User Guide

Hardware Installation: PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 2/SC

Requirements | Optional Equipment | Installation | Set Termination | SCSI Termination

Requirements

• PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 2/SC (hereafter referred to as "PERC 2/SC") controller
• Host computer with an available PCI expansion slot
• PERC 2/SC Installation diskettes
• SCSI cables and terminators (depends on the number and type of SCSI devices to be attached)
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
• SCSI hard-disk drives

Optional Equipment

To install SCSI cables that connect PERC 2/SC to external SCSI devices, follow these steps:

1. Turn off all power to the server and turn off all hard-disk drives, enclosures, components, and the system.
2. Prepare the host system.
3. Determine the SCSI ID and SCSI termination requirements.
4. Make sure that the jumper settings on the PERC 2/SC controller are correct. Install the cache memory.
5. Install the PERC 2/SC in the server and attach the SCSI cables and terminators as needed. Make sure pin 1 on the cable matches pin 1 on the connector. Make sure that the SCSI cables you use conform to all SCSI specifications.
6. Perform a safety check. Make sure all cables are properly attached. Make sure that the PERC 2/SC card is properly installed. Turn power on after completing the safety check.
7. Install and configure the PERC 2/SC software utilities and drivers.
8. Format the hard-disk drives as needed.
9. Configure the logical drives.
10. Initialize the logical drives.
11. Install the network operating system drivers as needed.

Installation

1. Turn off the system, disconnect it from any networks, and remove the cover.
2. Make sure the system-board jumper settings are correct. Each PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller card you install requires an available PCI IRQ. Make sure an IRQ is available for each controller that is installed.
3. Install cache memory on the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller card.
   

   NOTES: Disconnect the battery pack before removing or adding SIMM modules. PERC 2/SC requires 16 MB of cache memory, which must be installed before PERC 2/SC is operational.

4. Configure the jumper settings on the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller.
   Skip this step if you are using the factory settings.
5. Set the SCSI termination.
6. Set SCSI terminator power (TermPWR).
7. Insert the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller card into a 5-V PCI expansion slot as shown in the following graphic.

8. Connect the SCSI cables to SCSI devices.
9. Set the target IDs for the SCSI devices.
10. Replace the computer cover and reconnect the power cables. Set up the power supplies so that the SCSI devices receive power at the same time as or before the host computer. Turn on the power to the host computer.

    NOTE: If the computer is powered up before a SCSI device receives power, the device might not be recognized.

11. Text similar to the following appears during boot:
    
    PowerEdge Expandable RAID BIOS Version x.xx date
    Copyright (c) Dell Inc.
    Firmware Initializing... [ Scanning SCSI Device ...(etc.)... ]
    
    During initialization, the controller scans SCSI channels and the following or similar text appears:
    
    Host Adapter-1 Firmware Version x.xx DRAM Size x MB
    0 Logical Drives found on the Host Adapter
    0 Logical Drives handled by BIOS
    Press <Ctrl-M> to run PowerEdge BIOS Configuration Utility
    
    The adapter (controller) number, firmware version, and cache DRAM size (the amount of memory installed) are displayed. The message usually appears for only a few seconds.

1. Run the BIOS Configuration Utility, Configuration Manager, or Console as needed.
2. Install the appropriate software drivers (Windows NT� or Novell� NetWare�) for your operating system(s).

Set Termination

The SCSI bus is an electrical transmission line and must be terminated properly to minimize reflections and losses. Termination should be set at each end of the SCSI cable(s). Termination is always enabled, regardless of the configuration.

For a disk array, set SCSI bus termination so that removing or adding a SCSI device does not disturb termination. One way to do this is to connect the PERC 2/SC card to one end of the SCSI cable and an external terminator module to the other end of the cable. Use the connectors between the 2 ends for connecting SCSI devices. Disable termination on the SCSI devices. See the documentation that came with each SCSI device for information about disabling termination.

SCSI Termination

The SCSI bus is an electrical transmission line and must be terminated properly to minimize reflections and losses. Complete the SCSI bus by setting termination at both ends.

The PERC 2/SC automatically provides SCSI termination at one end of the SCSI bus. Terminate the other end of the SCSI bus by attaching an external SCSI terminator module to the end of the cable or by attaching a SCSI device that internally terminates the SCSI bus at the end of the SCSI channel.

Selecting a Terminator

Use standard external SCSI terminators on a SCSI channel with a synchronous data transfer rate of 10 MB/sec or higher.

Terminating Internal SCSI Disk Arrays

Set the termination so that SCSI termination and termination power are intact when any disk drive is removed from a SCSI channel.