Intel RS3FC044 User Guide - Page 19

Intel®

Integrated RAID Solution User Guide

9

Mirrored Volume Features

This section describes features of Integrated Mirroring volumes, Integrated Mirroring +

Striping volumes, and Integrated Mirroring Enhanced volumes.

Resynchronization with Concurrent Host I/O Operation

The Integrated RAID firmware permits host I/O transactions to continue on a mirrored

volume while it resynchronizes the volume in the background. The firmware

automatically starts resynchronizing data after a disk failure activates a hot spare, or after

a disk in a mirrored volume has been hot-swapped.

Hot Swapping

The Integrated RAID firmware supports hot swapping, and it automatically

resynchronizes the hot-swapped disk in the background without any host or user

intervention. The firmware detects hot-swap removal and disk insertion.

Following a hot-swap event, the firmware verifies that the new physical disk has enough

capacity for the mirrored volume. The firmware resynchronizes all replaced hot-swapped

disks, even if the same disk is removed and then re-inserted. In a mirrored volume with an

even number of disks, the firmware marks the hot-swapped disk as a secondary disk and

the other disk with data as the primary disk. The firmware resynchronizes all data from the

primary disk onto the new secondary disk. In a mirrored volume with an odd number of

disks, primary and secondary sets include three disks instead of two disks.

Hot Spare Disk

You can configure two disks as global hot spare disks to protect data on the mirrored

volumes configured on the SAS-3 controller. If the Integrated RAID firmware fails one of

the mirrored disks, it automatically replaces the failed disk with a hot spare disk and then

resynchronizes the mirrored data. The firmware automatically receives a notification

when a hot spare replaces the failed disk, and it then designates that disk as the new hot

spare.

Online Capacity Expansion

The OCE feature enables you to expand the capacity of an existing two-disk Integrated

Mirroring (RAID 1) volume by replacing the original disk drives with higher-capacity

drives that have the same protocol (SAS or SATA).

Note:

The replacement drives must have at least 50 GB more capacity than the original drives of

the volume.

Section	Page
Preface	3
Audience	3
Organization	3
Related Publication	3
Table of Contents	5
List of Figures	7
List of Tables	9
1 Introduction to the Integrated RAID Solution	11
Overview	11
Benefits and Features	12
Host Interface	12
Metadata Support	13
SMART Support	13
Fusion-MPT Support	13
CacheCade on Host	13
2 Overview of Integrated RAID Mirrored Volumes	15
Overview	15
Integrated Mirroring and Integrated Mirroring Enhanced Features	16
Operation of Mirrored Volumes	17
Mirrored Volume Features	19
Resynchronization with Concurrent Host I/O Operation	19
Hot Swapping	19
Hot Spare Disk	19
Online Capacity Expansion	19
Media Verification	20
Disk Write Caching	20
NVSRAM Usage	20
Background Initialization	20
Consistency Check	20
Make Data Consistent	21
3 Creating Mirrored Volumes	23
Mirrored Volume Configuration Overview	23
Creating Mirrored Volumes	23
Creating an Integrated Mirroring Volume	24
Creating an Integrated Mirroring Enhanced or Integrated Mirroring + Striping Volume	26
Expanding an Integrated Mirroring Volume with OCE	27
Managing Hot Spare Disks	28
Creating Hot Spare Disks	28
Deleting a Hot Spare Disk	30
Other Configuration Tasks	30
Viewing Array Properties	30
Running a Consistency Check	30
Activating an Array	31
Deleting an Array	31
Locating Disk Drives in a Volume	32
Selecting a Boot Disk	33
4 Overview of Integrated Striping	35
Overview	35
Integrated Striping Features	35
Integrated Striping Description	36
5 Creating Integrated Striping Volumes	39
Integrated Striping Configuration Overview	39
Creating Integrated Striping Volumes	39
Other Configuration Tasks	41
Viewing Array Properties	41
Activating an Array	41
Deleting an Array	42
Locating Disk Drives in a Volume	43
Selecting a Boot Disk	43
Appendix A: Using the SAS-3 Integrated RAID Configuration Utility	45
Hardware and Software Requirements	45
Controller Support	45
Operating System and Software Support	46
Interface Description	46
Commands	46
Common Command-Line Parameters	47
CREATE	48
Command Line	49
Parameters	49
Program Return Value	49
DELETE	49
Command Line	49
Parameters	49
Program Return Value	50
DELETEVOLUME	50
Command Line	50
Parameters	50
Program Return Value	50
DISPLAY	50
Command Line	51
Parameters	51
Program Return Value	51
Sample Output	51
HOTSPARE	54
Command Line	54
Parameters	54
Program Return Value	54
STATUS	55
Command Line	55
Parameters	55
Program Return Value	55
Sample Output	55
LIST	56
Command Line	56
Parameters	56
Program Return Value	56
Sample Output	56
CONSTCHK	57
Command Line	57
Parameters	57
Program Return Value	57
ACTIVATE	57
Command Line	57
Parameters	57
Program Return Value	57
LOCATE	58
Command Line	58
Parameters	58
Program Return Value	58
LOGIR	58
Command Line	58
Parameters	58
Program Return Value	59
BOOTIR	59
Command Line	59
Parameters	59
Program Return Value	59
Sample Output	60
BOOTENCL	60
Command Line	60
Parameters	60
Program Return Value	60
Sample Output	61
HELP	61
Command Line	61
Parameters	61

Intel RS3FC044 User Guide - Page 19

Mirrored Volume Features, Resynchronization with Concurrent Host I/O Operation, Hot Swapping

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