Promise Technology FASTTRAK SX4300, SX8300 user manual Performance Tips

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FastTrak SX4300, SX8300 User Manual

For Windows 2000, XP and 2003 Server, Promise recommends a clean install of the Operating System. This action restores the MBR and OS boot record. This requires repartitioning and formatting the drive.

Promise Windows driver does not appear in Device Manager

Windows may already be listing the controller under Other Devices instead of the Hard disk controllers section. In Device Manager under Other Devices to see if it lists a PCI Card or RAID Controller. If so, highlight this listing and click on the Properties button then click on the Driver tab.

Depending on your version of Windows, choose either Change Driver or Update Driver. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation of the driver. If Windows asks if you want to test if the device can be removed safely, click on CANCEL. Reboot the system to complete installation of the driver.

“Inaccessible Boot Device” message appears during floppyless installation of Windows

You did not press the F6 key at the appropriate time. Reboot the system, and press the F6 key when the message Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver? appears.

“No Hard Drives Found” message appears during CD-ROM installation of Windows

You did not press the F6 key at the appropriate time. Reboot the system, and press the F6 key when the message Press F6 if you need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver appears.

Performance Tips

Here are some tips that may optimize performance in a RAID 0 striped array. If you are using an audio/video-editing card, we also recommend reviewing your card?s documentation for additional information.

Use a FastTrak array as D: or other non-bootable drive in a Striped Array

For Audio/Video editing, keep the original system boot drive on the standard IDE controller as C: drive. Partitioning software such as FDISK will see the array as one physical drive, D: or later. This will prevent file fragmentation and provide better accessibility to the array.

Re-Configure PCI Latency Setting

The PCI Latency setting appears in some Motherboard BIOS. The setting governs how much time is allocated to service each PCI slot. Promise recommends a value of 64. An optimal value will vary from system to system.

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Contents SX4300, SX8300 Copyright TrademarksImportant data protection information RecommendationsRadio Frequency Interference Statement May cause undesired operationPage Contents Troubleshooting & Tips SupportIntroduction About This ManualProduct Overview XOR AccelerationHot-Swapping WebPAM Management Software Page Installation SX4300SX8300 Installing the FastTrak Card Installing the Disk Drives RAID JbodLED Pins Create a Logical Drive Page Installation Page FastTrak Bios FastBuild UtilityMain Menu View Drive Assignments Create a Logical Drive One Logical Drive Two Logical Drives FastBuild Utility View Drive Assignments, Split Disk Drives Delete Logical Drive Controller Configuration Logical Drive Problems Halt On ErrorSystem Resources Page RAID 0 and Jbod Page Installing Software Drivers Install Driver During New OS Installation Install Driver in an Existing SystemWindows Server Confirm Installation Windows XPInstall Driver in an Existing System Windows Red Hat Linux 8.0, 9.0, EL 3.0, EL Install Driver During New OS Installation Single Processor Install Driver During New OS Installation Multi-ProcessorSuSE Linux 9.1, 9.2, ES Install Driver in an Existing System Adapter Bios ConceptsAbout FastTrak Introduction to RAIDRAID 0 Stripe RAID 0 Stripe interleaves data across multiple drivesRAID 1 Mirror RAID 1 Mirrors identical data to two drivesRAID 5 Block Striping with Distributed Parity RAID 5 Stripes all drives with data and parity informationRAID 10 Mirror / Stripe About Dual Data Redundancy CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4RAID 50 Striping of Distributed Parity RAID 50 Striping of Distributed Parity logical drivesChoosing a RAID Level Jbod Single DriveAdvantages Disadvantages Implemented as a mirrored logical drive Other Logical Drive Features Stripe Block SizeGigabyte Boundary Initialization Fast InitHot Spare Drive Cache Settings Logical Drive ExpansionRAID Level Migration Level Current Number Possible Number DrivesFrom Increase Redundancy Capacity Add LoseRanges of Disk Array Expansion Current LD Size Maximum LD Sector Size Expansion Size Page Troubleshooting & Tips Motherboard IssuesSystem Cmos Issues Drive-Related ErrorsOperating System-Related Issues Drive cannot be formed into an logical drivePerformance Tips Promise Windows driver does not appear in Device ManagerFrequently Asked Questions Pre-Installation Speed, Device Types, Capacity, CablingSupport Drive Issues How can I change the resources that the FastTrak uses?Other array configurations will not work for this purpose Installation Issues Capacity, Booting Post-InstallationTechnical Support Services Contact Technical SupportUnited States Europe, Africa, Middle East GermanyItaly Limited Warranty TaiwanChina Disclaimer of other warranties Return Product For Repair Your ResponsibilitiesOr retailer
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