Cause:
The cause of this issue is unknown.

Resolution:
To resolve this issue, please connect the My Book Studio II via USB or 1394b (FireWire800) and perform the RAID change again.

Cause:
If the second drive is assigned the same unix device name that was assigned to the RAID device before it was dismounted from the system, the second drive will be reformatted.

Solution:
External drives should not be removed or attached during a RAID change operation.

Dismantle the unit and replace the faulty hard drive. Once the hard drive has been physically replaced and the unit has been reassembled, please follow the directions below to format and mirror the existing data to the new replacement hard drive.

Ensure that the WD My Book World (Blue Rings) storage system is powered on and is detected by WD Anywhere Access and your network.

1. Access the Shared Storage Manager utility through WD Anywhere Access by clicking on File and then on Manage MyBookWorld.
     

   

2. Click on the WD Anywhere Access Settings option. The "Enter Network Password" screen will appear. Enter your WD Anywhere Access Username and Password in the User Name and Password fields and then click on the OK button. The WD Anywhere Access options are displayed.
   
3. Click on the Stop button to stop the WD Anywhere Access program from running on the WD My Book World (Blue Rings). The Status will change to show that MioNet is NOT Running (Inactive).

   

4. Click on the Drive Management(Advanced) option. The Drive Management screen will be displayed. Notice in the top right corner that the new replacement hard drive is detected with a status of: "Drive x Failed".
   
5. Click on the Format New Internal Drive option.

   

6. Click on the Yes I’m Sure button.

   

7. At this point, the formatting and mirroring process of the replacement hard drive will start. The page will display a formatting progress notification screen.
   
8. If you press the F5 key on the keyboard or click the Refresh button on your web browser, the "Drive Status:" will change from "Drive x Failed" to Synchronizing.
   
9. Important: The RAID mirroring process (to mirror the data onto the replacement hard drive) will take approximately 5 hours, regardless of how much data is actually on the unit. Please ensure that the WD My Book World (Blue Rings) storage system is not turned off or accessed during this process.
   Once the Mirroring process has been completed, you will need to restart the Mionet/WD Anywhere Access program on the drive.
10. Click on the WD Anywhere Access Settings option. The "Enter Network Password" screen may appear. If it does, enter your Mionet/WD Anywhere Access Username and Password in the User Name and Password fields and then click on the OK button. The WD Anywhere Access options are displayed.

    

11. Click on the Sart button to start the MioNet/WD Anywhere Access program on the WD My Book World (Blue Rings). The Status will change to show that MioNet is Active.
     

Important: There are many different implementations of RAID. Among the most common are RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 5.

RAID 0 uses striping to create a single large-capacity drive with high throughput. RAID 0 is much faster and more efficient than using two separate drives. However, a major disadvantage is that the stripes are not redundant; if one of the drives fails, all of the data will be lost. Therefore, RAID 0 should not be used as "data backup insurance." RAID 0 is all performance and no protection.

RAID 1 is redundant but not striped. The same data is stored on two (or more) different drives. RAID 1 is also called disk mirroring. The data is protected, but performance is much slower with RAID 1.

RAID 5 uses three or more drives (usually between three and five). RAID 5’s redundancy is based not on mirroring but on parity. Parity is a computational method in binary logic that generates a parity value from a set of data. If any one of those data elements is lost, it can be recreated using the remaining data and the parity value, no matter which element is lost. In RAID 5, this means that parity can completely reconstruct one of the drives in the array in the event of a failure.

Notes:

• For support for Samsung hard disk drives set in a RAID array, see the documentation for your PC’s motherboard or your host controller card.
• If you don’t know what motherboard or Serial ATA controller you are using, see the instruction or owners manual for your computer. You can also contact your computer manufacture for support. Not all manufactures are listed here, the tables below offer a list of the most common manufactures. If your manufacture is not listed here perform a Google search for their support site.

Reconstruct all types of arrays just as easily as a single hard disk. Raid Recovery recognizes all imaginable configurations of various types of arrays, including RAID 0, 1, JBOD, RAID 5, and 0+1, no matter whether they are connected to a dedicated RAID controller or a RAID-enabled motherboard from NVidia, Intel, or VIA. Microsoft software raids (also called Dynamic Disks) are also supported, including JBOD (span), RAID 0, 1, and 5 configurations. Version 1.5 and higer works with Adaptec RAID Controllers and DDF compatible devices

Detecting the right type of an array is vital for correct recovery. Raid Recovery supports both manual and fully automatic detection of essential parameters such as type of array, type of RAID controller, stripe size, and disk order.

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• Recovered files can be Uploaded to Ftp or NAS!
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• Works under Microsoft? Windows? 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, 2008.
• Supported file systems: FAT16, FAT32, EXT2, EXT3, NTFS, NTFS 4, NTFS 5.
• Recovered files can be saved on any (including network) disks visible to the host operating system.
• Creates recovery snapshot files for logical drives. Such files can be processed like regular disks.
• Creates Virtual partitions. Such partitions can be processed like regular disks.

DiskInternals Raid Recovery can:

• Recover damaged raid arrays
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RAID 1 Explained
The RAID level 1 architecture uses the concept of mirroring. This means that errors and failures of all disks can be accommodated in the disk array, except one. However, there can be maximum two disks only. RAID 1 is designed for faster read operations than write. RAID 1 recovery is only possible when one of the two disks have failed. While using any modern multi-threaded operating system (Windows or Linux), RAID 1 array gives better performance for split seeks, that is, access of same memory location by two different users. There needs to be a RAID 1 controller for each disk in this array for best performance.

RAID 5 Explained
In the architecture of RAID 5 disks, the array is so arranged that failure of one disk can be kept hidden. If the second disk fails before the replacement of the first, then there cannot be any data recovery. The maximum number of disks that can be accommodated in the architecture are three, out of which one is kept as a backup. When the first disk fails, the backup disk springs into action and data recovery is possible. In RAID 5, a failed disk needs to be replaced as early as possible. RAID 5 performance suffers whenever there is a read-modify-write operation.

Recovery in RAID Disks
RAID 5 as well as RAID 1 have one common assumption. Every failure is independent of the other. However, this is not completely true. Due to the mechanical nature of the storage disk, failure of one disk may mechanically be dependent on the other. There are techniques such as, parity resynchronization or stale sub-disk recovery, where recovery is possible but these are restricted to specific scenarios. Data loss due to software reasons (a virus or accidental deletion) is however a different issue. The data recovery techniques used in RAID disks and recovery through data recovery softwares are not directly related.

Advantages of RAID 1

• Redundancy of the data is hundred percent.
• Data need not be rebuilt in case of a single disk failure.
• Even though there are two disks in the array, the rate at which data gets transferred is that of a single disk.
• Very easy to understand and implement.

Advantages of RAID 5

• RAID 5 has an inbuilt load balancing mechanism.
• RAID 5 is ideally suited for database applications which are heavily read oriented.
• Applications that perform random read operations work well on RAID 5.
• High fault tolerance typically requires additional disk space. RAID 5 is highly efficient in that scenario.

The seven levels in RAID have been developed gradually over a period of time. Different arrays are suited for different situations. The above RAID 5 vs RAID 1 comparison may be helpful in understanding these disk array structures.

RAID Hardware is always a disk controller to which you can cable up the disk drives. RAID Software is a set of kernel modules coupled together with management utilities that implement RAID in Software and require no additional hardware.

Pros and cons

Software RAID is more flexible than Hardware RAID. Software RAID is also considerably less expensive. On the other hand, a Software RAID system requires more CPU cycles and power to run well than a comparable Hardware RAID System. Also, because Software RAID operates on a partition by partition basis where a number of individual disk partitions are grouped together as opposed to Hardware RAID systems which generally group together entire disk drives, Software RAID tends be slightly more complicated to run. This is because it has more available configurations and options. An added benefit to the slightly more expensive Hardware RAID solution is that many Hardware RAID systems incorporate features that are specialized for optimizing the performance of your system. For more detailed information on the differences between Software RAID and Hardware RAID you may want to visit: www.adaptec.com

Assess the needs of your system and then decide which RAID solution works best for you. Please do keep in mind however, that regardless of which RAID solution you choose, neither can provide against administrator (human) error. Therefore, frequent, regularly scheduled back ups of your system are highly recommended.

Drive randomly marked dead (off line) by SCSI controller.

There are many reasons why a SCSI controller or operating system marks one or more drives off line. Here is a list of common issues, likely to cause a drive to be remarked off line–dead.

It’s important to make sure the cabling, termination, and drive enclosure hardware is suitable based on SCSI specification–or as required by your configuration. Use the best quality SCSI data cable. Make sure it is certified for either Ultra SCSI or Ultra 2 or Ultra 3(Ultra 160) or Ultra 320 SCSI. Most SCSI controller vendors support a line of cables and terminators for their product.

If there is a mix of LVD (low voltage differential) and non-LVD devices on any one SCSI channel? Then Ultra SCSI (single-ended narrow) specifications apply–cables not longer than 1.5 meters, and not more than four devices supported. Both LVD cables and termination devices are available from: Granite Digital at 510-471-6267, and TMC at 415-454-5425. A distributor or computer reseller may sell LVD SCSI data cables and terminators.

Not enough SCSI Termination Power can be at fault. As a precaution, be sure the last two physical devices (hard drives) on each SCSI channel, provide Term. Power to the SCSI bus. For SCSI bus Termination Enable, we highly recommend you use either the disk array enclosure (if supported) or a system terminator at cable end. If you use LVD drives, you must use an LVD terminator. If you are using SCSI single ended devices, or mixing single-ended and LVD you must use an active terminator at cable end.

Sometimes the disk array enclosure, the drive slide trays may be defective, or there could be a problem with the SCA back-plane logic board. Try the drive in a different system–does the failure follow to another ‘known good’ platform?

The system power supply can be at fault. Under or over current will cause the drive to spin down in the name of data integrity. You will want to make sure a high quality power supply is used, and that it will meet the power needs of your system.

Software drivers and BIOS on the SCSI RAID controller can affect timing and communications. You should visit all system component and operating system manufacturer’s Web sites, to confirm that all drivers and firmware is up to date.

Preparing the Hard Drive:
Use the Ultra ATA cable supplied with your card and configure the jumpers on the hard drive(s) you’re preparing to install with the appropriate master / slave settings. The primary (master) drive should be connected to the black connector at the end of the cable. If a secondary (slave) drive is also being installed it must be connected to the gray connec tor in the middle of the cable. The blue connector on the cable needs to be connected to the PCI card.

NOTE: Enter the Model Number of your drive into the search field of the knowledge base for a description of the correct jumper settings. DO NOT apply any jumper to reduce the capacity of the drive, such as the Alternate Capacity or Cylinder Limitation jumper. The BIOS on the card will fully support the drives entire capacity.

Software Installation Procedure:
I. If you are installing drivers during a Windows fresh OS installation then follow these directions. (Created 12/12/01)

1. Click on the file Ultra ATA PCI card driver. to download the latest driver.
   Note: The ATADRVR.EXE driver is compatible with ALL Windows operating systems.
2. Insert a blank formatted floppy diskette into drive A:
3. Locate the ATADRVR.EXE and double-click on it.
4. The file will automatically prompt you to unzip and the default location is the A: floppy drive.
5. Follow all on-screen prompts.
6. Now the ATA PCI driver are on a floppy diskette.
7. Now proceed with the Windows Installation.
   1. During the Windows operating system installation you MUST specify an additional driver.
   2. Press the "F6" key (several times) when the message "Setup is inspecting your computer’s hardware configuration" appears.
   3. At the next screen press "S" to "Specify Additional Device". A list may appear with a list of devices. You will want to select "Other" and insert the Ultra ATA driver diskette now.
8. Proceed with the rest of the Windows 2000 installation process.

II. Installing drivers with a Pre-Existing Windows 2000 operating system.
Important: Do not take the hard drive(s) out of its current configuration. The hard drive(s) can not be connected to the Ultra ATA 100 / 133 PCI adapter card during installation of the drivers.

1. Install the Ultra PCI card to the computer WITHOUT any hard drives attached to it.
2. Turn system on and let Windows boot.
3. Windows will detect "New Hardware" and prompt to continue with the "Found New Hardware Wizard".
4. Select "Install the software automatically" and click on "Next".
5. Select "Windows 2000 Maxtor Ultra ATA (133 or 100) IDE Controller"and click on "Next".
6. Note: There may be a note "This drive is not digitally signed!" Drivers that are not specifically tested by Microsoft will always have this warning. The driver that is supp lied by Maxtor is tested and verified to work with Microsoft Windows XP. Click "Continue Anyway"
7. Click "Finish"
8. To confirm that the driver has been properly loaded:
   1. Click on "Start", "Settings" followed by clicking on the Control Panel Icon.
   2. Double-Click on the System Icon.
   3. Click on the Hardware tab and select "Device Manager"
   4. Double-Click on SCSI and Raid controllers". The Maxtor Ultra ATA 100 / 133 Adapter should appear.
9. Power off the system and attach the drives to the ATA adapter card.
10. Restart the system.