Page 2 - Copyright
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual ii Copyright © 2003 Promise Technology, Inc. Copyright by Promise Technology, Inc. (Promise Technology). No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed, written permission of Promise Technology. Trademarks Promise, and the Prom...
Page 3 - Contents
iii Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 FastTrak S150 TX4 ...................................................................................... 1 Promise Array Management Utility (PAM)..............................
Page 5 - Chapter 1: Introduction
1 Chapter 1: Introduction Thank you for purchasing Promise Technology’s FastTrak S150 TX4 RAID controller card. The PC which you are using either already contains FastTrak S150 TX4 installed by a third-party or you have acquired a FastTrak S150 TX4 retail product for your existing PC and plan to ins...
Page 7 - Key Features and Benefits
Chapter 1: Introduction 3 Key Features and Benefits The following information offers an overview of the major features of your new Promise FastTrak S150 TX4. Advanced Hardware Design Features Benefits Supports 66MHz PCI bus motherboards (automatically backward compatible with 33MHz PCI slots) Allows...
Page 9 - Chapter 2: Installation; Unpacking Your FastTrak Card
5 Chapter 2: Installation This section is designed to quickly get your FastTrak S150 TX4 Serial ATA RAID controller card up and running using the default settings, which will be optimal for most users. If you wish to modify any of the default settings, please refer to Chapter 3, page 15, Using FastB...
Page 10 - Installing the FastTrak Card
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 6 Installing the FastTrak Card The FastTrak TX4 Serial ATA RAID card fits into any available PCI slot on your PC’s motherboard (see Figure 1, below): • 32-bit PCI slot (must be PCI 2.2 or 2.3 compliant) • The 32-bit portion of a 64-bit PCI slot 1. Remove the cover of yo...
Page 11 - Installing the Hard Drives
Chapter 2: Installation 7 Installing the Hard Drives Important If you wish to include your current bootable Serial ATA drive using the Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP operating system as part of a bootable Mirrored (RAID 1) array on your FastTrak Serial ATA RAID card, do NOT connect the ...
Page 13 - Creating Your Disk Array
Chapter 2: Installation 9 Creating Your Disk Array You will now use the onboard FastBuild™ BIOS utility to create your array using the attached drives. There are three different scenarios in creating this array. You can create an array for: • Performance • Security, using new hard drives (recommende...
Page 14 - Creating a Performance Array
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 10 FastBuild (tm) Utility 2.xx (c) 2002-2005 Promise Technology, Inc. [Auto Setup Options Menu] Optimize Array for: Performance [ Auto Setup Configuration ] Mode ....................................................................... Stripe Spare Drive ....................
Page 15 - Creating a Security Array with New Drives
Chapter 2: Installation 11 Creating a Security Array with New Drives Use this setting to create a Mirrored (RAID 1) array with two new hard drives. If one of the drives has data on it, follow the Creating a Security Array with an Existing Data Drive procedure on the next page. Note When creating a S...
Page 16 - Creating a Security Array with an Existing Data Drive
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 12 Creating a Security Array with an Existing Data Drive Use this setting to create a Mirrored (RAID 1) array with a new hard drive and an existing drive with data and/or the bootable system drive in your system. Use a new drive of identical or larger storage capacity a...
Page 18 - Creating a Security Array with Quick Initialization
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 14 Creating a Security Array with Quick Initialization Use this setting to create a Mirrored (RAID 1) array with one or two existing hard drives containing data that you do not want to keep. This method creates a mirrored array and erases the first data block from your ...
Page 19 - Viewing FastTrak S150 TX4 BIOS Screen
15 Chapter 3: Using FastBuild Configuration Utility The FastBuild Configuration Utility offers several menu choices to create and manage the drive array on the Promise FastTrak S150 TX4 RAID Controller card. For purposes of this manual, it is assumed you have already created an array in the previous...
Page 20 - Navigating the FastBuild Setup Menu; Using the Main Menu
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 16 If your array goes Offline, contact Promise Technical Support for assistance. See Appendix B. Navigating the FastBuild Setup Menu When using the menus, these are some of the basic navigation tips: Arrow keys highlights through choices; the Space bar allows to cycle t...
Page 21 - Creating Arrays Automatically; Optimize Array for
Chapter 2: Getting Started 17 Creating Arrays Automatically The Auto Setup (1) selection from the Main Menu can intuitively help create your disk array. It will assign all available drives appropriate for the disk array you are creating. After making all selections, press Ctrl-Y to Save the selectio...
Page 23 - Using a Hot Spare Drive; Creating Multiple Arrays
Chapter 2: Getting Started 19 Using a Hot Spare Drive If a third drive is attached and is not assigned to a mirrored two-drive disk array (one optimized for Security), it will be recognized as a spare drive. Such a drive is immediately used as a standby replacement. It is automatically added to an a...
Page 24 - Viewing Drive Assignments
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 20 Viewing Drive Assignments The View Drive Assignments (2) option in the Main Menu displays whether drives are assigned to a disk array or are unassigned. Under the Assignment column, drives are labeled with their assigned disk array or shown as Free if unassigned. Suc...
Page 25 - Manually Creating an Array
Chapter 2: Getting Started 21 Manually Creating an Array The Define Array (3) option from the Main Menu allows users to begin the process of manually defining the drive elements and RAID levels for one or multiple disk arrays attached to FastTrak S150 TX4. Users will commonly create one or two drive...
Page 26 - Selecting Array Type
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 22 Selecting Array Type 1. Under the Definition section of this menu, highlight the Array # for which you want to assign a RAID level. 2. Press the Spacebar to cycle through three array types: • Performance (RAID 0 Striping) • Security (RAID 1 Mirroring) • RAID 0+1 Stri...
Page 27 - Gigabyte Boundary
Chapter 2: Getting Started 23 Gigabyte Boundary The Gigabyte Boundary feature is designed for mirrored arrays (RAID 1 or RAID 0+1) in which a drive has failed and the user cannot replace the drive with the same capacity or larger. Instead, the Gigabyte Boundary feature permits the installation of a ...
Page 28 - Creating a Striped Array; Creating a Mirrored Array Using New Drives
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 24 Creating a Striped Array As described in the Drive Assignments Option section above, if you selected a performance array, follow the directions here. 1. Set the Stripe Block size. 64 KB is the default. 2. Assign new drives to the Performance array. You may assign fro...
Page 29 - Adding Fault Tolerance to an Existing Drive
Chapter 2: Getting Started 25 Adding Fault Tolerance to an Existing Drive FastTrak S150 TX4 will create a mirrored array using an existing system drive with data. You must assign the existing drive and another drive of same or larger capacity to the Mirroring array. The BIOS will send the existing d...
Page 31 - Creating a Hot Spare Drive for Mirrored Arrays; How FastTrak S150 TX4 Saves Array Information
Chapter 2: Getting Started 27 Array has been created. <Press Any Key to Reboot> 8. Press any key to reboot the system. Creating a Hot Spare Drive for Mirrored Arrays For automatic rebuilds of a mirrored array, attach a spare drive to the FastTrak S150 TX4. Drives that are not assigned to an ar...
Page 32 - Deleting an Array
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 28 Deleting an Array The Delete Array (4) Menu option allows for deletion of disk array assignments. This is not the same as deleting data from the drives themselves. Important If you delete an array by accident, immediately define a new array identical to one you delet...
Page 34 - Rebuilding a Mirrored Array
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 30 Rebuilding a Mirrored Array The Rebuild Array (5) Menu option can be used to recover from an error in a mirrored disk array. You will receive an error message when booting your system from the FastTrak BIOS. Important Drives MUST be replaced if they contain any physi...
Page 37 - Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers
33 Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers Following are driver installation procedures for the Windows operating systems that support the FastTrak S150 TX4 Controller. The FastTrak TX4 software drivers for Windows are included on the driver diskette. Drivers and installation instructions for other O...
Page 38 - New Windows XP Installation
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 34 New Windows XP Installation The following details the installation of the FastTrak TX4 drivers while installing Windows XP. 1. Start the installation: • Floppy Install: Boot the computer with the Windows XP installation diskettes. • CD-ROM Install: Boot from the CD-R...
Page 39 - Existing Windows XP Installation; Confirming Windows XP Driver Installation
Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers 35 Existing Windows XP Installation After installing the FastTrak S150 TX4 card and rebooting your system, Windows XP setup will show a “Found New Hardware” dialog box. Under Windows XP, “Mass Storage Controller” will be displayed. 1. Insert the FastTrak TX4 dr...
Page 40 - New Windows 2000 Installation
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 36 New Windows 2000 Installation The following details the installation of the FastTrak TX4 drivers while installing Windows 2000. 1. Start the installation: • Floppy Install: Boot the computer with the Windows 2000 installation diskettes. • CD-ROM Install: Boot from th...
Page 41 - Existing Windows 2000 Installation; Confirming Windows 2000 Driver Installation
Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers 37 Existing Windows 2000 Installation After installing the FastTrak S150 TX4 card and rebooting your system, Windows 2000 setup will show a “New Hardware Found” dialog box. Under Windows 2000, “PCI Mass Storage Controller” will be displayed. 1. Choose Add New H...
Page 42 - New Windows ME Installation
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 38 New Windows ME Installation The following details the installation of the FastTrak TX4 drivers while installing Windows ME. 1. Install the FastTrak TX4 controller card into your system. 2. Install Windows ME fully. 3. After installation, go to the Start menu and choo...
Page 43 - Existing Windows ME Installation; Confirming Windows ME Driver Installation
Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers 39 Existing Windows ME Installation The following section details the installation of FastTrak TX4 drivers on a system that has Windows ME already installed and running. 1. After installing the FastTrak S150 TX4 controller card and configuring the hard drives, ...
Page 44 - New Windows NT4.0 Installation
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 40 New Windows NT4.0 Installation The following details the installation of the FastTrak TX4 drivers while installing Windows NT4.0. 1. Start the system installation by booting from the Windows NT disk: • Floppy install: boot the system with the Windows NT installation ...
Page 45 - Existing Windows NT4.0 Installation; Removing Driver from Windows NT4.0
Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers 41 Existing Windows NT4.0 Installation The following section details the installation of FastTrak TX4 drivers on a system that has Windows NT4.0 already installed and running. NOTE: Do not attach the boot drive or any other hard drive to the FastTrak TX4 contro...
Page 46 - New Windows 98 Installation
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 42 New Windows 98 Installation The following section details the installation of the FastTrak TX4 drivers while installing Windows 98. 1. Install the FastTrak S150 TX4 controller card and configure the hard drive(s), partition and format your hard drive(s), if necessary...
Page 47 - Existing Windows 98 Installation; Confirming Windows 98 Driver Installation
Chapter 4: Installing Software Drivers 43 Existing Windows 98 Installation The following section details the installation of FastTrak TX4 drivers on a system that has Windows 98 already installed and running. 1. After installing the FastTrak S150 TX4 controller card and configuring the hard drives, ...
Page 49 - Chapter 5: Disk Array Concepts; About Adapter BIOS
45 Chapter 5: Disk Array Concepts About FastTrak S150 TX4 FastTrak S150 TX4 is a high performance Serial ATA/Ultra ATA RAID controller card that features concurrent data channel operation and onboard BIOS. The channels on the FastTrak S150 TX4 support concurrent operation that allows for overlapped ...
Page 50 - Disk Array Terms; Disk Array Description
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 46 Disk Array Terms Disk Array Description A disk array is formed from a group of two or more disk drives that appear to the system as a single drive. The advantage of an array is to provide better throughput performance and/or data fault tolerance. Better performance i...
Page 51 - About RAID Levels
Chapter 5: Disk Array Concepts 47 About RAID Levels Striping (RAID 0) Reads and writes sectors of data interleaved between multiple drives. When any disk member fails, it affects the entire array. Performance is better than a single drive since the workload is balanced between the array members. Thi...
Page 54 - About Dual Data Redundancy
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 50 About Dual Data Redundancy One unique (though rarely occurring) feature of RAID 0+1 is dual fault tolerance. In some cases, two drives can fail simultaneously yet the array still maintains the integrity of data. There are six combinations in which two of the four dri...
Page 55 - Motherboard Issues
51 Chapter 6: Troubleshooting & Tips This section is used to assist with troubleshooting conflicts and FastTrak S150 TX4 installation problems. Also refer to the README.TXT file on the FastTrak S150 TX4 driver and utility diskette for more recent information as well as the PromiseOnline services...
Page 56 - System CMOS Issues
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 52 System CMOS Issues Set Motherboard CMOS Boot sequence to boot to FastTrak S150 TX4 On some Motherboard BIOS, it is necessary to set the Boot sequence to SCSI, A:, C: since the Promise card is identified as a SCSI card. Motherboard CMOS displays C: or D: drive failure...
Page 57 - Drive-Related Errors
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting & Tips 53 Drive-Related Errors Critical Array Status Error Reported during Boot If a critical status error message appears on the FastTrak S150 TX4 BIOS startup screen for a mirrored array (see below), there is a drive in the array that has failed or is not responding....
Page 60 - Operating System-Related Issues
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 56 Operating System-Related Issues Different drive lettering under Windows NT This may happen when using a SCSI card in addition to the Promise card. Windows NT does not necessarily load the driver for the boot device controller first. This results in a drive that in MS...
Page 62 - Performance Tips
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 58 Performance Tips Here are some tips that may optimize performance in a RAID 0 striped array. If you are using an audio/video-editing card, we also recommend reviewing your card’s documentation for additional information. Use FastTrak S150 TX4 as D: or other non-boota...
Page 65 - Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions
61 Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions This section lists frequently asked questions involving pre-installation, drive issues, installation, and post-installation. Pre-Installation (Speed, Device Types, Capacity, Cabling) Q: What kind of hard drives can I use for a FastTrak S150 TX4 array? A: You...
Page 66 - Drive Issues
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 62 Q: How does the FastTrak S150 TX4 RAID controller provide storage and/or data protection with their arrays? A: FastTrak S150 TX4 implements three different types of RAID levels as follows: RAID 0 (Stripe) For capacity – The FastTrak S150 TX4 array will be as big as t...
Page 68 - Installation Issues
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 64 Installation Issues (Capacity, Booting) Q: Why are some drives recognized by the FastTrak S150 TX4 Array Setup utilities with only partial capacity? A: Some hard drives ship with a jumper that reduces the addressable capacity of the drive to prevent problems with old...
Page 69 - Appendix B: Technical Support; Technical Support Services
65 Appendix B: Technical Support Promise Technical Support provides several support options for Promise users to access information and updates. We encourage you to use one of our electronic services, which provide product information updates for the most efficient service and support. If you decide...
Page 71 - Limited Warranty; Disclaimer of other warranties
Appendix B: Technical Support 67 Limited Warranty Promise Technology, Inc. (“Promise”) warrants that for Three (3) years from the time of the delivery of the product to the original end user: a) the product will conform to Promise’s specifications; b) the product will be free from defects in materia...
Page 72 - Your Responsibilities
FastTrak S150 TX4 User Manual 68 No other document, statement or representation may be relied on to vary the terms of this limited warranty. Promise’s sole responsibility with respect to any product is to do one of the following at its own discretion: a) replace the product with a conforming unit of...
Page 73 - Returning Product for Repair
Appendix B: Technical Support 69 Returning Product for Repair If you suspect a product is not working properly, or if you have any questions about your product, contact our Technical Support Staff through one of our Technical Services, making sure to provide the following information: • Product mode...
