TEXAS MEMORY SYSTEMS, INC.
RamSan-500
User’s Manual
RamSan-500
Version 1.2
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction .................................................................................. 4
1.1 Overview............................................................................................... 4
1.2 System Components............................................................................... 4
1.3 Power ................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Reliability .............................................................................................. 5
1.5 System Management .............................................................................. 5
Chapter 2 – Reviewing your shipment................................................................ 6
2.1 Unpacking ............................................................................................. 6
2.2 System Overview.................................................................................... 6
Chapter 3 – Connections .................................................................................. 8
3.1 Installing a Host Bus Adaptor in the Host System ....................................... 8
3.2 Connecting the Fibre Channel Ports........................................................... 9
3.3 Connecting to a Network ........................................................................10
3.4 Connecting Power to the System .............................................................11
Chapter 4 – Getting Started.............................................................................12
4.1 Turning on the System...........................................................................12
4.2 System Initialization ..............................................................................12
4.3 Front Panel Display Basics ......................................................................13
4.4 Controlling System Power with the Front Panel Display...............................14
4.5 Network Configuration with the Front Panel Display ...................................17
4.6 Additional System Management Options...................................................20
4.7 Web Monitor Basics................................................................................21
4.8 Date and time setup with the Web monitor...............................................24
4.9 Network Configuration with the Web Monitor.............................................25
4.10 Managing security with the Web Monitor.................................................26
4.11 Basic LUN Creation...............................................................................28
4.12 Viewing the Logs with the Web Monitor...................................................32
4.13 Upgrading the System with the Web Monitor...........................................36
4.14 If the System has a Problem .................................................................37
Chapter 5 – System Maintenance .....................................................................39
5.1 Contacting Texas Memory Systems..........................................................39
5.2 Power Supplies......................................................................................39
5.3 Flash Modules .......................................................................................41
5.4 Fans ....................................................................................................46
5.5 Batteries ..............................................................................................48
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Chapter 1 – Introduction
1.1 Overview
The RamSan-500 is the World’s Fastest Flash-based storage system. The
basic unit contains nine RAID-protected Flash storage modules accessible
from the front, with a combined usable capacity of either 1 or 2-Terabytes
and a data bandwidth of 2 GB/sec. A single RamSan-500 fits in 4U of rack
space. Multiple RamSan-500 units scale capacity, bandwidth, and IOPS.
1.1.1 High Performance Solid-State Storage
Unlike other mass storage products, the RamSan-500 is not based on
mechanical rotating disk technology, but instead on high performance
memory technology. While each of the nine Flash storage modules may
look like a disk, there are no moving parts and it operates with a much
faster protocol, reducing access time and increasing the data transfer rate.
This is achieved with the use of better connectors (rugged, more data
pins) and a simple transfer protocol.
While the capacity and throughput of the RamSan-500 is impressive, the
key to the system’s power resides in its I/O structure. The RamSan-500
can be configured with 2-8 Fibre Channel (FC) ports. Internally, it can
handle the bandwidth and supply the IOPS needed for emerging storage
applications.
1.1.2 Easy Installation and Configuration
The RamSan-500 is easy to install on a Fibre Channel SAN or directly
attached to a server. Most common parameters, including the
management Ethernet port, can be set from the front panel. The
RamSan-500 also has monitoring and configuration capabilities
through a Web browser.
1.2 System Components
The system components for the RamSan-500 include:
ꢀ 9 Flash modules with 1 or 2 Terabytes of data storage capacity
ꢀ 16-64 GB DDR Cache
ꢀ 4 dual-ported 4G-bit Fibre Channel Controllers
ꢀ Hot-swappable redundant power supplies
ꢀ Easily replaceable fans
ꢀ Front panel display for monitoring and configuration
ꢀ Java-based monitoring
1.3 Power
The RamSan-500 includes two hot-swappable power modules that are
auto-ranging (they accept either 110 or 220 VAC power).
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1.4 Reliability
The RamSan-500 is designed to offer superior reliability to other solid-
state disks and RAID devices. Its standard features include Chipkill™-
protected RAM, hot-swap modular Flash memory, hot-swap power
supplies, failover ports, and SNMP compatibility. The nine-unit RAID
design ensures data integrity even in the event of the complete failure of
a single Flash module. In order to reduce the probability of a Flash module
failure, the unit incorporates multiple error-correcting methods.
1.5 System Management
Basic management operations, including manual shutdown and alerts, are
available from the front panel screen. Full monitoring and configuration
capabilities are available over any browser via a password protected Java
applet. The RamSan-500 also offers Telnet management capabilities and
is fully SNMP compatible.
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Chapter 2 – Reviewing your
shipment
2.1 Unpacking
2.1.1 System Inspection
TMS ships the RamSan-500 with a packing list. Ensure that you have
received all of the components listed.
1) Examine the external chassis for any damage that might have
occurred during shipping.
2) Examine the Flash modules to ensure that they were not damaged
during shipping.
3) Inspect the interface plate for any screws that might have loosened
during shipping.
4) Inspect the front panel display for damage.
5) Report any meaningful damage to Texas Memory Systems.
2.2 System Overview
All nine Flash storage modules can be quickly accessed from the front
of the RamSan-500. Each module has an interlocking system with the
look and feel of a typical disk drive. The Flash module can be removed
while system power is on, once the module has been selected to go
off-line (indicated when both module LEDs are off). Additionally, all
nine Flash modules can be removed and reinstalled into another
RamSan-500 unit.
Figure 1 – RamSan-500 Front
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Figure 2 – RamSan-500 Back
2.2.1 Rack mounting
The RamSan-500 solid-state disk (SSD) system is a 4U rack-mountable
system. TMS ships the system with the slides and equipment needed to
install it into a standard 19” rack.
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Chapter 3 – Connections
3.1 Installing a Host Bus Adaptor in the Host System
Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) provide an interface from the server’s PCI bus
to Fibre Channel attached devices. HBAs are available from a variety of
vendors. Before purchasing an HBA, ensure that it provides a driver for
the Operating System (OS) version that you are using.
Before installing the HBA, consult your server’s documentation to
determine which one of its PCI slots is on the fastest and least congested
PCI bus (see Section 3.1.3, below, for details). Next, power down your
server and place the HBA in this slot. Power on your server and follow the
instructions provided with the HBA to install the driver. It is generally a
good idea to check the HBA provider’s Web site to obtain the latest drivers
and firmware for the HBA. Updated drivers may include new features,
improved performance, and minor bug fixes.
TROUBLESHOOTING TIP:
IF YOU ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE HBA, THE FIRST STEP IN THE DEBUGGING
PROCESS IS VERIFYING THAT YOU ARE USING THE LATEST DRIVER AND FIRMWARE.
The speed of the server and network interface ultimately limit the
RamSan-500’s capabilities. A few different components can affect the
maximum performance of the RamSan-500, including FC interfaces, Host
Bus Adapters, PCI buses, and server CPU resources.
3.1.1 Fibre Channel Interface
Currently, the RamSan supports two Fibre Channel communication
speeds: 2- and 4-gigabit. Accounting for encoding and overhead, these
transfer rates allow data to be transmitted to the RamSan-500 at a
half duplex rate of ~200 MB/s and ~400 MB/s, for 2- and 4-gigabit,
respectively. Fibre Channel interfaces have separate read and write
connections that allow a maximum data rate of twice the half-duplex
rate. To sustain the maximum full duplex rate, the data usage pattern
of the system must be 50% read and 50% write (due to the individual
half duplex limits). To find the maximum for other data usage patterns,
use the following formula (4-gigabit HBA):
( Smaller usage percentage / Larger ) x 400MB/s + 400MB/s
For example, to calculate a data usage pattern with 66% reads and
33% writes:
( 33 / 66 ) x 400 + 400 = 600 MB/s
Many applications require storage bandwidth that exceeds what a
single FC connection can provide. To accommodate this situation, we
provide up to 8 FC ports per RamSan-500, each of which can supply
the bandwidth described above. Using multiple Fibre Channel
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connections requires one of the following solutions: multi-pathing
software to a single LUN, using software to stripe across multiple LUNs,
accessing multiple LUNs on the RamSan-500 concurrently, or
connecting multiple servers to the system.
3.1.2 Host Bus Adapter
You can modify some HBA settings to increase performance. For
information specific to your HBA, consult the HBA documentation. Note
that many settings are intended to increase the performance of slow
storage devices and will not be applicable to RamSans. It is always
advisable to check the frame size. The amount of overhead for each
Fibre Channel frame is fixed, so larger frames have lower overhead.
Set the frame size to the maximum setting, generally 2048 bytes.
3.1.3 PCI Bus
High bandwidth HBA traffic can quickly inundate slower PCI buses.
Once a PCI bus reaches its limit, you can do very little to improve
performance. Many servers, however, provide different PCI buses with
different speeds, and placing the HBA on a different PCI bus can
improve performance. TMS recommends giving each 4-gigabit 2 port
HBA at least an entire PCIX bus or a PCI Express (PCIe) slot.
3.1.4 CPU
At a certain point, CPU performance can limit data transfer rates.
Determine whether the server’s CPU resources are the limiting factor
in performance while benchmarking the RamSan-500 as a raw physical
device. Otherwise, an improperly tuned file system or application can
make the CPU appear to be the limiting factor when it is not. Perform
raw device testing after setting up any multi-pathing.
There are a few ways to decrease CPU usage without increasing CPU
resources. Certain data usage patterns can be very CPU intensive and
fully utilize the CPU. These usually involve small transfer sizes. When
possible, increasing the average transfer size decreases CPU usage
and offers better performance. Another way to decrease CPU usage is
by enabling interrupt coalescing. Interrupt coalescing is an HBA
dependent feature that offers a method to trade latency for CPU usage.
This feature delays calling the HBA transfer interrupt until several
transfers are ready. In general, TMS does not recommend enabling
Interrupt Coalescing, because most RamSan applications benefit from
low latency. For more information, consult your HBA documentation.
3.2 Connecting the Fibre Channel Ports
Connect the Fibre Channel ports on the RamSan-500 to your server or to
a Fibre Channel switch.
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Fibre Channel Ports
Figure 3– Fibre Channel Port Locations
Figure 3– Fibre Channel Port Locations shows the port layout for the
RamSan-500. Each controller has two or four Fibre Channel ports: A and B,
on the top and bottom respectively. The FC-77 ports on the system are
capable of connecting to point-to-point, arbitrated loop, and switched
fabric topologies at either 4-Gigabit or 2-Gigabit speeds.
3.3 Connecting to a Network
Your RamSan-500 includes a Gigabit Ethernet port for remote
management over a network. You use this connection to configure the
storage and management features.
Ethernet Port
Figure 4 – Gigabit Ethernet Port Location
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3.4 Connecting Power to the System
A fully loaded RamSan-500 requires approximately 250 watts of power. It
contains redundant power supplies that are hot-swappable. Using the AC
power cords provided, connect each power module to a power source.
Install the socket outlet in an easily accessible location near the
equipment.
Power Supplies
Figure 5 – RamSan-500 Power Supply
The power supply includes the following button and indicators:
3.4.1 Power Switches
Each power module has an individual on/off switch and power indicator
light.
WARNING:
A
HARD-SHUTDOWN WILL CAUSE DATA LOSS AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED WHEN
YOU ARE UNABLE TO PERFORM A MANUAL SHUTDOWN AND BACK UP ALL DATA TO THE
FLASH MODULES OR EXTERNAL STORAGE.
3.4.2 AC Voltage Indicator Light
When the power supply is connected to AC power and is operating
properly, the indicator light attached to each power supply is green. If
the green light is not on, either the power supply is disconnected from
an AC power source or the power supply has failed. Check the power
cable to determine if power has been lost to the supply or the module
has failed. The front panel display or Web monitor may provide
additional information regarding the problem.
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Chapter 4 – Getting Started
This chapter will guide you through setting up your RamSan-500. It is
important to accomplish the following tasks to make your system usable:
ꢁ
ꢁ
ꢁ
ꢁ
Use the front panel display to set up the network (Section 4.5)
Get the Web monitor operational (Section 4.7)
Use the Web monitor to set the date and time (Section 4.8)
Use the Web monitor to configure advanced network settings (Section
4.9)
ꢁ
Use the Web monitor to configure security (Section 4.10)
Other sections explore the configuration tools and should be read to
familiarize you with the system.
4.1 Turning on the System
Separate power cables should be connected to each of the two RamSan-
500 power modules. The 3-prong AC inlet lies at the bottom of each power
module. To power on the system, both power modules should be switched
on. Though the RamSan-500 will operate when only one power supply is
switched on, this is not recommended. After a user-initiated shutdown,
switch both power modules off, then switch both modules on again to
bring the system back on-line.
4.2 System Initialization
The front panel display shows the boot process’ current state. Once the
power is connected, the system turns on automatically and the front panel
display begins the power-on sequence. The following happens
automatically:
Once AC power is connected, the
RamSan will power-up and the
front panel displays “System
Status: GOOD” and shows the
performance bars for each Fibre
Channel port. The numbers
represent the Fibre Channel
Controllers. If a controller is not
installed, the number and
System Status:
1 2 3 4
GOOD
corresponding performance will not
display. The top bars represent
port A and the bottom bars
represent port B.
The system is now ready for normal operation.
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4.3 Front Panel Display Basics
The front panel display provides a quick and easy way to view the
RamSan-500’s status. It displays the current progress of Flash module
synchronization and shows system warnings and failures.
The RamSan-500’s front panel allows you to:
ꢂ Inspect the state of the system
ꢂ Select a Flash module to power off
ꢂ Change the method of IP address assignment
ꢂ Reboot/Shutdown the system.
Four buttons located to the left of the display are used to make selections:
Menu: This button has two functions. On any of the status or
performance displays, pressing this button launches the RamSan Main
Menu. It is also used as an escape function. Once the menu is open,
pressing it returns the user to the prior screen.
Select: When a menu item is on the display, pressing this button will
either execute that menu option or proceed to the next layer in the menu.
If the menu is not selected, this button is disabled.
↑: This button scrolls up through the menu. It is also used to cancel
certain commands, as indicated on the display. If the menu is not selected,
this button is disabled.
↓: This button scrolls down through the menu. It is also used to confirm
certain commands, as indicated on the display. If the menu is not selected,
this button is disabled.
You can scan through the first level of options on the RamSan by pressing
the Menu key.
Selecting “System Info”
displays information about your
RamSan-500.
Main Menu
ꢀ System Info
Selecting “System Log” allows
you to clear your system log.
See Section 4.15.2 for more
information.
Main Menu
ꢀ System Log
Selecting “Network Config”
allows you to connect your
RanSan-500 to your network.
See Section 4.9 for more
information.
Main Menu
ꢀ Network Config
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Main Menu
ꢀ Flash Module
Selecting “Flash Module” allows
you to select a module to identify
mode or for power off.
Selecting “Active Monitor
Mode” changes the default front
panel display to show port
Main Menu
ꢀ Active/Remove Monitor Mode
activity across both display lines.
This makes it easier to view from
a distance. This option becomes
“Remove Monitor Mode” once
it has been set.
Selecting “LED Config” gives
you a variety of options for
controlling the LEDs on the upper
left-hand side of the front of the
RamSan-500.
Main Menu
ꢀ LED Config
Selecting “Display Logo”
displays the TMS logo on the
front panel display. This option
becomes “Disable Logo” once it
has been set.
Main Menu
ꢀ Display/Disable Logo
Selecting “Manual Restart”
reboots your RamSan-500. See
Section 4.4.2 for more
information.
Main Menu
ꢀ Manual Restart
Selecting “Manual Shutdown”
turns off your RamSan-500. See
Section 4.4.1 for more
Main Menu
ꢀ Manual Shutdown
information.
4.4 Controlling System Power with the Front Panel Display
The RamSan-500 has features that allow the administrator to safely power
down the system. Before powering down the system, un-mount the drives
from your OS. Do not turn off the system by unplugging the power cords.
4.4.1 Manual Shutdown
The administrator can shut down the RamSan-500 manually from the
front panel display. This procedure safely synchronizes all data in the
RAM cache to the internal Flash module storage.
In order to turn the RamSan-500 back on after a manual shutdown,
switch off both power modules and then switch both back on.
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Main Menu
ꢀ Manual Shutdown
To shut down the system using
the front panel, use the arrow
buttons to cycle through the
top-level menu to select
“Manual Shutdown”. Use the
Select button to select this
menu item.
The display prompts you to
confirm that you wish to
Power Off System?
↓ Yes ↑ No
“Power Off System”. To
cancel the shutdown, use the ↑
button to return to the main
menu. To proceed with the
shutdown, use the ↓ button to
confirm the system power off.
Now, the front panel display
indicates that the system is
powering off. When the
system is ready, it will
Powering Off 60%
ꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃ
automatically shut off.
4.4.2 Flash Modules
You may need to remove one or more of the Flash modules for various
reasons. This can be done with the RamSan-500 system power on or
off. However, if the RamSan power is on, the particular Flash module
selected for removal must always be powered off prior to removal.
WARNING
REMOVING A FLASH MODULE WHILE IT IS POWERED ON MAY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE
DAMAGE TO THE MODULE.
Prior to powering off a module you may wish to verify the physical
location of a module. This can be accomplished with the “Identify
Module” feature from the front panel.
Main Menu
ꢀ Flash Modules
To Identify a particular module,
use the arrow buttons to cycle
through the top-level menu to
select “Flash Modules”. Use
the Select button to select this
menu item.
Flash Modules
ꢀ Identify Module
To choose a particular Flash
module to Identify, scroll
through the Flash Module sub-
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menu and choose the “Identify
Module” option.
Identify Module
ꢀ Module 1
Next, scroll down the Identify
Module sub-menu to choose
the module that you wish to
Identify. After a Module is
selected it Status Indicator LED
will slowly blink Orange for four
second and then return to its
previous state.
Once the appropriate module has been identified it may be powered
off from the front panel.
Main Menu
ꢀ Flash Modules
To power off a particular
module, use the arrow buttons
to cycle through the top-level
menu to select “Flash
Modules”. Use the Select
button to select this menu
item.
Flash Modules
ꢀ Power off Module
To choose a particular Flash
module to power off, scroll
through the Flash Module sub-
menu and choose the “Power
Off Module” option.
Power Off Module
ꢀ Module 1
Next, scroll down the Power Off
Module sub-menu to choose
the module that you wish to
power off.
The display prompts you to
confirm that you wish to power
off the module. To cancel the
module power off, use the ↑
button to return to the main
menu. To proceed with the
module power off, use the ↓
button to confirm.
Power Off Module 1?
↓ Yes ↑ No
You can then exit from the
Flash Module sub-menu and
remove the chosen module.
Flash Module Menu
ꢀ Exit
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4.4.3 Manual Restart
The administrator can reboot the RamSan manually from the front
panel display. This procedure safely synchronizes all data in RAM to
the internal Flash module storage, powers off for around 5 seconds,
and then powers back on.
To shut down the system using
the front panel, use the arrow
buttons to cycle through the
top-level menu to select
“Manual Restart”. Use the
Select button to select this
menu item.
Main Menu
ꢀ Manual Restart
Restart System?
The display prompts you to
confirm that you wish to
↓ Yes ↑ No
“Restart System”. To cancel
the shutdown, use the ↑ button
to return to the main menu. To
proceed with the shutdown,
use the ↓ button to confirm the
system power off.
Now, the front panel display
indicates that the system is
powering off. When the
Powering Off 90%
ꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃꢃ
system is ready, it will
automatically shut off. In
approximately 5 seconds time,
the system will turn back on.
4.4.4 Automatic Shutdown
In the event that the system senses a high system temperature,
power out of range, or a variety of other dangerous environmental
conditions, the system will automatically initiate the shutdown
procedure.
4.5 Network Configuration with the Front Panel Display
The RamSan-500 allows system monitoring and configuration through the
installed Ethernet module. To access the system’s Ethernet port you will
need to provide the system with an IP address, subnet mask, and possibly
a gateway address. The administrator may assign the IP address in one of
three ways: Static IP, DHCP, or No Ethernet. The default factory setting is
DHCP.
For any questions regarding IP assignment values, please consult your
network administrator.
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To set up the network via the front panel, use the arrow buttons to cycle
through the top-level menu options until the display shows “Network
Config”. Use the Select button to choose this option and continue with
the configuration. You may now use the arrow buttons to scroll through
the following menu options:
Displays a list of the current IP
configuration, hostname, IP
address, subnet mask, gateway
address (if applicable), and
hardware Ethernet address.
Network Config
ꢀ Show Current Config
To continue setting up the
Ethernet configuration.
Network Config
ꢀ Set IP Config
Shuts down and restarts the
Ethernet port using the current IP
assignment configuration.
Network Config
ꢀ Restart Network
Exits the setup menu.
Network Config
ꢀ Exit Menu
Use the arrow buttons to scroll up and down through the list. To continue
setting up the Ethernet configuration, select “Set IP Config”.
After selecting “Set IP Config”, you may use the arrow buttons to cycle
through:
Enables you to set a static IP
address for the RamSan.
Set IP Config
ꢀ Static
Sets the IP configuration to
DHCP
Set IP Config
ꢀ DHCP
Disables Ethernet
Set IP Config
ꢀ None
Returns to the Main Menu
without making any changes
Set IP Config
ꢀ No change (exit)
Talk to your network administrator for the proper IP assignment type. Use
the Select button to select the desired method of IP assignment. If you
did not choose “Static IP” you are asked to confirm the selection with
the ↓ button.
To configure the RamSan with a static IP, the system requires the IP
address, subnet mask, and possibly a gateway address.
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After you have chosen “Static
IP”, the display prompts you to
enter an address. Use the ↑ and
↓ buttons to move the cursor.
Hit Select to pick a number.
And then use the ↑ and ↓ buttons
to cycle through the numbers 0
through 9. To save the changed
value, press the Select button.
To revert to the previous value,
press the Menu button.
Ethernet IP address:
ꢀ 192.000.000.000
After you have finished entering
the IP address, scroll the cursor
off the end – this brings up the
“Network Subnet Mask”
Network Subnet Mask:
ꢀ 255.255.255.000
screen. Using the same
procedure as entering the IP
address, enter the subnet mask.
The final value you must enter is
the “Ethernet Gateway”. If the
RamSan is on a private network
and this value is not needed,
enter the value
Ethernet gateway:
ꢀ 192.168.111.001
“000.000.000.000” to tell the
RamSan to ignore this entry.
The next screen commits the
changes and automatically
restarts the network.
Assign Static IP?
↓ Yes ↑ No
You should witness the network
restarting.
Restarting
Network... Done
The final screen displays the
assigned IP address
New IP Address:
192.168.111.101
The RamSan-500 comes from the factory using DHCP as its IP address
method. To configure your DHCP server you may need to know the
RamSan’s hardware MAC address. Follow the instructions below to get
the MAC address and to set up your system to use DHCP:
From the “Network Config”
sub-menu select the “Show
Current Config” option.
Network Config:
ꢀ Show Current Config
Use the ↓ button to scroll to the
bottom of the screen. This will
display 6 octets of the hardware
↑ Hardware Address:
ꢀ a2:78:90:f7:01:88
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MAC address. Use this value to
configure your DHCP server.
Re-enter the “Network Config”
menu, then “Set IP Config”
menu and select “DHCP”.
Set IP Config
ꢀ DHCP
The next screen commits the
changes and automatically
restarts the network.
Use DHCP for IP?
↓ Yes ↑ No
You should witness the network
restarting.
Restarting
Network... Done
The final screen displays the IP
address assigned by the DHCP
server.
New IP Address:
192.168.111.58
If the network fails to start, check the Ethernet connection and contact
your system administrator. If the system successfully saved the IP
configuration, you may simply select the “Restart Network” option from
the “Ethernet Setup” menu instead of re-selecting the same IP
configuration.
4.6 Additional System Management Options
4.6.1 Connecting using a Terminal Program
To connect to the RamSan-500 using a serial port connection, use
a dumb terminal or a terminal emulation program such as
Windows™ HyperTerminal. Set your baud rate to 9600 with 8 data
bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, and no flow control. Connect to the serial
port using a DB-9 non-null serial cable.
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4.6.2 Connecting using Telnet
Once the administrator configures the Ethernet port on the
RamSan-500 using either the front panel or the serial port, you
may remotely monitor the system using a Telnet session. Set your
terminal settings to VT100 mode.
To learn more about managing the RamSan-500 using the serial
port or Telnet connections, see the RamSan Command Line
Interface Manual available from Texas Memory Systems.
4.6.3 Connecting using SNMP
RamSans support the Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP), which is the dominant network management protocol. The
industry has accepted this protocol due to its relative simplicity.
SNMP standards provide a framework for the definition of
management information along with a protocol for the exchange of
that information. The RamSan-500 is compatible with SNMP V2c.
The SNMP model contains “managers” and “agents.” A manager is
a software module responsible for managing the configuration on
behalf of the network management application end users. Agents
are devices, such as the RamSan, which are responsible for
maintaining local management information and delivering that
information to a manager via SNMP. Both the manager (via polling)
and the agent (via a trap) can initiate management information
exchanges.
Managers can access statistical information from the RamSan
through its management information base (MIB). For more
information on how to use the SNMP management capability,
please see the RamSan SNMP Guide available from Texas Memory
Systems.
4.6.4 Connecting using the Web Monitor
The RamSan-500 is equipped with a browser-enabled tool to
facilitate system monitoring, management, and configuration. This
Java-based monitoring application is the most popular and
convenient RamSan management tool and will be introduced and
discussed in greater detail below. Texas Memory Systems also
provides an extensive Web monitor users manual called the
RamSan Web Interface Guide.
4.7 Web Monitor Basics
The RamSan-500 comes with a powerful Web-based management tool. It
is important to learn how to use this tool, as it will make upkeep and
maintenance of the system simple.
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4.7.1 Acquiring the System IP Address
To use the Web monitor, you must connect to it over your network.
You will need to acquire the RamSan-500’s IP address – which can be
accomplished from the front panel display.
Press the Menu button to
display the “Main Menu”. Use
the ↓ and ↑ buttons to find the
“System Info” option. Tap
the Select key.
Main Menu
ꢀ System Info
Use the ↓ button to scroll until
you see the “IP Address” line
and the line below it. Take
note of the IP address.
↑ IP Address:
↓ 192.168.111.58
4.7.2 Accessing the Web Monitor
Accessing the Web monitor can be done from any Web browser that
supports Sun Java v1.5 or later. You can download the Sun Java plug-
in for Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and for both Linux and
Windows versions of Firefox. To get the latest Sun Java plug-in, go to
.
The following figures refer to “myRamSan” instead of an IP address,
since “myRamSan” was assigned the IP address 192.168.111.58 from
our name server. You do not need to use a name server to access the
Web monitor. You can instead type the IP address in directly.
Figure 6 – Web Monitor Login Screen
Using a standard Web browser with the Sun Java plugin, set the
address to your IP address. It will take a moment to download the
Java program (10 or 15 seconds) and then the window displayed in
Figure 6 will appear. The RamSan ships with the admin user defined
User:
admin
Password: password
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After you log in, the window shown in Figure 7 will appear.
Figure 7 – Web Monitor Opening Screen
From here select the RamSan icon. When selected it shows a variety
of information about the system.
Figure 8 – Web Monitor Information
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A great deal of information is available in this monitor: firmware
versions, system event warnings, environmental information, and
system statistics.
4.8 Date and time setup with the Web monitor
When you acquire the system, it is important to verify that the date and
time are correct. If they are incorrect, you can use the Web monitor to
change them.
From the Web monitor, expand the “Management” tab under the
“System List”. This will expose three sub-options. Highlight
“Date/Time,” it will display the current date and time as well as the
amount of time the system has been up. Please see Figure 9 for a
screenshot.
Figure 9 – Web Monitor Date and Time Management
If the date and time are incorrect you can set the time and date manually.
Either right-mouse click and select “Set date/time…” or left-mouse click
the clock/wrench icon in the button bar – both methods bring up the
calendar window (Figure 10).
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Figure 10 – Web Monitor Calendar
By configuring the calendar, you will set the date and time of the
RamSan-500. Additionally, the RamSan-500 supports NTP (Network Time
Protocol).
4.9 Network Configuration with the Web Monitor
You should have already set up the basic network options via the front
panel if you followed the instructions in Section 4.5 – Network
Configuration with the Front Panel Display. The Web monitor allows you
to change those options as well.
From the Web monitor, expand the “Management” tab under the
“System List”. This will expose three sub-options. Highlight “Network”;
it will display the current network settings.
Figure 11 – Web Monitor Network Management
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To modify the network configuration, right-mouse click and select
“Network config…” or left-mouse click the globe/wrench icon in the
button bar. Both methods bring up the network configuration window.
Figure 12 – Web Monitor Network Configuration
You can manipulate the network settings and then select “OK”. The
settings will be saved and the system’s network will be restarted. You
should see several system messages displayed in the “Recent Event
Log” panel of the Web monitor confirming your settings.
4.10 Managing security with the Web Monitor
4.10.1 Default Accounts
The RamSan-500 ships with a high-privileged user as well as a low-
privileged user. The high-privileged user is:
User:
admin
Password: password
The high-privileged user is allowed to change RamSan configurations.
The low-privileged user is:
User:
user
Password: password
The low-privileged user can view statistics, logs, and other information,
but cannot change any RamSan-500 settings.
4.10.2 Changing Passwords
You should configure the security on the RamSan to suite your needs.
At a minimum, you should change the high-privileged user password
to prevent accidental mishaps.
To configure users using the Web monitor, right-mouse click the
“Management” tab under the “Systems List”. This will expose four
menu options – left-mouse click “Add/Remove Users”. Alternatively,
you may just right click the head/wrench icon in the button bar while
the “Management” item is highlighted. Please see Figure 13 for a
screenshot.
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Figure 13 – Web Monitor Management Options
A user management table window pops up and displays all current
users in the system. By default, there are only two users, please see
Figure 14 for a screenshot.
Figure 14 – Web Monitor User Management
Please change the password to your high-privileged user account
(named “admin”) by selecting the user and left-clicking the
“Password…” button. This will pop up the “Change User” window
shown in Figure 15.
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Figure 15 – Web Monitor Change User
Type in the new password and confirm it. Hit the “OK” button when
finished.
4.10.3 Adding Users
You can add new users by selecting the “Add…” button in the “User
Management” window. Doing so will bring up the “Add User”
window shown in Figure 16.
Figure 16 – Web Monitor Add User
You can add high-privileged users by assigning the new user to the
“admins” group. You can give the new user low-privileges by
assigning them to the “users” group.
4.11 Basic LUN Creation
The most common management activity on the RamSan is LUN
provisioning. This section will go over the basic LUN provisioning activities
(creating a LUN and linking it to a port), for more in-depth configuration
details please consult the RamSan Web Interface Guide.
4.11.1 Creating a LUN
You can create a LUN from the “Logical Units” tree node by right-
clicking and selecting “Create” or by clicking on the “Create” button
after highlighting “Logical Units”. This is shown in Figure 17.
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Figure 17 – Web monitor Logical Unit
A wizard will open to guide you through the Logical Unit creation
process. After reading the overview, click the “Next” button to set the
Logical Unit Parameters. The parameters window is shown in Figure
18.
Figure 18 - Web Monitor Logical Unit Parameters
The parameters available for the Logical Unit are:
•
•
Name – This is a user defined name for the LUN to make it
easily identifiable.
Number – This is the Logical Unit Number (LUN) that is
presented to the host.
•
•
Size – This is the size of the Logical Unit in Megabytes.
Backup mode – This affects the cache operation for the Logical
unit. There are two modes available:
o Writeback – Cache incoming writes in the battery
protected cache and synchronize the writes to Flash as a
background process.
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o Writethrough – Force all of the writes to be written to
Flash before acknowledging the write as complete.
•
•
Device ID – This is an OpenVMS specific identifier.
Report corrected media errors to the SCSI host – This controls
whether any internal corrected errors are reported over the
SCSI layer to the host. By default it is enabled. For most
environments this should be set.
•
Report uncorrected media errors to the SCSI host – This
controls whether any internal uncorrected errors are reported
over the SCSI layer to the host. By default it is enabled.
After setting the appropriate values click “Next”. A final window will
confirm the values. After clicking “Next” again, the Logical unit will be
created. For the Logical Unit to be used, an access policy needs to be
defined.
4.11.2 Adding an Access Policy to a LUN
The Web Management Interface provides the ability to create access
lists for individual Fibre Channel ports. This allows the administrator to
specify which worldwide port names (HBAs) are allowed to
communicate with each partition. To make partitioned LUNs accessible
to connected servers, the next step is to link the LUNs to the
RamSan’s Fibre Channel ports. The “Logical Unit Overview” is shown
in Figure 19, note that the Logical Unit is in a warning state notifying
the administrator that a Logical Unit was created and has not been
presented to any hosts.
Figure 19 - Web Monitor Logical Unit with No Access Policy
Click the “Access” button on the “Logical Unit Overview” screen to
start the access policy wizard. The first step of the access policy
wizard will provide an overview of the process. After reading the
overview, click the “Next” button to continue to the “Access Policy
Table” for the Logical Unit, shown in Figure 20.
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Figure 20 - Web Monitor Access Policy Table
To create and access policy, click the “Add” button. This opens a
window that allows you to define the parameters of the access policy,
shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21 - Web Monitor Add Access Policy
To create an access policy, present the Logical unit to a host, then
select a “Controller Port” on the RamSan. Next, select a “World
Wide Port Name (WWPN)” from the drop down box, this box will
include any hosts HBA WWPN that are presented to the RamSan port,
as well as an “Open Access”. If a particular HBA WWPN is selected
then the LUN will only be presented to that HBA (it will be masked to
it). If “Open Access” is selected then the LUN will be presented to all
HBAs that are connected to that port. Lastly, click the “Next” button
to create the access policy.
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4.12 Configuring the RamSan-500 Cache
The RamSan-500 contains a large RAM cache to buffer write operations
and keep the back and Flash busy with parallel operation. The cache
details and configuration can be viewed by selecting the “Cache” item
from under the “Storage” node of the system tree. The cache “Detailed
Information” is shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22 - Web Monitor Cache Detailed Information
The detailed information includes information about the cache and its
current configuration. To modify the configuration of the cache, click the
“Configure” button. This will open the “Cache Configuration” wizard,
shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23 - Web Monitor Cache Configuration
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There are four different configuration options, Tuning, Read Ahead, Sync
Always, and Dirty Threshold Percent. There are several options for each
of these parameters that affect the behavior of the Cache:
•
Tune Cache For – This parameter controls the cache line size and
how the Cache works with the back end Flash Array. The two
options are:
o IOPS – Use a smaller cache line size and send smaller
accesses to the RAID controller. This setting is
recommended for storage workloads that tend to us 64KB
or smaller accesses (most database workloads).
o Bandwidth – Use a larger cache line size and send large
accesses to the RAID that access multiple Flash modules in
parallel. This setting is recommended for data acquisition
or for a small number of users that need high bandwidth
(some data warehouse workloads).
•
Read Ahead – The read ahead setting controls whether the cache
attempts to read additional data ahead of the location of a read.
This can help improve performance in a highly sequential read
environment, but wastes cache space under a random workload.
The higher the setting the more read ahead is attempted.
•
•
Sync Always – This parameter controls whether the cache will
always attempt to sync to the back end Flash. When the box is
checked, this feature is enabled.
Dirty Threshold Percent – This parameter controls how much of the
cache can be used for storing dirty data (data that has been
written to Flash but has not yet been written to disk) before the
system gives syncing the dirty data to Flash a higher priority.
4.13 Viewing the Logs with the Web Monitor
Perhaps the most important part of the Web monitor is the system event
log. This log keeps track of all events that occurred within the system. If
you are having trouble with your system, be sure to open the system
event log and check this information.
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Figure 24 – Web Monitor Logs
The log events displayed in Figure 24 – Web Monitor Logs are not
indicative of a shipped system.
Sometimes it is valuable to save the RamSan logs made available from
the Web monitor. To save the system event log, right mouse click the
“Logs” item in the “System List”, then select “Save Log…” Or you can
just left-click on the Flash icon under the menu bar in the button bar while
the “Logs” item is highlighted. See Figure 25 – Web Monitor Log Options
for a screen shot of the right-mouse click menu.
A second log is accessible via the Web monitor, called the System Report.
It contains information about the system configuration, firmware version,
environment, and a range of other information, including a copy of the
system event log. A System Report should always be on-hand when
diagnosing problems with Texas Memory System’s customer support.
To access the System Report from the Web monitor, right-mouse click the
“Logs” item in the “System List” and select “System Report…”
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Figure 25 – Web Monitor Log Options
Once you select the “System Report…” option, a new window will appear
and download the support log from the RamSan. It will take 10 to 20
seconds to complete. You can then hit the “Save” button in the lower
right to save the support log to a file.
Figure 26 – Web Monitor System Report
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4.14 Upgrading the System with the Web Monitor
It is easy to upgrade your RamSan using the Web monitor if you have a
patch file. Patch files should be formatted “rs500-<version>.patch”.
From the Web monitor, expand the “Management” tab under the
“Systems List”. This will expose three sub-options. Highlight
“Firmware” – it will display the current RamSan-500 firmware version.
Figure 27 – Web Monitor Firmware Management
To update the firmware either right-mouse click and select “Firmware
update…” or left-mouse click the open box icon in the button bar. Both
methods bring up the patch file selector window.
WARNING
PATCHING THE RAMSAN-500 IS A DELICATE PROCESS. IF THE PATCH IS INTERRUPTED,
THE SYSTEM CAN BECOME UNUSABLE AND MAY HAVE TO BE SENT BACK TO THE FACTORY
FOR REPAIR. IF YOUR SYSTEM’S PATCH IS INTERRUPTED, IMMEDIATELY CALL TEXAS
MEMORY SYSTEMS (SECTION 4.15.1). DEPENDING UPON THE STATE OF THE SYSTEM,
IT MAY BE REPAIRABLE.
Figure 28 – Web Monitor Patch Selection
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Either type in the path and file name of the patch or use the “Select…”
button to browse for the file. When the file is selected, left-click the
“Start” button. The firmware upgrade may take up to five minutes to
complete. While the system is patching, a variety of messages will display
in the “Recent Event Log” panel in the Web monitor. When the patch
has completed, select the “Done” button. You will need to reboot your
RamSan-500 for the patch to take effect.
Selecting your RamSan from the “System List” will produce four buttons
on the button bar (See Figure 8 – Web Monitor Information for a
screenshot). You can reboot the system by either right-mouse clicking it
and selecting the “Reboot…” option or left-mouse click the arrowed circle
icon in the button bar. Confirm that you wish to reboot the system. The
system will shutdown for 5 seconds and then power back on. The Web
monitor will reconnect to the RamSan-500 when it comes up.
4.15 If the System has a Problem
The RamSan-500 is a complex system with many redundant features to
safeguard your data; however, components can fail. The RamSan-500 has
many ways to inform the user about what is happening inside the system.
The easiest way to detect if something has gone wrong is to monitor the
front panel display. The normal display will show a line at the top that tells
you if the system is “Good”. If the system has detected an error or if
something has gone wrong, the front panel display will report the error in
a concise manner.
The system event log made available via the Web monitor will provide
more detailed information. Please see Section 4.7 for more information on
how to access the log.
All errors persist; that is, they are permanently logged until the problem
has been solved and the log has been cleared.
4.15.1 Contacting Texas Memory Systems
Contact Texas Memory Systems for additional support. Before
contacting Texas Memory Systems, please save a copy of the support
log to send to tech support.
Texas Memory Systems, Inc.
10777 Westheimer, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77042
Phone:
(713) 278-6200
Fax:
(713) 266-0332
Email:
4.15.2 Clearing the System Event Log
Once a problem has been diagnosed, it is important to clear the errors
from the log. That way, future logs are not confused with old, fixed
errors.
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Follow the information in Section 4.8 to get to the “Logs” item in the
Web monitor “System List”. To clear the system event log, right-
mouse click the “Logs” item and select “Clear Logs” – alternatively,
left-mouse click the eraser icon in the button bar. This will clear the
system event log.
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Chapter 5 – System Maintenance
Texas Memory Systems designed the RamSan-500 to be easily maintainable.
You can update firmware from the Java interface and easily maintain the
system components. You can hot swap the power supplies and Flash modules,
which means that you can remove and replace these components while the
system is running.
ELECTRO-STATIC DISCHARGE WARNING
PLEASE TAKE FULL E.S.D. PRECAUTIONS IF IT IS NECESSARY AT ANY TIME TO COME INTO
CONTACT WITH ANY CIRCUIT BOARDS, COMPONENTS, OR CONNECTORS. ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE CAN DAMAGE THE COMPONENTS USED IN THE RAMSAN AND ITS INTERFACES.
Prior to performing maintenance on the RamSan-500 please contact Texas
Memory Systems for detailed maintenance instructions.
5.1 Contacting Texas Memory Systems
Contact Texas Memory Systems for additional support. Before contacting
Texas Memory Systems, please save a copy of the support log to send to tech
support.
Texas Memory Systems, Inc.
10777 Westheimer, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77042
Phone:(713) 278-6200
Fax: (713) 266-0332
Email: support@texmemsys.com
5.2 Power Supplies
The RamSan-500 includes two power modules. The system requires one
functioning power module to run. Please consult Section 3.4 – Connecting
Power to the System, above for more information.
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Power Supplies
Figure 29 - Back of RamSan-500, Power Supply Location
If the RamSan power supplies fail, they can be replaced while the power
remains on to the system. There are three ways to detect a bad power
supply. The easiest way is to examine the AC voltage LED. (See Figure 5
– RamSan-500 Power Supply.) If it is illuminated the power supply is
running.
Texas Memory Systems has taken special care to enclose the RamSan-500
power modules in a protective case to minimize the electrical risks for
users; however, it is critical for users to follow the following steps when
removing and replacing the power modules:
ꢀ Switch the power module off and disconnect the power cord.
ꢀ Wait 15 seconds.
ꢀ Remove the power module that needs to be replaced from the
RamSan-500 chassis by pressing the release switch and pulling
squarely on the power supply handle. DO NOT REACH INSIDE THE
PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE AFTER REMOVING THE POWER
SUPPLY.
ꢀ Insert the replacement power module in the RamSan-500 chassis.
Make sure the power supply is properly oriented to mate with the
connectors, then insert the power module squarely and press firmly
until the power supply is fully inserted into the system.
ꢀ Reconnect power to the new power module and switch it on.
ꢀ The new power module begins to operate when AC is connected and
the power switch is turned on.
WARNING
REPLACE FAILED POWER MODULES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
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5.3 Flash Modules
The RamSan-500 comes with 9 Flash modules in a RAID 5 configuration.
This section will go over various failure conditions and what must be done
to correct them.
The Flash modules in the RamSan-500 are designed and manufactured by
Texas Memory Systems. They incorporate proprietary technology to
interface with the RamSan backplane and cannot by used outside of the
RamSan-500. Internal to the modules, multiple proprietary error
corrections technologies are used to make a single module extremely
robust and capable of smoothly handling multiple failures of the internal
Flash media. With this technology a module should last at least 3 years,
even under a continuous write load. If the IO load is a mix of reads and
writes Flash modules can last even longer.
Internal to each module there may be 1 or 2 regions (depending on the
ordered capacity) for Flash storage. These regions are largely
independent of one another and are each given their own status indicator
LED on the front of the Flash module as illustrated in the figure below.
Flash Status
Indicator LEDs
Figure 30 - Flash Module
The LEDs can be used to determine the state of the module based on the
following:
Steady Green
Blinking Green
Orange
Power, status good
Activity, status good
RAID Rebuilding, Degraded, Disabling
User initiated identification of module
(See Section 4.4.2)
Blinking Orange
Red
Fail
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OFF
No Power, zone not present
Because each Flash zone is independent of the other, the status of each
zone may differ.
WARNING
REMOVING A FLASH MODULE WHILE IT IS POWERED ON MAY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE
DAMAGE TO THE MODULE. ONLY REMOVE A FLASH MODULE IF BOTH STATUS INDICATOR
LEDS ARE OFF.
5.3.1 Flash Module Failure
In addition to the error correct features built into the Flash module,
the Flash modules are protected from a complete Flash module failure
by a RAID configuration. If only a single module fails in a RAID, all
data in the array will be preserved. You should replace the bad Flash
module right away. If the system detects a bad Flash module, it will
note the bad module by illuminating the red LED on the front of the
module.
System Status: WARN
Errors: Flash Module
Degraded
The front panel display will
register a warning stating that
one or more modules have
been degraded. A degraded
module functions correctly, but
a degraded array cannot
tolerate another Flash module
failure without data loss.
You can also get information about the state of the Flash modules from
the Web monitor.
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Figure 31 – Web Monitor Flash Module Failure Detection
Figure 31 shows the Web monitor detecting a single bad Flash module.
In this case, the module has been physically removed from the system
so the Web monitor is reporting it missing. The module icons in the
“System List” show a warning icon on all suspect components. Both
“raid2” and “Flash 2” have been noted with warning icons (yellow
triangled explanation points).
WARNING
REPLACE FAILED FLASH MODULES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF A SECOND FLASH
MODULE FAILS IN THE SAME RAID, ALL DATA WILL BE LOST IN THE SYSTEM.
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Figure 32 – Web Monitor RAID Degraded Detection
WARNING
MAKE CERTAIN THAT FLASH MODULES ARE POWERED OFF BEFORE REMOVING.
The Web monitor reports higher-level information about a RAID that
has a missing or bad Flash module. Figure 32 above shows the RAID
information generated by removing the same Flash drive as shown in
Figure 31. In this case, the removed module causes the RAID to be
degraded, meaning the RAID cannot tolerate another Flash module
error without data loss – but the RAID is still usable.
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Figure 33 – Web Monitor RAID Rebuild Status
If a Flash module fails and it is replaced with a new module, the RAID
must be rebuilt. The RAID is usable while rebuilding, but performance
is limited.
WARNING
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE RAMSAN REMAIN UNUSED WHILE ANY RAID IS
BEING REBUILT IF HIGH PERFORMANCE IS CRITICAL. REBUILDING RAID ARRAYS
GREATLY IMPACTS SYSTEM THROUGHPUT.
You can use the Web monitor to examine the status of the rebuilding
process. Please view Figure 33 above for a screen shot of RAID
rebuild status. A RAID rebuild should take about 30 minutes to
complete.
5.3.2 RAID Failure
It is unlikely but possible for multiple Flash modules to fail in a single
RAID. If it happens, the system will turn the RAID offline.
System Status: FAIL
Errors: Flash Array
Offline
The front panel display will
show a system failure. The
system should not be exercised
while in a failed state.
If a RAID is put offline, all Flash modules in that array will have their
front LED illuminated red.
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Figure 34 – Web Monitor RAID Offline
You can access the Web monitor for more specific information on
which RAID is offline. An example screenshot is shown in Figure 34.
If the RAID has multiple module failures, it will be taken offline. There
will be a good chance your RAID will lose its data. Please contact
Texas Memory Systems to diagnose and repair your system (see
Section 4.15.1 – Contacting Texas Memory Systems).
Once the RAID has been repaired (probably by replacing failed Flash
modules), it will have to be re-initialized.
WARNING
R
E-INITIALIZING THE RAID WILL DESTROY ALL DATA ON THAT PARTICULAR RAID.
Right-mouse click on the offline RAID icon shown in the Web monitor
and select “Initialize” to start the process, or you could just left-
mouse click the green plus sign in the button bar. It will take roughly
20 minutes to finalize the initialization. The RAID will not be usable
while it is being initialized.
5.4 Fans
The system has two fan trays, one behind the Flash modules containing
eight smaller fans, and one in front of the RAM boards containing four
larger fans. These fans cool components in the system. Internal sensors
report the fan spin speed. If the fan-spin speed falls out of specification,
warnings are reported. If they degrade and are unusable, errors are
reported.
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System Status: WARN
Errors: cage 1 fan 1 speed
is below normal levels
(6122.82 RPM)
If a fan degrades in performance,
the front panel display will show
the fan’s speed. In this situation,
the fan is still working, but it is not
efficient. The error line displayed
to the right scrolls across the
bottom display row.
System Status: FAIL
Errors: cage 1 fan 1 speed
is critically low (0.00
RPM)
If a fan completely stops working
an error is reported on the front
panel display. The error line
displayed to the right scrolls across
the bottom display row.
WARNING
FIX OR REPLACE FAILED FANS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF TOO MANY FANS FAIL THE
SYSTEM TEMPERATURES MAY RISE PAST AN ACCEPTABLE RANGE. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE
SYSTEM MAY TURN OFF TO PREVENT COMPONENT DAMAGE.
Figure 35 – Web Monitor Fan Failure Detection
You can use the Web monitor to detect more specific information on failing
or failed fans. Once your system is displayed in the Web monitor, select
“Environmental”/“Fans”. This will display a list of all fans. Please see
Figure 35 for a fan failure example.
To fix a fan, determine which fan from which cage has failed – either from
the front panel display or from the Web monitor. Then turn off your
system and remove the lid.
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Fan Bank 2
Fan Bank 1
Figure 36 – Top of an Open RamSan-500, Locations of the Fan
Cages
Please consult Figure 36 above to determine where each fan cage is in the
chassis. Fans 1 through 8 are in Fan Bank 1, and fans 9 through 12 are in
Fan Bank 2.
Once you have extracted the fan cage, find the failed fan. There is a good
chance that hair or dust has collected on the fan and all it needs is to be
cleaned. Blowing compressed air into the axle of the fan can clear
obstruction or debris. If the fan cannot be cleaned or repaired, the entire
cage must be replaced.
5.5 Batteries
The system has two batteries; both are located directly in front of Fan
bank 2. These batteries are redundant and will power the entire system -
in the event of an external power failure – long enough to copy all of the
data in the RAM cache to the Flash storage. Internal sensors report on
the battery voltage level and a monthly test ensures that the current
supplied from batteries will be able to power the system. If the battery
voltage is out of specification or the monthly battery test fails, warnings
are reported. If they degrade and are unusable, errors are reported. The
batteries are redundant so the cache is not at risk in the event of a power
failure, however, replacing the failed battery quickly is recommended.
The batters in the RamSan-500 will last on average for 2-3 years.
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