Chapter 1
Overview
VideoRAID disk arrays feature a high-performance Ultra320 SCSI interface and are the ideal storage solution for all content creation applications including animation, special effects, and non-linear video editing. These enclosures can be used with Avid editing system that operate with Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
VideoRAID disk arrays can be set up in a desktop (horizontal), deskside (vertical), or rack-mount configuration with a single or dual-controller Ultra320 SCSI interface.
Throughout this manual, VideoRAID refers to the VideoRAID RTR320 and VideoRAID
RTR320X models.
Features
Each VideoRAID enclosure ships with a minimum of five drives. The VideoRAID enclosure supports hardware parity RAID. No other RAID or JBOD (Just A Bunch of Disks) mode is supported.
Supported Operating Systems
The VideoRAID has been qualified for use on a single or dual-channel Ultra320 SCSI host adapter using Windows XP and Mac OS X operating systems.
Chapter 1 Overview
Box Contents
The following items are included in the shipping carton. Keep the shipping container and packing materials for the unlikely event that you need to return the product.
Shipping Contents
VideoRAID RTR320
VideoRAID RTR320X
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The kit contains:
VideoRAID enclosure
Power cord (two with VideoRAID RTR320X model)
Avid VideoRAID documentation CD-ROM (includes this document –
Avid VideoRAID Setup and User’s Guide)
Five VideoRAID drives (shipped uninstalled – optional ten with VideoRAID
RTR320X model)
EMI shield (not shown – two with VideoRAID RTR320X model)
Rubber feet (used in desktop or deskside configuration VideoRAID RTR320X — pre-attached on the VideoRAID RTR320 model)
Null modem cable (not shown)
Rack-mount brackets and 5 screws (VideoRAID RTR320X model only) n
Labels are included for labeling the drives and drive slots in the enclosure after you install drives. If you remove the drives after they have been configured you must reinstall them in the same slot locations.
Features
RAID Operation
The VideoRAID has an on-board RAID controller that offers real-time performance and data protection in the event of a disk drive failure. It also provides the interface bridge between the PATA disk drives and the host interface.
Five drives are attached to each RAID controller. Four of the drives contain user data, which is striped across the data drives by the controller. The fifth drive contains parity information which is used to reconstruct data in the unlikely event of a drive failure. The controller generates parity information automatically and writes it to the parity drive with simultaneous writes to the data drives. The controller presents the four data drives to the host system as a single logical unit (LUN) using a single SCSI ID.
The controller supports continued operations after any single drive failure. If the failure is a data drive, the controller reconstructs the failed drive’s data using the data on the remaining drive plus the parity drive. If the failed drive is the parity drive, all user data remains and no reconstruction is required. When writing, as long as any four of the five drives are functional, enough information is stored to allow retrieval as well as reconstruction. Once a failed drive has been replaced, the controller reconstructs the drive’s data. Once the reconstruction is complete, there is a complete set of data on all five drives and the system could tolerate the failure of a different drive in the stripe set. If a second drive fails in a stripe set before the first failed drive has been replaced and its data reconstructed, user data is lost.
For this reason, you should replace and reconstruct any failed drive as soon as possible.
Fail-Safe and Real-Time Design
The VideoRAID real-time RAID controllers ensure that VideoRAID continues to operate with no loss of data and with no degradation in performance in the unlikely event of a disk drive failure. If it becomes necessary to replace a faulty disk drive, simply insert a new drive carrier and the array automatically begins to reconstruct the data that should be on that drive.
This occurs in the background while you continue to work. When reconstruction is completed, VideoRAID returns to the fail-safe mode and resumes the protection of your
valuable data. For more information on replacing a failed drive see “Drive Carrier
Replacement” on page 39 .
Multi-Stream Technology
VideoRAID disk arrays are optimized with an Avid exclusive technology called
Multi-Stream Technology (MST). MST is a collection of sophisticated algorithms that support playback of multiple streams of compressed and uncompressed video in real-time.
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Chapter 1 Overview
Front Panel
Power LED
Status LED
The front panel for the VideoRAID enclosure contains LEDs used to monitor the enclosure.
The following sections describe the front panels for the deskside enclosure and the rack-mount enclosure.
VideoRAID RTR320 Front Panel a
Power LED
Status LED
Drive activity
LEDs
The following figure shows the rack-mount enclosure front panel.
VideoRAID RTR320X Front Panel
Power LED
Status LED
Power LED
Status LED
Front Panel
Status LED
Power LED
Drive activity LEDs Drive activity LEDs
Power LED
Status LED
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Chapter 1 Overview
Front Panel Indicators
The health of a VideoRAID disk array is indicated by the STATUS indicator located on the front bezel of the unit directly under the POWER indicator.
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Each RAID controller in a VideoRAID array has its own STATUS and POWER indicators.
The STATUS indicator has four states as described below:
GREEN (solid) – System OK
AMBER (flashing) – Disk drive rebuild in progress.
RED (flashing) – A disk drive has failed
RED (solid) – RAID controller failure n
During normal operation, the STATUS indicator will glow GREEN. If a disk drive in the array should fail, the STATUS indicator will begin to flash RED alerting the user that the system is now operating in an unprotected mode. Work in progress can be completed in this mode since the array will continue to operate as if nothing has happened. However, if a second drive failure occurs while operating in the unprotected mode, data stored on the array is lost.
Disk Drive Status Indicators
Each disk drive module installed in VideoRAID has an associated status indicator located on the back of the enclosure. During normal operation, the disk drive status indicators located on the rear of the unit will flash GREEN to indicate normal disk activity. When operating in the “unprotected” mode, the status indicator of the failed disk drive module lights RED.
RAID Controller Status Indicator
During normal operation, the STATUS indicator on the RAID controller module will glow
GREEN. If the controller should fail, the STATUS indicator will glow RED.
VideoRAID Activity Indicators
The disk drive activity indicators (blue lights) shine through the front bezel of VideoRAID.
These LEDs have two brightness settings. The brightness selector switch is located behind the removable front bezel. Spring clips are used at the corners of the enclosure to hold the bezel in place.
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Front Panel
To remove the front bezel: t Pull the front bezel off starting from any side of the enclosure. After the first two clips are free, pull the bezel off from the opposite side. The bottom of the bezel might provide you with the best grip.
VideoRAID Front Bezel a
VideoRAID front bezel
When the front bezel is removed, slide the switch to toggle between the bright and dim modes.
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Each half of the VideoRAID RTR320X has a brightness selector switch.
VideoRAID Drive Activity Brightness Switch
Drive activity brightness switch
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Chapter 1 Overview
Power Supply Status Indicators
The power indicator functions as follows:
• VideoRAID RTR320 – During normal operation, the Power indicator on the front of the VideoRAID RTR320 unit and the Power OK indicator located on the power supply module (see
“Rear Panel” on page 12
) illuminates green. If the power supply should fail, both indicator lights turn off.
• VideoRAID RTR320X, Redundant Power Supplies – The VideoRAID RTR320X features dual power supplies. During normal operation, the Power indicators on the front of the unit and the Power OK indicators located on the power supply modules illuminate green. In the event of a power supply failure, the affected Power indicator turns off, but the Status indicator on the front remains lit. The unaffected supply continues to power both sides of the array. Remove the AC power cord from the failed supply and install a new supply. Ensure the power switch on the new supply is off when the new power supply is installed. Install the AC power cord and turn the power on.
Rear Panel
The rear panels for the desktop, deskside, and rack-mount enclosures have the same features.
Each include two 68-pin SCSI connectors, one 9-pin serial connector, a SCSI ID selector, power switch, and a power cord connector. The VideoRAID RTR320X has two sets of these connectors; one set for each half unit.
The power cord is plugged into the power connector. The power switch turns power to the
VideoRAID enclosure on and off. The power supplies are designed to be user replaceable; see
“Power Supply Replacement” on page 42
. c
Do not turn off power to the enclosure while the drive activity LEDs are flashing. You might lose or corrupt data when the power is turned off.
The SCSI connectors are used for attaching SCSI cables or a SCSI terminator to the enclosure. SCSI connectors are labeled for use with a SCSI cable or terminator. There is a
SCSI ID selector used to set the SCSI ID for the RAID set. For more information in setting
the SCSI ID, see “Setting the SCSI ID” on page 26 .
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Rear Panel
The internal fans pull air through the enclosure, from the rear to the front, to cool the drives.
The following figure shows the deskside enclosure rear panel.
VideoRAID RTR320 Rear Panel
SCSI connectors
Power OK LED
SCSI ID selector
Power cord connector
Power switch
Null modem
(serial port)
The following figure shows the rack-mount enclosure rear panel.
VideoRAID RTR320X Rear Panel
Second half with identical connections
SCSI connectors
Power OK
LED
Null modem
(serial port)
Power switch
SCSI ID selector Power cord connector
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Chapter 1 Overview
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