Chapter 7: Integrated Mirroring and Integrated Mirroring Enhanced

Locating Drives in a Volume

You can use the SAS BIOS CU to locate and identify a specific physical disk drive by flashing the drive’s LED. You can also use the SAS BIOS CU to flash the LEDs of all the disk drives in a RAID volume. There are several ways to do this:

When you are creating an IM or IME volume, and a disk drive is set to Yes as part of the volume, the LED on the disk drive is flashing. The LED is turned off when you have finished creating the volume.

You can locate individual disk drives from the SAS Topology screen. To do this, move the cursor to the name of the disk in the Device Identifier column and press Enter. The LED on the disk flashes until the next key is pressed.

You can locate all the disk drives in a volume by selecting the volume on the SAS Topology screen. The LEDs flash on all disk drives in the volume.

NOTE: The LEDs on the disk drives will flash as described above if the firmware is correctly configured and the drives or the disk enclosure supports disk location.

Selecting a Boot Disk

You can select a boot disk in the SAS Topology screen. This disk is then moved to scan ID 0 on the next boot, and remains at this position. This makes it easier to set BIOS boot device options and to keep the boot device constant during device additions and removals. There can be only one boot disk.

Follow these steps to select a boot disk:

1.In the SAS BIOS CU, select an adapter from the ADAPTER LIST.

2.Select the SAS TOPOLOGY option.

The current topology is displayed. If the selection of a boot device is supported, the bottom of the screen lists the ALT+B option. This is the key for toggling the boot device. If a device is currently configured as the boot device, the DEVICE INFO column on the SAS TOPOLOGY screen will show the word Boot.

3.To select a boot disk, move the cursor to the disk and press ALT+B.

4.To remove the boot designator, move the cursor down to the current boot disk and press ALT+B. This controller will no longer have a disk designated as boot.

5.To change the boot disk, move the cursor to the new boot disk and press ALT+B. The boot designator will move to this disk.

NOTE: The firmware must be configured correctly in order for the ALT+B feature to work.

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SUPER MICRO Computer AOCS2308LL8E user manual Locating Drives in a Volume, Selecting a Boot Disk

AOCS2308LL8E specifications

Supermicro, a renowned leader in high-performance computing solutions, has introduced the AOC-S2308LL8E, a powerful SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) controller card designed to enhance storage performance and capability in enterprise systems. This cutting-edge controller provides exceptional functionality for organizations looking to handle large volumes of data efficiently.

The AOC-S2308LL8E features the LSI SAS2308 dual-core processor, which supports 12Gb/s data transfer rates, ensuring swift and reliable connections to storage devices. With its eight internal SAS/SATA ports, this controller card facilitates the connection of multiple drives, allowing for increased data throughput and redundancy, which are essential for critical applications such as database management and virtualization.

One of the standout characteristics of the AOC-S2308LL8E is its compatibility with both SAS and SATA drives. This flexibility allows organizations to choose between high-performance SAS drives or more economical SATA drives based on their specific storage requirements. The controller supports a wide array of RAID levels, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, providing users with the ability to select configurations that enhance data integrity and availability.

Additionally, the card is designed with an advanced cache memory that optimizes data access times, further enhancing overall performance. The AOC-S2308LL8E also features a low-profile form factor, making it suitable for various server chassis configurations, even in space-constrained environments.

In terms of connectivity, the AOC-S2308LL8E is equipped with dual mini-SAS connectors, enabling seamless connectivity to multiple storage devices. With support for a high number of simultaneous I/O operations, this controller card is well-suited for tasks requiring substantial bandwidth, like large-scale data processing and analytics.

Moreover, Supermicro's AOC-S2308LL8E comes with robust management and monitoring features, ensuring that users can maintain optimal performance levels while responding proactively to any potential issues. Built-in support for advanced error recovery techniques helps guarantee data integrity, a feature critical in any enterprise setting.

To summarize, the Supermicro AOC-S2308LL8E is an ideal solution for businesses looking to enhance their storage capabilities. With its combination of high data transfer rates, RAID support, compatibility with various storage drive types, and advanced management features, the AOC-S2308LL8E stands out as a reliable choice for maximizing performance in demanding environments. Organizations investing in this controller will benefit from its efficiency, reliability, and scalability, crucial for future-proofing their IT infrastructure.