Controllers
This section describes the controllers supported by Storage Management as well as the different controller features.
What is a Controller?
Most operating systems do not read and write data directly from the disks, but instead send read and write instructions to a controller. The controller is the hardware in your system that interacts directly with the disks to write and retrieve data. A controller has connectors (channels or ports) which are attached to one or more physical disks or an enclosure containing physical disks. RAID controllers can span the boundaries of the disks so as to create an extended amount of storage space – or a virtual disk – using the capacity of more than one disk.
Controllers also perform other tasks, such as initiating rebuilds, initializing disks, and so on. To complete their tasks, controllers require special software known as firmware and drivers. In order to function properly, the controller must have the minimum required version of the firmware and drivers installed.
Storage Management supports different types of controllers. If your system has a supported controller, the controller is displayed by expanding the Storage object in the tree view. You can select the controller to display tabs for executing controller tasks and viewing controller properties.
Different controllers have different characteristics in the way they read and write data and execute tasks. It is helpful to understand these features to most efficiently manage your storage. The following sections describe the supported controllers and their features.
RAID Controller Technology: SCSI, SATA, ATA, and SAS
Storage Management supports RAID controllers using SCSI, SATA, ATA, and SAS technology. This section indicates which technology the supported RAID controllers use. For more information on these controllers, see "Supported Features" and the controller hardware documentation.
SCSI RAID Controllers
The following RAID controllers use Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) technology.
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PERC 3/SC, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4/IM, 4e/Si, 4e/Di |
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PERC 3/Si, 3/Di |
CERC SATA RAID Controllers
The following Cost Effective RAID Controller (CERC) controllers use Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) technology.
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CERC SATA1.5/6ch |
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CERC SATA1.5/2s |
CERC ATA RAID Controllers
The following Cost Effective RAID Controller (CERC) controllers use Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) technology.
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CERC ATA100/4ch |
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CERC 6/I controller family |
SAS RAID Controllers
The following RAID controllers use Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) technology.
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PERC 5/E |
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PERC 5/i Integrated |
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PERC 5/i Adapter |
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SAS 5/iR Integrated |
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SAS 5/iR Adapter |
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PERC 6/E |
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PERC 6/I controller family |
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SAS 6/iR controller family |
RAID Controller Features
Different controllers have different features. If you have more than one controller attached to your system, you may notice that the tasks displayed on the controller’s Information/Configuration subtab are different for each controller.
Controllers may also have differences in their read, write, and cache policies as well as how they handle hot spares. You should be aware of these differences when creating virtual disks and assigning hot spares.
The following describes some of the RAID controller features and provides links to a more detailed explanation. For information on which controllers support which features, see "Supported Features."
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Hot spares. On RAID controllers, a hot spare is a backup for a disk that fails. See the "Protecting Your Virtual Disk with a Hot Spare." |
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Rebuilding data. You can rebuild data from a failed physical disk if the disk is a member of a redudant virtual disk. See "Rebuilding Redundant Information." |
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Virtual disk expansion. Virtual disk expansion enables you to expand the capacity of a virtual disk while it remains online by adding additional disks to the virtual disk. This feature is also known as online capacity expansion (OLCE). See "Virtual Disk Tasks." |
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RAID migration. After creating a virtual disk, you can change the RAID level. See "Reconfiguring/Migrating Virtual Disks." |
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Moving physical and virtual disks to another controller. The PERC 3/SC, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, 4e/Di, and CERC ATA100/4ch controllers enable you to move physical and virtual disks from one controller to another. See "Moving Physical and Virtual Disks from One System to Another." |
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Read, write, and cache policies. The manner in which a controller reads and writes data can vary. The read, write, and cache policies have implications for data security and system performance. See "RAID Controller Read, Write, Cache, and Disk Cache Policy." |
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Check consistency. A check consistency determines the integrity of a virtual disk’s redundant data. When necessary, this feature rebuilds the redundant information. See "Maintain Integrity of Redundant Virtual Disks." |
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Cluster Support. Storage Management supports PERC 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers that have Microsoft® Cluster Server (MSCS) enabled. See "Cluster-enabled RAID Controllers." |
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Patrol Read. Patrol Read identifies disk errors in order to avoid disk failures and data loss or corruption. See "Set Patrol Read Mode" for more information. |
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Disk migration or foreign configurations. Some controllers enable you to move physical disks that contain one or more virtual disks to another controller. The receiving controller is able to recognize and import the foreign configuration (virtual disks). See "Foreign Configuration Operations" for more information. |
Controller-supported RAID Levels
RAID controllers may support different RAID levels. For information on which RAID levels a controller supports, see the supported RAID levels section for the controller in "Supported Features."
Controller-supported Stripe Sizes
When creating a virtual disk, you may need to specify the stripe size for the virtual disk. Different controllers have different limitations on the stripe sizes they can support. For information on the stripe sizes a controller supports, see the virtual disk specifications section for the controller in "Supported Features."
RAID Controller Read, Write, Cache, and Disk Cache Policy
When creating a virtual disk, you specify the read, write, and cache policies for the virtual disk. The following sub-section describes these policies.
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NOTE: Read, write, and cache policies are not supported on the CERC SATA1.5/2s controller. |
Read Policy
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
The read policies indicate whether or not the controller should read sequential sectors of the virtual disk when seeking data.
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Read-Ahead. When using read-ahead policy, the controller reads sequential sectors of the virtual disk when seeking data. Read-ahead policy may improve system performance if the data is actually written to sequential sectors of the virtual disk. |
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No-Read-Ahead. Selecting no-read-ahead policy indicates that the controller should not use read-ahead policy. |
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Adaptive Read-Ahead. When using adaptive read-ahead policy, the controller initiates read-ahead only if the two most recent read requests accessed sequential sectors of the disk. If subsequent read requests access random sectors of the disk, the controller reverts to no-read-ahead policy. The controller continues to evaluate whether read requests are accessing sequential sectors of the disk, and can initiate read-ahead if necessary. |
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Read Cache Enabled. When the read cache is enabled, the controller reads the cache information to see if the requested data is available in the cache before retrieving the data from the disk. Reading the cache information first can provide faster read performance because the data (if available in the cache) can more quickly be retrieved from the cache than from the disk. |
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Read Cache Disabled. When the read cache is disabled, the controller retrieves data directly from the disk and not from the cache. |
Write Policy
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
The write policies specify whether the controller sends a write-request completion signal as soon as the data is in the cache or after it has been written to disk.
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Write-Back. When using write-back caching, the controller sends a write-request completion signal as soon as the data is in the controller cache but has not yet been written to disk. Write-back caching may provide improved performance since subsequent read requests can more quickly retrieve data from the controller cache than they could from the disk. Write-back caching also entails a data security risk, however, since a system failure could prevent the data from being written to disk even though the controller has sent a write-request completion signal. In this case, data may be lost. Other applications may also experience problems when taking actions that assume the data is available on the disk. |
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NOTE: Storage Management does not allow you to select the Write-Back policy for controllers that do not have a battery. This restriction protects a controller without a battery from the data loss that may occur in the event of a power failure. On some controllers, the Write-Back policy may be available in the controller BIOS even though it is not available in Storage Management. |
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Force Write Back. When using force write-back caching, the write cache is enabled regardless of whether the controller has a battery. If the controller does not have a battery and force write-back caching is used, data loss may occur in the event of a power failure. |
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Write Back Enabled. When using write-back enabled caching, the controller firmware disables the write cache if it does not detect the presence of a charged battery over a specified period of time. For example, on some controllers, the write cache is disabled if the firmware cannot detect a charged battery within 72 hours. |
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Write-Through. When using write-through caching, the controller sends a write-request completion signal only after the data is written to the disk. Write-through caching provides better data security than write-back caching, since the system assumes the data is available only after it has been safely written to the disk. |
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NOTE: Write-through is the default write policy setting when cluster mode is enabled. In cluster mode, the PERC 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers only allow write-through caching. |
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Write Cache Enabled Protected. When the write cache is enabled, the controller writes data to the write cache before writing data to the physical disk. Because it takes less time to write data to the write cache than it does to a disk, enabling the write cache can improve system performance. After data is written to the write cache, the system is free to continue with other operations. The controller, in the meantime, completes the write operation by writing the data from the write cache to the physical disk. The Write Cache Enabled Protected option is only available if the controller has a functional battery. The presence of a functional battery ensures that data can be written from the write cache to the physical disk even in the case of a power outage. |
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NOTE: Storage Management does not allow you to select the Write Cache Enabled Protected policy for controllers that do not have a battery. This restriction protects a controller without a battery from the data loss that may occur in the event of a power failure. When using the Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard on a controller without a battery, the wizard will either display Write Cache Disabled as the only available option or the wizard will display no option at all for write policy. |
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Write Cache Disabled. This is the only available option if the controller does not have a functional battery. |
Cache Policy
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
The Direct I/O and Cache I/O cache policies apply to reads on a specific virtual disk. These settings do not affect the read-ahead policy. The cache policies are as follows:
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Cache I/O. Specifies that all reads are buffered in cache memory. |
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Direct I/O. Specifies that reads are not buffered in cache memory. When using direct I/O, data is transferred to the controller cache and the host system simultaneously during a read request. If a subsequent read request requires data from the same data block, it can be read directly from the controller cache. The direct I/O setting does not override the cache policy settings. Direct I/O is also the default setting. |
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NOTE: Cache policy is not supported on any controller that does not have a battery. |
Disk Cache Policy
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
Set the physical disk caching policy of all members of a Virtual Disk by enabling the Disk Cache Policy. When this feature is enabled, the physical disk writes data to the physical disk cache before writing it to the physical disk. Because it is faster to write data to the cache than to a disk, enabling this feature can improve system performance.
The cache policies are:
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Enabled — Specifies that the disk cache policy is enabled. |
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Disabled — Specifies that the disk cache policy is disabled. |
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NOTE:
On PERC 5 and PERC 6 controllers, for virtual disks based on SATA drives, the default Disk Cache Policy is Enabled; for virtual disks based on SAS drives, it is Disabled. On SAS 5/iR controllers, for virtual disks based on SATA drives, the default Disk Cache Policy is Enabled for RAID 0 and disabled for RAID 1; for virtual disks based on SAS drives, it is Disabled for RAID 1 and Enabled for RAID 0. |
Cluster-enabled RAID Controllers
This section applies to 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers
Storage Management supports PERC 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers that have Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) enabled.
A cluster refers to two or more servers that are connected so that their resources can be shared and accessed as if the clustered servers were a single machine. Clusters provide increased availability because when one server in the cluster experiences downtime, another server can take over the processing and workload requests of the failed server.
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NOTE: Storage Management does not set resource ownership in a Microsoft Windows® cluster configuration. |
Updating the Display of Clustered Resources
This section applies to 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers
After a failover of cluster resources, it is necessary to perform a rescan operation in order for Storage Management to display the most up-to-date information about shared resources.
Downloading Firmware and Cluster Controllers
This section applies to 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers
When downloading firmware to a clustered controller, it is recommended that you shut down the other systems in the cluster first. When restarted, the other systems in the cluster should be able to see the firmware updates that you have applied.
If, however, you have downloaded firmware to a controller without first shutting down the other systems in the cluster, you may find that the other systems cannot see the firmware update until you restart the disk management service on those systems. For example, if you download firmware onto system A, and system B cannot see the firmware update, then restart the disk management service on system B.
Creating and Deleting Virtual Disks on Cluster-enabled Controllers
This section applies to 3/DC, 4/DC, and 4e/DC controllers
If you are using a PERC 3/DC, 4/DC, or 4e/DC controller in a cluster configuration, you must shut down and power off the other systems in the cluster before creating or deleting the virtual disk. The following procedure describes the sequence of actions required to create or delete a virtual disk from a cluster-enabled controller. For the purposes of this procedure, the system on which you are creating or deleting the virtual disk is identified as system A and the other system in the cluster is identified as system B.
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NOTE: When creating a virtual disk on a controller that is in a cluster configuration, you must specify the maximum virtual disk size. |
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Stop the clustering services on system B. |
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Shut down and power off system B. |
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Create or delete the virtual disk on system A. For more information on creating and deleting virtual disks, see: |
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Reboot system A. |
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Restart system B. |
Integrated Mirroring and the PERC 4/IM Controller
The PERC 4/IM controller enables you to mirror a physical disk that resides internally in the server. This feature can be used to mirror the system’s boot drive from one physical disk to another, ensuring that the system remains running in the event that one of the physical disks fails. The PERC 4/IM controller firmware maintains the mirrored data on both physical disks so that the system’s CPU is not burdened with the extra processing required to maintain the mirrored data.
When implementing mirroring on a PERC 4/IM controller, you use the controller BIOS to create a virtual disk from the physical disks. Unlike creating a virtual disk on other controllers, the PERC 4/IM controller is able to implement a mirror for a physical disk that already contains data. The data is then copied to the mirror. Any data previously residing on the mirror is overwritten.
After you have created the integrated mirror using the controller BIOS, the operating system sees the mirror as a virtual disk and a virtual disk object for the mirror is displayed in the Storage Management tree view. Expanding the Virtual Disks object displays the disks included in the mirror. These physical disks are no longer individually visible to the operating system.
Background Initialization on PERC 3/SC, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, and 4e/Di Controllers
On PERC 3/SC, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, and 4e/Di controllers, background initialization of a redundant virtual disk begins automatically within 0 to 5 minutes after the virtual disk is created. The background initialization of a redundant virtual disk prepares the virtual disk to maintain redundant data and improves write performance. For example, after the background initialization of a RAID 5 virtual disk completes, the parity information has been initialized. After the background initialization of a RAID 1 virtual disk completes, the physical disks are mirrored.
The background initialization process helps the controller identify and correct problems that may occur with the redundant data at a later time. In this regard, the background initialization process is similar to a check consistency.
The background initialization should be allowed to run to completion. If cancelled, the background initialization will automatically restart within 0 to 5 minutes. Some processes such as read and write operations are possible while the background initialization is running. Other processes, such as creating a virtual disk, cannot be run concurrently with a background initialization. These processes cause the background initialization to cancel.
Non-RAID Controller Description
The non-RAID SCSI and SAS controllers are non-RAID controllers that support SCSI and SAS devices. Because these controllers are non-RAID, they do not support virtual disks. You can manage these non-RAID controllers and their attached SCSI and SAS devices with Storage Management.
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NOTE: Supported features may vary from controller to controller. |
Non-RAID SCSI Controllers
The following non-RAID controllers use Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) technology.
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Ultra SCSI, Ultra2 SCSI, and Ultra160 SCSI |
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LSI 1020, LSI 1030, and LSI PCI-e U320 |
Non-RAID SAS Controllers
The following non-RAID controllers use Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) technology.
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SAS 5/i Integrated |
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SAS 5/E |
Firmware/Driver Versions
Use this window to view information about the controller firmware and drivers. For more information on firmware and drivers, see "Installation Considerations for Storage Management."
Firmware/Driver Properties
The firmware and driver properties can vary depending on the model of the controller. On some controllers, Storage Management may not be able to obtain the driver or firmware version. In this case, Storage Management displays Not Applicable. Firmware and driver properties may include:
Controller Health
This screen displays the status of the controller and the components attached to the controller.
Controller Severity
Component status is indicated by the severity. A component with a Warning or Critical/Failure status requires immediate attention to avoid data loss if possible. A component’s status may indicate the combined status of the component and its lower-level objects. See "Determining the Health Status for Storage Components" for more information.
It may be useful to review the Alert Log for events indicating why a component has a Warning or Critical status. For additional troubleshooting information, see "Alert Messages" and "Troubleshooting."
Controller Information
For information on the controller, see the following topics:
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"Controllers" |
Controller Components
For information on attached components, see the following topics:
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"Connectors" |
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NOTE: If you have connected the enclosure in Redundant path mode, the connectors are represented as Logical Connector. |
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"Virtual Disks" |
Controller Properties and Tasks
Use this window to view information about the controller and execute controller tasks.
Controller Properties
The controller properties can vary depending on the model of the controller. Controller properties may include:
Property |
Definition |
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Status |
These icons represent the severity or health of the storage component. |
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Normal/OK Warning/Non-critical Critical/Fatal See "Storage Component Severity" for more information. |
ID |
This property displays the controller ID assigned to the controller by Storage Management. Storage Management numbers the controllers attached to the system starting with zero. This number is the same as the controller ID number reported by the "omreport Command." |
Name |
This property displays the name of the controller. |
State |
This property displays the current status of the controller. Possible values are: Ready — The controller is functioning normally. Degraded — The controller has encountered a failure and is operating in a degraded state. Failed — The controller has encountered a failure and is no longer functioning. |
Firmware Version |
This property displays the version of the firmware that is currently installed on the controller.
NOTE: On some controllers, Storage Management may not be able to obtain the firmware version. In this case, Storage Management displays Not Applicable.
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Minimum Required Firmware Version |
This property displays the minimum firmware version that is required by Storage Management. This property is only displayed if the controller firmware does not meet the minimum requirement. The firmware and drivers listed in the Readme file refer to the minimum supported version for these controllers. Later versions of the firmware and drivers are also supported. See the Dell™ Support website at support.dell.com for the most recent driver and firmware requirements. |
Driver Version |
This property displays the version of the driver that is currently installed on the controller. The 2.8.0.6085 driver install package for the PERC 3/Si, and 3/Di controllers contains the 6076 driver. For this driver, Storage Management displays 2.8.0.6076 whereas Microsoft® Windows® Device Manager displays 2.8.0.6085.
NOTE: On some controllers, Storage Management may not be able to obtain the driver version. In this case, Storage Management displays Not Applicable.
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Minimum Required Driver Version |
This property displays the minimum driver version that is required by Storage Management. This property is only displayed if the controller driver does not meet the minimum requirement. The firmware and drivers listed in the Readme file refer to the minimum supported version for these controllers. Later versions of the firmware and drivers are also supported. See the Dell Support website at support.dell.com for the most recent driver and firmware requirements. |
Number of Connectors |
This property displays the number of connectors the controller has. Each connector can be attached to physical disks or an enclosure. Depending on the controller type, the connector can be either a SCSI channel or a SAS port. |
Rebuild Rate |
The rebuild rate is the percentage of the system’s resources dedicated to rebuilding a failed disk when a rebuild is necessary. See "Set Rebuild Rate" for more information.
NOTE: Revertible Hot Spare operation will have the same rebuild rate that you set here.
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BGI Rate |
The background initialization (BGI) rate is the percentage of the system’s resources dedicated to performing the background initialization of a virtual disk after it is created. See "Set Background Initialization Rate" for more information. |
Check Consistency Rate |
The check consistency rate is the percentage of the system’s resources dedicated to performing a check consistency on a redundant virtual disk. See "Check Consistency" for more information. |
Reconstruct Rate |
The reconstruct rate is the percentage of the system’s resources dedicated to reconstructing a disk group after adding a physical disk or changing the RAID level of a virtual disk residing on the disk group. See "Set Reconstruct Rate" for more information. |
Alarm State |
This property displays whether the controller’s alarm is enabled or disabled.
NOTE: This property is displayed only for SCSI storage controllers.
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Abort check consistency on error |
This property enables you to stop the Check Consistency operation on error rather than continuing. This property is available only on controllers that have controller firmware version 6.1 and later. |
Revertible Hot Spare |
This property enables the automatic copying of data from a physical disk to a hot spare (in case of predictive failure) or from a hot spare to a physical disk (in case of replacement of a degraded disk). For more information, see "Revertible Hot Spare." |
Loadbalance |
This property provides the ability to automatically use both controller ports or connectors connected to the same enclosure to route I/O requests. This property is available only on SAS controllers that have controller firmware version 6.1 and later. For more information, see "Redundant path view." |
Auto replace on predictive failure |
In case of predictive failure, this property enables the automatic copying of data from a physical disk to a hot spare. Use this property in conjunction with the "Revertible Hot Spare" property. |
Redundant path view |
Indicates whether Storage Management has detected a redundant path configuration. Storage Management detects a redundant path configuration when both controller ports are connected to the same enclosure that is in a unified mode. For more information, see "Redundant Path Configuration." |
Cache Memory Size |
This property displays the size of the controller’s cache memory. |
Patrol Read Mode |
This property displays the Patrol Read mode setting for the controller. Possible values are: Auto — When set to Auto, a Patrol Read runs continuously on the system. When one iteration of the Patrol Read is complete, the next Patrol Read is scheduled to start within a period of time specified by the controller. You do not have the option of manually starting or stopping the Patrol Read in Auto mode. Manual — When set to Manual, you can start or stop the Patrol Read process. Disabled — This property indicates that the Patrol Read process is disabled. For more information about Patrol Read, see: |
Patrol Read State |
This property displays the current state of the Patrol Read process. Possible values are: Ready — The Patrol Read process is enabled and will run when next scheduled or when manually initiated. Active — The Patrol Read process is currently running. Stopped — The Patrol Read has been stopped. For more information about Patrol Read, see "Set Patrol Read Mode." |
Patrol Read Iterations |
This property displays the number of Patrol Read iterations. For more information about Patrol Read, see "Set Patrol Read Mode." |
Cluster Mode |
This property indicates whether the controller is part of a cluster configuration. |
SCSI Initiator ID |
This property displays the SCSI ID of a SCSI controller. The default value is usually 7. You can change the default value in the BIOS. In cluster mode, the value is 6 or 7. The SCSI ID is not displayed on the PERC 4/IM, PERC 3/Si, and 3/Di controllers. Use the BIOS on these controllers to identify the SCSI ID. |
Controller Tasks |
Enables you to configure and manage the controller. For more information, see "Controller Tasks:." |
Controller Tasks
Do the following to execute a controller task:
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Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
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Select a controller object. |
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Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
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Select a task from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
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Click Execute. |
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NOTE: Different controllers support different features. For this reason, the tasks displayed on the Tasks drop-down menu can vary depending on which controller is selected in the tree view. If no tasks can be performed because of controller or system configuration limitations, then the Tasks drop-down menu displays No Task Available. |
Controller Tasks:
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"Set Rebuild Rate" |
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"Export Log" |
Rescan Controller
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
On SCSI controllers, a rescan updates configuration changes (such as new or removed devices) for all components attached to the controller. For information on when you may want to do a rescan, see "Rescan to Update Storage Configuration Changes."
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NOTE: Rescan Controller is not supported on non-RAID SCSI controllers. You must reboot the system before Storage Management can see configuration changes on non-RAID SCSI controllers. Otherwise, configuration changes are not reflected in the Storage Management graphical user interface (GUI). |
To rescan a controller:
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Expand the tree view to display the controller object. |
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Select the Controller object. |
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Click the Configuration/Information subtab. |
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Select Rescan from the Controller Tasks drop-down menu. |
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Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Create Virtual Disk
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
Use the Create Virtual Disk task to launch the Create Virtual Disk Express Wizard. See "Create Virtual Disk Express Wizard (Step 1 of 2)" for more information.
Enable Alarm (Controller)
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
Use the Enable Alarm task to enable the controller’s alarm. When enabled, the alarm sounds in the event of a device failure.
Disable Alarm (Controller)
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features"
Use the Disable Alarm task to disable the controller’s alarm. When disabled, the alarm does not sound in the event of a device failure.
Quiet Alarm (Controller)
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
Use the Quiet Alarm task to quiet the controller’s alarm when it is sounding. After it is quieted, the alarm is still enabled in the event of a future device failure.
Test Alarm (Controller)
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
Use the Test Alarm task to test whether the controller alarm is functional. The alarm will sound for about two seconds.
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NOTE: The Test Alarm task is only available on the CERC SATA1.5/6ch controller. |
Set Rebuild Rate
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
Use the Set Rebuild Rate task to change the rebuild rate. See "Set Rebuild Rate" for more information.
Export Log File
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
Use this task to export the controller log to a text file. See "Export Log" for more information.
Controller Components
For information on attached components, see the following topics:
Foreign Configuration Operations
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Foreign Configuration Operations task provides a preview of the foreign configurations that you can import. This task is available on PERC 6 controllers with firmware version 6.1 and later. See "Foreign Configuration Operations" for more information.
Set Rebuild Rate
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Set Rebuild Rate task changes the controller’s rebuild rate.
During a rebuild, the complete contents of a physical disk are reconstructed. The rebuild rate, configurable between 0% and 100%, represents the percentage of the system resources dedicated to rebuilding failed physical disks. At 0%, the rebuild will have the lowest priority for the controller, will take the most time to complete, and will be the setting with the least impact to system performance. A rebuild rate of 0% does not mean that the rebuild is stopped or paused.
At 100%, the rebuild will be the highest priority for the controller, will minimize the rebuild time, and will be the setting with the most impact to system performance.
On the PERC 3/SC, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, 4e/Di, and CERC ATA100/4ch controllers, the controller firmware also uses the rebuild rate setting to control the system resource allocation for the following tasks. For these controllers, the rebuild rate setting applies to these tasks in the same manner that it applies to the Rebuild task.
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Background Initialization (see "Cancel Background Initialization") |
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Full Initialization (A BIOS setting determines whether a full or fast initialization occurs. See "Format and Initialize; Slow and Fast Initialize.") |
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Reconfigure (see "Virtual Disk Task: Reconfigure (Step 1 of 3)") |
To change the controller’s rebuild rate:
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Type a numerical value in the New Rebuild Rate text box. The value must be within the 0 – 100 range. |
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Click Apply Changes. If you want to exit and cancel your changes, click Go Back to Previous Page. |
To locate this task in Storage Management:
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Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
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Select a controller object. |
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Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
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Select Set Rebuild Rate from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Reset Configuration
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
Use the Reset Configuration task to erase all information on the controller so that you can perform a fresh configuration. This operation destroys all data and virtual disks on the controller and unassigns any hot spares.
You will need to completely reconfigure your storage after performing this operation.
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NOTICE: Resetting a configuration permanently destroys all data on all virtual disks attached to the controller. If the system or boot partition resides on these virtual disks, it will be destroyed. |
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NOTE: Resetting the controller configuration does not remove a foreign configuration. To remove a foreign configuration, use the "Clear Foreign Configuration" task. |
To reset the controller configuration:
1 ![]() |
Review the virtual disks that will be destroyed by resetting the controller configuration. Make backups as necessary. Click Blink at the bottom of the screen to blink the physical disks included in the virtual disks. |
2 ![]() |
Click Reset Configuration when you are ready to erase all information on the controller. To exit without resetting the controller configuration, click Go Back to Previous Page. |
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Reset Configuration from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Export Log
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Export Log task exports the controller log to a text file. The log gives detailed information on the controller activities and can be useful for troubleshooting.
On a Microsoft® Windows® system, the log file is exported to the windows or winnt directory. On a Linux system, the log file is exported to the /var/log directory.
Depending on the controller, the log file name will be either afa_<mmdd>.log or lsi_<mmdd>.log where <mmdd> is the month and date. For example, a log file exported on September 21 will be named either afa_0921.log or lsi_0921.log.
Exporting the controller log file clears the log file information from the controller log.
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NOTE: The Export Log File command is not supported on the PERC 4/IM, CERC ATA100/4ch, CERC SATA1.5/2s. In addition, some of the non-RAID SCSI controllers do not support the Export Log File command. |
To export the controller log file:
Click Export Log File when ready. To exit without exporting the controller log file, click Go Back to Previous Page.
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Export Log from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Foreign Configuration Operations
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NOTE: Foreign Configuration Operations is available only on SAS controllers with firmware versions 6.1 and later. |
A foreign configuration is data residing on physical disks that have been moved from one controller to another. Virtual disks residing on physical disks that have been moved are considered to be a foreign configuration.
The Foreign Configuration Operations option is displayed only when a controller detects a foreign configuration. Select this option and click Execute to display the Foreign Configuration Preview page.
The Foreign Configuration Operations task displays the foreign configuration preview of the foreign disks and enables you to perform operations such as, importing, recovering, or clearing the foreign disks.
Some conditions, such as an unsupported RAID level or an incomplete disk group, can prevent the import or recovery of foreign virtual disks.
Foreign Configuration Properties
The following table describes the properties that are displayed for the Foreign Disks and Global Hot Spares.
Property |
Definition |
||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Status |
These icons represent the severity or health of the storage component. |
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|
Normal/OK Warning/Non-critical Critical/Fatal See "Storage Component Severity" for more information. |
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Name |
This property displays the name of the foreign configuration and is available as a link. The link enables you to access the physical disks that constitute the foreign disk. |
||||||||||||||
State |
This property displays the current state of the foreign configuration. Ready — The foreign disk can be imported and will function normally after import. Degraded — The foreign disk is in degraded state and will rebuild after import. Failed — The foreign disk has encountered a failure and is no longer functioning. You cannot import the foreign configuration. The foreign configuration may be in degraded or failed state due to any of the following reasons:
NOTE: For other applicable physical disk tasks and properties, see "Physical Disk Properties and Tasks."
|
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Layout |
This property displays the RAID level of the foreign configuration. |
||||||||||||||
Remarks |
This property gives more information about the foreign virtual disk. If the virtual disk cannot be imported, the reason for failure is displayed.
|
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Dedicated Hot Spare |
This property displays whether the foreign disk is a dedicated hot spare. |
Based on this information, you can decide whether you want to import, recover, or clear the foreign configuration.
To preview the import of foreign configuration
Click Foreign Configuration Operations from the Controller Tasks drop down menu. Click Execute to display the Foreign Configuration Preview screen.
To locate this task in Storage Management
For SAS controllers with firmware version 6.1:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Foreign Configuration Operations from the Controller Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
Importing Foreign Configurations
Some controllers enable you to import a foreign configuration so that virtual disks are not lost after moving the physical disks.
To be imported, the foreign configuration must contain a virtual disk that is in either Ready or Degraded state. In other words, all of the virtual disk data must be present, but if the virtual disk is using a redundant RAID level, the additional redundant data does not need to be present.
For example, if the foreign configuration contains only one side of a mirror in a RAID 1 virtual disk, then the virtual disk is in Degraded state and can be imported. On the other hand, if the foreign configuration contains only one physical disk that was originally configured as a RAID 5 using three physical disks, then the RAID 5 virtual disk is failed and cannot be imported.
In addition to virtual disks, a foreign configuration may consist of a physical disk that was assigned as a hot spare on one controller and then moved to another controller. The Import Foreign Configuration task imports the new physical disk as a hot spare. If the physical disk was a dedicated hot spare on the previous controller, but the virtual disk to which the hot spare was assigned is no longer present in the foreign configuration, then the physical disk is imported as a global hot spare.
The Import Foreign Configuration task is only displayed when the controller has detected a foreign configuration. You can also identify whether or not a physical disk contains a foreign configuration (virtual disk or hot spare) by checking the physical disk state. If the physical disk state is Foreign, then the physical disk contains all or some portion of a virtual disk or has a hot spare assignment.
If you have an incomplete foreign configuration which cannot be imported, you can use the "Clear Foreign Configuration" task to erase the foreign data on the physical disks.
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NOTE: The task of importing foreign configuration imports all virtual disks residing on physical disks that have been added to the controller. If more than one foreign virtual disk is present, you cannot choose which one to import. All foreign configurations will be imported. |
Importing/Recovering Foreign Configurations
The recover operation attempts to restore degraded, failed, or missing virtual disks to a healthy state. A virtual disk may be in a degraded, failed, or missing state after losing communication with the controller due to a power loss, faulty cable connection, or other failure. A rebuild or background initialization may automatically initiate after the recover operation completes.
The virtual disk data may be inconsistent after recovery. You should always verify the virtual disk data after the Import/Recover Foreign Configuration task completes.
In some cases, the virtual disk data is incomplete and it is not possible to successfully recover the virtual disk.
To import or recover a foreign configuration:
Click Import/Recover when you are ready to import or recover all virtual disks residing on physical disks attached to the controller. To exit without importing or recovering the foreign configuration, click Cancel.
To locate this task in Storage Management:
For SAS controllers with firmware versions 6.1 and later:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Foreign Configuration Operations from the Controller Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
6 ![]() |
On the Foreign Configuration Preview page, click Import/Recover. |
For controllers with firmware version 6.0 and earlier:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Import/Recover Foreign Configuration from the Controller tasks. |
Related Information:
Clear Foreign Configuration
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
After moving a physical disk from one controller to another, you may find that the physical disk contains all or some portion of a virtual disk (foreign configuration). You can identify whether or not a previously used physical disk contains a foreign configuration (virtual disk) by checking the physical disk state. If the physical disk state is Foreign, then the physical disk contains all or some portion of a virtual disk. Use the clear foreign configuration task to clear or erase the virtual disk information from the newly attached physical disks.
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NOTE: The clear foreign configuration task permanently destroys all data residing on the physical disks that have been added to the controller. If more than one foreign virtual disk is present, you cannot choose which one to clear. All will be cleared or erased. You may prefer to import the virtual disk rather than destroy the data. See "Importing Foreign Configurations" and "Importing/Recovering Foreign Configurations" for more information. |
To clear a foreign configuration:
Click Clear Foreign Configuration when you are ready to clear or erase all virtual disks residing on physical disks that have been added to the controller. To exit without clearing the foreign configuration, click Cancel.
To locate this task in Storage Management:
For SAS controllers with firmware versions 6.1 and later:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Foreign Configuration Operations from the Controller Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
6 ![]() |
On the Foreign Configuration Preview page, click Clear. |
For controllers with firmware version 6.0 and earlier:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Clear Foreign Configuration from the Controller tasks. |
Related Information:
Physical Disks in Foreign Virtual Disks
The Physical Disks in Foreign Virtual Disks page displays the physical disks and the dedicated hot spare, if any, included in the foreign configuration.
The following table describes properties for physical disks in the foreign configuration.
Property |
Definition |
---|---|
Status |
These icons represent the severity or health of the storage component. |
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|
Normal/OK Warning/Non-critical Critical/Fatal See "Storage Component Severity" for more information. |
Name |
This property displays the name of the physical disk. The name is comprised of the connector number followed by the disk number. |
Current State |
This property displays the current state of the physical disk. |
After Import State |
This property displays the after-import state of the physical disk. The physical disk can be imported in any of the following states. Online — The physical disk will be part of the imported virtual disk and will function normally. Offline — The physical disk will be offline after import to the virtual disk. Foreign — The virtual disk containing the physical disk cannot be imported and the physical disk will remain in foreign state. Rebuild — After import of virtual disk, the physical disk will rebuild. Replacing — A Replace Member Disk task will be performed on the physical disk. For more information, see "Replace Member Disk" and "Revertible Hot Spare." |
Capacity |
This property displays the full capacity of the disk. |
Failure Predicted |
This property displays whether or not the physical disk has received a Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) alert and is therefore predicted to fail. For more information on SMART predictive failure analysis, see "Monitoring Disk Reliability on RAID Controllers." For information on replacing the physical disk, see "Replacing a Physical Disk Receiving SMART Alerts." You may also want to review the Alert Log to see whether the physical disk has generated alerts pertaining to a SMART predictive failure. These alerts can assist you in identifying the cause of the SMART alert. The following alerts may be generated in response to a SMART alert: "2094" "2106" "2107" "2108" "2109" "2110" "2111" |
Progress |
This property displays the progress of an operation being performed on the physical disk. For example, if the physical disk is being rebuilt, then a value of 52% indicates that the rebuild is 52% complete. This property is only displayed when an operation is being performed on the physical disk. |
Type |
This property displays the technology that the physical disk is using. Possible values are: SCSI — Small Computer System Interface SAS — Serial Attached SCSI SATA — Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) |
Used RAID Disk Space |
This property displays how much of the physical disk space is being used by the virtual disks on the controller. This property is not applicable for physical disks attached to non-RAID controllers. In certain circumstances, the Used RAID Disk Space displays a value of zero (0) even though a portion of the physical disk is actually being used. This occurs when the used space is 0.005 GB or less. The algorithm for calculating the used disk space rounds off a figure of 0.005 GB or less to 0. Used disk space that is between 0.006 GB and 0.009 GB is rounded off to 0.01 GB. |
Available RAID Disk Space |
This property displays the amount of available space on the disk. This property is not applicable for physical disks attached to non-RAID controllers. |
Hot Spare |
This property indicates whether the disk has been assigned as a hot spare. This property is not applicable for physical disks attached to non-RAID controllers. |
Vendor ID |
This property displays the disk’s hardware vendor. |
Product ID |
This property displays the disk’s product ID. |
Revision |
This property displays the disk’s revision number. |
Serial No. |
This property displays the disk's serial number. |
Negotiated Speed |
This property displays the speed of data transfer that the disk negotiated while spinning up and upon initial communication with the controller. This speed is dependent on the speed of the disk, the capable speed of the controller, the current speed of the controller on that connector, and the speed of the Enclosure Management Module (EMM) on the enclosure. |
Capable Speed |
This property displays the highest possible speed with which the device can transfer data. |
Manufacture Day |
This property displays the day of the month on which the physical disk was manufactured. |
Manufacture Week |
This property displays the week of the year during which the physical disk was manufactured. |
Manufacture Year |
This property displays the year in which the physical disk was manufactured. |
SAS Address |
This property displays the SAS address of the physical disk. The SAS address is unique to each SAS disk. |
Related Information:
Set Background Initialization Rate
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Set Background Initialization Rate task changes the amount of system resources dedicated to the background initialization task. See "Background Initialization on PERC 3/SC, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, and 4e/Di Controllers" for more information on the background initialization task.
The background initialization rate, configurable between 0% and 100%, represents the percentage of the system resources dedicated to running the background initialization task. At 0%, the background initialization will have the lowest priority for the controller, will take the most time to complete, and will be the setting with the least impact to system performance. A background initialization rate of 0% does not mean that the background initialization is stopped or paused.
At 100%, the background initialization will be the highest priority for the controller, will minimize the background initialization time, and will be the setting with the most impact to system performance.
To change the controller’s background initialization rate:
1 ![]() |
Type a numerical value in the New Background Initialization Rate text box. The value must be within the 0 – 100 range. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply Changes. If you want to exit and cancel your changes, click Go Back to Previous Page. |
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Set Background Initialization Rate from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Set Check Consistency Rate
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Set Check Consistency Rate task changes the amount of system resources dedicated to the check consistency task. See "Check Consistency" for more information about the check consistency task.
The check consistency rate, configurable between 0% and 100%, represents the percentage of the system resources dedicated to running the check consistency task. At 0%, the check consistency will have the lowest priority for the controller, will take the most time to complete, and will be the setting with the least impact to system performance. A check consistency rate of 0% does not mean that the check consistency is stopped or paused.
At 100%, the check consistency will be the highest priority for the controller, will minimize the check consistency time, and will be the setting with the most impact to system performance.
To change the controller’s check consistency rate:
1 ![]() |
Type a numerical value in the New Check Consistency Rate text box. The value must be within the 0 – 100 range. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply Changes. If you want to exit and cancel your changes, click Go Back to Previous Page. |
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Set Check Consistency Rate from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Related Information:
Set Reconstruct Rate
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Set Reconstruct Rate task changes the amount of system resources dedicated to the reconstruct task.
The reconstruct task remakes the virtual disk after you have changed the RAID level or otherwise reconfigured the virtual disk. The reconstruct rate, configurable between 0% and 100%, represents the percentage of the system resources dedicated to running the reconstruct task. At 0%, the reconstruct will have the lowest priority for the controller, will take the most time to complete, and will be the setting with the least impact to system performance. A reconstruct rate of 0% does not mean that the reconstruct is stopped or paused.
At 100%, the reconstruct will be the highest priority for the controller, will minimize the reconstruct time, and will be the setting with the most impact to system performance.
To change the controller’s reconstruct rate:
1 ![]() |
Type a numerical value in the New Reconstruct Rate text box. The value must be within the 0 – 100 range. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply Changes. If you want to exit and cancel your changes, click Go Back to Previous Page. |
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Set Reconstruct Rate from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Related Information:
Redundant Path Configuration
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
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NOTE: This feature requires that the physical devices connected to the controller have the latest firmware. For the latest supported firmware, see the Dell Support website at support.dell.com. |
This feature is supported only on SAS controllers with firmware version 6.1 or later., which can be connected to enclosures (and not backplanes). The supported enclosures are Dell™ PowerVault™ MD1000 and PowerVault MD1120. This feature enables load balancing by faster processing of I/O requests.
In a redundant path configuration, connect both the connectors of a SAS enclosure—which must be in a unified mode—to both connectors of a controller. Storage Management detects this configuration and displays it on the user interface as a redundant path configuration. The two connectors (Connector 0 and Connector 1) that were previously available are now replaced with one Logical Connector.
In a daisy chain scenario where more than one enclosure is connected to a controller in a redundant path mode, Storage Management allows you to connect a maximum of three enclosures in a daisy chain. See the figure below for an example of a daisy chain configuration.
If the communication channel between the connector and the first enclosure is lost, the redundant path configuration itself is lost. In this case, the health of the logical connector is displayed as critical. Navigate to the Information/Configuration subtab of the logical connector to view details of the "Path Health." See the table below for a brief outline of this scenario.
Health of Logical Connector |
Path between Controller and Enclosure 1 |
|
---|---|---|
Connector 0 (C0) |
Connector 1 (C1) |
|
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|
Available |
Available |
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|
Available |
Disconnected |
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|
Disconnected |
Available |
However, if the communication channel between any two enclosures is lost, the redundant path configuration is degraded and the health of the logical connector is displayed as degraded. See the table below for a brief outline of this scenario.
Health of Logical Connector |
Path between Enclosure n and Enclosure n+1 |
|
---|---|---|
Connector 0 (C0) |
Connector 1 (C1) |
|
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|
Available |
Available |
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|
Available |
Disconnected |
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|
Disconnected |
Available |
In this case, the enclosure status is displayed in warning mode. The Enclosures page displays all enclosure components (EMMs, Fans, Physical Disks, Power Supplies, and Temperature) to be in normal condition. Select the Information/Configuration subtab of the enclosure. This page displays the Path Failure message to indicate that the enclosure has lost a communication path to the controller, thereby indicating that the enclosure is no longer in redundant path mode. For more information, see "Path Health."
Clearing the Redundant Path View
Consider a case where you reboot your system and Storage Management, displays the Logical Connector with a path failure message. It is possible that you may have intentionally unplugged the second connector. In this case, the path failure message is not relevant. Else, there could be a fault in the connected cable or the cable may not be connected properly to the controller. In both cases, Storage Management displays that the system was in redundant path configuration before reboot and is no longer in this configuration. If you are sure you do not want the redundant path mode, clear the existing redundant path view using Clear Redundant Path View provided in the "Change Controller Properties" controller task. Selecting this option clears the redundant path view and the connectors are represented on the user interface as Connector 0 and Connector 1.
Related Topics
Set Patrol Read Mode
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
Patrol Read is a feature for identifying disk errors in order to avoid disk failures and data loss or corruption. The Patrol Read only runs on disks that are being used in a virtual disk or that are hot spares.
When possible, the Patrol Read corrects disk errors and restores the integrity of the data. The Patrol Read task runs in the background. When the Patrol Read mode is set to Auto, the Patrol Read is initiated when the controller has been idle for a period of time and when no other background tasks are active. In this circumstance, the Patrol Read feature also enhances system performance as disk errors can be identified and corrected while the disk is not the subject of I/O activity.
The controller adjusts the amount of system resources dedicated to the Patrol Read based on the amount of controller activity that is competing with the Patrol Read task. During heavy controller activity, fewer system resources are dedicated to the Patrol Read task.
The Patrol Read will not run on a physical disk in the following circumstances:
•![]() |
The physical disk is not included in a virtual disk or assigned as a hot spare. |
•![]() |
The physical disk is included in a virtual disk that is currently undergoing one of the following: |
•![]() |
A rebuild |
•![]() |
A reconfiguration or reconstruction |
•![]() |
A background initialization |
•![]() |
A check consistency |
In addition, the Patrol Read suspends during heavy I/O activity and resumes when the I/O is finished.
To set the Patrol Read mode:
Click the radio button for the Patrol Read mode setting that you want to select: The possible settings are:
•![]() |
Auto — Setting the mode to Auto initiates the Patrol Read task. When the task is complete, it automatically runs again within a specified period of time. For example, on some controllers the Patrol Read runs every four hours and on other controllers, the Patrol Read runs every seven days. The Patrol Read task runs continuously on the system starting again within the specified period of time after each iteration of the task completes. If the system reboots while the Patrol Read task is running in Auto mode, the Patrol Read restarts at zero percent (0%). When the Patrol Read task is set to Auto mode, you cannot start or stop the task. Auto mode is the default setting. |
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NOTE: Refer to your controller documentation for more information on how often the Patrol Read task runs when in Auto mode. |
•![]() |
Manual — Setting the mode to Manual enables you to start and stop the Patrol Read when you want using the "Start and Stop Patrol Read" tasks. Setting the mode to Manual does not initiate the Patrol Read task. If you have started the Patrol Read and the system reboots while the Patrol Read is running in Manual mode, the Patrol Read does not restart. |
•![]() |
Disabled — Setting the mode to Disabled prevents the Patrol Read task from running on the system. |
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Set Patrol Read Mode from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Related Information:
Start and Stop Patrol Read
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
When the Patrol Read mode is set to manual, you can start the Patrol Read task or stop the task when it is running.
There are certain conditions under which the Patrol Read task cannot be run. See "Set Patrol Read Mode" for more information.
To start or stop the Patrol Read task:
Click Start Patrol Read or Stop Patrol Read when ready. To exit without starting or stopping the Patrol Read, click Go Back to Previous Page.
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Start Patrol Read or Stop Patrol Read from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
You can also locate this task from the Change Controller Properties drop down menu. For more information, see "Change Controller Properties."
Related Information:
Change Controller Properties
Does my controller support this feature? See "Supported Features."
The Change Controller Properties task provides you the option to change multiple controller properties simultaneously. This task is available only on SAS controllers with firmware version 6.1 and later.
You can change any or all of the following properties using the Change Controller Properties task:
•![]() |
Rebuild Rate |
•![]() |
BGI Rate |
•![]() |
Check Consistency Rate |
•![]() |
Reconstruct Rate |
•![]() |
Abort check consistency on error |
•![]() |
Revertible Hot Spare |
•![]() |
Loadbalance |
•![]() |
Auto replace member on predictive failure |
•![]() |
Re dundant path view |
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NOTE: You can set these properties through the command line interface also. See "omconfig Controller Commands" for more information. |
To locate this task in Storage Management, do one of the following:
1 ![]() |
Select Storage in the Storage tree. |
2 ![]() |
On the Storage Dashboard page, select Change Controller Properties... from the Available Tasks drop down menu. |
3 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
Or:
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select a controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Select the Information/Configuration subtab. |
4 ![]() |
Select Change Controller Properties... from the Controller Tasks drop down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
Related Information:
•![]() |
"Set Rebuild Rate" |
•![]() |
"Loadbalance" |
Manage Pinned Cache
The Managed Pinned Cache feature provides you the option to ignore or restore the controller cache data.
In the write-back policy, data is written to the cache before being written to the physical disk. If the virtual disk goes offline or is deleted for any reason, the data in the cache is lost.
Data in the cache may also be lost in case of unintended cable or power failure. In the event of such a failure, Storage Management preserves the data written on the pinned or dirty cache until you recover the virtual disk or clear the cache.
This feature is available only on SAS controllers with firmware version 6.1 and later.
The status of the controller is affected by the pinned cache. The controller status is displayed as degraded if the controller has pinned cache.
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NOTICE: You may not be able to use Storage Management to manage the pinned cache in some cases. As an example, consider you have a RAID 1 level with two disks—D1 and D2. If you now remove D2, the virtual disk is degraded and the data in the controller cache is written to D1. At this point, D1 has the latest data. Now, if you re-insert D2 and pull out D1, the virtual disk will still be degraded and will not have the latest data. |
Manage Pinned Cache
You can discard the pinned cache only if all of the following conditions are met:
•![]() |
The controller does not have any foreign configuration. Select Click for Preview to view details of the foreign configuration. See "Foreign Configuration Operations." |
•![]() |
The controller does not have any offline or missing virtual disks. If there are offline or missing virtual disks, ensure you have a backup of these virtual disks. |
•![]() |
Cables to any virtual disk are not disconnected. |