Device Drivers/Software
General Information
Running DSA Manager
Native Mode Driver
Duplexing Under Netware 386
DSA Watch
General Information
All utilities come on the DSA Administration System Diskette.
EISA Configuration
The hardware configuration of the DSA controller is performed through the EISA configurator, which is included on this diskette.
EISA Configurator Files
To configure the DSA, run the EISA Configurator from either the DSA Administration Diskette or from the EISA Configurator Diskette. In either case, the configuration files for the DSA are on the DSA Administration Diskette.
DSA Manager
The DSA Manager utility is for configuring, managing, and diagnosing drive array configurations on the DSA subsystem. With DSA Manager, it is possible to create, delete, and reconfigure drive arrays, move drive arrays from system to system, run diagnostic tests, and perform or schedule data rebuilds.
DSA Watch
If a customer uses mirrored hard-disk arrays, it is important to run DSA Watch to ensure data integrity. (Mirrored arrays are designed to provide data security and recovery in case of hard-disk drive failure.) If a hard disk in a mirrored array fails and DSA Watch is not running, there will be no indication of a drive failure and the system functions normally. Such a situation could endanger the integrity of the data if a second drive fails.
Running DSA Manager
The DSA Manager uses menus to guide users through its procedures. The menus and their options are accessed through keyboard commands. The status line at the bottom of each DSA Manager screen tells what key to press to continue with a procedure or make a selection.
To select a menu option, use the up- or down-arrow key to highlight the option then press <ENTER>.
To move between fields, use the <TAB> key.
There are help screens associated with each menu category. Press <F1> to call up the help screens.
DSAMAN MENUS
MAIN MENU
Introduction to DSA Manager offers a short description of the utility.
Configure Controller allows selection of a variety of tasks for configuring the DSA controller card, including saving or erasing a configuration, updating controller firmware, or configuring multiple controllers.
Configure Physical Devices can be used to designate 1 or more physical drives as a "hot spare" in a mirrored array.
Configure Composite Drives sets default parameters for all operations involving composite drives.
Run Diagnostic Tests configures and performs the diagnostics.
Exit DSA Manager exits the utility.
CONFIGURE CONTROLLER
(from the Main Menu)
Select New Controller determines which controller to configure. The selected DSA controller and its configuration are displayed in the controller summary box on the Main Menu screen.
Save Configuration Changes saves all configuration changes made to the currently selected controller.
Reload Current Configuration erases all changes made and returns the DSA subsystem to the last-saved configuration.
Erase Controller Configuration deletes the controller configuration.
Configure Controller Options is for configuring default composite drives, setting caching options, and emulation.
Configure Multiple Controllers can be used to duplex 2 or more DSA controllers. Update Controller Firmware uses the flash upgrade diskette to update the DSA flash ROM.
CONFIGURE COMPOSITE DRIVES
(from the Main Menu)
Use this option only if the customer wants to designate a hard-disk drive as a spare in a mirrored array.
Quick Configuration of All Composite Drives allows for the most efficient configuration for the composite drives. After the configuration is complete, save the configuration.
Create Composite Drive creates composite drives 1 at a time.
Modify Configuration of Composite Drive alters the configuration of existing composite drives.
Delete an Existing Composite Drive erases a drive from the configuration.
View Composite Drive Configuration shows the current settings.
Change Order of Composite Drives changes boot drives and allows the user to switch composite drives from 1 controller to another.
Native Mode Driver
The DDA Watch program runs under NetWare® 386 only if the native mode driver is installed.
The native mode driver is a Netware-loadable module (NLM) that links directly with the operating system and can be loaded and unloaded while the NetWare 386 operating system is running.
Features
Direct access to all of system memory, up to a theoretical maximum of 4 GB
Support for up to 4 DSA controller cards for a maximum of 56 drives
A single image of the native mode driver residing in memory
Native Mode Driver Installation
To install the native mode driver, copy the file from the DSA Administration System Diskette to the hard-drive and then load the native mode driver into memory.
1. Copy all files from the \net386.311 subdirectory, e.g.
copy a:\net386.311 c:\net386.311
2. Load the native mode driver using the Netware load command
load c:\net386.311\dsa311.dsk slot=x WriteVerify=x
The slot parameter for the load console command indicates which expansion slot is being used for the DSA controller card.
Use the slot parameter only if more than 1 DSA card is in the system.
The WriteVerify parameter allows a performance increase by disabling hardware write/verify commands. If the value is 1, the write/verify commands are enabled. A value of 0 disables hardware write/verify.
Load the native mode driver once for each DSA controller card.
Duplexing Under Netware 386
Netware 386 supports disk duplexing, which provides a high degree of fault tolerance for systems. With disk duplexing, 2 DSA controller cards, each with its own composite drive, are installed in the computer. Identical read/write operations occur simultaneously on both drives. If 1 card or drive fails, the other DSA card or drive continues to function.
Duplexing Installation
1. Load the Native Mode driver.
2. Load the install.nlm module from the console.
3. Select DISK OPTIONS to configure the native mode driver to match the hardware.
4. Select PARTITION TABLES to display the installed drives.
5. Partition the drives.
6. Mirror the drives by selecting MIRRORING.
7. Select NOT MIRRORED: LOGICAL PARTITION #0 to add partition.
8. Select drive to mirror, press <ENTER>, then <ESC>.
9. Exit install.nlm by pressing <ESC> several times. At the Exit Install menu, choose YES and press <ENTER> to save the configuration.
See Appendix A of the Dell SCSI Array User's Guide for more information.
DSA Watch
DSA Watch is a client-server utility, running as a client under MS-DOS® on the network administrator's console and on the server under NetWare 386 version 3.11. DSA Watch can monitor multiple DSA cards running on more than 1 server.
NOTE: DSA Watch runs only if the native mode driver has been installed.
DSA Watch can also monitor the Dell Drive Array (DDA).
DSA Watch includes an NLM (dsawatch.nlm) that can be loaded and unloaded while NetWare 386 is running. Also included are a client-executable file (dsawatch.exe), which runs under MS-DOS on a workstation and retrieves information from the DSA Watch NLM; a help file (dsawatch.hlp); and a notification file (dsa_user.lst), which contains the login names of all users to be notified in the event that a drive fails.
DSA Watch Installation
1. Log in to the server from a workstation. Switch to the drive that contains the sys:\system directory.
2. Copy a:\net386.311\*.*
from the DSA Administration System Diskette.
3. Optionally edit the dsa_user.lst notification file.
Loading DSA Watch
To load, type: load dsawatch [poll interval]
The poll interval is the number of seconds between each DSA Watch check of the DSA card and drives. The default is 10 seconds.
Unloading DSA Watch
To unload, type: unload dsawatch
DSA Watch Messages
DSA Watch Console Messages:
Connection established. Connection number XXXX.
The DSA Watch client has established communication with the server.
Connection terminated. Connection number XXXX.
The DSA Watch has been closed.
DSA in slot x. IRQ y. Number of composite drives: z.
The DSA Watch is monitoring the controller.
The following broadcast messages are sent to anyone whose login name appears in the notification file dsa_user.lst:
x: Notify the supervisor. Drive failure detected.
A drive has failed on a DSA subsystem on server x.
x: Drive rebuild complete.
Data has been transferred from a working drive in a mirrored array to a designated spare drive.