VESS Other Articles

While create backup plan with Acronis Backup and Recovery Server, get a error message “Failed to check license key. The key is disabled”.

2011-07-29T14:51:50.0000000

Check these key areas:

If License Server machine has Promise VessRAID disk device:

If no, please add it and reboot License Server machine.
If still not work, reinstall License server and Acronis Backup and Recovery.

Please check License Server license usage info to see if the license was revoked.

If the license was revoked, reinstall Acronis Backup and Recovery.

Acronis Backup and Recovery Server Q&A

2011-07-28T14:08:02.0000000

What is Acronis Backup and Recovery Server OEM?

Acronis Backup and Recovery Server OEM for VessRAID 1000 Series is a customized 3rd party software that provides easy-to-use backup, recovery, and security solutions for businesses to protect data.

What’s the difference between regular ABR10AS and ABRS OEM for VessRAID 1000 Series?

The ABRS OEM for VessRAID 1000 Series is a special made version that will detect VessRAID device presence during installation and provides limited functions compared to Acronis’s standard ABR10 Advance Server software.

Where do I get the ABRS OEM software and how does it work?

The ABRS OEM will bundle ship with the new VessRAID 1000 PLUS series in a CD that encompasses a single license key, user’s manual, QSG, and software binary. Follow installation guide to complete the setup.

I already have a VessRAID purchased earlier, can I get the software for use?

Yes, visit PROMISE website and search corresponding downloads for your VessRAID.

Which PROMISE products are covered?

The ABRS OEM covers only VessRAID 1000 Series product line.

Why single license? Does that mean I can only backup one client application to the VessRAID?

Yes, the ABRS OEM bundle program provides a single license key for use, free of charge, that allows users to backup one client application to the VessRAID.

Do you provide any unlimited version for use?

Yes, we provide an Upgrade Kit that additional “unlimited” license is included, it would allow unlimited number of backup client applications.

Where do I purchase the Upgrade Kit?

You can purchase the Upgrade Kit that consists of a piece of PROMISE hardware (SmartStor NS2600*) and a separately provided “unlimited” license through global authorized distributors and resellers.

Can I buy the Upgrade Kit for my VessRAID already in use?

Yes, you can purchase the Upgrade Kit for your VessRAID subsystems already in use.

Can I upgrade to full version ABR10 Advanced Server?

The ABRS OEM for VessRAID 1000 Series can be upgraded to regular version ABR10 Advanced Server with full functions enable. A special “Upgrade” button is available in the GUI and opens upgrade purchasing landing page in web browser where user can purchase upgrades to regular Acronis software. Or you can visit Acronis web that provides a direct link for upgrade at http://www.acronis.com/backup-recovery/server-windows/oem/upgrade/index.html

What should I do if I accidentally lost the ABRS OEM unlimited version license key?

The unlimited license comes with the installation CD when you purchase the Upgrade Kit that provides two identical license key# for use. One is printed on the sticker body, the other is a removable sticker that can be applied to the PROMISE hardware if you follow the installation guide. If none of said was done, please report your case to http://support.promise.com/ or regional tech support with the Upgrade Kit hardware (SmartStor NS2600*) product serial number to obtain the missing unlimited license key.

How much do I pay for the full version upgrade?

We do not comment on Acronis’s pricing strategy for the upgrade, contact Acronis for details.

When upgrading existing software from ABRS OEM to the full version ABR10 Advanced Server, what happens to the old license?

As you need to import a brand new license of ABR10 Advanced Server to activate full functions of the software, the old license is no longer valid.

Can I purchase the full version ABR10 Advance Server directly from PROMISE?

No, the full version ABR10 Advance Server is only through Acronis authorized resellers. Contact Acronis local sales representative for pricing and availability.

Does the ABRS OEM come in different version to different VessRAID models?

No, there is only one single ABRS OEM build for the entire VessRAID 1000 Series.

What is the power consumption and heat dissipation of the VessRAID?

2011-06-04T11:09:14.0000000

You may need to calculate the power consumption and heat dissipation of a new storage susbsystem to see if your power load center and air conditioning can support the additional load, so you refer to the VessRAID datasheets. The VessRAID 1840 datasheets list the following power information:

VR1840i
Current (Maximum): 7/8A (100V); 3.5/4A (240V)
Power Consumption: 242.8Watts (w/ SAS drives), 72.2Watts (w/o drives)

VR1840f
Current (Maximum): 8A (100V); 4A (240V)
Power Consumption: 241.8Watts (w/ SAS drives), 51.3Watts (w/o drives)

For 120VAC operation the maximum possible current that the two power supplies could draw is:
450W / 120VAC = 3.75A each, for a total of 7.5A @ 120VAC or 3.75A @ 240VAC

However the total peak (worst case) current draw on the power supplies by the subsystem with 16 15K RPM SAS drives is around 3.75A @ 120VAC or 1.57A @ 240VAC.

This is based on the total startup load of the 16 SAS drives and the startup load of the RAID controller and the enclosure, which is approximately 120W: 256W + 120W = 376W / 120V = 3.75A.
For 16 SATA drives the startup load would be: 144W + 120W = 264W / 120V = 2.2A.

This startup load is momentary and is well within the design limits of the power supply units.

More important for these load and heat calculations is the operational average, or how much power will be used during operation.

The overall startup and operational loads will vary with the drive type used in the enclosure; here are some typical 2TB drive power consumption values:

Type	RPM	Typical W	Idle W
SAS	15K	16	12
SAS	7200	10	7
SATA	7200	9	6

For 1TB drives the power used is approximately 20% less, and for 500GB drives 40% less.

From the datasheets we can see that the operational average for the two product versions are 72W and 51W without any drives.

To calculate the typical power consumption of the VessRAID iSCSI subsystem:
16 SAS drives @ 16W = 256W + Controller @ 72W = 328W
16 SATA drives @ 9W = 144W + Controller @ 72W = 249W

To calculate the approximate BTUs generated for any cooling requirements:
16 SAS drives: Heat dissipation = 328W x 3.413 = 1120 BTU
16 SATA drives: Heat dissipation = 249W x 3.413 = 850 BTU

For the VessJBOD the IO module consumes around 20W, so just subtract 52W from these results.

To calculate the typical power consumption of the VessRAID FC8 subsystem:
16 SAS drives @ 16W = 256W + Controller @ 51W = 307W
16 SATA drives @ 9W = 144W + Controller @ 51W = 195W

To calculate the approximate BTUs generated for any cooling requirements:
16 SAS drives: Heat dissipation = 307W x 3.413 = 1048 BTU
16 SATA drives: Heat dissipation = 195W x 3.413 = 666 BTU

For the VessJBOD the IO module consumes around 20W, so just subtract 31W from these results.

Why do persistent iSCSI drives disappear after rebooting my system?

2011-02-11T18:09:12.0000000

KB 10298 - Checking your persistent iSCSI targets

Introduction

When you Discover and Log On to an iSCSI target using MS iSCSI Initiator you have the option of making that volume persistent – available across host system re-boots. When the host system starts the iSCSI service will attempt to re-connect to any iSCSI targets that were configured as “persistent”.

Failure to re-connect

A failure to re-connect after a host system re-boot could be loosely grouped in to two categories; a working persistent device that fails to re-connect, or a newly configured persistent device that fails after the first re-boot.

Existing Persistent Devices

Under certain conditions a persistent device may not respond to reconnection attempts by the host system;

A change was made to the host system’s network configuration.
Network errors, or switch issues.
Physical cabling problems between the host system or the iSCSI target.

You can attempt to resolve these issues by trying to ping the iSCSI device from the host system:

A successful ping – the host system can reach the iSCSI target

C:\Admin>ping 10.0.0.22
Pinging 10.0.0.22 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 10.0.0.22: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 10.0.0.22: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 10.0.0.22: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Ping statistics for 10.0.0.22:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

An unsuccessful ping – the host system can’t reach the iSCSI target

C:\Admin>ping 10.0.0.22
Pinging 10.0.0.22 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Ping statistics for 10.0.0.22:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

New Persistent Devices

If you create a new iSCSI target connection and you want it to be persistent across host system re-boots be sure to check the Automatically restore this connection when the system boots check box when you Log On to the target:

The new target must appear on the Persistent Targets tab of the MS iSCSI initiator:

Use the Windows Disk Management panel to create a new disk and assign it a drive letter:

You can bind the new persistent target to the Windows disk you assigned it to on the Bound Volumes/Devices tab of the MS iSCSI initiator:

Advanced iSCSI Initiator Commands

If you have problems with a persistent target you can examine the iSCSI initiator configuration using the Windows command prompt to invoke the iscsicli utility.

The first thing to check the name of your initiator:

C:\Admin>iscsicli ListInitiators
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Version 6.0 Build 6000 
Initiators List:
Root\ISCSIPRT\0000_0
The operation completed successfully.

Next check is if the initiator is connected to the required iSCSI target:

C:\Admin>iscsicli ListTargets 
Targets List:
iqn.1994-12.com.promise.81.83.65.55.1.0.0.20 

Verify the Node Name on the iSCSI target to ensure it is the same as the one on this list.

Now check to see if there is a persistent target available:

C:\Admin>iscsicli ListPersistentTargets
Total of 1 peristent targets
Target Name : iqn.1994-12.com.promise.81.83.65.55.1.0.0.20
Address and Socket : 10.0.0.22 3260
Session Type : Data
Initiator Name : Root\ISCSIPRT\0000_0
Port Number : <Any Port>
Security Flags : 0x0
Version : 0
Information Specified: 0x20
Login Flags : 0x8
Username :

Note that the Initiator Name matches that returned by the first command.

Finally you can check if the persistent device you bound to the target is present:

C:\Admin>iscsicli ReportPersistentDevices
Persistent Volumes
"X:\"

The host system will try to connect to the iSCSI target that was configured as a persistent device so that it can mount drive X:.

Troubleshooting

If you do not see your iSCSI target listed using the CLI command ListPersistentTargets you should first ensure that the iSCSI target is reachable, and then try to create it again with the iSCSI Initiator. Check with the CLI again to see if the initiator has registered it before re-booting the host system to test the persistence of the volume.

If a persistent bound volume does not appear and the CLI command ReportPersistentDevices does not show a Drive letter but instead shows a link to a storage volume you can remove it using the CLI command ClearPersistentDevices and then Add the Volume again.

Example of bad persistent device:

C:\Admin>iscsicli ReportPersistentDevices
"\\?\storage#volume#1&19f7e59c&0&gptpartition{bea947b0-cc1f-4485-82bd-d207c3c7f608}#{53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}"

How Do I Setup the VessRAID NAS Replication function?

2011-01-20T17:27:05.0000000

KB 10296 - Helpful information for setting up VessRAID NAS Replication:

The Primary VessRAID NAS will be the source of the replication; all changes made to the contents of these shared folders here will be synchronized to the folders on the Backup VessRAID NAS according to the defined replication schedule.

The Backup VessRAID NAS will be the target for replication from the Primary VessRAID NAS; these shared folders can be mounted by hosts as well, but changes made to them will not be synchronized back to the Primary NAS folders.

When configuring the Backup NAS you must create a mount-point and folder for each of the shared folders on the Primary NAS you want to replicate, and the Backup mount-points and folders must have the same names as the Primary mount-points and folders for replication to function.

The Backup folders do not have to be the same size as the Primary folders, but it is a good practice to make them the same size - or larger if required - so that all of the contents of the Primary folders can be replicated.

VessRAID NAS Replication example

Primary Server folders	Backup Server folders

For this example the Primary server has four shared folders available on two mount-points, and the Backup server has two mount-points with folders with the same names as those on the Primary server - ausie/rules and nasty/canasta. Every time the synchronization is scheduled the contents of the the two folders will be compared and any changes made on the Primary will be replicated to the Backup. The two folders on the Primary that do not have backup folders - outback and habits - will not be synchronized.

Note: All folders that are set up for replication will be synchronized at the interval set by the replication schedule. You can exclude a folder from the replication schedule by simply re-naming it on either of the VessRAID NAS servers.

Why does performance drop during Migration on my VessRAID?

2010-10-08T16:06:21.0000000

KB 10292 - Why does performance drop during Migration on my VessRAID?

In the latest FW (SR4 FW v3.1.0000.00) we have found performance drops during some FW operations, for example Migration and Rebuild. The cause has been identified and will be fixed in a future release. We found that by disabling NCQ on the drives during these operations performance increases.

VessRAID 1840s is not supported with IMS

2010-07-08T17:08:33.0000000

This document explains why Promise VessRAID 1840s is not supported with the Intel Modular Server (IMS)

The example below shows the menu page for mapping SAS initiators, the VessRAID controller will only see ONE SAS initiator when 3 blades are open for the VessRAID to lunmap.

This example shows a valid SAS initiator list that VessRAID should display to the IMS.

Currently there is no work around to support the VessRAID 1840s with the Intel Modular Server.

Creating A NAS LD With Vess 1000

2010-06-15T11:51:54.0000000

The Vess RAID 1000 can be used for Network Attached Storage (NAS) configuration. You can opt to set the Vess to run ISCSI with a NAS LD. Follow the procedure below to set up a NAS LD

1) Open Webpam PROe for the Vess RAID and go to DISK ARRAY

2) Click on Disk Array and go to the ADVANCE CONFIGURATION option

3) Select the number of Hard Disks you wish to be apart of the ARRAY

4) Once you have selected the hard drives you will need to set up your NAS volume. Click Next to proceed to create the NAS volume in the Logical Disk Configuration

5) In the Logical Disk Configuration select the MOUNT POINT for the NAS LD

6) Select the RAID level

7) Select the size of the LD you wish to create ( this will be based on the number of hard drives assigned to the Disk Array. Note that you can configure multiple LDs based on the availability of configurable space)

8) Once the RAID level and LD sizes are selected you can configure the stripe block or sector sizes for the array

9) Select the LD type as the last step. There will be two options: DAS and SAN or NAS. Select the option for NAS and click update

10) Once these selection have been completed press NEXT

11) The next page will display a final summary of the NAS LD. If all is correct you can press SUBMIT to formally complete the NAS

12) Once the volume is completed you will need to create a file system. Press the CREATE FILE SYSTEM as the last option ( Note that the VESS will format the unit as NFS)

Using OPUS My USB Thumb Drive Is Not Found

2010-06-07T12:12:05.0000000

When I use my large capacity USB thrumb drive to flash / update FW or save the system service report, the USB drive is not detected.

We support many sizes and manufactures USB flash drives, please see the Promise VessRAID SR3 Compatibility List at:

http://www.promise.com/media_bank/Download%20Bank/Compatibility/VessJBOD%201000%20Series%20SR3%20Compatibility%20List%20V1.0-20100520.pdf

Replacing the Cache Battery on the Vess RAID subsystems.

2010-05-18T14:29:57.0000000

Replacing the Cache Battery

The cache battery, or Battery Backup Unit (BBU), is located inside the RAID

Controller. The battery assembly is replaced as a unit.

Cautions

• Try reconditioning the battery before you replace it. See

page 94 or page 143 for more information.

• If power service has failed, do not remove the RAID Controller

if the Dirty Cache LED is lighted. See Figure 5. Wait until

power service is restored.

• Only a qualified technician should perform this procedure.

• You must shut down the VessRAID subsystem before you

can perform this procedure.

• Installing the wrong replacement battery can result in an

explosion.

• Dispose of used batteries according to the instructions that

come with the battery.

To replace the cache battery:

1. Verify that the Battery LED is amber or red. See Figure 5.

Figure 5. VessRAID enclosure LED

2. Shut down the VessRAID. See “Shutting Down the Subsystem” on page 82

or page 188.

3. Remove the RAID Controller.

See “Replacing a RAID Controller” on page 225. (Section Included Below)

4. Lay the RAID Controller on a non-static surface and remove the cover

attaching screws, one on each side, then remove the cover.

See page 227, Figure 3.

Figure 3. RAID Controller cover and attaching screw

5. Remove the battery assembly attaching screw on the outside of the RAID

controller housing.

6. Detach the battery connector and remove the battery assembly.

Figure 6. RAID Controller cache battery

In the above photo, the memory module was removed so you can see the

battery connector. You do not have to remove the memory module to replace

the battery assembly.

7. Attach the connector of the new battery assembly.

Figure 7. Battery connector pin

8. Put the battery assembly into place and install the attaching screw.

9. Replace the RAID Controller cover and install the two attaching screws.

See page 227, Figure 3.

10. Reinstall the RAID Controller.

See “Replacing a RAID Controller” on page 225.

This completes the cache battery replacement procedure.

Exert from the "VessRAID 1000s Series Product Manual" pages 228-230

Replacing a RAID Controller

The RAID Controller monitors and manages the logical drives. When the

controller is replaced, all of your logical drive data and configurations remain

intact because this logical drive information is stored on the disk drives.

RAID Controller failure is rare. But you might have to remove and reinstall the

same RAID Controller in order to replace a cooling fan, cache battery, or memory

module as described in this chapter.

Caution

• Do not replace the RAID Controller based on LED colors

alone. Only replace the RAID Controller when directed to do

so by Promise Technical Support. See page 305.

• Only a qualified technician should perform this procedure.

• You must shut down the VessRAID subsystem before you can

perform this procedure.

Removing the old controller

To replace the RAID Controller:

1. Shut down the VessRAID. See “Shutting Down the Subsystem” on page 82

or page 188.

2. On the RAID Controller, loosen the thumbscrew, swing the latch to the right

and pull the RAID Controller out of the enclosure.

3. Disconnect the SAS, Ethernet, serial, and power cables.

4. On the RAID Controller, loosen the thumbscrew, swing the latch to the right

and pull the RAID Controller out of the enclosure. See Figure 1.

Figure 1. Removing the RAID Controller

Installing the new controller

1. Verify that the new RAID Controller has a cache battery and memory module

installed.

If it does not have these items, transfer them from the old RAID Controller.

See page 228 and page 230 for more information.

2. Carefully slide the new RAID Controller into the enclosure.

3. Swing the latch to the left and secure it with the thumbscrew.

4. Reconnect the SAS, Ethernet, serial, and power cables.

5. Switch on the power.

The VessRAID restarts. For more information about VessRAID’s start-up

behavior, see “Connecting the Power” on page 21.

This completes the RAID Controller replacement procedure.

Exert from the "VessRAID 1000s Series Product Manual" pages 225-226

How To Set Up Link Aggregation For Vess RAID

2010-04-19T16:29:27.0000000

1) To set up Link Aggregation Log into Webpam PRO and click on the category called NETWORK MANAGEMENT

2) Highlight the tab LINK AGGREGATION and open it

3) In The LINK AGGREGATION MENU you should see PORT 1 and PORT 2 for the ISCSI VESS RAID. Select the port you want to configure

4)You will see port settings for all port on the Vess. To configure the link aggregation One port has to be MASTER. For the 1st option select a MASTER PORT and then select the remaining port(s) you wish to aggregate.

5)Once the ports have been selected then click on the SUBMIT buttons to save the changes

Once the link aggregation has been set in the ports you will need to configure link aggregation for FAIL OVER or ROUND ROBIN. This has to be configured in the ISCSI initiator

How do I configure NTP on my VessRAID?

2010-04-02T09:18:20.0000000

Beginning with VessRAID firmware Service Release 3 (SR3), support for NTP – Network Time Protocol – has been added to the subsystem menu. NTP allows the VessRAID’s time and date to be synchronized to another system, either on an internal network or from an external source.

To enable the NTP Service, select the root menu of the subsystem.

Click on the drop-down arrow of the Settings tab.

If the NTP Service is not running it will appear as Disabled in the NTP Info pane.

To enable the NTP Service, check the NTP Service check-box in the NTP Settings pane and enter the address of an NTP server that is either on your network or available externally. Ensure that the VessRAID management port IP information is configured correctly to reach the NTP server you enter. For this example we are using the NTP server at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Click the Submit button and you should see a success message for the parameter change.

Go back to the NTP Settings tab and look at the NTP Info pane. The Last Synchronization Result field should show a successful sync with the configured NTP server and your System Date and Time should be current.

You can manually test the NTP settings by using the Start Time Sync button. This should result in an NTP synchronization message and the subsystem time being updated.

You will be prompted that this action might cause a session timeout; click the OK button to continue.

Note
A session timeout is likely if the configured NTP server is unreachable or if you have more than one NTP server configured and they are all unreachable. This is most likely due to the IP configuration of the VessRAID’s management port, or the NTP port being blocked by your network firewall.

How do I reset the Admin password on a VessRAID

2010-02-18T12:51:12.0000000

This procedure can be used to reset the VessRAID administrator password if it is lost or forgotten.

Turn off the VessRAID power and wait 15 seconds before turning it back on. If you have a dual-power supply unit, turn off both PSUs and turn them both back on.

The fans will run at high speed and the Status LED in the top right corner of the controller will light green for approximately 35 seconds and then turn off; the fans will slow down 10 seconds later.

Using a tipped object such as a pen - do not use a pencil or something that can break off! - press the small button that is in the hole under the Status LED. This will cause the alert buzzer to sound in a one-second pattern, and the controller will continue its startup process.

When the VessRAID is on-line, log in to the unit with the defaults;

Username: administrator

Password: password

What is Redundancy Check

2009-11-21T18:46:02.0000000

How do I start, stop, pause, view the progress of, and schedule Redundancy Check in WebPAM PROe?

Redundancy Check is a routine maintenance procedure for fault-tolerant disk arrays that ensures all of the user data is protected correctly by checking data consistency for both parity and mirrored data, while checking the media integrity as well. RC operates on a logical drive basis, and it only works for redundant RAID configurations, which does not include RAID 0. When encountering an error, the user has the choice of repairing the consistency or media error, or just reporting the error without repairing it. It is recommended that an RC is performed on a regular scheduled basis.

Starting Redundancy Check

To manually start Redundancy Check:

Click on the Subsytem icon - denoted by the IP address for the unit - in the tree menu.

Expand the Logical Drive Summary and click on the Logical Drive you want to perform the Redundancy Check on.

Click on the drop-down arrow on the Background Activities tab and select Redundancy Check from the menu.

The Auto Fix function will attempt to repair any errors that are encountered.

The Pause On Error parameter will stop the Redundancy Check process when it encounters a error, but if Auto Fix is also checked the Redundancy Check process will stop only when it encounters a non-repairable error.

Click on the check-box to apply the desired parameter.

Click the Submit button to make the parameter changes.

Redundancy Check Progress

To view the progress of a Redundancy Check:

Click on the Logical Drive you want to perform the Redundancy Check on and click on the Background Activities tab to display the status and progress of the process.

You can also view the progress of all running processes, if for instance you have Redundancy Checks running on more than one Logical Drive, by clicking on the Subsytem icon in the tree menu and selecting the Background Activities tab.

Managing Redundancy Check

To pause, resume, or stop a Redundancy Check process:

Click on the Subsytem icon in the tree menu and select the Background Activities tab to view a list of any Redundancy Checks that are running on the Logical Drives.

Click on the Logical Drive you want to manage under the Background Activities section.

You can pause or stop the selected Redundancy Check by clicking the appropriate button.

Redundancy Check Priority
To view the priority level for the Redundancy Check process:
Click on the Subsytem icon in the tree menu and select the Background Activities tab. The Background Activity Parameters section will list the priority levels for all of the background activities.

Here is a summary of the three available priority levels:

Low allocates fewer system resources to the background process and more to data read/write operations.

Medium allocates a balance of system resources between the background process and data read/write operations.

High allocates more system resources to the background process and fewer to data read/write operations.
To change the priority level of a background process cl
ick the drop-down arrow on the Background Activities tab and select the Settings item.

The Background Activity Settings page allows you to change the priority level of any of the background processes to one of the three values summarized above,

Click on the Submit button to accept the changes.

Redundancy Check Scheduling
By using the Background Activity Scheduler you can select the exact times and days that any of the background processes will be run, as well as the start and end dates of the scheduled activity.

To schedule a Redundancy Check, c
lick on the Scheduler tab and select the
Add Reductancy Check Schedule item.

The Redundancy Check Schedule form allows you to schedule a Redundancy Check on any available Logical Drive. You can select the start time, frequency, and schedule period, as well as setting the Auto Fix and Pause on Error parameters.
This example is scheduled to start a Redundancy Check on Logical Drive 0 at 1 A.M. every second Sunday, beginning March 1, 2010, without an expiry date, and both Redundancy Check Options have been selected.

Click the Submit button to save the schedule.

What does the Physical Drive Operational Status represent?

2009-09-01T16:38:39.0000000

The Operational Status field of the Physical Drives Information page under the Enclosures item in the main menu tree indicates the current status of the individual drives that are present in the subsystem enclosure.

The various values for this field and their meanings are:

The drive is functioning normally.

Rebuilding

A rebuild has started on the Physical Drive (target) to replace another Physical Drive in the disk array.
- OR -
The user has inserted an originally missing Physical Drive which was originally rebuilding.
- OR -
The user has started a manual rebuild on a dead Physical Drive.

Missing

The original configured Physical Drive is missing after a reboot or power cycle.

Dead

The configured Physical Drive has been removed.
- OR -
The configured Physical Drive has failed.
- OR -
The Physical Drive was forced offline by the user.

Stale

The physical drive contains obsolete disk array information.

PFA

The physical drive has errors resulting in a prediction of failure.

The VessRAID Drive Tray

2009-08-31T17:59:31.0000000

Q: Can I use the same drive carrier from my VTrak E- or M-class subsystem in the VessRAID subsystem?

A: No. The VTrak enclosure has deeper drive slots, so the drive carriers are longer than those used in the VessRAID. Also, the VTrak carrier has metal guides on the edges that are different widths to provide a "keying" mechanism that prevents incorrect insertion in to the enclosure; the VessRAID carriers have plastic guides that are a different sizes as well.

Q: How does VessRAID drive carrier compare to those of the VTrak?

A: The VessRAID drive carrier has a black plastic front with a gray latch handle on the left side, while the VTrak drive carrier has a gray "keyhole" shaped latch handle.

Q: What kind of hard drive can I use with the VessRAID drive carrier?

A: Since the VessRAID supports both SATA and SAS drives, the drive carrier can accept both types of hard drives.

Q: How does the VessRAID drive carrier help suppress disk drive vibration?

A: The drive carrier has integrated arches on the black plastic guides on the sides of the carrier to minimize the vibrations created by the disk drives.

Q: Is the VessRAID drive carrier difficult to remove from the enclosure?

A: No. After squeezing the latch handle the drive carrier slides out of the enclosure easily.

Saving a System Service Report for the VessRAID

2009-08-31T17:27:58.0000000

If you need to contact Promise Technical Support you will be asked to send the System Service Report, which will include all of the information necessary for them to check the status of your VesssRAID.

The VessRAID provides two simple methods for collecting and saving a System Service Report.

WebPAM PROe

The first method - shared by all Promise subsystems - is by using the WebPAM browser-based management interface.

Log in to the subsystem and click the VessRAID item under the Subsystems item at the top.

This will display the Information tab; click the Save button.

Wait for 10 to 20 seconds for the Save File dialog and select a location to save the report.

OPAS

The second method - introduced with the VessRAID - is to use the One Plug Auto Service tool that uses a USB Flash Drive to save the data. This process is entirely automatic and does not require you access the management menu.

Plug a USB Flash Drive into one of the USB slots on the back of the VessRAID.

The USB status light will start blinking amber . This indicates that the Subsystem Report is being saved on the USB Thumb Drive. The light will continue to blink until it completes the creation of the subsystem report.

When the USB Status light becomes a solid green light, the scanning and saving of the file will be complete.

You can plug the USB Flash Drive in to the USB socket of your computer and open the folder for it.

There you should find another folder called "OPAS_OUTPUT", and in there will be a file whose name will be formatted similar to "OPAS_subinfo_YYMMddhhmmss.html". This is the file that you need to email to the Promise technician working on your issue.

The filename will be composed of these elements:
"YY" indicates the Year (Example: 2009 will be 09)
"MM" indicates the Month (Values 01-12)
"dd" indicates the day of the month(Values 01-31)
"hh" indicates the Hour , 00-23
"mm" indicates the minute(Values 00-59)
"ss" indicates the second(Values 00-59)

EXAMPLE: The report "OPAS_subinfo_090717133456.log" was taken on July 17, 2009, 01:34:56 PM.

Troubleshooting

A Red LED after the flashing Yellow LED indicates that saving the service report file has failed.

Please check if your USB drive is full and reinsert the USB drive to try again.
If it continues to fail, please call Promise Technical Support to troubleshoot the issue further.

No LED after plugging your USB Drive in to the socket may indicate that the VessRAID is not recognizing your USB Drive.

Remove and re-insert the USB Drive to see if the VessRAID can complete discovery.
Try a different USB Drive, or test it on a computer to ensure that it is still functional.
Try another USB Drive type, as this one may not be compatible with the VessRAID.

Note: If you were to plug in the USB drive into another VessRAID within One Minute of taking it out of another VessRAID, OPAS would overwrite the generated file that was saved by the previous VessRAID. You should wait at least one full minute before plugging the USB drive into another VessRAID so that the file name can have a different time stamp.

How do I enable Wake On LAN for the VessRAID?

2009-08-31T17:25:41.0000000

The WOL feature is disabled by default, and it can be enabled by using WebPAM Pro E and selecting the Network Management option.

Wake up system via Ethernet when system is in the standby mode or in the time interval of scheduling power-off.

Wake on LAN (WOL) support is integrated on the system board of a computer and the network interface, and is not dependent on the operating system running on the hardware, although the operating system can sometimes control the WOL behavior. A plug in NIC will require cable connection; Integrated Ethernet controllers that support WOL do not need a cable.

You could use the following web links for 3rd party software download towake up VessRAID through Ethernet.

These utilities mainly turn on a remote PC from its IP Address, if this was previously stored in the cache, otherwise you should write the MAC Address of the remote PC. You can also check the state of a determined host by sending a Ping package to the desired IP or Host.

Due to limitations of WOL, it onlyfunctions on machines belonging to the local network; remote connectivity through the Internet is not possible. To be able to turn on a remote PC, this must be on sleep mode.

How do I use the VessRAID Power Scheduler?

2009-06-30T16:06:00.0000000

KB 10168 - Using the VessRAID Power Scheduler

The VessRAID subsystem can be configured to power-on and power-off automatically.

The Power Scheduler feature can be used to turn on the VessRAID for scheduled backups, then turn off the VessRAID when the task is completed. Other uses include turning the VessRAID on during work hours and off when users will not need to access the subsystem.

When in Power-Off standby mode, the system will consume less than 5 Watts.

Configuration of the Power Scheduler can be done via WebPAM, the browser-based management console.

Scheduling Power-On or Power-Off Activity

To create a power schedule begin by logging in to WebPAM and clicking on the subsystem icon in the main menu tree.

From the drop-down menu on the Scheduler tab, choose either the Add Power-On Schedule or Add Power-Off Schedule option.

The following is an example of using the Power On Schedule interface:

For this example the VessRAID has been scheduled to power-on at 8 A.M. every weekday, beginning January 1, 2010, and this schedule never expires. A corresponding power-off schedule must be created to complete the power-on / power-off cycle.

You can create multiple schedules and enable only the one you want to use by checking the Enable this Schedule check-box and un-checking the others.

The scheduler allows every possible option for scheduling, which makes this feature very useful for a variety of applications.

You will see a completion message after your new schedule is saved, and you can view a list of all schedules by clicking on the Scheduler tab. Select the link to the schedule you want to view or edit.

Choose the Delete Schedules item from the drop-down menu to view a list of all available schedules where you can select one or more to delete.

Important Notes:

The main power switch on each power supply must be in the ON position for the VessRAID to wake up at a scheduled time.
If you create a Power Off scedule you must also create a Power On schedule to wake up the VessRAID.
If you need to wake up a VessRAID that has been shut down by a Power Off schedule before the next Power On schedule - or you forgot to create a Power On schedule - you have to turn off the power switch on all power supplies, un-plug and then plug back in the power cords, then turn on the power switch on all power supplies.