v The optional ServeRAID-10is SAS controller that you can install in your server,
supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60.
v Servers that come with twelve 2.5-inch hot-swap SAS drives also come with two
ServeRAID SAS controllers; a ServeRAID-8k Controller in the ServeRAID
connector on the system board and a ServeRAID-8s controller in PCI Express
slot 2. The ServeRAID-8k controller supports the first eight hard disk drives, and
the ServeRAID-8s supports the four remaining hard disk drives.
v The integrated ServeRAID-8k controller is disabled when BIOS detects an
optional ServeRAID-10is controller in the server.
v Hard disk drive capacities affect how you create arrays. The drives in an array
can have different capacities, but the ServeRAID controllers treat them as if they
all have the capacity of the smallest hard disk drive.
v To help ensure signal quality, do not use drives with different speeds and data
rates in the array.
v You can set up a mirror after the operating system is installed on the primary
drive. You must make sure that the primary drive has the lower ID (for example,
0).
v To update the firmware and BIOS code for the ServeRAID-8k SAS Controller,
you must use the IBM ServeRAID Support CD that comes with the server.
v If you install a different type of RAID controller, see the documentation that
comes with the controller for information about viewing and changing SAS
settings for attached devices.
Starting the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility program
To start the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility program, complete the following
steps:
1. Turn on the server.
2. When the prompt <<< Press <CTRL><A> for Adaptec RAID Configuration
Utility! >>> is displayed, press Ctrl+A.
3. To select a choice from the menu, use the arrow keys to highlight it and press
Enter.
Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility menu choices
The following choices are on the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility menu:
v Array Configuration Utility
Select this choice to create, manage, or delete arrays or to initialize drives.
v SerialSelect Utility
Select this choice to configure the controller interface definitions or to configure
the physical transfer and SAS address of the selected drive.
v Disk Utilities
Select this choice to format a disk or verify the disk media. Select a device from
the list and read the instructions on the screen carefully before you make a
selection.
Creating a RAID array
To create a RAID array, complete the following steps:
1. Start the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility program.
2. Select Array Configuration Utility.
3. From the Main menu, select Create Array.
58 IBM System x3500 Type 7977: Installation Guide
