Addonics Technologies RAID Tower V NT5SNES1G User Manual

							Technical Support
If you need any assistance to get your unit functioning properly, please have 
your product information ready and contact Addonics Technical Support at:
Hours: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm PST
Phone: 408-453-6212
Email: http://www.addonics.com/support/query/
T E C H N O L O G I E S
www.addonics.com
NAS Tower
(NT5SNES1G)
User Guide
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the 
Firmware v87a
NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined.         
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Overview
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the 
6
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Front View
NT5SNES1G
Back View
67
11
1. Enclosure
2. Lock
3. Drive Power
4.  Drive Activity
5. Power 
6. NAS Status
7. RAID Error
8. Drive Error
9. Power 
1. Extra Connector for Direct Attach Storage
2. Power LED
3. Status LED
4. DIP Switches for RAID Setting
5. Reset
6.  RJ45 Connector for LAN Connecting
7.  USB Connector for Additional USB Storage 
8. 40x40mm Cooling Fan
9. Power Cord Socket
10. 110 / 240 V Switch
11. 320w ATX Power Supply
1
3
4
NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the 
Power Cord (U.S. Version Shown) eSATA Cable
Network Cable
WARNING: Please remember to
set the power supply to your local outlet voltage prior to plugging in the power cord. Failure to do somay damage the power supply.
Power LED (next to Power Switch): glows green while unit is turned on.
Power LED (on each Snap-In Mobile Rack): glows blue when drive is 
inserted and enclosure is locked.
Drive Activity LED (on each Snap-In Mobile Rack) : Glows blue to indicate 
power, flashes magenta (blue and red) to indicate activity.
NAS Status LED (front and rear): glows when idle, blinks to indicate the unit 
is booting or busy.
RAID Error: glows to indicate the RAID is either degraded or offline, blinks to 
indicate rebuilding is in progress.
Drive Error:  blinks to indicate a spare drive that is rebuilding.
RESET button  (rear, on NAS module): press and hold as described in 
Resetting the NAS Unit.
SET button  (rear, next to dipswitch): press and hold during power-up to set 
or reset the RAID setting.
POWER LED (rear, on NAS module): indicates the NAS module is powered up.
RAID Setting Dipswitch: used with SET button to define or delete a RAID array.
DAS Connector: used for connecting the RAID array to an external computer.
RJ45 Connector: used for connecting to 10/100/1000 Mbit network.
USB Connector: used for attaching additional USB 2.0 storage to the NAS unit.
NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the 
NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the 
Num ber  of d ri ves R AID  Mode 
1 J B O D Mode  only 
2 RAID  0, 1,  C LON E, LA RG E 
3 RAID  0,  3,  5,  C LO NE, LA RGE 
4 R AID  0,  10,  3 , 5,  C LON E, LA RGE 
5  RAID  0,  3,  5,  C LO NE, LA RGE  
 
NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the  NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the  NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

							www.addonics.comTechnical Support (M-F 8:30am - 6:00pm PST)    Phone: 408-453-6212  Email: www.addonics.com/support/query/
Installation
Network Connection
The NAS Tower is factory configured for dynamic IP addressing (DHCP client). 
Connect the unit to a network (router or switch) where DHCP is supported. 
Static IP may be assigned later after initial setup.
Storage
The NAS Tower does not support FIS switching for port multipliers, therefore 
the installed drives must be configured as a RAID array. Externally, through the 
use of USB hubs, up to a total of 16 physical storage devices may be 
connected, counting the NAS Tower’s RAID array. One SATA port multiplier in 
JBOD mode may be connected using USB; however, with more than one such 
port multiplier connected only one will function – others will not be\
 recognized at 
all.
Each physical unit may be formatted with up to 4 individual partitions u\
sing a 
Master Boot Record (MBR), or up to 15 individual partitions using a GU\
ID 
Partition Table (GPT). Supported file systems are: FAT32, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, 
and NTFS. The NAS Tower unit will by far provide the best performance when 
using the XFS file system on the NAS Tower’s RAID array.
NOTE: Initializing a drive with MBR is limited to drives less than 2TB in cap\
acity with up to 4 
partitions total. For drives greater than 2TB in capacity or if more tha\
n 4 partitions are desired, the 
drive must be initialized using a GPT boot record.
Drive Installation
1. Be sure all doors are unlocked, use the provided keys to unlock if ne\
eded.
2. Gently pull the lever on the door to release it.
3. Insert the drive ,with the SATA connector toward the rear, with label side up. 
    The drive should slide in easily, dont force it.
4. Close the door on the drive bay. It should also give little resistance, dont force 
    it. It can help to slightly tug the lever while snapping the door sh\
ut to make it 
    easier. 
5. Use the provided keys to lock the enclosure. The drive will not power up until 
    the enclosure is locked.
Direct Attached Storage (“DAS”) Connector
The NAS Towers RAID array may be connected from the DAS connector 
directly to a computer using the eSATA cable provided. This connection can be 
useful for adding content directly to the RAID array, or for managing or 
performing maintenance on it using the RAID Manager software.
NOTE: The DAS Connector is a hardware controlled switch, activated by insertin\
g an eSATA cable 
into the eSATA port on the back of the NAS Tower. The RAID array will instantly disconnect from the 
Dip sw itc h  Position  1 (B ZS )1 2 (E Z)  3 (M2)  4 (M1)  5 (M0)  JB O D ( Indiv idual D riv es) 
*  FA C TO RY 
D EFA ULT  SETTI NG 
OFF  
OFF2 OFF   OFF  OFF 
RAID  0  OFF  ON3 ON ON ON 
RAID  1  OR 1 0  OFF  OFF  ON  ON  OFF 
RAID  3  OFF  OFF  ON OFF  OFF  
RAID  5   OFF  OFF  OFF  ON  OFF 
CLO NE OFF  OFF  OFF ON ON 
LARGE   OFF  ON  ON  OFF  ON 
 
NAS controller inside the unit, even if there is nothing connected to th\
e other end of the eSATA 
cable. DO NOT connect an eSATA cable to the DAS Connector except when using the RAID array 
with an external computer.
RAID Configuration
The NAS Tower does not support SATA Port Multipliers. Using the unit with 
more than one drive requires a RAID configuration.
Using identical drives for all settings other than LARGE is strongly 
recommended. Creating a LARGE array using drives that have different 
properties will use all space on all members, and performance will match\
 that of 
the member in use during any particular I/O operation. Creating a RAID u\
sing 
drives that are not all the same size will result in all members using o\
nly as 
much space as the smallest member. Creating a RAID using drives that have 
different performance will degrade the overall performance of the array.
Any number of drives may be installed in the unit, the RAID Modes availa\
ble are 
as follows:
NOTE: RAID 0 and LARGE modes are NOT recommended for use on the NAS Tower.
RAID Modes
The NAS Tower supports one drive in JBOD Mode, several types of RAID and 
some non-RAID drive sets. Each configuration has different properties and 
requirements, as follows:
JBOD Mode (Individual Drives)
Number of drives: 1
Unit capacity: N/A
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none
JBOD mode may only be used with one drive installed in the NAS Tower.
RAID 0 (Stripe set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of each member times number of members.
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: none - if any member is lost all data is lost (see not\
e).
RAID 0 “stripes” the file system across the array by placing “c\
hunks” of data 
sequentially between drives in a specific order.
NOTE: Risk of data loss compared to a single drive multiplies by the num\
ber of 
members in a RAID 0.
RAID 1 or 10 (Mirror set, Stripe of mirror sets)
Number of drives: 2 (RAID 1) or 4 (RAID 10).
Unit capacity: size of one member (RAID 1) or size of two members (RA\
ID 10).
Spares: yes – if EZ mode is not disabled and 3 (RAID 1) or 5 (RAID\
 10) drives 
are present, the array will be initialized with a spare.
Fault tolerance: RAID 1 can withstand the loss of one drive without losi\
ng data. 
RAID 10 can withstand the loss of one drive from each mirror set without\
 losing 
data.
RAID 1 works by duplicating the exact same data on two drives.
RAID 10 works by using two RAID 1 sets configured as members of a RAID 0\
. 
Disks 1 and 2 are mirrored, disks 3 and 4 are mirrored, and the two mirr\
or sets 
are striped together.
RAID 3 (Stripe set with dedicated parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 3 works by striping data for individual I/O blocks across all membe\
rs 
except one, which contains parity data for the stripe set computed inter\
nally by 
the Port Multiplier. In the event of failure, the missing information can be 
calculated using the parity information.
RAID 5 (Stripe set with striped parity)
Number of drives: at least 3
Unit capacity: size of one member times number of members minus one.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of one drive without losing data\
.
RAID 5 works by striping entire I/O blocks across all members of the set\
, with 
each member taking turns carrying parity data computed by the Port Multi\
plier. 
In the event of failure, the missing information can be calculated using\
 the parity 
information.
CLONE (Mirror set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: size of one member.
Spares: yes
Fault tolerance: can withstand the loss of any number of drives without \
losing 
data as long as at least one complete member remains online. CLONE mode \
works the same way as RAID 1, by maintaining a complete copy of the enti\
re 
set of data on each drive.
LARGE (Spanned set)
Number of drives: at least 2
Unit capacity: 100% of all drives together regardless of differences in size
Spares: no
Fault tolerance: cannot withstand the loss of any drives without losing \
data. 
However, some data may be recovered as long as the drive(s) carrying the file\
 
system data (boot record, directory, etc.) remain online. LARGE mode is neither 
a RAID nor is it a JBOD. It works by declaring the sum of all available \
space of 
the member drives as a single unit, without striping the data. As each member is 
filled, new data is stored on the next.
Notes about Spare Drives
To create an array with one or more spares, set or modify the RAID mode w\
hile 
the spares are not inserted in the RAID array. When EZ mode is enabled 
(SW1:2 OFF), individual drives connected when an array is present are \
considered spare. Spare drives must be equal to or larger in size than t\
he 
smallest member. When any type of array is defined, individual units will be 
considered spare.
If EZ mode is disabled (SW1:2 ON), all individual drives not configure\
d as array 
members will be offered to the host adapter as separate units. The NAS Tower 
does not the Port Multipliers switching protocol, so this feature is no\
t supported.
RAID 0 and LARGE arrays are not fault-tolerant and spare drives will not\
 be 
useful. When a spare drive is present and a fault-tolerant RAID (1, 10,\
 3, 5, or 
CLONE) is defined, EZ mode will automatically rebuild any available spa\
res into 
the array to replace a failed member. During this process, the spare drives Error 
LED will flicker along with the RAID Error LED until rebuilding is compl\
ete.
Configuring the RAID Using Dipswitches
Resetting the RAID
NOTE: This procedure destroys all RAID data. It should not harm individual 
drives or their contents; however, creating backups of all data is strongly 
recommended before proceeding.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
2. While holding the SET button, turn the unit on. A long beep will sound from 
the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once the long beep starts.
Shortly after releasing the SET button, the port multiplier should “chirp” to 
indicate the process is complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multipl\
ier sounds 
a series of short beeps, an error has occurred during the process.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
NOTE: Setting or modifying the RAID mode destroys all data.
Be sure the port multiplier is connected to an active host before procee\
ding. The 
port multiplier will not complete the process if it has no host connecti\
on.
1. Follow the procedure for resetting the RAID Mode.
2. Power down the unit and set the dip switch to the desired RAID Mode.
3. While holding the SET button with a ballpoint pen, turn the unit on. A long 
beep will sound from the Port Multiplier. The SET button may be released once 
the long beep starts.
Shortly afterward, the port multiplier should “chirp” to indicate \
the process is 
complete. If instead of a chirp the Port Multiplier sounds a series of s\
hort beeps, 
an error has occurred during configuration of the array.
BZS Switch (SW1:1):
The BZS switch is used to silence the audible alarm buzzer. The OFF position 
permits the audible alarm, and the ON position silences the audible alar\
m. The 
BZS switch has immediate effect.
EZ Switch (SW1:2):
The EZ (spare) switch inhibits spares when ON. When in the OFF positio\
n, all 
individual drives (not defined as members of an array) are considered \
spare and 
are not offered to the operating system. Should a RAID become degraded, 
when the EZ switch is in the OFF position a spare drive will be used 
automatically to rebuild the RAID, if present. EZ mode is determined whe\
n the 
unit is powered up. Changing the switch will have no effect until the unit has 
been re-powered.
RAID Mode Switches M2, M1, M0 (SW1:3 – SW1-5)
The RAID Mode switches define what type of RAID will be initialized when\
 the 
unit is powered up while the RAID Mode button is held down, as follows:
NOTES:
1.  Audible Alarm is recommended at all times.
2.  EZ mode has no effect when no array is defined. 
						

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Configuring the Port Multiplier Using the JMicron RAID Manager
Windows users may install the JMicron HW RAID Manager application 
located on the SATA Controller CD, or download it from 
http://addonics.com/drivers/driver_list.php. In the CD, browse to Config\
ura -
tion Utilities → JMB393.
Mac and Linux users may download those versions of the same utility from\
 
http://addonics.com/drivers/driver_list.php under “Port Multiplier & \
Hub.” The 
JMicron RAID Manager can be used to create, modify, and monitor the 
health status of the RAID drives, and provide status alerts with dialog \
boxes 
and even email. When configuring the RAID mode using the RAID Manager 
application, it is strongly recommended to leave the dip switch in the f\
actory 
default setting.
Setting or Modifying the RAID Mode
This procedure briefly describes the steps for using the Jmicron RAID 
Managers Basic Mode to create an array. The example shown is a LARGE 
set. There are other options available in the Advanced Modes, including 
building arrays using specified drives, setting up email notifications, \
and 
updating the firmware – which are not discussed in this user guide.
After starting the Jmicron RAID Manager, the first screen will show the status 
of any Port Multipliers detected and any drives connected. Shown below i\
s a 
Port Multiplier with a variety of five drives connected:
On the left pane is “Controller 1” which is the first port multipl\
ier detected by 
the software. Shown in a tree view are the five drives, listed as P0-P4.\
 These 
are currently individual drives. On the right pane is a listing of the d\
rives and 
below that is a graphical view of each drive. “Disk 1” through “\
Disk 4” indicate 
which physical port the drive is connected to. This corresponds to the enclo -
sures from top to bottom on the NAS Tower. 
						

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Next, click the Basic RAID Configuration tab and select the type of RAID\
 
desired. Note that RAID 1 is currently disabled as an option since more \
than 
two individual drives are available, and DELETE ALL RAID is disabled since 
there are currently no arrays to delete. Shown below is the same set of \
drives being selected as a LARGE array.
Finally, click Apply. The Jmicron RAID Manager will confirm the operation 
with a reminder that existing data on the drives will be lost, then perf\
orm the 
RAID configuration and report with a dialog box when it is complete.