Configuring Dell PowerEdge RAID Array with Dell HII Utility

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Affected Roles:  Owner, Administrator

Last Edit:  May 15, 2023

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Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller 11

The Human Interface Infrastructure (HII) configuration utility is a storage management application that is integrated into the system BIOS of the Dell PowerEdge server, independently from the operating system. It can be used to configure and manage RAID disk groups, virtual disks, and physical disks.

This article will outline how to create a RAID using the HII utility on a Dell PowerEdge server.

 

Supported/Affected Devices:

• DW Blackjack RACK Series
  • DW-BJRR2UxxT, DW-BJRR2UxxTLX, DW-BJRR2UxxTS
  • DW-BJRR2PxxT, DW-BJRR2PxxTLX, DW-BJRR2PxxTS
  • DW-BJRR2XxxT, DW-BJRR2XxxTLX, DW-BJRR2XxxTS

 

How to Set Up a RAID Array on a Dell PowerEdge Server

Part 1:  Creating the RAID Virtual Drive

To create a RAID using the HII utility:

1. Turn on the Dell PowerEdge Server.

Press the F2 key while the server is booting to enter the System Setup menu.

 

2. Click on “Device Settings”.

 

3. In the Device Settings menu, select the RAID controller for your system.

 

4. In the Raid Controller menu, select “Configure” then select “Create Virtual Disk”.

 

5. Configure the following virtual disk settings:
   • Select RAID Level:  In the case of a DW Blackjack RACK Server, select “RAID 5”. For DW-BJRR2X or DW-BJRR2Y servers, RAID 6 is available for dual distributed parity redundancy, depending on disk availability.
   • Select Physical Disks From:  Select “Unconfigured Capacity”.

 

**NOTE:  A RAID 5 configuration reduces raw storage size by the equivalent of one (1) HDD size. RAID 6 configuration reduces raw storage size by the equivalent of two (2) HDDs.

 

 

6. Click on “Select Physical Disks” and configure the following:

• Select Media Type:  Select “Both”.
• Select Interface Type:  Select “Both”.
• Logical Sector Size:  Select “Both”.
• Choose Unconfigured Physical Disks:  Select the disks that you want to use for the RAID array. Only select the HDDs that will be part of the RAID array responsible for the DW Spectrum media storage.

Click “Apply Changes” to confirm the physical disk selections.

 

**IMPORTANT:  The SSDs should be kept separate from the media storage array and reserved for the operating system only (RAID 1 mirrored).

 

 

7. In the Configure Virtual Disk Parameters, configure the following:

• Virtual Disk Name:  Enter a name for the RAID array. When configuring the area for the DW Spectrum media storage, use the name “DW Media” for clear labeling.
• Virtual Disk Size:  The maximum capacity for the virtual disks will be displayed here.
• Virtual Disk Size Unit:  This will show the measurement units of the virtual disk. Select “TB” (terabyte).
• Strip Element Size:  Select the disk striping size that will be partitioned across each physical storage disk. By default, the strip element size is set to 256 KB.
• Read Policy:  Depending on the controller, you can set the read policy for the virtual disk. By default, the read cache policy is set to “Read Ahead”.
• Write Policy:  Depending on the controller, you can set the write policy for the virtual disk. By default, the write cache policy is set to “Write Back”.
• Disk Cache:  Leave the disk cache policy as “Default”.
• Default Initialization:  By default, the default initialization is set to No. Selecting either “Fast” or “Full” will delete data currently stored on the selected disks.
  • No – no initialization will occur.
  • Fast – A fast initialization on a virtual disk will overwrite the first and last 8 MB of the virtual disk, clearing any boot records or partition information. This takes only 2~3 seconds to complete but is followed by a Background Initialization (BGI), which will take longer to complete.
  • Full - A full initialization on a virtual disk will overwrite all blocks and destroy any data that previously existed on the virtual disk. This will remove the need for the virtual disk to undergo a Background Initialization (BGI). Full initialization can also be performed after the virtual disk has been created.

Click “Create Virtual Disk” to proceed.

 

8. If initializing the virtual drive, a warning will appear asking for confirmation. Click “Confirm” then click “Yes” to proceed.

Once the creation is completed, click “OK”.

 

Part 2:  Checking the RAID Virtual Drive

1. Click the “Back” button and return to the Dashboard View in the HII utility.
2. Select “Main Menu” then click on “Virtual Disk Management”.
3. The RAID array that was just created will display. Select the virtual disk to see its basic properties or to use additional options to configure or manage the array.

 

 

 

For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support:  866.446.3595 (option 4)

https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

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DW Sales:  866.446.3595                   [email protected]        www.digital-watchdog.com