20 Using maxView Storage Manager with HBAs and Non-RAID Mode Controllers

maxView Storage Manager allows you to manage storage resources on Microchip Adaptec Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and RAID controllers operating in HBA mode (see 12.10.3 Changing the Connector Operating Mode). In the Enterprise View, maxView Storage Manager displays HBAs and non-RAID mode controllers in the controller list. Drives on the HBA are surfaced to the OS as Raw devices; that is, storage devices without Microchip RAID meta-data.

Note: maxView Storage Manager identifies the drive as a Raw device even if it has an OS partition.

With HBAs and non-RAID mode controllers, maxView Storage Manager limits access to features that are not used to configure and maintain RAID volumes (see table below). For example, on the Ribbon, you can use the options in the Controller group to manage your controller, but not options in the Array group or Logical Device group (because HBAs don't support logical volumes); similarly, you can use options in the System group to upgrade the controller firmware, but not the Spare Management option in the Physical Devices group (because HBAs don't support spares); and so on.

Ribbon Options for HBAs / Non-RAID Mode Controllers
System Group Firmware Update
Controller Group Rescan, Properties (non-RAID mode controllers only)
Array Group None
Logical Device Group None
Physical Devices Group Force Offline, Uninitialize, Locate
maxCache Group None

The Storage Dashboard provides detailed information about the HBAs and non-RAID mode controllers in your storage space (similar to its function for RAID controllers), including the enclosures, disk drives, and SSDs connected to them (for more information about the dashboard, see 13.2.3 Viewing Component Status in the Storage Dashboard.

Tabs on the dashboard provide quick access to summary information, controller properties, resources, and the connector configuration. The Events tab shows filtered events for the device (see 13.2.1 Viewing Activity Status in the Event Log).

The following table lists the categories and types of information provided on the Storage Dashboard for HBAs and connected devices.

Component

Categories

Examples

Controller

Summary

Properties

Resources

Connectors

Model, WWN, key features, firmware version, controller mode, status, number and type of physical devices.

Slot, driver version, bus type and speed, number of ports, settings (mostly disabled)

Physical drive assignments by connector, including protocol, state, free and used space

Connector name, number of devices, functional mode

Physical Devices (node) Summary

Physical drive assignments by connector, including protocol, state, free and used space

Connector Summary

Functional mode, number of devices

Enclosure Summary

Enclosure type, vendor, model, ID, channel, firmware version, status

Fan, power supply, and temperature status (see 13.2.3.2 Monitoring Enclosure Status)

Slot allocation and usage

Hard drives and SSDs

Summary

Resources

SMART

Drive type (hard drive, SSD), vendor, interface (SAS/SATA), and model

Block size, total size, rotational speed

Boot type

Firmware version, WWN, transfer speed

Free space, used space, reserved space

SMART statistics (see 13.2.3.3 Viewing SMART Statistics)