198.674 bytes

Parts Information

Document ID: DDSE-42ZPX7

Netfinity 5500 - Using the ServeRAID Monitoring Functions

Applicable to: World-Wide

Using the ServeRAID Monitoring Functions:
This section contains instructions for using the ServeRAID Administration and Monitoring utility program to monitor the ServeRAID controller status information, event logs, logical drive information, and physical device information.

Monitoring Status Information: You can monitor the ServeRAID controller status by clicking on the active ServeRAID controller button on the Main Screen of the Administration and Monitoring utility program. The currently active ServeRAID controller button is indicated by a green or red light. (Green indicates an active controller; red indicates that the controller is not responding.)

If there is more than one ServeRAID controller in the system, click on the appropriate button to make it active.

A screen similar to the following appears.

Descriptions of the information that appears on the screen are as follows.

Note
You might have to scroll down, using the scroll bar, to see all of the items that appear on this screen.

Adapter Number	The active ServeRAID controller (1 to 8).
Number of Logical Drives	The number of defined logical drives (0 to 8).
Unattended Mode	Off - The user chooses the recovery method when there is a ServeRAID controller startup error. On - The ServeRAID controller chooses the recovery method when there is a startup error.
Code Block Version	The current version level of the firmware microcode for the ServeRAID controller.
Boot Block Version	The current version level of the microcode loaded in the boot block for the ServeRAID controller.
Concurrent Commands	The maximum numbers of concurrent commands supported.
Maximum Devices Supported	The maximum number of devices supported.
Flash Program Count	The number of times that the ServeRAID controller microcode (Flash EEPROM) has been flashed or updated.
Defunct Disk Count	The current number of defunct hard disk drives.
Rebuild Rate	The setting for the rebuild rate can be low, medium, or high priority. (The default setting is high.)
Hot-Swap Rebuild	If hot-swap rebuild is set to enable, the ServeRAID controller will rebuild a defunct drive automatically when all of the following conditions exist: - The hot-swap rebuild parameter is set to Enable - The defunct drive is part of a RAID level 1 or RAID level 5 logical drive - The capacity of the replacement drive is equal to or greater than the capacity of the defunct drive - No rebuild, synchronization, or RAID level change operation is in progress When you replace the drive and these requirements are met, the ServeRAID controller automatically initiates a rebuild of the drive without user intervention.
Offline Logical Drive Count	The current number of offline logical drives.
Configuration Update Count	The number of times that the ServeRAID controller configuration information has been updated.

Monitoring Event Logs: The ServeRAID controller stores, in the event logs, information concerning various unexpected events. There are three types of event logs: a device event log, a hard event log, and a soft event log.

To view the event logs:
1. Click on the adapter (or controller) on the Main Screen of the Administration and Monitoring utility program.

A screen similar to the following appears.

2. Select the appropriate button at the bottom of the screen for the event log you want to view.

Device Event Log: The Device Event Log contains event counters for each attached physical device.

Descriptions of the events logged in the Device Event Log are as follows:

- Parity Event
The ServeRAID controller detects parity events while transferring data on the SCSI bus. A large number of parity events might indicate a problem with the SCSI cable, connectors, or terminators attached to the devices.

- Soft Event
SCSI devices detect these events and reports them to the ServeRAID controller through Check Condition status.

- Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA)
A device has signaled the ServeRAID controller that it might fail in the near future.

- Hard Event
The ServeRAID controller detects these events. Most likely, these events are caused by the ServeRAID controller.

- Misc Event
The ServeRAID controller detects these events. Most likely, these events are caused by the SCSI device, such as selection timeout, unexpected bus free, or SCSI phase event.

Note Under normal operating conditions, the event logs will contain entries that are not errors.

Hard Event Log: You can view the Hard Event Log.

Soft Event Log: You can view the Soft Event Log.

Monitoring the Logical Drive Information:
You can monitor the logical drive information by clicking on the desired logical drive button on the Main Screen of the
Administration and Monitoring utility program.

When you click on the logical drive button, a screen similar to the following appears.

are as follows:

Logical Drive Number	The number of the logical drive.
Blocked	No - The logical drive is accessible. Yes - The logical drive is not accessible.
Part of Array	The identifier of the logical drive's disk array (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H).
Part of Merge Group	The identifier of the logical drive's merge group (1 through 254).
Date Created	The date that the logical drive was created.
State	The current drive state (see "Logical Drive States").
Size	The size in megabytes.
RAID Level	RAID level (0, 1, or 5).
Write Policy	WT - Write-through. WB - Write-back.
Read Ahead	Off - Disk Read-Ahead is inactive. On - Disk Read-Ahead is active.
Stripe Unit Size	The size of each stripe unit per hard disk (8, 16, 32, 64).
Number of Chunks	The number of hard disk drives that make up the logical drive.
Stripe Order	The channel and bay number of the physical drives that make up the logical drive.

Monitoring the Physical Device Information: You can monitor the physical device information by clicking on the desired device button on the Main Screen of the Administration and Monitoring utility program.

When you click on the device button, a screen similar to the following appears.

Descriptions of the information that appears on this screen are as follows:

Channel	The channel to which the device is connected.
Bay	The bay number of the device on a channel (1 to 16).
SCSI ID	The SCSI ID (0 to 15).
Vendor	The drive manufacturer.
Serial Number	The drive manufacturer's identifier.
Size	The size of the drive in megabytes.
State	The current drive state (see "Physical Device States" and "Logical Drive States" for more information.)
Soft Event	The number of soft events reported from the device event log.
Hard Event	The number of hard events reported from the device event log.
Misc Event	The number of miscellaneous events reported from the device event log.
Parity Event	The number of parity events reported from the device event log.
PFA	Yes - Device indicates predictive failure analysis event. No - Device does not indicate predictive failure analysis event.

Configuring the Ethernet Controller

Your Netfinity 5500 comes with an Ethernet controller on the system board. The Ethernet controller provides 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX support through the RJ-45 connector on the back of your server. When you connect your server to the network, the Ethernet controller automatically detects the data-transfer rate (10 Mbps or 100 Mbps) on the network and then sets the controller to operate at the appropriate rate. That is, the Ethernet controller will adjust to the network data rate, whether the
data rate is standard Ethernet (10BASE-T), Fast Ethernet (100BASE-TX), half duplex (HDX), or full duplex (FDX). This process is also known as auto-negotiating. This auto-negotiation occurs without requiring software intervention. The controller supports half-duplex (HDX) and full-duplex (FDX) modes at both speeds.

Note The 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet standard requires that the cabling in the network be Category 5 or higher.

Fast Ethernet operates at a data rate of 100 Mbps; that is, ten times faster than standard Ethernet. However, except for the different operating speeds, Fast Ethernet and standard Ethernet are structurally identical. Applications and protocols that are currently hosted on a standard Ethernet system can be seamlessly migrated to a Fast Ethernet system. (In a very small number of cases, minor tuning might be required to adjust the application to the higher performance of a Fast Ethernet system). Because of the equivalence of the two types of Ethernet, mixed Ethernet and Fast Ethernet systems also can be designed and implemented.

The bandwidth required at each workstation connected to a server is generally far less than the bandwidth required at the server. This is because the server might have to handle the bandwidth of multiple workstations at the same time. A cost-effective solution to the bandwidth requirements of this type of system is a mixed Ethernet and Fast Ethernet network. This mixed network consists of standard Ethernet connections at the workstations and Fast Ethernet connections at the servers.

The Ethernet controller is a PCI device, and is therefore, a Plug and Play device. You do not have to set any jumpers or configure the controller for your operating system before you use the Ethernet controller. However, you must install a device driver to enable your operating system to address the Ethernet controller (refer to your ServerGuide documentation or operating-system documentation).

If you need additional Ethernet connections, you can install an Ethernet adapter, such as the IBM 10/100 PCI Ethernet adapter. Review your network-adapter documentation for any additional configuration requirements and for troubleshooting information.

Configuring Options
Before installing a new device or program, read the documentation that comes with it. Reading the instructions helps you to determine the steps that are required for installation and configuration. The following list provides a preview of the actions that might be required to configure your server.

1. Run the Configuration/Setup Utility program and record the current configuration settings. See "Configuration/Setup Utility Program".
2. Set jumpers or switches on the server system board. See "Changing Jumper Positions" and "System Board Jumpers".
3. Set jumpers or switches on the device. See the instructions that came with the adapter.
4. Install the adapter in the server. See "Adapters".
5. Install software programs. See the installation instructions that came with the software.
6. Resolve configuration conflicts. See "Resolving Configuration Conflicts".

Configuration Overview

You play a key role in how your server allocates resources to organize and interconnect hardware devices and software programs. This allocation process is referred to as configuration. The steps required to configure your server depend on the number and types of devices and programs that you install.

Your server supports several types of adapters and SCSI devices. Because of this flexibility, you can choose from among many adapters and devices that comply with any of the following standards:
- Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
- Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
- Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)

In general, the greater the number and variety of hardware devices and software programs that you install in your server, the more you will have to interact with your server and your devices to correctly configure your system.

Your server comes with the following hardware configuration utility programs:

- Configuration/Setup Utility
With the built-in Configuration/Setup Utility program, you can configure system board functions, such as serial and parallel port assignments; change interrupt request (IRQ) settings; and change the startup sequence for drives that you install. You also can use this utility program to set passwords for starting up the server and accessing the Configuration/Setup Utility program.

- ServeRAID
You can use ServeRAID programs to define and maintain your disk arrays. You can also use these programs to configure SCSI devices (such as hot-swap drives) that are attached to the ServeRAID controller on the system board. See "Understanding Disk Array Technology" for complete instructions.

Before installing a new device or program, read the documentation that comes with it. Reading the instructions helps you to determine the steps required for installation and configuration. The following actions are typically, but not always, required to configure your server.

1. Run the Configuration/Setup Utility program and record the current configuration settings.
2. Set jumpers or switches on the server system board. See "Changing Jumper Positions" and "System Board Jumpers".
3. Set jumpers or switches on the device. See the device installation instructions.
4. Install the device in the server.

If you install an ISA adapter that is not a Plug and Play device, select the Plug and Play choice on the main menu of the Configuration/Setup Utility program to assign the ISA legacy resources. See "Plug and Play" for more information.
5. Install software programs. See the installation instructions that come with the software.
6. Resolve configuration conflicts. See "Resolving Configuration Conflicts".

Configuration/Setup Utility Program

Note To print a copy of the hardware configuration, view server configuration information (such as system configuration, memory contents, interrupt request (IRQ) use, direct memory access (DMA) use, device drivers, and so on), do the following: 1. Start the diagnostic programs (see "Running Diagnostic Programs"). 2. When the Diagnostic Programs screen appears, select Hardware Info.

For most configurations, the server will operate using the default system settings. You need to change the settings only to resolve configuration conflicts or to enable or change device functions (for example, defining diskette types, and so on).

When you want or need to change the default settings, the Configuration/Setup Utility program provides a convenient way to display and change the settings.

After you run and exit from the Configuration/Setup Utility program, configuration information is stored in nonvolatile
random-access memory (NVRAM). While the server is off, the configuration information remains available for the next
system startup.

Always run the Configuration/Setup Utility program if you add, remove, or relocate any hardware option, or if you receive an error message instructing you to do so. Review the following information that comes with the option before making changes. Also, record the current settings before making any changes.

To start the Configuration/Setup Utility program:

1. Turn on the server and watch the screen.
2. When the message Press F1 for Configuration/Setup appears, press F1.

Note If you enter the power-on password and an administrator (supervisor-level) password is also set, a limited version of the menu appears. To see the full menu, you must restart the server and enter the administrator password when you are prompted to enter a password. See "System Security" for additional information.

The Configuration/Setup Utility main menu appears. For information about the menu, see "Using the Configuration/Setup Utility Main Menu".

Configuring ISA and PCI Adapters
You cannot assign an ISA adapter to the same interrupt that you have assigned to a PCI adapter. This is because the Netfinity 5500 does not support interrupt sharing among PCI and ISA adapters.

If a situation occurs where you need an additional interrupt, you can use an interrupt from another function that you might not need, such as COM2 (Interrupt 3).

To configure ISA adapters, select Plug and Play and follow the instructions on the screen. See "Plug and Play" and "Plug and Play Technology" for additional information.

PCI devices automatically communicate with the server configuration information. This usually results in automatic configuration of a PCI device. If a conflict does occur, see "Resolving Configuration Conflicts".

Multiple-function PCI adapters use more than one interrupt. When you install one of these adapters, review the IRQ assignments in the Configuration/Setup Utility programs (see "PCI Routing"). Verify that the IRQ assignments are correct.

Your Netfinity 5500 uses a rotational interrupt technique to configure PCI adapters. This technique enables you to install a variety of PCI adapters that currently do not support sharing of PCI interrupts.

Failover for Redundant Ethernet
Your Netfinity 5500 has an integrated Ethernet controller. The IBM Netfinity 10/100 Fault Tolerant Adapter is an optional redundant network interface card (NIC adapter) that you can install in your server. If you install this NIC adapter and connect it to the same logical segment as the primary Ethernet controller, you can configure the server to support a failover function. You can configure either the integrated Ethernet controller or the NIC adapter as the primary Ethernet controller. In failover mode, if the primary Ethernet controller detects a link failure, all Ethernet traffic associated with it is switched to the redundant (secondary) controller. This switching occurs without any user intervention. Applications with active sessions do not experience any data loss. When the primary link is restored to an operational state, the Ethernet traffic automatically switches back to the primary Ethernet controller.

Note that only one controller in the redundant pair is active at any given time. For example, if the primary Ethernet
controller is active, then the secondary Ethernet controller cannot be used for any other network operation.

Note Your operating system determines the maximum number of IBM Netfinity 10/100 Fault Tolerant Adapters that you can install in your server. See the documentation that comes with the adapter for more information.

Special Considerations When Combining Failover and Hot-Plug Functions: If your operating system supports hot-plug PCI adapters and the optional redundant NIC adapter is installed in a hot-plug PCI slot, you can replace the NIC adapter without powering off the server even if it is the primary Ethernet controller. Disconnecting the Ethernet cable from the primary Ethernet controller will cause the Ethernet traffic to be automatically switched to the secondary Ethernet controller. This can be very useful when a network problem is caused by faulty adapter hardware or when you want to upgrade the primary adapter hardware.

Configuring for Failover: The failover feature currently is supported by OS/2, Windows NT, and IntraNetware. The setup required for each operating system follows.

1. Add the redundant NIC adapter according to the instructions provided with the adapter and in Adapters on page 142.
2. Use ServerGuide to install the AMD PCNet Ethernet Family adapter device driver.
3. Using the MPTS utility program, select the driver from the list and select the Edit button.

Note Only one driver instance needs to be loaded for each redundant pair of Ethernet controllers.

4. Change the PermaNet Server Feature keyword to True and specify the Primary and Standby slots that contain the redundant pair. Refer to "System Board Component Locations" for the locations and slot numbers of the PCI slots. The integrated controller is located in slot E.
5. To enable the writing of messages to the IBMCOM\LANTRAN.LOG file when a failover occurs:
a. Copy the file PCNETOS2.EXE from the root directory of the diskette created by ServerGuide to your hard disk drive.
b. Add the following statement to the CONFIG.SYS file: Run=d:\path\PCNETOS2.EXE
where d and path are the drive and path to which you copied PCNETOS2.EXE.
6. Restart the server.

The failover function is now enabled.

Windows NT
1. Add the redundant NIC adapter according to the instructions provided with the adapter and in "Adapters".
2. Use ServerGuide to install the AMD PCNet Ethernet Family adapter device driver.
3. From the NT desktop, select Control Panel, then select the Network icon, then the Adapters tab.
4. Highlight one of the adapters that will be in the redundant pair and then select the Properties... button.
5. Check the Grouping box. This will show the possible combinations for redundant pairs.
6. Select the adapter pair you want and then select OK. Note that the integrated Ethernet controller is located at PCI bus 0, slot 14.
7. Select Close to exit from the Network setup.
When you restart the server, the failover function will be in effect.

If a failover occurs, a message is written to the NT Event Viewer log. If the DMI instrumentation code for the integrated Ethernet controller is active (PCNET.EXE was run), a popup message is generated also.

IntraNetware
1. Add the redundant NIC adapter according to the instructions provided with the adapter and in "Adapters".
2. Load the device driver by using the following command:

LOAD d:\path\PCNTNW.LAN PRIMARY=x SECONDARY=y
where d and path are the drive and path where the driver is located, and x and y are the PCI slot numbers where the redundant pair is located.

The slot number associated with the integrated Ethernet controller can vary depending upon the configuration of the server. To determine the slot number, load the driver with no parameters. The driver will display the available slot numbers. The slot number that is greater that 10000 will be the slot number of integrated Ethernet controller. When the slot number of the integrated Ethernet controller is determined, reload the driver with the appropriate parameters.

3. When the driver is loaded, bind it to a protocol stack. The failover function is now enabled. If a failover occurs:

- A message is generated to the operating system console.
- The custom counters for the device driver contains variables that define the state of the failover function and the location of the redundant pair. You can use the Netware Monitor to view the custom counters.

Note If the primary adapter was hot-replaced while the Ethernet traffic was being handled by the secondary Ethernet controller, the traffic does not automatically switch back to the primary adapter when the primary adapter comes back online. In this case, issue the command: LOAD d:\path\PCNTNW SCAN where d and path are the drive and path where the driver is located. This command causes the device driver to locate the primary adapter and switch the Ethernet traffic to it.

	Search Keywords
	Document Category	Controllers
	Date Created	09-12-98
	Last Updated	09-12-98
	Revision Date	09-12-99
	Brand	IBM PC Server
	Product Family	Netfinity 5500
	Machine Type	8660
	Model	ALL
	TypeModel
	Retain Tip (if applicable)
	Reverse Doclinks and Admin Purposes