following information when the system is powered on self-test:
Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller BIOS x.xx June 26.2001 Copyright (C) AMERICAN megatrends INC.
Press Ctrl+m to Run Configuration Utility or press ctrl+h for Webbios

Or:

PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller BIOS x.xx Feb 03,2003 Copyright (C) LSI Logic Corp.
Press Ctrl+m to Run Configuration Utility or press ctrl+h for Webbios

Ctrl+r

Name Explanation:
Disk Group: A set of disks, which is equivalent to an array, such as configuring a RAID5, or a disk group
VD: Virtual disk, Virtual disk can not use the full capacity of the array, that is, a disk group can be divided into multiple VD
PD (Physical Disk): physical disks
Hs:hot Spare Hot Standby
MGMT: Management

"One", create Logical Disk
1, follow the screen of the virtual Disk Manager prompt, in the VD Mgmt menu (You can switch the menu via Ctrl+p/ctrl+n), press F2 to expand the Virtual Disk creation menu

2. In the Virtual Disk creation window, press ENTER to select "Create New VD"

3, the RAID level option to press ENTER, can appear to support the level of RAID, the raid card can support the levels of RAID0/1/5/10/50, depending on the number of hard drives configured, this location may appear in the options will be different.
Choose a different level and the options will vary. Select the RAID level you want to configure (let's take RAID5 for example) and press ENTER to confirm.

4. After confirming the raid level, press the DOWN ARROW key, move the cursor to the physical disks list, move up or down to the hard drive location you want to select, press the SPACEBAR to select (remove) the hard disk in the list, and when the number of hard drives selected meets the required requirements for this RAID level, Basic The default capacity information for this raid can be displayed in the settings VD size. There is an X mark for the selected hard drive.
After selecting the hard drive and pressing the TAB key, you can move the cursor to the VD size column, the VD size can be set manually, that is, you can not configure all the capacity in a virtual disk. If this virtual disk does not use all of the capacity of the RAID5 array we have configured, the remaining space can be configured as a different virtual disk, but the next vdisk must be configured to return VD Mgmt creation (refer to step 13th for detailed instructions). VD name is set as needed, or it can be empty.
Note: The minimum number of drives required for each RAID level, raid0=1 raid1=2 raid5=3 raid10=4 raid50=6

5, modify the advanced settings, after the selection of VD size, you can press the DOWN ARROW key, or tab, move the cursor to the advanced settings, press the space bar to turn on (disabled) high-level settings. If it is turned on (the X flag on the red box is on), you can modify the size of the stripe Element size, and the read Policy of the array and write policy,initialize can optionally be initialized at the same time as the array configuration.
The advanced settings are off by default (not modifiable), and if there are no special requirements, we recommend that you do not modify the settings here.

6, the above configuration confirmation is completed, press the TAB key, move the cursor to OK, press ENTER, the following prompt appears, if it is a new array, it is recommended to initialize the operation, if the purpose of the configuration array is to restore the previous data, do not initialize. Press ENTER to confirm to continue.

7, after the configuration is complete, will return to the VD Mgmt main interface, move the cursor to virtual Disk 0 in the diagram, press ENTER.

8. You can see the virtual disk information that was successfully configured, press ESC to return to the main interface when you have finished viewing

9. At this interface, move the cursor to Virtual Disk 0 in the diagram and press F2 to expand the menu for this vdisk operation.
Note: There is a + flag on the left, move the cursor here, press the RIGHT ARROW key, you can expand the submenu, press the LEFT ARROW key, you can close the submenu

10, as shown in the red box, you can initialize the virtual disk (initialization), the consistency check (consistency check), delete, view properties and so on, which has just been successfully configured.

11. If we want to initialize this vdisk, we can move the cursor to initialization and select Start Init after carriage return. The prompt window pops up, the initialization clears all data, and if you are sure you want to initialize, press ENTER at OK to continue.
Note: Initialization clears all information from the hard disk, array, and cannot be restored

12, the confirmation can see the progress of the initialization, the left red box as a percentage, the right red box indicates the current operation. Waiting for initialization to proceed to 100%, the virtual disk configuration is complete.

13, if you have just configured the virtual disk without using the full capacity of the array, the remaining capacity can be divided here to use. Move the cursor to space allocation and press the RIGHT ARROW key to expand the menu

14. Move the cursor to *free space*, press F2, to 15th step, or press ENTER to 16th step directly

15. Press ENTER at the pop-up add New VD.

16, again into the configuration of the virtual disk interface, at this time the left red box is the virtual disk that has just been configured to select the physical disk information, the right red box can choose to divide the capacity space. Again, if not all, you can return to the 13th step again to create a virtual disk.
Note: Because the virtual disk is built based on the array you just created, the raid level is the same as the one you just created and cannot be changed.

17. Each time you create a new virtual disk is added to disks. These virtual disks are divided on the same disk group (the RAID5 that we just configured).

DELL R710 Server does RAID5 disk array graphics tutorial