VTrak D5000 Articles

How to save a SMART log of HDD/SSD for further analysis?

2025-07-09T05:22:30.6500000

A SMART log (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is built into PROMISE Vtrak and Vess RAID storage systems that monitors the health and performance of the drive and SSD and then can predict potential failures. It logs various attributes like read error rates, seek error rates, spin-up time, and temperature, providing insights into the drive's condition. By analyzing these logs, technician can identify potential problems before they lead to data loss or drive failure.

Please follow these procedures to collect the SMART log.

1].Login the WebPAM PROe

1.1] Open browser and put the management IP portal

1.2] put administrator account

1.3] default password is password

2].Enable SMART log.

Go to Devices > Component List > Controller > Setting > Controller settings

3].Export SMART log.

Go to Administration > Import/Export > Export > SMART log

Enabling Jumbo Frame on Promise VTrak D5000 Series

2025-01-23T14:21:40.3370000

Jumbo Frames allow larger data packets to be transmitted, enhancing data transfer speeds. Follow these steps to configure Jumbo Frames effectively on your VTrak D5000 Series.

Step-by-Step Guide

Accessing the Management Interface
- Log in to the Promise VTrak management interface using your administrator credentials.
Navigating to Ethernet Port Settings
- Go to 'Device' and select 'Network Management'.
- Identify the specific 'IO Port' you want to modify under the 'Port' section.
Accessing IO Port Settings
- Within the chosen IO Port, click on 'Settings' to access the Ethernet port configurations.
Enabling Jumbo Frames
- Locate the 'Jumbo Frame' setting within the IO Port settings.
- Enable the Jumbo Frame option to allow larger data packets to be transmitted.
- Save the changes to activate Jumbo Frames for the selected IO Port.

Important Notes

Portals or Trunks Restrictions:
- Portals: If a portal exists on the port, it must be deleted before enabling Jumbo Frames. Afterward, you can recreate the portal.
- Trunks: If a trunk exists, delete any associated portals and then remove the trunk. Jumbo Frames can only be enabled once the trunk and portals are removed. After enabling, you can recreate the trunk and portals.

Optimizing Network Performance

For optimal performance, Jumbo Frames must also be enabled on both the Ethernet switch and the host clients connected to the VTrak D5000 Series.

A. Ethernet Switch Configuration

Refer to your Ethernet switch documentation.
Look for settings related to Jumbo Frames or Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU).
Adjust these settings for the ports connected to the VTrak D5000.

B. Host Client Configuration

Access the network adapter settings on your host client.
Locate the Jumbo Frames or MTU configuration.
Match the settings with those on the VTrak D5000 and Ethernet switch.

Ensure that all related devices (switches and host clients) are configured with matching MTU values. For more specific guidance, refer to the documentation for your Ethernet switch and host client network adapters.

Need Further Assistance?

For additional support:

Register your product and create a support case on our website.
Detailed instructions for submitting a support case can be found here:
Submitting a Support Case
Contact us at Support@promise.com

SMB Signing and Performance Issues on VTrak D5000 Series

2024-12-02T19:44:31.9930000

Overview of SMB Signing

SMB (Server Message Block) protocol facilitates file sharing, print services, and remote administration over networks.
SMB signing secures data by adding a digital signature to packets, preventing unauthorized tampering during transmission.
SMB Signing is supported across all SMB protocol versions.

Performance Impact
Enabling SMB Signing can cause a significant performance drop due to the additional CPU workload required to digitally sign each packet. For example:

Throughput can drop from 875 MiB/s to approximately 250 MiB/s during sequential read tests without multichannel support.

Mitigating Performance Issues
To reduce the performance degradation:

1. Deactivate SMB Signing on the D5000 Series

- Use the SMB Settings option in the D5000 series GUI to turn off Server Signing : NAS Share > Protocol > SMB > Settings

2. Deactivate SMB Signing on Clients

Procedures for disabling SMB Signing vary by operating system:

Windows: Modify registry or Group Policy settings.
Linux: Update smb.conf in Samba configuration.
Mac OS: Use terminal commands or modify SMB preferences.

Refer to reliable online resources or OS-specific documentation to find detailed steps for disabling SMB signing on client systems.

PROMISE VTrak D5000 Series Tutorial Videos

2024-11-20T14:57:08.3100000

Introduction

Hardware Installation & Cabling

Software Setup

I/O Testing & Bandwidth Capability

Service & Support

Resolving SATA SSDs Compatibility Issues in VTrak/Vess Storage

2024-11-01T12:46:50.3370000

Issue:

When configuring your VTrak/Vess Storage, all SATA SSDs are showing as "not usable" despite being tested and qualified on our compatibility list.

Solution:

If you're encountering the "not usable" status for SATA SSDs in your VTrak/Vess Storage configuration, follow these steps to ensure proper setup:

1. Verify SSD Type: Confirm whether the SSD drives are SATA.
2. Use SATA to SAS Dongle: If the SSDs are SATA, you'll need a SATA to SAS dongle to ensure compatibility with your VTrak/Vess Storage. This dongle acts as an adapter, connecting SATA SSDs to the SAS interface of the storage system. SAS SSDs do not require the dongle.
3. Contact Sales Team: If you require a SATA to SAS dongle, get in touch with our regional Sales Team to place an order and purchase the necessary adapter for your SATA SSD drives.

Updating Firmware on the VTrak D5000 Subsystem

2024-10-31T13:09:08.3500000

To update the firmware on the VTrak D5000, follow these steps:

1. Download the latest firmware image file from PROMISE support by visiting the website at http://www.promise.com/support/. Save the file to your Host PC or TFTP server.

2. Before proceeding, ensure that no background activities are running on the RAID subsystem.

3. Access the Administration tab and navigate to the Firmware Update section.

4. Choose a download option:
- Local File through HTTP: Click the "Choose File" button, locate the firmware image file on your system, select it, and click "Open."
- TFTP Server: Enter the TFTP Server host name or IP address, port number, and file name.

5. Optionally, you can check the "Non-disruptive Image Update (NDIU)" box. This feature updates the RAID controllers and I/O modules one at a time, allowing I/O operations to continue during the firmware update. Note that updates with this option take longer to complete and are only supported by dual controller models.

6. Click the "Download" button. The subsequent screen will display the Flash Image (firmware image file) Version Number and Build Date.

7. Click "Submit" to initiate the firmware update. The progress of the update will be shown.

Important: Do not power off the subsystem during the update and refrain from navigating to other screens until the firmware update operation is completed.

Once the update is finished, a message will prompt you to reboot the subsystem. Click "OK."

- If you selected the Disruptive Flash Method, the RAID subsystem and JBOD expansion units will automatically restart.
- If you chose the Non-Disruptive Flash Method, the system will automatically flash and restart the RAID controllers one at a time.

Automatic Restart: If the NDIU box was not checked, the RAID subsystem and JBOD expansion units will automatically restart. This action temporarily disrupts I/O operations and may cause your WebPAM PROe connection to drop. To reestablish the connection, follow these steps:

1. Wait for a minimum of two minutes.
2. Click "Logout" in the WebPAM PROe Header and then log in again. If you encounter login issues, wait for 30 seconds and try again.
3. In your browser, click "Logout" in the WebPAM PROe Header and then log in again. If you cannot log in immediately, wait for 30 seconds and try again.

Disable VMware ATS-only Flag in D5000/R3000

2024-10-31T12:33:02.6930000

8.1 Check ATS-only command list

The problem arises when mounting the VMware datastore while the D5000/R3000 VAAI is enabled, as it results in the datastore being marked as ATS-only. Consequently, disabling the D5000/R3000 VAAI at this stage leads to the VMware datastore being flagged as abnormal.Follow the steps below to avoid this exception.

8.1.1 Check the volume or datastore ATS status:

vmkfstools -Ph -v1 /vmfs/volumes/VMFS-volume-name(Datastore name)

8.1.2. Change the ATS status:

vmkfstools --configATSOnly 0 device path(Volume name)

vmkfstools --configATSOnly 1 device path(Volume name

8.2. Example

The following steps demonstrate the change of VMware ATS-only flag for several cases.

A. Mount VMware datastore while D5K/R3K VAAI disabled.

ATS-only flag will not be enabled for the datastore in such condition.

B. Mount VMware datastore while D5K/R3K VAAI enabled.

ATS-only flag will be enabled for the datastore in such condition.

C. Disable D5K/R3K VAAI while VMware datastore is mounted.

Datastore with ATS-only flag enabled will become abnormal.

D. Disable ATS-only flag before disable VAAI support in D5K/R3K

Make sure the ATS-only flag is not enabled before disable VAAI support in D5K/R3K, so the datastore can be normal.

8.2.1 Mount VMware datastore while D5K/R3K VAAI disabled.

A. Mount 4*VMware datastores while D5K/R3K VAAI disabled.

Refer “8.2.1.a” as below.

4*VMware datastores not support VAAI, VMware field “Hardware Acceleration” is unknown.
The 4 datastores named “p1v1_vaai_d_std”,”p1v2_vaai_d_std”,”p2v1_vaai_d_adv” and “p2v2_vaai_d_adv”.

[Figure 8.2.1.a]

B. ATS-only flag will not be enabled for these 4 datastores.

Refer “8.2.1.b” as below.

In ESXi CLI excute “vmkfstools –Ph –v1 /vmfs/volumes/p1v1_vaai_d_std”
The field “Mode” value is “public”, it’s means no “ATS-only” enabled.

[Figure 8.2.1.b]

8.2.2 . Mount VMware datastore while D5K/R3K VAAI enabled.

A. Mount VMware datastore while D5K/R3K VAAI enabled. Refer “8.2.2.a” as below.

The old 4 VMware datastores support VAAI, VMware field “Hardware Acceleration” is supported.
The old 4 VMware datastores named “p1v1_vaai_d_std”,”p1v2_vaai_d_std”, ”p2v1_vaai_d_adv” and “p2v2_vaai_d_adv”.
The new 4 VMware datastores support VAAI, VMware field “Hardware Acceleration” is supported.
The new 4 VMware datastores named “p1v1_vaai_e_std”,”p1v2_vaai_e_std”,”p2v1_vaai_e_adv” and “p2v2_vaai_e_adv”.

[Figure 8.2.2.a]

b.Check ATS-only flag for the 4 old datastores, the datastores created before VAAI enable.Refer “8.2.2.b” as below.

In ESXi CLI excute “vmkfstools –Ph –v1 /vmfs/volumes/p1v1_vaai_d_std”
The field “Mode” value is “public”, it means no “ATS-only” enabled.

[Figure 8.2.2.b]

C. ATS-only flag will be enabled for the new 4 datastores created after VAAI enable. Refer to “8.2.2.C” as below.

In ESXi CLI excute “vmkfstools –Ph –v1 /vmfs/volumes/p1v1_vaai_e_std”
The field “Mode” value is “public ATS-only”, it means “ATS-only” enabled.

[Figure 8.2.2.C]

8.2.3. Disable D5K/R3K VAAI while VMware datastore is mounted

In 8.2.1 and 8.2.2, we created 8 datastore.

4 datastores are created before the VAAI enabled and the other 4 are after VAAI enabled.

We disable the VAAI function in D5K/R3K and get the following result. Refer to “8.2.3.a” as below.

A. Disable VAAI function on D5K/R5K.

B. 4 datastores created when VAAI disabled, is good

“p1v1_vaai_d_std”,”p1v2_vaai_d_std”,”p2v1_vaai_d_adv” and “p2v2_vaai_d_adv”.

C. 4 datastores created when VAAI enabled, might be fail, miss, or inaccessible.

“p1v1_vaai_e_std”,”p1v2_vaai_e_std”,”p2v1_vaai_e_adv” and “p2v2_vaai_e_adv”.

D. “ATS-only” flag of VMware datstore will be affected when storage’s VAAI enable/disable.

[Figure 8.2.3.a]

We can use VMware tools “vmfstool” to check datastore status and disable the ATS-only flag.

E. Use VMware “vmfstool” to check datastore ATS-only will fail. Refer “8.2.3.e” as below.

In ESXi CLI excute “vmkfstools –Ph –v1 /vmfs/volumes/p1v1_vaai_e_std”
The 4 failed datastore cannot be manipulated and “vmkfstools” show the error message.

[Figure 8.2.3.e]

F. Use VMware “vmfstool” to remove datastore ATS-only flag will fail. Refer “8.2.3.f” as below.

In ESXi CLI excute “vmkfstools –configATSOnly 0 eui.22980001552754a2
The 4 failed datastore cannot be manipulated and “vmkfstools” show the error message.

[Figure 8.2.3.f]

G. Disable ATS-only flag before disable VAAI support in D5K/R3K

We must disable datastore ATS-only flag before disable VAAI in D5K/R3K.

Refer “8.2.3.g” as below.

In ESXi CLI execute “vmkfstools –configATSOnly 0 eui.22980001552754a2

Refer “8.2.3.h” as below.

In ESXi CLI execute “vmkfstools –Ph –v1 /vmfs/volumes/p1v1_vaai_e_std”

[Figure 8.2.3.g]

[Figure 8.2.3.h]

H. Disable VAAI support in D5K/R3K.

I. Check VAAI status in VMware ESXI/VCenter.

Refer “8.2.3.i” as below.

Best Practices for VMware for VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000

2024-10-31T12:22:07.7370000

This guide provides best practices for utilizing D5000/R3000 with VMware ESXi version 5 or higher. The following topics will be covered in this article: RAID Levels, Expansion Chassis, LUN Affinity, ALUA and VAAI Support

RAID: RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. When it comes to VMware usage, we recommend using one of the two RAID configurations mentioned below:

RAID 5 (Stripe with Parity): This configuration offers optimal read/write speeds with less overhead, resulting in superior performance.
RAID 6 (Stripe with Dual Parity): This configuration is ideal for Archival Storage, providing dual redundancy and superior fault tolerance.

RAID 0 (Stripe): It is not recommended to use a stripe volume as it offers little performance benefit and does not provide any fault tolerance for the volume.

J3000/J5000 Expansion Chassis: If you have an expansion chassis connected to your VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000 unit, you have the option to increase storage capacity for your VM configuration. However, it is not recommended to span enclosures and create a single large RAID array volume using the RAID Engine.

For optimal performance, it is recommended to have each enclosure contain separate disk arrays. RAID configurations spanning enclosures will require either RAID 50 or RAID 60.

LUN Affinity: To optimize performance, it is recommended to enable LUN Affinity for Dual controller in VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000 units. Enabling LUN Affinity improves write performance and enhances stability. While VMware has been certified with LUN Affinity disabled, Promise Technology recommends enabling it for the best performance.

ALUA: ALUA, which stands for Asynchronous Logical Unit Access, must be enabled for VMware optimization. VMware 5x and higher are ALUA aware, and it is recommended to have this feature enabled for improved overall performance on the unit.

VAAI (VMware API Array Integration): VAAI is a VMware special configuration API that allows offloading of certain storage tasks from the ESXi server to the storage array. It is also referred to as hardware acceleration.

The latest firmware versions for both VTrak/Vess storage units offer VAAI support, which can be enabled or disabled. Since VAAI is specific to VMware, only VMware systems make use of this feature.

To enable the VAAI feature on the VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000, you may use the WEBPAM PROe GUI or the Command Line Interface (CLI).

VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000 Configuration Details

1.1. Enable VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000 VAAI Function

1.1.1 Use the CLI mode to enable VAAI function in D5000/R3000

A. SSH/Console go to controller CLI and login(administrator/password)

B. Check controller1 VAAI function status -> ctrl –v –i 1

Check controller2 VAAI function status -> ctrl –v –i 2

Check controller1 & controller2 -> ctrl -v

C. Controller list information “VAAIsupport” default is disabled.

->VAAIsupport=disabled

D. Enable controller1 VAAIsupport -> ctrl –a mod –s “vaaisupport=enable”

E. Check controller1 VAAI function status -> ctrl –v –i 1.

Check controller2 VAAI function status-> ctrl –v –i 2

1.1.2 Use the GUI to enable VAAI function in D5000/R3000

A. Login to Web-GUI (administrator/password)

B. In “HOME” page, click following step to go to the VAAI setup page:

Click “Device”
Click “Component List”.
In “Component List”, select the controller ID=1 (or ID=2).

Click the setup button and slect “Settings”.

C. In “Controller Setting” page, click as following step to enable the VAAI function :

Select the “Enable VAAI” and enable the checkbox.
Click “SAVE” button

2.1 Disable VTrak D5000 and Vess R3000 VAAI

Note: If the datastore is using ATS-only locking, please refer to KB article to disable the ATS-only flag.

https://kb.promise.com/thread/disable-vmware-ats-only-flag-in-d5000-r3000/

2.1.1 Use the CLI mode to enable VAAI function in D5000/R3000

A. SSH/Console enter controller CLI and login (administrator/password)

B. Check controller1 status -> ctrl –v –i 1

Check controller2 status -> ctrl –v –i 2

※ Check controller1 & controller2 -> ctrl -v

C. Controller list information “VAAIsupport” is enabled.

VAAIsupport=enabled

D. Disable controller1 VAAIsupport -> ctrl –a mod –s “vaaisupport=disable”

E. Check controller1 VAAI function status -> ctrl –v –i 1

Check controller2 VAAI function status -> ctrl –v –i 2

2.1.2 Use the GUI to disable VAAI function in D5000/R3000

A. Login to Web-GUI (administrator/password)

B. In “HOME” page, click following step to go to the VAAI setup page:

Click “Device”
Click “Component List”.
In “Component List”, select the controller ID=1 (or ID=2).

Click the setup button and slect “Settings”.

C. In “Controller Setting” page, click as following step to enable the VAAI function :

Select the “Enable VAAI” and enable the checkbox.
Click “SAVE” button.

VTrak D5800 and VTrak J5920sD cabling.

2024-10-30T15:43:09.3730000

When setting up VTrak E5000 with VTrak J5920 or J5910 expansion units, proper cable selection and connection are essential for system stability and optimal performance.

Cable Types and Their Uses:

- 12G Passive Cables (Black):
- Provided with the VTrak D5800.
- Designed for internal caching connections only.

- 12G Active Cables (Orange):
- Included with J5920/J5910 expansion JBODs.
- Required for daisy-chaining expansion units.

Important Note: Using the incorrect cable type (e.g., passive instead of active) for expansion will result in stability issues and/or drive detection problems.

Enclosed with Promise D5800 Chassis are two black passive cables for caching inside the accessory box.

Promise PN: G51130260500001

Part Description: CABLE.External min SAS to External min SAS 8644 to 8644 SAS3.0 12G 50cm cable.JESS-LINK:P3602U600500-E

Enclosed with Promise J5920sD Chassis are two orange active cables for expansion connection.

Part Number: C04012M2ML003

Part Description: 48-Gbps Mini-SAS HD Active Optical Cable for SAS3.0

Following these guidelines will ensure reliable operation of VTrak E5000 and J5920/5910 expansion units. Always verify cable types before making connections in your setup.

Creating NAS shares in the D5000

2024-10-30T15:09:09.8570000

Introduction:

The D5000 supports both NAS and iSCSI storage protocols, with many users preferring NAS for its ability to allow multiple users to collaborate on and access the same files. This Knowledge Base article guides you through the steps to create a NAS share on the D5000.

Prerequisites:

To proceed, the D5000 should either be unconfigured or have enough free disk or pool space available to create a new NAS Share.

Terminology:

The D5000 uses terminology that may differ from other Promise VTrak subsystems. Key terms used in this process are explained below:

- Pool: A RAID-configured group of disks.
- Volume: An iSCSI logical volume created within a pool. Volumes cannot be used for NAS but can coexist with NAS Shares in the same pool.
- NAS:Network Attached Storage.
- NAS Share:A NAS-specific logical volume created within a pool. NAS Shares are not compatible with iSCSI but can coexist with iSCSI Volumes in the same pool.
- NAS User:NAS requires user accounts, which can be local or managed through Active Directory, Open Directory (OD), or LDAP.
- NAS Protocols:Supported protocols include CIFS/SMB, NFS, and FTP.
- Drive Bound:Pool performance is impacted by the number and type of disks (e.g., SSD is faster than SAS, which is faster than SATA), the RAID level (e.g., RAID0 is faster than RAID5), and the number of Volumes/NAS Shares within the pool. Increased NAS Shares and Volumes in a pool can reduce performance.

Creating a Pool:

1. Log in to WebPAM as an administrator (default password: password).
2. From the Pool tab on the left, select Create New Pool.
3. Name the pool, select the media type, and choose the drives by clicking on them in the image (selected drives turn blue and will be added to the "Selected Drives" list).
4. Select the desired RAID level and stripe size (64k stripe size is recommended), then click Submit.

Note: RAID 0 pools are created quickly, while other RAID levels (e.g., RAID5) require synchronization to write parity data, which can take considerable time for larger drives. The pool will be usable immediately, but redundancy will only be achieved once synchronization completes.

5. You will now see a new pool listed, with synchronization in progress if applicable.

Creating a NAS Share:

1. Click the NAS Share tab on the left.
2. Select Create a New NAS Share and follow the prompts to configure the NAS share settings as needed.

VTrak D5000 and J5000 Series Power Consumption

2024-10-30T14:53:09.9300000

These power and thermal output figures are derived from fully populated VTrak D5x0s and J5x0s chassis using SAS drives under full load.

Product	Input Voltage (VAC)	Power (Watts)	Thermal Output (BTU/hour)
D5300	120	308	1051
D5320	120	385	1315
D5600	120	399	1361
D5800	120	460	1570
D5300	240	303	1033
D5320	240	378	1289
D5600	240	364	1242
D5800	240	455	1553

Product	Power (Watts)	Thermal Output (BTU/hour)
J5320s	286	974
J5300s	286	974
J5600s	547	1866
J5800s	547	1866
J5910s	970	3309
J5920s	1300	4436

Contact Promise Technology Support

Need more help? Start your support request online, and a technical support agent will be assigned to your case.

For further assistance, visit Promise Technology Technical Support

How to Create SSD Cache Module for VTrak D5800

2024-10-30T14:16:33.6800000

The VTrak D5800 offers an option to use SSD drives for data caching. To enable this feature, follow the instructions below to install the SSD drives and set up the cache.

Hardware Setup: Connecting SSDs for Cache

1. Connect the SAS Ports
- Connect the leftmost SAS port on the data cache module to the leftmost SAS port on the left controller.
- Connect the rightmost SAS port on the data cache module to the leftmost SAS port on the right controller.

Note: The other SAS ports on the controllers are reserved for connecting the JBOD expansion chassis and should not be used for SSD data caching.

Important: SSD drives are sold separately and do not ship with the unit. Cabling should follow these guidelines to ensure optimal performance.This must be done BEFORE storage configuration.

Configuring SSD Cache in the VTrak D5800 Web Interface

Once the cables are connected, proceed with setting up the SSD cache.

1. Navigate to the Cache Menu
- Go to the Pool menu in the Web Interface.
- Expand the Overview menu and select Cache.
- Click on Create Cache.

2. Choose a Cache Type
- Write Cache: Requires a minimum of two SSD drives for mirroring.
- Read Cache: Requires a minimum of one SSD drive (mirroring is not available for read cache).

3. Select Drives and Attach Cache
- Choose the drives to be added to the cache.
- Attach the cache to the desired pool by selecting it under the Pools option.

4. Finalize Cache Creation
- Click Submit to complete the setup.

How to save the Service Report in VTrak D5000 Series

2024-10-30T13:26:23.4230000

In most troubleshooting scenarios, Promise Support will require a Service Report to diagnose issues. This report includes event logs, configuration details, and the status of all hardware components.

You can save the report using two methods:

Option 1: Saving from the Home Page

1. Log in to the unit's web interface.
2. Click the Download icon in the top-right corner to generate the report.

- The report will be saved as a compressed .zip folder.

- You can then unzip the folder to view the generated report.

Note: Generating the report may take a few minutes, depending on the size of the array configuration.

Option 2: Saving from the Administration Tab

1. Log in to the unit's web interface and go to the Administration tab.
2. Select the Import/Export tab.
3. Click on Export.
4. In the export options, choose Service Report.
5. Click Submit to start saving the file.
6. A progress bar will show the status of the export request.
7. The Service Report will be saved as a compressed .zip folder.