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
PERC 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4/IM, 4e/Si, and 4e/Di RAID controllers use Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) technology.
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) 6/I family of controllers uses Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) technology.
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 |
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PERC S100, S110, and S300 controllers |
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PERC H200, H700, and H800 controllers |
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PERC H310 Adapter, PERC H310 Mini Monolithic, PERC H310 Mini Blades, PERC H710 Adapter, PERC H710 Mini Blades, PERC H710 Mini Monolithic, PERC H710P Adapter, PERC H710P Mini Blades, PERC H710P Mini Monolithic, and PERC H810 Adapter controllers |
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 redundant 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—This freature enables 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 encryption 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 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. The only exception are PERC S100 and S300. This restriction protects a controller without a battery from the loss of data 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 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 either displays Write Cache Disabled as the only available option or the wizard does not display any option 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: For virtual disks based on SATA drives, the default Disk Cache Policy is Enabled; and for virtual disks based on SAS drives, it is Disabled. |
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NOTE: For SAS 6i/R and PERC H200 family of controllers, disk cache policy setting is available only after creating the virtual disk. |
Cluster-enabled RAID Controllers
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NOTE: This section applies to PERC 4/DC and 4e/DC cards. |
Storage Management supports PERC 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 configure resource ownership in an Microsoft Windows cluster configuration. |
Updating the Display of Clustered Resources
This section applies to PERC 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 PERC 4/DC and 4e/DC controllers
When downloading firmware to a clustered controller, it is recommended that you turn off 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 PERC 4/DC and 4e/DC controllers
If you are using a PERC 4/DC or 4e/DC controller in a cluster configuration, you must turn 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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Turn 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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Considerations Before Creating Virtual Disks |
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Creating Virtual Disks |
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Virtual Disk Task: Delete |
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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.
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NOTE: On replacing a SMART error drive with a good drive on PERC4/IM controllers, it is necessary to perform a rescan operation on the controller, for Storage Management to display the correct status of the newly inserted drive. |
Background Initialization on PERC Controllers
On PERC 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 automatically restarts 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 LSI PCI-e U320 non-RAID controllers use Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) technology. The ITA for LSI PCI-e U320 SCSI non-RAID controllers is supported in this release.
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 |
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SAS 6Gbps Adapter |
Firmware/Driver Versions
Use this window to view information about the controller firmware and drivers. For more information on firmware and drivers, see Before Installing 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 Troubleshooting.
Severity |
Component Status |
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Normal/OK. The component is working as expected. |
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Warning/Non-critical. A probe or other monitoring device has detected a reading for the component that is above or below the acceptable level. The component may still be functioning, but it could fail. The component may also be functioning in an impaired state. Data loss is possible. |
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Critical/Failure/Error. The component has either failed or failure is imminent. The component requires immediate attention and may need to be replaced. Data loss may have occurred. |
Controller Information
For information on the controller, see the following topics:
Controller Components
For information on attached components, see the following topics:
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RAID Controller Batteries |
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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. For more information, see Storage Component Severity. |
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Normal/OK Warning/Non-critical Critical/Fatal |
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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. For information on Command Line Interface, see the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Command Line Interface User's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals. |
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Name |
This property displays the name of the controller. |
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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. |
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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. For the most recent driver and firmware requirements, see support.dell.com. |
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Driver Version |
This property displays the version of the driver that is currently installed on the controller.
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. For the most recent driver and firmware requirements, see support.dell.com. |
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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. |
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Rebuild Rate |
The rebuild rate is the percentage of the system's resources dedicated to rebuilding a failed disk when a rebuild is necessary. For more information, see Set Rebuild Rate.
NOTE: Revertible Hot Spare operation has 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. For more information, see Set Background Initialization Rate. |
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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. For more information, see Check Consistency. |
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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. For more information, see Set Reconstruct Rate. |
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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. |
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Allow Revertible Hot Spare and Replace Member |
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. |
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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. |
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Auto replace member 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 Allow Revertible Hot Spare and Replace Member property. |
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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. |
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Encryption Capable |
Indicates whether the controller has the capability to support encryption. Possible values are Yes and No. |
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Encryption Key Present |
Indicates whether the controller has an Encryption Key established. Possible values are Yes and No. |
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Encryption Mode |
Indicates whether the controller is using Local Key Management (LKM) or None. For more information, see Manage Encryption Key. |
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Cache Memory Size |
This property displays the size of the controller's cache memory. |
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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 Set Patrol Read Mode and Start and Stop Patrol Read. |
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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 runs 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. |
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Patrol Read Rate |
This property represents the percentage of the system resources dedicated for running the patrol read operation. It changes the amount of system resources assigned for the Patrol Read task. The patrol read rate can be configured between 0% and 100%, where:
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Patrol Read Iterations |
This property displays the number of Patrol Read iterations. For more information about Patrol Read, see Set Patrol Read Mode. |
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Cluster Mode |
This property indicates whether the controller is part of a cluster configuration. |
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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 controllers. Use the BIOS on these controllers to identify the SCSI ID. |
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Persistent Hot Spare |
The possible values are: Enabled: The slot corresponding to the hot spare drive is persistent. Any drive in the slot functions as a hot spare if the drive is qualified to be a hot spare.
NOTE: Any drive in the slot functions as a hot spare. If the drive contains foreign data, it is overwritten.
Disabled: The slot corresponding to the hot spare drive is not persistent. If the drive is removed from the slot and any drive is inserted, the slot stops function as a hot spare. You need to manually assign the drive as a hot spare again. |
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Controller Tasks |
Enables you to configure and manage the controller. For more information, see Controller Tasks:. |
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Available Reports |
Enables you to view Patrol Read report, Check Consistency report, and Slot Occupancy report. For more information, see Available Reports. |
Controller Tasks
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:
Available Reports
To view a report:
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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 report from the Select Report drop-down menu. |
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Click Execute. |
Available Reports
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 sounds for about 2 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:
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Battery Properties and Tasks |
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Connector Properties and Tasks |
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Enclosure and Backplane Properties and Tasks |
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Virtual Disk Properties and Tasks |
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. For more information, see Foreign Configuration Operations.
Manage Physical Disk Power
Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.
The Manage Physical Disk Power task allows to manage the power consumed by the physical disks by spinning down the hotspares and unconfigured drives if there is no I/O activity for a specified amount of time. This option is supported with PERC H700, H800, and H310 cards. Additionally, Dell PERC H810, H710, and H710P cards support power saving configurations on unconfigured, Hot Spare, and configured disks.
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 has the lowest priority for the controller, takes the most time to complete, and is 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 is the highest priority for the controller, minimizes the rebuild time, and is the setting with the most impact to system performance.
On the PERC 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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Check Consistency |
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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:
1 ![]() |
Type a numerical value in the New Rebuild Rate text box. The value must be within the 0 - 100 range. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply Changes. 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 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 must completely reconfigure your storage after performing this operation.
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CAUTION: 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 is 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 is 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 system running Microsoft Windows, the log file is exported to the windows or winnt directory. On a system running Linux operating systems, the log file is exported to the /var/log directory.
Depending on the controller, the log file name is either afa_<mmdd>.log or lsi_<mmdd>.log where <mmdd> is the month and date.
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NOTE: In the VMware ESXi environment, only one log file is created (lsiexport.log). If the file already exists, exporting the log file overwrites the existing log file. |
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NOTE: Controllers without cache cannot store logs and export log files. |
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 has been moved from one controller to another. Virtual disks residing on physical disks that have been moved are considered to be a foreign configuration.
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NOTE: It is not recommend to remove an external enclosure cable while the operating system is running on the system. Removing the cable could result in a foreign configuration when the connection is re-established. |
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 Preview screen provides a preview of the foreign disks and enables you to perform operations such as, importing, recovering, or clearing the foreign disks. You can also import or clear a locked foreign configuration.
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If any foreign configurations locked using Local Key manager (LKM) are detected, the associated Encryption Key Identifier is displayed prompting you to enter the corresponding Passphrase to unlock the drives. |
To avoid unlocking foreign configurations and to proceed to preview/import/clear a foreign configuration that has not been locked, click Skip or Continue.
If you do not want to import/clear the foreign configurations, or in case of loss of the associated Passphrase of the corresponding Encryption Key Identifier, execute the Instant Encrypt Erase task for the physical disks.
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CAUTION: Executing the Instant Encrypt Erase task erases all data on the physical disk. |
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 |
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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 For more information, see Storage Component Severity. |
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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. |
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State |
This property displays the current state of the foreign configuration. Ready—The foreign disk can be imported and functions normally after import. Degraded—The foreign disk is in degraded state and rebuilds 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. |
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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.
You can import a foreign configuration only if it contains 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 is not required.
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 option 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 are 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. |
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 are cleared or erased. You may prefer to import the virtual disk rather than destroy the data. For more information, see Importing Foreign Configurations and Importing/Recovering Foreign Configurations. |
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. |
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 |
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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 For more information, see Storage Component Severity. |
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Name |
This property displays the name of the physical disk. The name is comprised of the connector number followed by the disk number. |
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State |
This property displays the current state of the physical disk. |
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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 is part of the imported virtual disk and functions normally. Offline—The physical disk is offline after import to the virtual disk. Foreign—The virtual disk containing the physical disk cannot be imported and the physical disk remains in foreign state. Rebuild—After import of virtual disk, the physical disk rebuilds. Replacing—A Replace Member Disk task is performed on the physical disk. For more information, see Replace Member Disk and Revertible Hot Spare. |
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Capacity |
This property displays the full capacity of the disk. |
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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 For information on Alert Messages, see the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.
NOTE: On replacing a SMART error drive with a good drive on PERC4/IM controllers, it is necessary to perform a rescan operation on the controller, for Storage Management to display the correct status of the newly inserted drive.
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Progress |
This property displays the progress of an operation being performed on the physical disk. This property is only displayed when an operation is being performed on the physical disk. |
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Bus Protocol |
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) |
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Dell Certified |
This property indicates that the drive has Dell firmware which has been tested and fully qualified by Dell. Drives that are not Dell certified may work but, are not supported and recommended for use in Dell servers. |
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Media |
This property displays the media type of the physical disk. The possible values are: HDD—Hard Disk Drive. A HDD is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally-encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. SSD—Solid State Drive. An SSD is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data. Unknown—Storage Management is unable to determine the media type of the physical disk. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Vendor ID |
This property displays the disk's hardware vendor. |
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Product ID |
This property displays the disk's product ID. |
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Revision |
This property displays the drive's firmware version. |
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Serial No. |
This property displays the disk's serial number. |
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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. |
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Capable Speed |
This property displays the highest possible speed with which the device can transfer data. |
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Manufacture Day |
This property displays the day of the month on which the physical disk was manufactured. |
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Manufacture Week |
This property displays the week of the year during which the physical disk was manufactured. |
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Manufacture Year |
This property displays the year in which the physical disk was manufactured. |
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SAS Address |
This property displays the SAS address of the physical disk. The SAS address is unique to each SAS disk. |
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After Import Status |
This property displays what the status of the physical disk would be after the foreign configuration has been imported. Possible values are:
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Product ID |
It is the serial number of the drive and can be used as a unique number to identify the disk. |
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Encryption Capable |
This property displays whether the physical disk is a Self Encryption Disk (SED.) The possible values are Yes and No. |
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Encrypted |
This property displays whether the physical disk is encrypted to the controller. The possible values are Yes and No. For a non-SED the value is N/A. |
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Part Number |
The part number is the unique Bill Of Materials assignment number for a physical disk. The characters 4 through 8 represent the Dell part number for that model drive. |
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 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 has the lowest priority for the controller, takes the most time to complete, and is 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 is the highest priority for the controller. The background initialization time is minimized and is 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. 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 has the lowest priority for the controller, takes the most time to complete, and is 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 is the highest priority for the controller. The check consistency time is minimized and is 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. 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:
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Check Consistency |
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Cancel Check Consistency |
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 has the lowest priority for the controller, takes the most time to complete, and is 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 is the highest priority for the controller, the reconstruct time is minimized, and is 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. 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:
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Virtual Disk Task: Reconfigure (Step 1 of 3) |
Redundant Path Configuration
Does my Controller Support This Feature? See Supported Features.
Redundant path is supported only on external PERC cards that use firmware version 6.1 and later. A redundant path internal to the system is not supported. Dell PowerVault MD1xxx enclosures are supported.
For redundant paths, the enclosure must be in the Unified mode but specific port connections are not required. A connection from either controller ports to either EMM In ports creates the redundant path as long as two cables are used. But, Redundant Path continues to appear in the field even as the redundant path is removed. The redundant path ceases to appear only when it is cleared in the storage management.
In a daisy-chain scenario, more than one enclosure can be connected to a controller in a redundant path mode. You can connect up to three PowerVault MD1000 and MD1120 to a PERC 6/E controller in a daisy-chained enclosure. And, you can connect up to four PowerVault MD1200 and MD1220 to a PERC H800 and PERC H810 controller in a daisy-chained enclosure. For an example of a daisy chain configuration (for PERC 6/E controller.), see Figure 6-1.
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. For a brief outline of this scenario, see Table 6-6
Health of Logical Connector |
Path between Controller and Enclosure 1 |
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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. For a brief outline of this scenario, see Table 6-7.
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
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Logical Connector Properties and Tasks |
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Enclosure and Backplane Properties and Tasks |
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 does not run on a physical disk in the following circumstances:
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The physical disk is not included in a virtual disk or assigned as a hot spare. |
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The physical disk is included in a virtual disk that is currently undergoing one of the following: |
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A rebuild |
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A reconfiguration or reconstruction |
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A background initialization |
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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:
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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. |
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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. |
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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:
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Rebuild Rate |
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BGI Rate |
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Check Consistency Rate |
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Reconstruct Rate |
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Abort check consistency on error |
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Revertible Hot Spare |
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Loadbalance |
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Auto replace member on predictive failure |
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Redundant path view |
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Persistent hot spare |
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NOTE: You can set these properties through the command line interface also. See the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Command Line Interface User's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals, 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:
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Revertible Hot Spare |
Manage Physical Disk Power
Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.
The Manage Physical Disk Power task allows you to manage the power consumed by the physical disks.
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NOTE: The Manage Physical Disk Power task is provided with PERC H700, H800, and H310 cards by spinning down the hot spares and unconfigured disks. PERC H710, H710P, and H810 cards also support the Manage Physical Disk Power task with additional power saving modes, Spin Down Configured Drives, and Automatic Disk Power Saving (Idle C) options. |
You can enable one of the following modes to manage power consumed:
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No Power Savings Mode—This is the default mode for the controller. In this mode, all power saving features are disabled. |
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Balanced Power Savings Mode—provides good power savings while limiting I/O latency. |
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Maximum Power Savings Mode—provides maximum power savings for all drives. |
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Customized Power Savings Mode—provides the option for you to customize the power savings settings. The default values are populated when you select this power mode. You can select or deselect the features you want to enable. To enable the Quality of Service (QoS) feature, select the Customized Power Savings Mode→ select Enable for the Spin Down Configured Drives option. You can use the Quality of Service (QoS) to customize power saving on configured drives by setting the Start Time and Time interval to spin up. |
The following table displays the properties in the Manage Physical Disk Power option:
Property |
Definition |
---|---|
Spin Down Unconfigured Drives |
The Enabled option spins down the unconfigured disks if they are unattended for a specified interval of time. |
Spin Down Hot Spares |
The Enabled option spins down the hot spares if no read-write operation takes place on the hot spare in a specified interval of time. |
Spin Down Configured Drives |
The Enabled option spins down the configured disks if they are unattended for a specified interval of time. |
Automatic Disk Power Saving (Idle C) |
The idle timer setting allows you to configure the time that the drives must remain idle before being spun down. |
Time Interval for Spin Down |
This property sets the time interval after which the hot spares and unconfigured drives spins down. |
Quality Of Service (QOS) |
|
Enable Quality Of Service Settings |
Select this check box to set the start time and the time interval for spin up.activity at the virtual disk level.
NOTE: This option is avaialble only if the Spin Down Configured Drives option is selected.
|
Start Time (HH:MM) |
The start time of the battery learn cycle. This option is enabled only if the Enable Quality Of Service Settings check box is selected. |
Time Interval for Spin Up(in Hours) |
The spin up time interval for the battery learn cycle. The time interval can range from 1-24 hours. |
To manage physical disk power on unconfigured drives and hot spares:
1 ![]() |
Select Enabled for the Spin Down Unconfigured Drives and Spin Down Hot Spares options. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply Changes. To exit and cancel your changes, click Go Back to Previous Page. |
To manage physical disk power through the Customized Power Savings Mode:
1 ![]() |
Select the Customized Power Save Mode option. |
2 ![]() |
You can now edit the remaining parameters on the Manage Physical Disk Power screen. You can also configure the options in the QOS section as described below. |
To manage physical disk power through the QOS option:
1 ![]() |
Select the Customized Power Save Mode option. |
2 ![]() |
In the Spin Down Configured Drives drop-down menu, select Enabled. |
3 ![]() |
The Quality of Service (QOS) option is enabled. Enter the Start Time and Time Interval to spin up. |
4 ![]() |
Click Apply. |
To manage the time interval for the QOS option at the virtual disk level:
1 ![]() |
In the Quality Of Service (QOS) pane, select the Enable Quality of Service Settings check box. |
2 ![]() |
Set the start time. The start time can range between 1-24 hours. |
3 ![]() |
Click Apply Changes. |
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NOTE: The Enable Quality of Service Settings option is enabled only if the Spin Down Configured Drives option is Enabled. |
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 Manage Physical Disk Power from the Available Tasks drop-down menu. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
Manage Preserved Cache
The Managed Preserved 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 preserved 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 preserved cache. The controller status is displayed as degraded if the controller has preserved cache.
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CAUTION: You may not be able to use Storage Management to manage the preserved 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 is still degraded and does not have the latest data. |
Manage Preserved Cache
You can discard the preserved cache only if all of the following conditions are met:
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The controller does not have any foreign configuration. Select Click for Preview to view details of the foreign configuration. See Foreign Configuration Operations. |
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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. |
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Cables to any virtual disk are not disconnected. |
Manage Encryption Key
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NOTE: To configure encryption, you do not require an SED. However, to create a secure virtual disk, you require an SED. The encryption settings are then used to configure the virtual disk and the SED. |
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NOTE: The Encryption must be manually enabled for any virtual disk that was created uing SED drives on a controller for which the Encryption was not enabled earlier. If the virtual disk is created after a controller has had encryption enabled, it will automatically be configured as an encrypted virtual disk unless the enabled encryption option is disabled during the advance config virtual disk creation. |
On an encryption-capable controller, the Manage Encryption Key task allows you to enable encryption in LKM mode. If you enable LKM, you can create an Encryption Key on an encryption-capable controller and save it locally. You can also change or delete the Encryption Key.
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NOTE: This task is available only on PERC H7x0 and H8x0 controllers. |
To go to the Manage Encryption Key task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Select Storage in the Storage tree. |
2 ![]() |
Go to Storage Dashboard→ Available Tasks drop-down menu→ Manage Encryption Key.... |
3 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
OR
1 ![]() |
Expand the Storage tree object to display the controller objects. |
2 ![]() |
Select an encryption-capable controller object. |
3 ![]() |
Go to Information/Configuration subtab→ Controller Tasks drop-down menu→ Manage Encryption Key.... |
4 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
If the controller is encryption-capable and an Encryption Key is not present, then the Create Encryption Key page is displayed. Else, the Change or Delete Encryption Key page is displayed.
Encryption Key
The controller uses the Encryption Key to lock or unlock access to Self Encryption Disks (SEDs). You can create only one Encryption Key for each encryption-capable controller.
If you are using Local Key Management (LKM) you must create the Encryption Key by providing the Encryption Key Identifier and the Passphrase.
Encryption Key Identifier
An Encryption Key Identifier is a user-supplied text label for the Passphrase. The identifier helps you determine which Passphrase to enter during authentication for import of foreign encrypted SED drives.
Passphrase
A Passphrase is a user supplied string that the controller uses to create the Encryption Key.
For more information on creating an Encryption Key, see Manage Encryption Key.
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NOTE: For more Encryption Key and Passphrase guidelines, click the i icon on the Manage Encryption Key screen. |
Enabling LKM
Creating an Encryption Key
To create an Encryption Key on the selected controller:
1 ![]() |
Select the Enable Local Key Management (LKM) option. |
2 ![]() |
Enter an Encryption Key Identifier. |
An Encryption Key Identifier can contain numerals, lowercase alphabets, uppercase alphabets, non-alphanumeric characters, or a combination of any of these.
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NOTE: For the Encryption Key Identifier and Passphrase guidelines, click the i icon on the screen. |
3 ![]() |
Enter a Passphrase. |
A Passphrase must contain at least one numeral, one lowercase alphabet, one uppercase alphabet, and one non-alphanumeric character (except space.)
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NOTE: Server Administrator Storage Management provides a suggested Passphrase below the Passphrase text box. |
4 ![]() |
If you want to save the Encryption Key credentials in a file on the system where Distributed Web Server is running, select the Escrow check box. You can use this file for future reference. |
The Path field is displayed. Enter the path where you want to save the file. The path should contain a file name with an .xml extension. The saved file contains this information: SAS address, Encryption Key Identifier, Passphrase, and modified date.
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CAUTION: It is important to understand that if you lose the Passphrase, you cannot recover it. If you move the physical disks associated with the lost Passphrase to another controller or if the controller fails or is replaced, you cannot access data from that disk. |
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NOTE: If Encryption Key Identifier or Passphrase contains special characters such as &, ", <, and >, in the file, they are written as &, ", < and > respectively. |
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NOTE: If the system crashes while saving the file, the backup file is saved in the specified location. |
5 ![]() |
Select the check-box indicating that you understand the implications of using a Passphrase and click Apply Changes. |
In the controller Information/Configuration sub-tab, the Encryption Key Present is set to Yes and the Encryption mode is set to LKM.
Changing or Deleting the Encryption Key
You can change an Encryption Key of a controller if the controller already has a configured Encryption Key. You can delete an Encryption Key for encrypted controllers only if there are no encrypted virtual disks.
To change the Encryption Key, enter the New Encryption Key Identifier and Passphrase. You are prompted to authenticate with the current Passphrase. Ensure you read the note on the importance of Passphrase and consequences of not saving the same, before applying the changes.
When you change the Encryption Key, the existing configuration on this controller is updated to use the new Encryption Key. If you have removed any of the encrypted drives previously, you must authenticate with the old Passphrase to import the encrypted drives.
When changing the Encryption Key, you can also save or update the new Encryption Key credentials to a file in the system where Distributed Web Service is running. Select the Escrow check box. If you have already saved the Encryption Key credentials for a controller, providing the path of the file updates credentials for that controller. If the credentials are for a new controller, the details are appended in the same file.
If you have not saved the credentials to a file, you can enter the path on which the file must be saved. The path must contain a file name with an .xml extension. On applying changes, this file is created with the credentials.
If you delete the Encryption Key, you cannot create encrypted virtual disks and all encrypted unconfigured self-encrypting drives are erased. However, deleting an Encryption Key does not affect encryption or data in foreign disks. If you have saved the Encryption Key credentials to a file, deleting the Encryption Key does not delete the file. Managing the file is the responsibility of the administrator.
Manage CacheCade
Ensure that SSDs are available in the storage enclosure before performing any CacheCade operations. For more information, see CacheCade Using Solid State Drives.
To create, resize, blink, or delete the CacheCade, go to the CacheCade(s) screen:
1 ![]() |
In the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator window, under the System tree, expand Storage. |
2 ![]() |
Click on a storage controller. For example: PERC H710P Adapter. |
3 ![]() |
Click on a Storage Controller component. |
4 ![]() |
Under Available Tasks, select Manage CacheCade. |
5 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
The CacheCade(s) screen is displayed.
Creating a CacheCade
To create a CacheCade:
1 ![]() |
In the CacheCade(s) screen, click Create CacheCade. The Create CacheCade screen is displayed. |
2 ![]() |
In the CacheCade Group section, select SATA SSD or SAS SSD if your system contains both SAS and SATA SSDs. |
3 ![]() |
Enter a name for the CacheCade. The size is calculated as follows: |
CacheCade size = capacity of the smallest SSD * the number of SSDs
4 ![]() |
From the available free disks that are displayed, select the SSDs that you would like to include in the CacheCade. The selected disks are displayed in the Physical Disks Selected section. |
5 ![]() |
Click Finish. |
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NOTE: The procedure of selecting physical disks while creating a CacheCade is similar to the selection of disks while creating a virtual disk. For more information, see Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard (Step 2 of 4). |
Resizing the CacheCade
To resize the CacheCade:
1 ![]() |
In the CacheCade(s) screen, go to the CacheCade that you want to resize and select Resize ... from the Tasks drop-down menu. |
The Resize CacheCade(s) screen is displayed.
2 ![]() |
From the available CacheCade(s), add or remove additional CacheCade(s) as required. The disks that you select are displayed in the Selected Physical Disks section. |
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NOTE: While selecting and deselecting the SSDs that must participate in the CacheCade, you must retain at least one of the original SSDs. |
3 ![]() |
Click Finish. |
Renaming the CacheCade
1 ![]() |
In the CacheCade(s) screen, go to the CacheCade that you want to rename and select Rename ... from the available Tasks. |
2 ![]() |
In the Rename screen, enter the new name for the CacheCade and click Finish. |
Blinking and Unblinking the CacheCade
In the CacheCade(s) screen, go to the CacheCade that you want to blink and select Blink... from the available Tasks.
The LED of the physical disk(s) participating in the CacheCade glows.
To unblink the physical disk in the CacheCade(s) screen, go to the CacheCade Disk that you want to unblink and select Unblink... from the available Tasks.
Deleting the CacheCade
To delete the CacheCade:
1 ![]() |
In the CacheCade(s) screen, go to the CacheCade that you want to delete and select Delete... from the available Tasks. |
The following warning is displayed: Warning! CacheCade pool size will be reduced. Do you want to continue with the delete operation?
2 ![]() |
Click Delete. |
CacheCade Properties
The CacheCade(s) screen displays a table of properties for each CacheCade. The following table provides a description for each property.
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 For more information, see Storage Component Severity. |
Name |
This property displays the name of the CacheCade. The link enables you to access the physical disks that constitute the CacheCade. |
Tasks |
This drop-down list provides the available tasks for the CacheCade. |
Size |
This property provides the size of the CacheCade. |
Bus Protocol |
This property displays the technology that the physical disk is using. Possible values are SAS and SATA. |
Disk Cache Policy |
This property displays whether the disk cache policy of the physical disks that are part of the CacheCade is Enabled or Disabled. See RAID Controller Read, Write, Cache, and Disk Cache Policy. |
Convert to Non-RAID Disks
On Dell PERC H310 adapters, drop-down the controller tasks drop-down menu and select the task Convert to Non-RAID disks:
1 ![]() |
The disks in Ready state are displayed. Select the drives that you want to convert. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply. |
The acknowledgement that the disks have been converted is displayed.
Convert to RAID Capable Disks
On Dell PERC H310 adapters, drop-down the controller tasks drop-down menu and select the task Convert to RAID Capable disks:
1 ![]() |
The non-RAID disks are displayed. Select the drives that you want to convert. |
2 ![]() |
Click Apply. |
The acknowledgement that the disks have been converted is displayed.
Patrol Read Report
Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.
This report provides information on all the Patrol Reads done on the controller in the chronological order. It provides information such as last run time and result. If the Patrol Read fails, it provides the reason for the failure.
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Click Storage to view the dash board. |
2 ![]() |
Select View Patrol Read Report from the Select Report drop-down menu. |
3 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
Check Consistency Report
Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.
This report provides information on all the Consistency Checks done on the controller in a chronological order. It provides information such as last run time and result. If the Consistency Check fails, it provides the reason for the failure.
To locate this task in Storage Management:
1 ![]() |
Click Storage to view the dash board. |
2 ![]() |
Select View Check Consistency Report from the Select Report drop-down menu. |
3 ![]() |
Click Execute. |
Slot Occupancy Report
Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.
The View Slot Occupancy Report task allows you to view empty and occupied slot details of all enclosures and back planes. It provides a diagram that represents the occupancy of physical drive slots. Move the mouse over each slot to view details, such as physical disk ID, state, and size.