IBM SSA Tools Help

IBM SSA RAID Adapters for PC Servers
IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter for PC
Novell NetWare Device Drivers and Utilities - README.TXT
Version Servers - Last Updated 13 December 1999


This file contains information you need to install the IBM
Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter for use with NetWare. Please also
refer to the sections "Possible Problems" and "PC Server BIOS
levels" for other important information about this product.

This README file is divided into the following categories:

1.0 Before You Install the IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter
    - PC Server BIOS Level
    - Software Requirements
    - Hardware Requirements
2.0 Getting Help
3.0 Installing IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter under NetWare 4.2
4.0 Installing IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter under NetWare 5.0
5.0 Migrating to 2-way Fast Write
6.0 Possible Problems
7.0 Configurator Error codes
8.0 Trademarks

1.0 Before You Install the IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter
------------------------------------------------------------
   For a list of IBM and OEM Intel PC Servers which have been tested
   by IBM please refer to our Customer Support Web site:

      http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa

   PC Server BIOS Level
   --------------------

NOTE: It is recommended that you ensure that the Server you are
      using has the latest BIOS. This can be obtained from the
      following sites:

      www.pc.ibm.com/us/netfinity :  IBM PC Company Web site.
      www.compaq.com   :  Compaq company Web site.
      www.hp.com       :  Hewlett Packard company Web site.
      www.dell.com     :  DELL Company Web site.

   Software Requirements
   ---------------------

   Novell NetWare version 4.2 or version 5.0.

   Hardware Requirements
   ---------------------

   - A supported PC Server platform which has a PCI bus
     (specification level 2.1) and runs Novell NetWare version
     4.2 or 5.0.
   - 1 MB of fixed disk space above that required by NetWare.
   - .5 MB of memory above that required by NetWare.
   - IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter installed into a PCI
     slot of the PC Server. If necessary update the firmware
     on the adapter to the latest level available from the
     Customer Support Web site:

      http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa

2.0 Getting Help
----------------

   Documentation.
   Service and Technical Support.

   Available Documentation
   -----------------------
   In all cases, consult the documentation provided with your
   adapter, and enclosures.

     - Installation Guide
     - User's Guide and Maintenance Information Manual
     - Technical Reference Manual


   Service and Technical Support
   -----------------------------

   We are happy to help you with your IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter
   questions. You can contact us through one of the following:

     For Technical Support:

     - Please contact your supplier in the first instance

     - SSA Online Customer Support Homepage (All adapter/drive
       microcode and all customer host software including device
       drivers - look here first)

       http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa

     For Product Information:

       http://www.storage.ibm.com/storage/

   Defect Reporting
   ----------------

   Please report any defects to the supplier of your adapter.



3.0 Installing IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter under NetWare 4.2
------------------------------------------------------------------

The instructions in this section are for Novell NetWare 4.2.

 - Installation on an existing server
 - Installation an a new server

Installing on an existing server
--------------------------------

The instructions assume that the operating system has already been
installed and that the adapter has been installed in the system
unit.

Installing the Device Driver

NOTE: It is assumed that you have NetWare 4.2 installed and
      running on your system unit, and that you have already
      installed the IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter in the
      system unit. It is also assumed that the latest service
      packs are applied to the system.

This section describes how to install the device drivers. You must
have downloaded an updated NetWare device driver from the SSA
Customer Support Homepage (http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa).

The following steps describe how to install the device drivers:

1.  From the console of your NetWare 4.2 server load the install
    utility by entering "load install".
2.  Select "Driver options" and press Enter
3.  From the submenu select "Configure disk and storage device
    drivers" and press Enter
4.  From the "Additional driver actions" menu choose "Select an
    additional driver" and press Enter.
5.  The system will scan for new drivers. When it has finished
    select the Insert button to "Install an unlisted driver".
6.  Put the NetWare driver diskette into the drive and press
    Enter. The system will scan the diskette, present you with a
    menu of device drivers, and ask you to "Select a driver to
    install".
7.  Select ISSAV4E0.HAM and press Enter.
8.  You will be asked if you want to copy the driver ISSAV4E0.HAM.
    Select Yes and press Enter.
9.  You will now be asked to specify the server boot path. The
    default is C:\NWSERVER. Type in the path to SERVER.EXE if it
    is different to the default. Press Enter to copy the relevant
    files to the server.
10. When the files have been copied the "Driver ISSAV4E0 parameter
    actions" menu is displayed. Select "Select/Modify driver
    parameters" and press Enter.
11. Enter the "Slot Number" and press Enter. Press F10 or Esc to
    "Save parameter settings". Next, select "Save parameters and
    load driver" and press Enter. The driver will be loaded.
12. You will be asked if you want to select an additional disk
    driver. Select No and press Enter.
13. At the "Additional driver actions" menu select "Return to
    previous menu" and press Enter.
14. At the "Driver options" menu select "Return to previous menu"
   and press Enter.
15. At the Installation Options menu select Exit and press Enter.
    Confirm Exit INSTALL by selecting Yes and press Enter.
16. At the command prompt type: load c:\nwserver\issainst
    and press Enter. This will add two lines to the AUTOEXEC.NCF.
    You must now restart the system to make the changes active.

NOTE: We recommend that the latest service packs are applied to
      the system.

You should now verify that you have successfully installed the
drivers. You can find instructions for doing this at Verifying the
4.2 Installation below.


Installing NetWare 4.2 onto an SSA Resource in a new server
-----------------------------------------------------------

This section shows how to install and configure the adapter on a
new server that will have its operating system installed on the
SSA devices that it will boot from. It is assumed that the adapter
is already installed in the system unit and that all the required
disks are connected with the appropriate cabling. In order for the
system unit to boot from the SSA adapter you must ensure that the
CBIOS on the adapter is enabled. You must have downloaded an
updated NetWare device driver from the SSA World Wide Web Support
page (http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa).

1.  Insert the PC DOS Configurator diskette and boot the machine.
    At the DOS prompt enter: a:\issacfg and press Enter
2.  This will load the DOS based configuration software. Configure
    the adapter and disks according to your requirements. See the
    IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter: User's Guide and
    Maintenance Information, SA33-3288, for further information.
3.  When you have configured the adapter and disks, restart the
    system and install DOS. Refer to the manufacturers
    instructions for further information about installing DOS.
    Ensure that the DOS installation supports a CD-ROM drive.
4.  Remove the diskette and reboot your system to DOS. Insert the
    Novell NetWare 4.2 CD and enter:

    "d:" and then press Enter
    "install" and then press Enter

    Where d: is the address of your CD-ROM drive.
5.  Follow the manufacturers installation guidelines. When the
    screen "Choose the Server Drivers - Summary" is displayed you
    will see a "Driver Actions" menu. Choose "Select additional or
    modify selected Disk/LAN drivers" and press Enter. The
    highlight will move to "Disk and CD-ROM Drivers:" Press Enter.
    The "Additional Driver Actions" menu will appear. Choose
    "Select an additional driver" and press Enter.
6.  A screen showing a list of alternative drivers will appear.
    Insert your SSA driver disk and press Ins to "Install an
    unlisted driver". You will be asked for the path to your new
    drivers. The default is a:\. Press Enter.
7.  The system will scan the disk and present you with a menu of
    drivers that may be ins talled. Select ISSAV40E0.HAM and press
    Enter. The driver and support files wil l be copied to your
    system.
8.  The Driver ISSAV4E0 Parameter Actions menu will appear. Choose
    "Select/Modify driver parameters" and press Enter.
9.  Enter the Slot Number and press Enter. Press F10 or Esc to
    "Save parameter settings". Next select "Save parameters and
    continue" from the "Parameter actions" menu and press Enter.
10. When the drivers have been copied you will be offered the
    opportunity to select an additional driver. Select Yes or No
    according to your configuration and press Enter.
11. When you choose the No option and press Enter you will be
    returned to the "Additional Driver Actions" menu. Select the
    "Continue installation" option and press Enter to return to
    the "Choose the Server Drivers - Summary" screen.
12. In the "Driver Actions" menu choose Continue Installation and
    press Enter. All your selected drivers will be loaded and the
    NetWare installation will continue.
13. Once the installation is complete, enter at the system
    console:

    "load c:\nwserver\issainst"  and then press Enter

14. This will modify the autoexec.ncf with two lines that load
    additional SSA nlms. When this has completed restart the
    server to implement the changes to the system startup files.

NOTE: We recommend that the latest service packs are applied to
      the system.

Verifying the 4.2 Installation
------------------------------

When the adapter, the device drivers, and the configuration
utilities have been installed you can verify successful
installation with the following procedure:

1. Restart the server. At the system console type:

   "down" and press Enter.

   When the server is down enter:

   "restart server"

   This will start the server again and run all of your startup files.

2. At the console enter:

   "modules issa*"

   The screen will show all the currently loaded issa files.
   Verify that the following files have been loaded:

   ISSAV4E0.HAM
   ISSAINJ.NLM
   ISSAELOG.NLM

   This test will show that the files have been successfully
   loaded into memory.

3. At the console, enter:

   "load c:\nwserver\issacfg.nlm"

   and then press Enter to load the ISSA configuration utility.
   Once it has started, select "SSA Adapter List" from the main
   menu and press Enter. You will see a display giving an entry
   for each SSA adapter installed in your system unit. Select one
   of the adapters listed and the configuration utility will show
   all the resources available to that adapter.


4.0 Installing IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter under NetWare 5.0
------------------------------------------------------------------

The instructions in this section are for Novell NetWare 5.0

 - Installation on an existing server
 - Installation an a new server

Installation on an existing server
----------------------------------

The instructions assume that the operating system has already been
installed and that the adapter has been installed in the system
unit.

Installing the Device Driver

NOTE: It is assumed that you have NetWare 5 installed and running
      on your system unit, and that you have already installed the
      IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter in the system unit. It is
      also assumed that the latest service packs are applied to
      the system.

This section describes how to install the device drivers. You must
have downloaded an updated NetWare device driver from the SSA
World Wide Web Support page (http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa).

The following steps describe how to install the device drivers:

1.  From the console of your NetWare 5 server load the install
    utility by entering "load nwconfig".
2.  Select "Driver options" and press Enter.
3.  From the Driver options submenu select "Configure disk and
    storage device drivers" and press Enter.
4.  From the Additional driver actions menu choose "Select an
    additional" driver and press Enter.
5.  The "Select a driver:" menu will be displayed. Press the
    Insert button to "Install an unlisted driver".
6.  Put the NetWare driver diskette into the drive and press
    Enter. The system will scan the diskette, present you with a
    menu of device drivers, and ask you to "Select a driver to
    install".
7.  Select ISSAV4E0.HAM and press Enter.
8.  You will be asked if you want to copy the driver ISSAV4E0.HAM.
    Select Yes and press Enter.
9.  You will now be asked to specify the server boot path. The
    default is C:\NWSERVER. Type in the path to SERVER.EXE if it
    is different to the default. Press Enter to copy the relevant
    files to the server.
10. When the files have been copied the "Driver ISSAV4E0 Parameter
    Actions" menu is displayed. Choose "Select/Modify driver
    parameters" and press Enter.
11. Enter the "Slot Number" and press Enter.
12. Press F10 to "Save parameter settings".
13. Now select "Save parameters and load driver" from the menu and
    press Enter. The driver will be loaded.
14. You will be asked if you want to select an additional disk
    driver. Select No and press Enter.
15. At the "Additional driver actions" menu select "Return to the
    previous menu" and press Enter.
16. At the "Driver options" menu select "Return to the previous
    menu" and press Enter.
17. At the "Configuration Options" menu select Exit and press
    Enter. Confirm exit from the utility by selecting Yes and
    press Enter.
18. At the system console type:

    "load c:\nwserver\issainst"

    and press Enter. This will add two lines to the AUTOEXEC.NCF
    that load the additional SSA nlms. You must now restart the
    system to implement the changes to the system startup files.

You should now verify that the installation of the software has
been completed successfully. Verifying the 5.0 Installation below
describe this process.


Installing NetWare 5.0 onto an SSA Resource in a new server
-----------------------------------------------------------

This section describes how to install and configure the adapter on
a new server that will have its operating system installed on the
SSA devices that it will boot from. It is assumed that the adapter
is already installed in the system unit and that all the required
disks are connected with the appropriate cabling. In order for the
system unit to boot from the SSA adapter you must ensure that the
CBIOS on the adapter is enabled.

You must have downloaded an updated NetWare device driver from the
SSA World Wide Web Support page (http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ssa).

1.  Insert the PC DOS Configurator diskette and boot the machine.
    At the DOS prompt enter: "a:\issacfg" and press Enter
2.  This will load the DOS based configuration software. Configure
    the adapter and disks according to your requirements. See the
    IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X Adapter: User’s Guide and
    Maintenance Information, SA33-3288, for further information.
3.  When you have configured the adapter and disks, restart the
    system and install DOS. Refer to the manufacturers
    instructions for further information about installing DOS.
    Ensure that the DOS installation supports a CD-ROM drive.
4.  Remove the diskette and reboot your system to DOS. Insert the
    Novell NetWare 5 CD and enter:

    "d:" and then press Enter
    "install" and then press Enter

    Where d: is the address of your CD-ROM drive.
5.  Follow the manufacturers installation guidelines. When the
    screen appears that shows the detected devices, select Modify
    from the "Options" menu.
6.  Select "Storage Adapters" and press Enter.
7.  A screen showing a list of all detected storage drivers will
    appear. Insert your SSA driver disk and press Ins to "Add an
    unlisted driver". You will be asked for the path to your new
    drivers. The default is a:\. (You may change this if necessary
    by pressing F3.) Press Enter.
8.  The system will scan the disk and copy the SSA drivers to the
    system. It will then present a menu of all currently selected
    storage drivers. In the "Additional Driver Options" menu at
    the bottom of the screen, select "Return to driver summary"
    and press Enter.
9.  You will be returned to the "Driver Summary screen". In the
    "Options" menu at the bottom of the screen select "Continue"
    and press Enter.
10. Continue with the operating system installation according to
    the manufacturers instructions. When this is completed you
    will be asked to restart the server. Do so.
11. When the server has restarted enter at the system console:

    "load c:\nwserver\issainst"

    and then press Enter

12. This will modify the autoexec.ncf with two lines that load
    additional SSA nlms. When this has completed restart the
    server to implement the changes to the system startup files.

You should now verify that the installation of the software has
been completed successfully. Verifying the 5.0 Installation
describes this process.


Verifying the 5.0 Installation
------------------------------

When the adapter, the device drivers, and the configuration
utilities have been installed you can verify successful
installation with the following procedure:

1. Restart the server. At the system console type:

   "down" and press Enter.

   When the server is down and back at the DOS prompt, type:

   "server"

   This will start the server again and run all of your startup files.

2. At the console enter:

   "modules issa*"

   The screen will show all the currently loaded issa files.
   Verify that the following files have been loaded:

   ISSAV4E0.HAM
   ISSAINJ.NLM
   ISSAELOG.NLM

   This test will show that the files have been successfully
   loaded into memory.

3. At the console, enter:

   "load c:\nwserver\issacfg.nlm"

   and then press Enter to load the ISSA configuration utility.
   Once it has started, select SSA Adapter List from the main menu
   and press Enter. You will see a display giving an entry for
   each SSA adapter installed in your system unit.

   Select one of the adapters listed and the configuration utility
   will show all the resources available to that adapter.

NOTE: We recommend that the latest service packs are applied to the system.



5.0 Migrating to 2-way Fast Write
---------------------------------


Firmware level 7100, or later, for the IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X
Adapter supports the use of the fast write cache (FWC) in two-way
configurations, for example using Novell Cluster Services (NCS).
If you are using NCS, upgrading to firmware 7100 or later, and
you wish to upgrade your arrays or disks to use FWC, then you
should follow this procedure:

1) In the AUTOEXEC.NCF file, comment out the line which starts
   NCS: LDNCS.NCF.
2) Down the servers and upgrade the IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X
   Adapter firmware on both servers to 7100 or later.
3) Bring the servers back up, go to a client and start Remote
   System Manager (RSM).
4) From the logical view, select each array and JBOD (System Disk)
   attached to NetWare write down the resource number.
5) For each array and JBOD in turn, detach it and then create a
   Fast Write Resource out of it.
6) Re-attach the array or JBOD ensuring that the original resource
   number is retained. DO NOT DELETE THE MBR OTHERWISE DATA WILL
   BE LOST !
7) On both servers uncomment the line LDNCS.NCF.
8) Down the servers and bring them up again.
9) Novell Cluster Services, the arrays and JBODs should come up
   normally.

If you do not use RSM, then the above procedure can also be done
using the DOS-based Text Configurator, ISSACFG, as follows:

1) Down the servers and upgrade the IBM Advanced SerialRAID/X
   Adapter firmware on both servers to 7100 or later.
2) While still in DOS use ISSACFG to select each array and JBOD
   (System Disk) attached to NetWare write down the resource
   number.
3) For each array and JBOD in turn, detach it and then create a
   Fast Write Resource out of it.
4) Re-attach the array or JBOD ensuring that the original resource
   number is retained. DO NOT DELETE THE MBR OTHERWISE DATA WILL
   BE LOST !
5) Bring up both servers in NetWare. Your volumes should now
   function normally.




6.0 Possible Problems
---------------------

 ISSACFG/ISSAELOG UNABLE TO ACCESS NLS FILES?

   This probably means that the server has been set up to REMOVE
   DOS copying the IBM SSA support files to the SYS volume.

 CREATING RAID ARRAYS?

    If you wish to create a RAID array you should ensure that all
    of the disks you elect to use as array members are the same
    capacity.

    NOTE: The smallest capacity of an array member is used when
          determining the size of the array.

 SYSTEM HANGS ON RELOAD

    Isolated incidents have been seen when NetWare fails to
    restart if the server is downed and restarted. It is
    recommended that your PC is rebooted each time you wish to
    start NetWare.


7.0 SSA Configurator Error Messages
-----------------------------------

The Configurator does not currently display all error codes it in
a meaningful textual fashion. The error codes include:

0xfffd : General non-specific failure return code.
0xfffc : Hardware error.
0xfff8 : Illegal request.
0xfff0 : Not in table. Can't find disk with given serial number.
0xffe2 : Not yet implemented.
0xffef : Disk is currently offline.
0xffe0 : Not found.
0xfe1e : Array is broken or degraded. Some operations require a
         non-degraded array.
0xfe1a : NVRAM error. Its probably full with dormant entries. You
         could go and delete a few and then retry.
0xfe17 : Bad component exchange candidate.
0xfe18 : Array is broken. Some operations require a non-broken
         array.
0xfe13 : Bad new component serial number. New component is not
         suitable for component exchange.
0xfe11 : Bad disk serial number. Perhaps the disk went offline.
0xfe0c : Bad serial number. Perhaps there is already an array with
         this name.
0xff3a : Can't delete in-use resource. You can only delete dormant
         NVRAM entries.
0xff39 : Operation is not applicable for resource type. Perhaps
         you're trying to do a disk type of operation to an NVRAM
         entry (you can only list and delete these).
0xff38 : NVRAM is defective. The only sensible option here is to
         replace the module.

8.0 Trademarks and Notices
--------------------------

The following terms are trademarks of the IBM Corporation in the
United States or other countries or both:

IBM, OS/2

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.

Novell NetWare is a trademark or registered trademark of
Novell Inc.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or
service marks of others.

THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT.  BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM
GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS.

Note to U.S. Government Users -- Documentation related to
restricted rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure is subject to
restrictions set forth in GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.