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Installing SCSI Hard-Disk Drives: Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2300 Systems User's Guide

This chapter describes how to install and configure small computer system interface (SCSI) hard-disk drives in the computer's internal drive bays. For information on installing SCSI CD-ROM drives and SCSI tape drives in the external drive bays, see Chapter 9, "Installing Drives in the External Bays," in the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.

Dell PowerEdge 2300 systems include a SCSI backplane board, which greatly simplifies cabling and configuration for SCSI hard-disk drives. SCSI identification (ID) and termination for SCSI hard-disk drives are both configured by the SCSI backplane board, rather than on individual drives.

Three SCSI backplane board options are available, as shown in Table 1.

Figure 1 illustrates the internal drive bays, the 1 x 6 hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board, and the Ultra2/LVD SCSI interface cable. The Ultra2/LVD SCSI interface cable has two connectors:

• The connector at one end attaches to the Ultra2/LVD SCSI host adapter connector labeled "SCSI1" on the system board, or to an optional SCSI host adapter card such as the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller host adapter card.
• The connector at the other end of the cable attaches to the connector labeled "SCSIA" on the SCSI backplane board.

Figure 1. Internal Drive Hardware

Installing SCSI Hard-Disk Drives in the Internal Drive Bays

SCSI hard-disk drives are supplied by Dell in special drive carriers that fit in the internal drive bays (see Figure 3).

NOTES: For maximum performance, install Ultra2/LVD drives exclusively. Although you can install a mixture of Ultra2/LVD and Ultra hard-disk drives, they will operate at the slower Ultra transfer rate. Dell recommends that you use only drives that it has tested and approved for use with the SCSI backplane board.

SCSI Hard-Disk Drive Configuration

The SCSI drive must be configured as follows:

• Disable termination on the drive. The SCSI backplane board provides termination for the SCSI bus.
• Set the SCSI ID on all drives to 0. All SCSI ID numbers for the drives are set by the SCSI backplane board, as shown in Figure 2.
• Configure the drive so that the drive motor waits for a Start Unit command from the SCSI host adapter before spinning.

Figure 2. SCSI Hard-Disk Drive ID Numbering

Partitioning and Formatting SCSI Hard-Disk Drives

You may need to use different programs than those provided with the operating system to partition and format SCSI hard-disk drives. See "Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers," for information and instructions.

Formatting High-Capacity SCSI Hard-Disk Drives

When formatting a high-capacity SCSI hard-disk drive, be sure to allow enough time for the formatting to complete. Long format times for these drives are normal. A 9-gigabyte (GB) hard-disk drive can take up to 2.5 hours to format.

CAUTION: Do not turn off or reboot your system while the drive is being formatted. Turning off or rebooting your system while the drive is being formatted can cause a drive failure.

Installing and Removing SCSI Hard-Disk Drives

The following subsections describe how to remove and install SCSI hard-disk drive carriers in the computer's internal drive bays.

Hot-Pluggable SCSI Hard-Disk Drives

Dell PowerEdge 2300 systems with a PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller host adapter card and a 1 x 6 hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board installed support hot-pluggable drive installation and removal .

Before attempting to remove or install a drive while the system is running, see the documentation for the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller host adapter card to ensure that the SCSI host adapter is configured correctly to support hot-pluggable drive removal and insertion.

CAUTION: Hot-pluggable drive installation and removal is not supported for systems without a PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller host adapter card. Removing a drive in this situation will result in a loss of data.

Indicator Codes For Hot-Pluggable SCSI Hard-Disk Drives

If a 1 x 6 hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board is installed in the Dell PowerEdge 2300 system, three light-emitting diode (LED) indicators adjacent to each of the six SCSI hard-disk drive bays provide information on the status of the SCSI hard-disk drives (see Figure 3). The SCSI backplane board firmware controls the drive online and drive failure indicators.

Figure 3. Hard-Disk Drive Indicators

Table 2 lists the drive indicator patterns established by the SCSI backplane board firmware. Different patterns are displayed as drive events occur in the system. For example, in the event of a hard-disk drive failure, the "drive failed" pattern appears. After the drive is selected for removal, the "drive being prepared for removal" pattern appears, followed by the "drive ready for insertion or removal" pattern. After the replacement drive is installed, the "drive being prepared for operation" pattern appears, followed by the "drive online" pattern.

NOTE: If you do not have a Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller host adapter card installed, you will see only the "drive online" and "drive bay empty" indicator patterns.

Installing a SCSI Hard-Disk Drive

Install a SCSI hard-disk drive in an internal drive bay as follows:

1. If the computer does not support hot-pluggable hard-disk drives, shut down the system.

2. Open the computer's bezel.

3. If a non-hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board is installed in the computer, release the locking bar in front of the hard-disk drive carriers.

4. With the hard-disk drive facing towards the right-hand side of the computer (or facing downwards in rack-mounted systems), align the edge of the carrier with a notch in the hard-disk drive bay key and insert the carrier into the drive bay (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Installing a SCSI Hard-Disk Drive Carrier

5. Close the drive carrier handle until it clicks to lock the drive in place.

6. Close the locking bar (non-hot-pluggable backplane systems only) and computer bezel.

7. Install any required SCSI device drivers.

See "Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers," for information.

8. If the hard-disk drive is a new drive, run the SCSI Devices Test Group in the Dell Diagnostics.

See Chapter 5, "Running the Dell Diagnostics," in the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for more information.

Removing a SCSI Hard-Disk Drive

Remove a SCSI hard-disk drive from an internal drive bay as follows:

1. If the computer does not support hot-pluggable hard-disk drives, shut down the system.

2. Open the computer's front bezel.

3. If a non-hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board is installed in the computer, release the locking bar in front of the hard-disk drive carriers.

4. For hot-pluggable SCSI hard-disk drives, wait until the drive status indicators adjacent to the drive bay signal that the drive may be removed safely.

If the drive has been online, the drive status indicators flash sequentially as the drive is powered down.

When all indicators are turned off, the drive is ready for removal.

5. Press the tab on the drive-carrier handle, and open to release the carrier (see Figure 4).

6. Slide the carrier toward you until it is free of the drive bay.

7. Close the locking bar (non-hot-pluggable backplane systems only) and computer bezel.

Configuring a 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 SCSI Non-Hot-Pluggable Backplane Board

You can configure a 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 non-hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board as a split backplane board or a single backplane board, depending on how the backplane board is connected. (Figure 3 and Figure 4 in "I/O Ports and Connectors," show the location of the connectors on the SCSI backplane boards.)

Configuring a Non-Hot-Pluggable Backplane Board as a Split Backplane

To configure a 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 SCSI backplane board as a split backplane, connect the backplane board to two SCSI channels, such as:

• The computer's on-board Ultra2/LVD host adapter and a SCSI host adapter card
• A SCSI host adapter card with two SCSI channels, such as the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller card
• Two SCSI host adapter cards

In split-backplane mode, the drives connected to the backplane board are divided as follows:

• On a 2 x 2 backplane board, the SCSI channel attached to connector SCSIA on the SCSI backplane board supports SCSI slots 0 and 1 (see Figure 2). The SCSI channel attached to connector SCSIB on the backplane board supports SCSI slots 2 and 3.
• On a 2 x 3 backplane board, the SCSI channel attached to connector SCSIA on the SCSI backplane board supports SCSI slots 0, 1, and 2 (see Figure 2). The SCSI channel attached to connector SCSIB on the backplane board supports SCSI slots 3, 4, and 5.

The system automatically configures the backplane board as a split backplane if two SCSI interface cables are connected--no jumper or software changes are required.

Configuring a Non-Hot-Pluggable Backplane Board as a Single Backplane

To configure a 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 non-hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board as a single backplane, connect the backplane board to the computer's on-board Ultra2/LVD host adapter, using connector SCSIA on the SCSI backplane board.

Configuring the Boot Device

If you plan to boot the system from a hard-disk drive, the drive must be attached to the primary (or boot) controller or SCSI host adapter card. The primary controller is automatically determined by the specific system configuration. In descending order of precedence, the system boot order is CD-ROM, diskette, PCI1, PCI2, PCI3, PCI4, PCI5, PCI6, and built-in SCSI host adapter (supporting the internal drives).

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