Vess A6000 Product Manual2018!09!27

Vess A6600 (VES0603)
Vess A6800 (VES0604)

Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance
Product Manual
Version 1.0
© 2018 Promise Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance

Also included are four levels of notices:
Warning
A Warning notifies you of probable equipment damage
or loss of data, or the possibility of physical injury, and
how to avoid them.
Caution
A Caution informs you of possible equipment damage
or loss of data and how to avoid them.
Important
An Important message calls attention to an essential step or point
required to complete a task, including things often missed.
Note
A Note provides helpful information such as hints or alternative ways of
doing a task.
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Promise Technology Product Manual
Warning
Turn off the power and disconnect the power cord
before servicing this device.
Warning
The electronic components within the Vess A6000 Series
enclosure is sensitive to damage from Electro-Static
Discharge (ESD). Observe appropriate precautions at all
times when handling the Vess A6000 or its subassemblies.
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Warning
• Use an approved power cord. If you have questions about the type of power cord to use,
contact your PROMISE Technology, Inc. authorized service provider.
• If you have not been provided with a power cord for your product or for any AC-powered
option intended for your product, purchase a power cord that is approved for use in your
country.
• You must use a power cord rated for your product and for the voltage and current
marked on the electrical ratings label of the product. The voltage and current rating of
the cord must be greater than the voltage and current rating marked on the product.
• Do not pull on a cord or cable. When unplugging from the electrical outlet, grasp the
cord by the plug.
• Make sure that the total ampere rating of all products plugged into an extension cord
or power strip does not exceed 80 percent of the ampere ratings limit for the extension
cord or power strip.
• Do not disable the power cord grounding plug. The grounding plug is an important
safety feature.
• Plug the power cord into a grounded (earthed) electrical outlet that is easily accessible
at all times.
• Only a qualified technician who is familiar with fix up service procedure should install
and service the equipment.
• Verify that the external power source connected to your product matches the type of
power source indicated on the electrical ratings label. If you are not sure of the type
of power source required, consult your PROMISE Technology, Inc. authorized service
provider or local power company.
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為減少電擊或設備損壞的危險：
·· 使用認可的電源線。如果您對使用的電源線類型有疑問，請聯繫喬鼎資訊授權的服務提供商。
·· 如果沒有為您的產品或任何預期的交流電供電選項提供電源線對於您的產品，請購買經批准在您所在
國家使用的電源線。
·· 您必須使用適用於您的產品的電源線以及電氣上標註的電壓和電流產品的評級標籤。電源線的電壓
和電流額定值必須大於電壓和產品上標明的電流額定值。
·· 請勿拉扯電線或電纜。從電源插座上拔下插頭時，請抓住電源線。
·· 確保所有插入延長線或配電盤的產品的總額定電流值不超過延長線或電源插座的安培額定值的80％。
·· 請勿禁用電源線接地插頭。接地插頭是一個重要的安全功能。
·· 將電源線插入隨時可輕鬆接地的接地（接地）電源插座。
·· 只有熟悉維修程序的合格技術人員才能安裝和維修設備。
如果您不確定所需的電源類型，請諮詢喬鼎資訊授權的服務提供商或當地的電力公司。
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Federal Communications Commission notice

Class A equipment
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at personal expense
Modification
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Industry Canada Regulatory Compliance Notices

Avis de conformité à la réglementation d’Industrie Canada
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Notices for New Zealand and Australia

Class A equipment
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in which case
the user may be required to take adequate measures.
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Notices for European Union

This product is in conformity with the protection requirements of EU Council Directive 2014/30/EU on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility. PROMSIE Technology,
INC. cannot accept responsibility for any failure to satisfy the protection requirements resulting from a non-
recommended modification of the product, including the fitting of non-PROMISE option cards.
This product has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class A Information Technology Equipment
according to CISPR 32/European Standard EN 55032. The limits for Class A equipment were derived for
commercial and industrial environments to provide reasonable protection against interference with licensed
communication equipment.
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in which case
the user may be required to take adequate measures.
The point of contact for regulatory matters is PROMISE TECHNOLOGY EMEA, Science Park Eindhoven 5228,
5692 EG Son, The Netherlands.
Office Hours
8:30 am - 5:00 pm (The Netherlands)
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警告使用者 :
這是甲類的資訊產品，在居住的環境中使用時，可能會造成射頻干擾，在這種情況下，使用者
會被要求採取某些適當的對策。
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設備名稱：磁碟陣列儲存系統型號（型式）： VES0603、VES0604

Equipment name Type designation (Type)
單元Ｕnit 限用物質及其化學符號
Restricted substances and its chemical symbols
六價鉻多溴聯苯多溴二苯醚
汞鎘
鉛Lead Hexavalent Polybrominated Polybrominated
Mercury Cadmium
(Pb) chromium biphenyls diphenyl
(Hg) (Cd)
(Cr+6) (PBB) ethers (PBDE)
電路板－ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
外殼－ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
線材 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
電源供應器－ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
電池－ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
備考1.〝超出0.1 wt %〞及〝超出0.01 wt %〞係指限用物質之百分比含量超出百分比含量基
準值。
Note 1：〝Exceeding 0.1 wt %〞 and 〝exceeding 0.01 wt % 〞indicate that the
percentage content of the restricted substance exceeds the reference percentage
value of presence condition.
備考2.〝○〞係指該項限用物質之百分比含量未超出百分比含量基準值。
Note 2: 〝○〞 indicates that the percentage content of the restricted substance
does not exceed the percentage of reference value of presence.
備考3.〝－〞係指該項限用物質為排除項目。
Note 3：The 〝−〞 indicates that the restricted substance corresponds to the
exemption.
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Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................. 1
Specifications �� 2
Hardware.................................................................................................................................. 4
Front Panel Hardware �� 4
Front of Vess A6600 �� 5
Secure cover �� 6
Front Panel LEDs �� 7
Rear Panel Hardware �� 9
Vess A6000 Rear Panel Components �� 9
Vess A6000 Rear panel LED indicators ��11
Vess A6000 Rear panel connections ��11
Hardware Setup �� 12

Unpacking............................................................................................................................... 13
Packing List......................................................................................................................................... 13
Mounting the Enclosure in a rack �� 14

Mounting Enclosure in a Rack �� 15
Installing or removing the security cover �� 18
Installing Disk Drives �� 19

Number of Drives Required �� 19
Drive Slot Numbering �� 20
Removing the Drive Carrier �� 21
Installing 3.5” Disk Drive in the Carrier �� 22
Installing 2.5” Disk Drive in the Carrier �� 23
Management Path Connection �� 24

Connect the Power �� 25
Power On Enclosure �� 26
Front panel LED behavior �� 27
Connect to iSCSI Storage Area Network (SAN) �� 28
Promise Management GUI �� 29

Logging into Promise Management GUI �� 29
Logging in at the Enclosure �� 29
Logging in over the Network �� 30
Login Screen �� 32
Using the Promise Management GUI Interface �� 33
Using the Header �� 34
Using Tree View �� 34
Using Management View �� 35
Choosing a Display Language �� 35
Viewing the Event Frame �� 36
Logging out of Promise Management GUI �� 37
Subsystem Management �� 38

Background Activities �� 39
View Current Background Activities �� 39
View Background Activities Parameters settings �� 39
Manage Background Activities Settings �� 40
Rebuild Settings �� 41
Background Synchronization �� 41
Logical Drive Initialization �� 42
Redundancy Check �� 43
PDM.................................................................................................................................................... 44
Transition............................................................................................................................................ 44
Media Patrol.................................................................................................................................................... 45
Managing Activity Schedules �� 46

Add or delete an activity schedule �� 46
View or modify an existing activity schedule �� 46
Event Logs............................................................................................................................. 47
Administrative Tools �� 48
Restore factory default settings �� 48
Clear Statistics �� 48
User Management �� 49

Viewing User Information �� 49
Making User Settings �� 49
Making Your Own User Settings �� 50
Changing Your Own Password �� 50
Creating a User �� 51
Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance Table of Contents

List of User Privileges �� 52

Deleting a User �� 52
View Network Settings �� 53
Software Management �� 53
Importing a Configuration Script �� 54
Exporting a Configuration Script �� 55
Saving a Service Report �� 56
Email Service.................................................................................................................................................... 58
Stop Email Service �� 58
Restarting Email Service �� 58
Email Settings �� 59
Sending A Test Email Message �� 59
Performance Monitoring �� 60
Controllers........................................................................................................................... 62
View Controller Information �� 62
Viewing Controller Statistics �� 64
Controller Settings �� 65
Enclosures............................................................................................................................. 66
Locate an enclosure �� 66
Enclosure Information �� 66
Enclosure temperature sensor settings �� 67
Buzzer Settings �� 67
Physical Drives �� 68

Disk Arrays and Logical Drives �� 70
Logical drive management �� 72
Spare Drives........................................................................................................................... 73
Running Spare Check �� 73
Logical Drive Summary �� 74
Maintenance........................................................................................................................... 75
Replacing a Power Supply �� 76
Removing the Power Supply Unit �� 76
Troubleshooting �� 77
How do I know when a drive is failing? �� 78
Check Drive Status LEDs �� 78
Check Drive Status in Management GUI �� 80
Anticipating Hard Drive Problems �� 81
Rebuilding a Disk Array �� 83
How to Rebuild a Disk Array �� 84
How to Save a Service Report �� 86

The Alarm Buzzer is Sounding, what does this mean? �� 88
How to disable the alarm buzzer �� 89
FAQ........................................................................................................................................ 90
Appendix: Driver Installation and Update �� 91

Update/Installation Requirements �� 91
USB Flash Drive �� 91
Update/Install the Driver �� 91

Introduction
The Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance is specially engineered for medium to large
scale IP video surveillance deployment. The Vess A6000 Series is ideally suited for continuous surveillance in
banks, malls, casinos, factories, warehouses, and similarly sized commercial, residential, governmental or private
enterprises. The subsystems are capable of continuous recording and playback operation without dropping
frames for networked installations of 64 to 150 High-Definition IP cameras.
Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance are available with the Windows operating system,
a Video Management Software suite, and disk drives in order to streamline the installation and integration process.
The Vess A6000 Series subsystems are stand-alone devices with internal RAID storage, eliminating need for
additional servers, controllers, separate enclosures etc. The Vess A6000 Series uses a thoroughly tested and
proven RAID engine for maximum reliability, all drive bays are hot-swappable, and models are available with
redundant power supplies to ensure data safety and uninterrupted operation.
The Vess A6000 models include PCIe slots for added flexibility. The PCIe slots are suitable for video graphics
cards, video encode/decode cards, RAID cards, or other useful functions available on the PCIe platform.
Storage capacity can be scaled up by adding JBODs. Up to five JBODs can be added.
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Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance Introduction

Specifications
Model Vess A6600 Vess A6800
General
Form Factor 3U, 19” rack mount 4U, 19” rack mount
Function Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance
Sixteen Hot-swappable drives Twenty-four Hot-swappable drives

Drives 3.5” HDD (12Gbs SAS / 6Gbs SATA) 3.5” HDD (12Gbs SAS / 6Gbs SATA)
2.5” SSD 2.5” SSD
Controller Single
Network Two Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports (1000Base-T)
VA6600: Intel® Core™ i3-7101E / Intel Xeon E3-1275v5

System Processor
VA6800: Intel® Core™ i7-7700
System Memory Default 8GB (Maximum 64 GB) @ DDR4 Non-ECC
Internal Built-in Storage 128GB M.2
Number of HDD SAS and iSCSI with 5 JBODs

Supported (144 through SAS 4U24 JBOD per system in terms of 4U24 Head)
USB Ports Front: two USB 2.0 / Rear: four USB 2.0, two USB 3.0
PCIe 3.0 x 16 - 1 slot (PCIE4/6: x0/x16, x8/x8 )

PCIe 3.0 x 8 - 1 slot (PCIE4: x8/x0)
Expansion Slot PCIe 3.0 x 4 - 1 slot (PCIE7: shared with M.2)
PCIe 3.0 x 1 - 1 slot (PCIE5)
M.2 - 1 slot
I/O Port PS/2 x 1 D-Sub DVI Port x 1 HDMI Port x 1
Audio 5 + 1 jack
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Model Vess A6600 Vess A6800

RAID
RAID Levels Supported 0, 1, 1E, 3, 5, 6, 10 (0+1), 30, 50, 60
Hot Spares Multiple global or dedicated hot-spare drives with revertible option
Maximum LUNs per

256/32
System/Array
Software
Supported OS (64-bit) Windows 10 in default. Windows Server 2016R2
Graphical UI/SNMP via Ethernet, CLI via Ethernet, OPAS Service via USB,
Management
SDK or API for Integration
Event Notification Email, SNMP, Buzzer, LEDs
System
AC Input 100 ~ 240 VAC, 60 ~ 50Hz
Current (Maximum) 8-4A ( 550W, 8A/100V, 4A/240V)
550W (1+1@550W) in default.

Power Supply 1100W (2+1@550W) in default.
1100W (2+1@550W) optional
Fan Non-swappable
Temperature 5° ~ 40°C (-40° ~ 60°C non-operational)
Operational: 10% to 80% (Non-Condensing)

Relative Humidity
Non-Operational: 10% to 95% (Non-Condensing)
131 x 503 x 447 mm 173 x 503 x 447 mm
Dimensions (H x W x D)
(5.1 x 19.8 x 17.6 in) (6.8 x 19.8 x 17.6 in)
Safety/EMI CE, FCC, VCCI, RCM, BSMI, KC, (EMI Class A), CB3, cTUVus4
Warranty 3 years limited warranty
3

Hardware
The following section provides a summary of the front and back panel hardware features of Vess A6600, and
Vess A6800 Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance. These enclosures are referred to collectively as Vess
A6000 enclosures, Vess A6000 units or Vess A6000 subsystems throughout this document when the content
applies to all models in the Promise Vess A6000 Series.
Front Panel Hardware

The front panel of Vess A6000 enclosures provide access to drives carriers. Vess A6000 units are shipped with
secure covers to protect the drive carriers from being unintentionally removed.
For all Vess A6000 enclosures, defective drives can be replaced without interruption of data availability to the
host computer. If so configured, a hot spare drive will automatically replace a failed drive, securing the fault-
tolerant integrity of the logical drive. The self-contained hardware-based RAID logical drive in the Vess A6000
provides maximum performance in a compact external enclosure.
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Front of Vess A6600
The Vess A6600 enclosure features handles on each side used to secure the enclosure to an equipment rack.
The system power button and two USB ports are located on the left side, and most of the front LED indicators
are located on the right side.
Vess A6600 front view
Drive carriers Power and Status LEDs
Vess A6800 front view
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Secure cover
The Vess A6600/A6800/A6600/A6800 include secure covers to for better physical security and to help prevent
unintended or accidental removal of hard drives. The cover are secured with a single tubular cam lock located
near the left side of the cover. Turn the key clockwise to lock, counter clockwise to unlock.
Vess A6600 with secure cover (unlocked)
Tubular cam lock
Vess A6800 with secure cover (locked)
Tubular cam lock
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Front Panel LEDs

Descriptions of the LED behavior and function for Vess A6000 enclosures.
Vess A6600 Front Panel LEDs - Left side
Power button
OPAS LED
Drive Status
one LED per carrier
Activity
one LED per carrier
USB ports
Left side LED behavior for the Vess A6000
LED Description
OPAS USB Lights GREEN if an OPAS device (USB disk) is detected, RED if the OPAS operation
has failed, blinks GREEN when an OPAS operation is in progress.
Drive Carrier LEDs (located on all drive carriers)
Drive Status Each drive carrier has two LEDs on the right side of the front, the Drive Status LED lo-
cated above the Activity LED. The Drive Status LED displays GREEN when a drive is
configured and working properly. When the lights are RED the HDD requires manual
replacement. ORANGE indicates background RAID activity on this particular HDD, no
user action is required.
Drive Activity Steady BLUE when HDD link is established, flashes BLUE during drive activity.
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Vess A6600 Front Panel LEDs - Right side
Power
System Status
Global RAID Status
Global HDD Activity
System Heartbeat
Right side LED behavior for the Vess A6000.
LED Description
Power Lights BLUE to indicate the system is powered on. Blinks BLUE in shutdown mode.
System Status Lights GREEN when healthy, RED if there is a critical problem (LD offline, fan mal-
function, voltage out of range, system temperature alert), blinks RED for HDD high
temperature alert remains dark when not ready.
Global RAID Status Lights GREEN when healthy or RED if any RAID volume is offline, ORANGE for
critical state of any logical drive.
Global HDD Activity Blinks BLUE to indicate one or more drives are being accessed, remains dark when
no drives are being accessed.
System Heartbeat Flashes BLUE slowly at regular intervals to indicate the firmware and software are
operating normally.
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Rear Panel Hardware

The rear panel of the Vess A6000 enclosures provide access to the hot-swappable power supplies, local
management connection (via USB keyboard and VGA or HDMI monitor port), iSCSI (Ethernet) data ports, some
units also provide I/O connections for audio sensor and alarm systems. The back panel includes two system fans.
Vess A6000 Rear Panel Components

The Vess A6600 enclosure features two hot-swappable power supplies (PSU). The Vess A6800 enclosure has
three hot-swappable power supplies.
Vess A66000/A6800 rear panel components

1 2 3
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4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 PSU fan vents

2 Power inserts
3 System fan vents
4 PS/2 mouse/keyboard port
5 VGA port
6 DVI port
7 HDMI port
8 USB 3.0 ports (4 ports)
9 Optical SPDIF Out port
10 Audio In/Out ports
11 LAN RJ-45 ports (LAN1/LAN2)
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The rear panel of the Vess A6800 is nearly identical to the Vess A6600, except it is taller and has three power
supplies. The form factor of the Vess A6800 is 4U, the Vess A6600 form factor is 3U.
Vess A6800 rear view
Power supply Power inserts PCI card slots SAS Expansion port
fan vents
Vess A6600 rear view
Power supply Power inserts PCI card slots SAS Expansion port
fan vents
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Vess A6000 Rear panel LED indicators
The LEDs on the rear panel include LEDs for Ethernet data ports and an LED for each of the hot-swappable
PSUs.
LED Description
Ethernet The LED located above each port, on the left side, lights ORANGE when connected,
Link/Act and flashes ORANGE when there is activity on the port and remains dark no connection has
Speed been established. The LED above and on the right of each port indicates connection speed,
ORANGE is 100 Mbps, GREEN is 1000 Mbps, dark is 10 Mbps.
PSU Each power supply LED lights GREEN to indicate normal operation. A RED LED indicates a
problem or unit failure.
Vess A6000 Rear panel connections
Access to physical data and management connections are located on the back panel of the Vess A6000
including the optional I/O connections for sensor and alarm systems.
Feature Description
D-sub VGA This is also used for a video out connection for VGA monitors, it is also used to view the
management interface.
Display Port This is also used for a video out connection for Display Port monitors, it is also used to view
the management interface.
DVI This is also used for a video out connection for DVI monitors, it is also used to view the
management interface.
HDMI Provides video out connection for HDMI enabled monitors used to view the management
interface.
USB Use to connect to a USB keyboard for managing the Vess A6000 Series, or use it to trans-
fer data to or from a USB memory device. There are four USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0
ports.
Audio In Use for input from a peripheral audio device, such as a microphone.
Plug-In Power microphones are supported.
Audio Out Use for output (line out) peripheral audio device (speakers, for example).
Audio Mic Use for microphone.
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Hardware Setup
This chapter presents the basics on unpacking, setting up hardware for the Vess A6000. Hardware installation
includes installing the unit in an equipment rack, connecting the power, making network, data and management
connection to the device, and installing hard drives.
The sections in Hardware Setup include the following:
• “Unpacking”
• “Mounting the Vess A6000 in a rack”
• “Installing Disk Drives”
• “Number of Drives Required”
• “Installing or removing the security cover”
• “Drive Slot Numbering”
• “Vess A6000 drive carriers”
• “Management Path Connection”
• “Connect the Power”
• “Power On Enclosure”
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Unpacking
Note
The Vess A6000 Series can accommodate SATA (6Gbps) or SAS (12Gbps/6Gbps) hard drives.
Packing List
The Vess A6000 box contains the following items:
• One of the following storage appliances:
• Vess A6600 16-bay
• Vess A6800 24-bay
• Screws for disk drives
• Three 1.5m (4.9 ft) power cords
• Sliding rail assembly for rack mounting (optional)
• Front panel bezel cover
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Mounting the Enclosure in a rack

The instructions here apply to 3U 16-bay Vess A6600, as well as the 4U 24-bay Vess A6800. The sliding rail
rack mounting hardware is the same for both form factors.
Cautions
• Do not populate any unit with hard drives until it has been securely
installed in the rack.
• At least two persons are required to safely lift, place, and attach the
Vess A6000 unit into a rack system.
• Do not lift or move the Vess A6000 unit by the handles, power
supplies or the controller units. Hold the system itself.
• Do not install the Vess A6000 unit into a rack without rails to support
the system.
• Only a qualified technician who is familiar with the installation
procedure should mount and install the Vess A6000 unit.
• Mount the rails to the rack using the appropriate screws and flange
nuts, fully tightened, at each end of the rail.
• Do not load the rails unless they are installed with screws as
instructed.
• The rails available for the Promise Vess A6000 unit are designed to
safely support that Promise Vess A6000 unit when properly installed.
Additional loading on the rails is at the customer’s risk.
• Promise Technology, Inc. cannot guarantee that the mounting rails
will support your Promise Vess A6000 unit unless you install them as
instructed.
Note
To lighten the Vess A6000 enclosure, you can remove the power supplies.
Replace the power supplies after the Vess A6000 unit is mounted in your rack.
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Mounting Enclosure in a Rack

Note
Please refer to the Quick Installation Guide included with the mounting rails for
more detailed rack installation instructions.
To install the Vess A6000 into a rack with the supplied mounting rails:
1. Check the fit of the mounting rails in your rack system.
2. Adjust the length of the mounting rails as needed.
• The rear rail slides inside the front rail. The rail halves are riveted together and use no adjustment screws.
• The front-left and front-right mounting rail ends are labeled.
• Be sure the front rail support is on the bottom facing inward
• All rail ends, front and rear, attach at the outside of the rack posts.
• The guide pins at the rail ends align with the holes in the rack posts.
• Use the attaching screws and flange nuts from your rack system. Tighten the screws and nuts according to
instructions for your rack system.
Installing the rails onto the rack
Front left label
Front right label
Support flange on the front

end of each rail
Guide pins on rails align with holes in the rack post
15

Rail ends attach to the outside of each post
Rail ends attach on the

outside of the front and
rear rack posts
3. Place the Vess A6000 onto the rails.
• At least two persons are required to safely lift the system.
• Lift the Vess A6000 itself. Do not lift the system by its brackets.
Placing the system onto the rack rails
Brackets
Vess system
Rails installed and

tightened
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4. Secure the enclosure to the rack.
• The unit attaches to the rack posts using the included screws and flange nuts. One screw each side, in
the upper hole only.
• Use the attaching screws and flange nuts that came with the Vess A6000.
Secure to rack
Screws and flange nuts attach the

system to the rack posts
System installed in rack
Vertical rack post
Handles mount outside the rack post Mounting rails mount

outside the rack post
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Installing or removing the security cover

The secure cover hardware is operated in the same fashion on the Vess A6000 models.
To attach the secure cover:
1. Make sure the lock is in the unlocked position. To unlock, insert the key into the lock and turn counter
clockwise.
2. Insert the tab on the right side of the cover into the slot receptacle on the right handle.
3. Place the cover in position and push in the latch release (to the left of the keyhole).
4. Push the cover into position so that the tab on the right side inserts into the receptacle on the right handle
when releasing the latch.
5. Insert the key and turn clockwise to lock.
To remove the cover, unlock it, press the latch release on the left side and pull the left end out first, holding it
with both hands.
Vess A6800 installing and removing secure cover
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Installing Disk Drives

The Vess A6000 subsystems support:
• SATA / SAS hard disks
• 3.5-inch hard disk drives
• SAS 2.5-inch hard disk drives (Optional)
Number of Drives Required

The table below shows the number of drives required for each RAID level
Level Number of Drives Level Number of Drives
RAID 0 1 or more RAID 6 4 to 32
RAID 1 2 only RAID 10 4 or more*
RAID 1E 2 or more RAID 50 6 or more
RAID 5 3 to 32 RAID 60 8 or more
*Must be an even number of drives.
Caution
The Vess A6000 supports disk drive hot-swapping. To avoid hand contact
with an electrical hazard, do not remove more than one drive carrier a
time.
19

Drive Slot Numbering
You can install any suitable disk drive into any slot in the enclosure. The diagram below shows how drive slots
are numbered on the Vess A6600.
Slot numbering is reflected in the web management user interfaces.
Drive slot numbering for Vess A6600
Drive slot numbering for Vess A6800
Install all of the drive carriers into the enclosure to ensure proper airflow, even if you do not populate all the
carriers with disk drives.
20
Removing the Drive Carrier

The drive carrier accommodates 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives.
Vess A6600/A6800 Disk carrier with HDD installed - front view
Pull here to release the carrier handle latch.

Push here when return- Then pull the carrier straight out by the handle.
ing or replacing the Place your free hand under the carrier.
carrier into an empty Do not drop the disk carrier, even if it is empty.
drive bay.
Tabs for locking mechanism insert. This piece must be

removed to unlatch the carrier. To remove, squeeze the
tabs together and pull out. To reinsert, squeeze the tabs
together and replace in position. Do not discard the lock-
ing mechanisms.
Cautions
Swing open the drive carrier handle before you insert the drive
carrier into the enclosure.
To avoid hand contact with an electrical hazard, remove only one
drive carrier a time.
21

Installing 3.5” Disk Drive in the Carrier

The instructions below apply 3.5” hard disk drives installed in drive carriers intended for use with models Vess
A6600 and Vess A6800.
1. Remove a disk drive carrier.
2. Carefully lay the disk drive into the drive carrier at the front, so that the screw holes on the sides line up
correctly with the power and data connectors facing away from the carrier handle.
3. Insert the screws through the holes in the drive carrier and into the sides of the disk drive.
Install only the counter-sink screws supplied with the drive.
• Install four screws per drive.
• Snug each screw. Be careful not to over-tighten.
4. Reinstall the drive carrier into the enclosure.
Repeat steps 1 through 3 until all of your disk drives are installed.
22
Installing 2.5” Disk Drive in the Carrier

The instructions below apply 2.5” hard disk drives installed in drive carriers intended for use with models Vess
A6600 and Vess A6800.
1. Remove a disk drive carrier.
2. Carefully lay the disk drive into the drive carrier at the front, so that the screw holes on the bottom of the
carrier line up correctly with the power and data connectors facing away from the carrier handle.
3. Insert the screws through the holes on the bottom of the drive carrier and into the bottom of the disk drive.
Install only the counter-sink screws supplied with the drive.
• Install four screws per drive.
• Snug each screw. Be careful not to over-tighten.
4. Reinstall the drive carrier into the enclosure.
Repeat steps 1 through 3 until all of your disk drives are installed.
23

Management Path Connection

This section describes how to establish a management connection the Vess A6000 subsystems. Management
through the Gigabit network connection is done using Promise Management GUI, a web browser based GUI.
network connection
Vess A6000 have two Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports on the rear panel for connection to an Ethernet network.
Use this connection with Promise Management GUI to login as the device administrator.
To establish the management path:
1. Attach one end of an Ethernet cable to the network connector or standard NIC in the Host PC.
Attach the other end of the Ethernet cable to one of the ports on the standard network switch.
2. Attach one end of an Ethernet cable to one of the ports on the standard network switch.
Attach the other end of the Ethernet cable to either 1GbE network port on the Vess A6000 system.
(See illustration below for port location)
If you have multiple Vess A6000 systems, Host PCs or Servers, repeat steps 1 and 2 as required.
3. Follow the instructions for managing the basic settings of the Vess A6000.
24
Connect the Power

Insert one power cable into the power receptacle for each power supply and connect the each PSU to a suitable
power source. The subsystem is equipped with three power supplies in an N+1 arrangement.
Each PSU has a Status LED. After boot up, check the LEDs on each power supply on the back of the device.
These LEDs will light green to indicate normal operation. A red LED indicates a problem or unit failure.
Important
The Vess A6800 features three N+1 power supplies. In this arrangement,
one PSU is redundant, so a minimum of two PSUs are needed to power up
the enclosure.
The Vess A6600 feature two N+1 power supplies. In this arrangement, one
PSU is redundant, so a minimum of one PSU is needed to power up the
enclosure.
Vess A6800 N+1 power connections
N+1 PSUs PSU status LEDs

Connect all power supplies
to a suitable power source.
Warning
Turn off the power and disconnect all power cord before
servicing the Vess A6600 and Vess A6800.
25

Power On Enclosure
With the power supplies connected, the system can now be powered on.
If you are using JBOD storage expansion setup, power on the JBODs first.
To power on the Vess A6000 subsystem, press the Power button on the front left bracket facing (see figure
below). Observe the LEDs on the front panel to make certain the boot up proceeds smoothly.
Vess A6600 front panel components, left side
Power button
OPAS LED
USB ports
26
Vess A6600 front right side
Power
System Status
Global RAID Status
Global HDD Activity
Not used
System Heartbeat
Front panel LED behavior
The table below describes LED behavior when boot-up is finished and the system is functioning normally:
LED Description
Power Lights BLUE to indicate the system is powered on.
System Status Lights GREEN when healthy, RED if there is a critical problem (LD offline, fan
malfunction, voltage out of range, system temperature alert), blinks RED for HDD high
temperature alert remains dark when not ready.
Global RAID Status Lights GREEN when healthy or RED if any RAID volume is offline, ORANGE for
critical state of any logical drive, or when the system is rebuilding.
Global HDD Activity Blinks BLUE to indicate one or more drives are being accessed, lights steady BLUE
when no drives are being accessed.
System Heartbeat Blinks BLUE slowly at regular intervals to indicate the firmware and software are
operating normally.
OPAS USB Lights GREEN if an OPAS device (USB disk) is detected, remains dark if the OPAS
operation has failed, blinks GREEN when an OPAS operation is in progress.
27

Connect to iSCSI Storage Area Network (SAN)

Important
For a list of supported HBA NICs and switches, download the latest
compatibility list from PROMISE support:
http://www.promise.com/support/.
This arrangement requires:
• An iSCSI HBA network interface card (NIC) in the host PC or server
• A GbE network switch
• A standard network switch
Note
Only one iSCSI data cable is required between each Vess enclosure and
the GbE network switch. However, you can attach multiple cables to
create redundant data paths.
Gigabit Ethernet Network ports on rear panel
Port 1 Port 2
28
Promise Management GUI

This chapter describes using Promise Management GUI to monitor and manage your RAID system.
Logging into Promise Management GUI

You can log into Promise Management GUI in either of two ways:
• “Logging in at the Enclosure” on page 29
• “Logging in over the Network” on page 30
Logging in at the Enclosure
At the Vess A6000 enclosure to log into Promise Management GUI, do one of the following actions:
• Double-click the Promise Management GUI desktop icon.
• Choose Promise Management GUI in the Windows Programs menu.
• Follow the steps under “Logging in over the Network” on page 30.
Note
The default IP settings for the Gigabit Ethernet ports are:
Port 1 = 192.168.0.1
Port 2 = 192.168.1.1
IP settings for the ports are controlled by the OS. Use the normal IP
settings configuration procedure for the OS you are using if you want
to change the default settings.
29
Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance Managing with the Web Manager

Logging in over the Network
Important
For Vess A6000 Series running Windows OS, it is necessary to disable
the Windows Firewall in order to allow access to Promise Management
GUI through the network interface. If the Firewall is running, no
management access is permitted from the network.
You can log into Promise Management GUI from any PC with a network connection to the and Vess A6000
Series enclosure.
1. Launch your Browser.
2. In the Browser address field, type the information provided below. Then press Enter. Note that this
example uses the default IP address for Port 1
If you chose External SSL Security during installation, use the Secure Connection. Otherwise, use the Regular
Connection.
Regular Connection
• Promise Management GUI uses an HTTP connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .http://
• Enter the Subsystem IP address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192.168.0.1
• Enter the Port number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :8090
Together, your entry looks like this:
http://192.168.0.1:8090
30
Secure Connection
• Promise Management GUI uses a secure HTTP connection . . . . . . . . . . .https://
• Enter the Subsystem IP address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Port 1 = 192.168.0.1 / Port 2 = 192.168.1.1)
• Enter the Port number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :443
Together, your entry looks like this:
https://192.168.0.1:443/
Note
• You can enter the Host PC’s network name in place of the IP address.
• If you are logging in at the Host PC, you can enter local Host in place of the IP
address.
• Whether you select a regular or a secure connection, your login to Promise
Management GUI and your user password are always secure.
31

Login Screen
When the opening screen appears:
1. Type administrator in the User Name field.
2. Type password in the Password field.
3. Click the Login button.
The User Name and Password are case sensitive.
The Promise Management GUI login screen
After logging in, the Quick Links menu appears.
Quick Links menu
32
Using the Promise Management GUI Interface
Promise Management GUI is browser-based RAID management software with a graphic user interface. Basic
user interface components and functions include:
Promise Management GUI interface - Subsystem home page
2
3
There are three parts to the Promise Management GUI interface:
1. Header
2. Tree View
3. Event Frame
33

Using the Header
The Header contains the following items:
Language – Choose a display language
View – To view the Event Frame,
Logout – To logout
Using Tree View

Tree View enables you to navigate around all components of the Vess A6000 enclosure, software management,
RAID controller, enclosure, physical drives, disk arrays, logical drives, and spare drives. The figure below shows
the components of Tree View.
Promise Management GUI Tree View
Logged-in User
Vess A6000 Series enclosure
The Administrative Tools section is different for the Administrator and Super Users than for other users. The
remainder of the Tree is the same for all users.
34
Using Management View
Management View displays information and settings menus according to the item you choose in Tree View.
It presents the user interface for the Vess A6000 enclosure, including creation, maintenance, deletion, and
monitoring of disk arrays and logical drives. Function tabs access menus to control specific actions and processes.
Click the Help link to the right of the tabs in Management View to access online help for the function currently
displayed.
Choosing a Display Language

Promise Management GUI displays in the following languages:
• English • French
• Simplified Chinese • German
• Traditional Chinese • Italian
• Japanese • Spanish
• Korean • Portuguese
• Arabic • Turkish
• Polish • Russian
To change the display language:
1. Click the Language drop-down menu in the Header.
2. Highlight the language you prefer.
Promise Management GUI displays in the chosen language.
35

Viewing the Event Frame
To view the Event Frame, click Show Event Frame in the Header. To hide the Event Frame, click Hide Event
Frame in the Header.
In the event frame, events are listed and sorted by:
• Device – Disk array, logical drive, physical drive, controller, etc.
• Event ID – The hexadecimal number that identifies the specific type of event
• Severity – See below:
• Information – Information only, no action is required
• Warning – User can decide whether or not action is required
• Minor – Action is needed but the condition is not serious at this time
• Major – Action is needed now
• Critical – Action is needed now and the implications of the condition are serious
• Fatal – Non-Recoverable error or failure has occurred
• Time – Time and date of the occurrence
• Description – A brief description of the event
You can also view events by clicking the Subsystems icon in Tree View, then clicking the Event tab in
Management View.
36
Logging out of Promise Management GUI
There are two ways to log out of Promise Management GUI:
• Close your browser window
• Click Logout in the Promise Management GUI Header
Clicking Logout brings you back to the Login Screen. After logging out, you must enter your user name and
password in order to log in again.
37

Subsystem Management
The menus listed under Subsystems are all the menus used for device management. Click on the Subsystems
icon to view read-only information for the Vess A6000 including the management IP address, Alias, Model and
WWN.
To view the menus used for system management, click the + symbol of the Subsystems icon to reveal the child
menu icons for the following:
• Administrative Tools (includes links for User Management, View Network Settings, Performance
Monitoring and Software Management)
• Controllers (view controller information and manage settings)
• Enclosures (view device information and virtual enclosure, set temperature thresholds for warnings and
enable/disable warning buzzer)
• Disk Arrays (manage disk arrays)
• Spare Drives (manage spare drives)
• Logical Drives Summary (read-only logical drive information display)
Click on the subsystem IP address and model name listed under the Subsystems top-level menu icon in Tree
View. In the Information tab, the following information for the subsystem appears:
• Alias • Vendor
• Model • Serial Number
• World Wide Number • Part Number
• Revision Number • System Date & Time
Here you can also save a System Service Report (useful for troubleshooting) in the form of an HTML file to
the computer you are using by clicking on the Save button. See “Saving a Service Report”.
The Subsystem home menu includes the following function tabs:
• Information (described above) • Settings (assign an Alias)
• Background Activities • Scheduler (schedule background activities)
• Event (list runtime and NVRAM events) • Lock (lock/unlock subsystem)
38
Background Activities
Background activities perform a variety of preventive and remedial functions on your physical drives, disk
arrays, logical drives, and other components.
You can run a background activity immediately or schedule it to run at a later time.
Setting options for each activity are listed after the scheduling options. These settings determine how the
background activity affects I/O performance.
View Current Background Activities
To view current background activities:
1. Click the Subsystem icon of the subsystem on which you want to view Background Activities.
2. In the Subsystem menu, click the Background Activities tab. Background Activities currently running are
displayed in the top portion of the menu. You can also view the current Background Activities parameter
settings in the lower part of the menu. Click the Background Activity Parameters menu expander to view
the current parameter settings.
View Background Activities Parameters settings
To view current background parameter settings:
2. Click the Background Activity Parameters menu expander to view the current parameter settings. The
parameters listed are as follows:

• Rebuild Rate • Transition Rate
• Background Synchronization Rate • Reassigned Block Threshold
• Logical Drive Initialization Rate • Error Block Threshold
• Redundancy Check Rate • Enable Media Patrol
• Migration Rate • Enable Auto Rebuild
39

Manage Background Activities Settings

The parameters listed in the Background Activities menu are configured in the Background Activities Settings
menu. To change Background Activities settings
2. Click the menu expander between the Background Activities tab and the Scheduler tab and select the
Settings option. The following settings can be configured:
• Rebuild Rate High, Medium, Low

• Background Synchronization Rate High, Medium, Low
• Logical Drive Initialization Rate High, Medium, Low
• Redundancy Check Rate High, Medium, Low
• Migration Rate High, Medium, Low
• PDM Rate High, Medium, Low
• Transition Rate High, Medium, Low
• Reassigned Block Threshold
• Error Block Threshold
• Enable Media Patrol
• Enable Auto Rebuild
These settings can be also scheduled using the Scheduler. See the instructions for using schedules following
the parameters descriptions below.
40
Rebuild Settings
To change Rebuild setting the in Background Activities Settings menu:
1. Use the Rebuild Rate drop-down menu to choose a rate:
• Low – Fewer system resources to the Rebuild, more to data read/write operations.
• Medium – Balances system resources between the
Rebuild and data read/write operations.
• High – More system resources to the Rebuild, fewer to data read/write operations.
2. To enable Auto Rebuild (rebuilds when you swap out the failed drive with a new one) Check the Enable
Auto Rebuild box.
3. Click the Submit button.
Rebuild Rate
When you rebuild a disk array, you are actually rebuilding the data on one physical drive.
• When a physical drive in a disk array fails and a spare drive of adequate capacity is available, the disk
array begins to rebuild automatically using the spare drive.
• If there is no spare drive of adequate capacity, but the Auto Rebuild function is ENABLED, the disk array
begins to rebuild automatically as soon as you remove the failed physical drive and install an unconfigured
physical drive in the same slot.
• If there is no spare drive of adequate capacity and the Auto Rebuild function is DISABLED, you must
replace the failed drive with an unconfigured physical drive, then perform a Manual Rebuild.
Background Synchronization
Synchronization is automatically applied to redundant logical drives when they are created. Synchronization
recalculates the redundancy data to ensure that the working data on the physical drives is properly in sync.
41

Background Synchronization Rate
1. To change Background Synchronization Rate setting the in Background Activities Settings menu: Click the
Synchronization Rate drop-down menu and choose a rate:
• Low – Fewer system resources to Synchronization,

more to data read/write operations.
• Medium – Balances system resources between
Synchronization and data read/write operations.
• High – More system resources to Synchronization,
fewer to data read/write operations.
Logical Drive Initialization

Technically speaking, Initialization is a foreground activity, as you cannot access a logical drive while it is
initiating.
Initialization is normally done to logical drives after they are created from a disk array. Initialization sets all data
bits in the logical drive to zero. The action is useful because there may be residual data on the logical drives left
behind from earlier configurations. For this reason, Initialization is recommended whenever you create a logical
drive.
Logical Drive Initialization Rate
To change Logical Drive Initialization Rate setting the in Background Activities Settings menu:
1. Click the Logical Drive Initialization Rate drop-down menu and choose a rate:
• Low – Fewer system resources to Initialization, more to data read/write operations.

Initialization and data read/write operations.
• High – More system resources to Initialization, fewer to data read/write operations.
42
Redundancy Check
Redundancy Check is a routine maintenance procedure for fault-tolerant disk arrays (those with redundancy)
that ensures all the data matches exactly. Redundancy Check can also correct inconsistencies.
Note
You can use the scheduler to set up a Redundancy Check Schedule.
To set up a schedule, click the menu expander to the right of the Scheduler tab
and select Redundancy Check Schedule.
Redundancy Check Rate
To change Redundancy Check Rate setting the in Background Activities Settings menu:
1. Click the Redundancy Check Rate drop-down menu and choose a rate:
• Low – Fewer system resources to Redundancy Check,

more to data read/write operations.
• Medium – Balances system resources between Redundancy
Check and data read/write operations.
• High – More system resources to Redundancy Check,
fewer to data read/write operations.
43

PDM
Predictive Data Migration (PDM) is the migration of data from the suspect physical drive to a spare drive,
similar to rebuilding a logical drive. But unlike Rebuilding, PDM constantly monitors your physical drives and
automatically copies your data to a spare drive before the physical drive fails and your logical drive goes Critical.
PDM Settings
To change PDM setting the in Background Activities Settings menu:
1. Click the PDM Rate drop-down menu and choose a rate:
• Low – Fewer system resources to PDM, more to data read/write operations.

PDM and data read/write operations.
• High – More system resources to PDM, fewer to data read/write operations.
2. Highlight the current values in the block threshold fields and input new values.
Reassigned Block Threshold range is 1 to 512 blocks.
Error Block Threshold range is 1 to 2048 blocks.
Transition
Transition is the process of replacing a revertible spare drive that is currently part of a disk array with an
unconfigured physical drive or a non-revertible spare drive.
Transition Rate
To change Transition Rate setting the in Background Activities Settings menu:
1. Click the Transition Rate drop-down menu and choose a rate:
• Low – Fewer system resources to Transition, more to data read/write operations.

Transition and data read/write operations.
• High – More system resources to Transition, fewer to data read/write operations.
2. Click the Confirm button.
44
Media Patrol
Media Patrol is a routine maintenance procedure that checks the magnetic media on each disk drive. Media
Patrol checks are enabled by default on all disk arrays and spare drives. Media Patrol is concerned with the
media itself, not the data recorded on the media. If Media Patrol encounters a critical error, it triggers PDM if PDM
is enabled on the disk array.
Media Patrol Settings
Media Patrol is enabled or disabled using the Background Activities menu or you can create a schedule to run
Media Patrol.
• To enable Media Patrol, click on the Subsystem in Tree View then click
on the Background Activities menu tab. Click to check the Enable
Media Patrol option. Notice also that the Auto Rebuild option is here
as well. If you want to automatically begin rebuilding a logical drive as
soon as a faulty drive is replaced, make sure this option is enabled.
• To begin Media Patrol manually, click on the menu expander to the right of
the Background Activities tab and scroll down and select Start Media Patrol
to see the Start Media Patrol menu. Then click on the Start button.
• To schedule Media Patrol, click on the menu expander to the right of the
Scheduler tab and scroll down and select Add Media Patrol Schedule to
open the schedule menu. Use this menu to add a Media Patrol schedule.
45

Managing Activity Schedules

Schedules for Media Patrol, Redundancy Check and Spare Drive Check can be created to run during off
peak times.
Add or delete an activity schedule
To add, enable or delete an activity schedule, click on the Subsystem in Tree View, then click on the Scheduler
menu expander to the right of the Scheduler tab. Scroll down to the schedule option you want to view that menu.
Schedule options are Add Media Patrol Schedule, Add Redundancy Check Schedule, Add Spare Check
Schedule and Delete Schedule.
View or modify an existing activity schedule
To view existing schedules including the recurrence, start time and status of existing schedules, click on the
Scheduler tab. Here you can then modify any listed schedule by clicking on the name of the schedule in the list.
46
Event Logs
Event logs are useful for troubleshooting, tracking functions and monitoring subsystems. To view, save or clear
subsystem event logs, click on the subsystem in Tree View, then click on the Event menu expander. Choose to
display Runtime Events or NVRAM Events. Event logs can be saved as a simple text file by clicking the Save
button in either menu. To clear the log and start fresh, click the Clear Event Log button.
47

Administrative Tools
Click the + symbol of the Administrative Tools icon reveal subsystem administrative tools menu links for User
Management, View Network Settings, Performance Monitoring and Software Management. The Administrative
Tools menu lists text hyperlinks to these same menus, plus links to menus to Restore Factory Default settings,
Clear Statistics and Save System Service Report.
Restore factory default settings

To restore any firmware or software settings to the default values:
1. Click on the Administrative Tools icon.
2. Click on the Restore Factory Defaults link to reveal a new menu.
3. Check mark the option boxes for the settings you want to return to the factory default values. Default
Settings options include:

Firmware Default Settings Software Default Settings
• Background Activities • Service Settings
• Controller Settings • Web Server Settings
• Enclosure Settings • Email Settings
• Physical Drive Settings
• Subsystem Settings
4. Click the Submit button to return the selected settings to default values. To deselect all options and start
over, click the Reset button.
Clear Statistics
To clear all subsystem statistics for controllers, ports physical drives and logical drives:
1. Click on the Administrative Tools icon.
2. Click on the Clear Statistics link to reveal a new menu.
3. Click on the Submit button to clear all device statistics.
48
User Management
User Management deals with user accounts.
Viewing User Information

The view a list of users, their status, access privileges, display name, and email address:
1. Click the Administrative Tools icon.
2. Click the User Management icon.
The Information tab appears in Management View.
Making User Settings

To change settings of other users:
1. Log into Promise Management GUI as the Administrator or a Super User.
4. Click the Information tab.
5. In the list of users, click the link of the user whose settings you want to change.
The Settings screen for the chosen user displays.
6. Enter or change the settings for this user.
• Enable/disable this user
• Display name
• Privilege.
The Administrator or Super User can change another user’s password.
49

Making Your Own User Settings
To change your own user settings:
1. Log into Promise Management GUI under your own user name.
4. Click the Settings tab in Management View.
5. Enter or change the display name or mail address.
Changing Your Own Password

To set or change your own password:
1. Log into Promise Management GUI under your own user name.
4. Click the Password tab in Management View.
5. Enter the current password in the Old Password field.
6. If you do not have a password, leave this field blank.
7. Enter the new password in the New Password field.
8. Enter the new password in the Retype Password field.
50
Creating a User
To create a user:
4. Click the Create tab in Management View.
5. Enter a user name in the User Name field.
6. Enter a password for this user in the New Password and Retype Password fields.
A password is optional. If you do not assign password, tell this user to leave the password field blank when he/
she logs into to Promise Management GUI.
7. Check the Enabled box to enable this user on this subsystem.
8. Enter a display name in the Display Name field.
A display name is optional but recommended.
9. Choose a privilege level from the Privilege drop-down menu.
For definitions of each privilege level, see the List of User Privileges below.
51

List of User Privileges
• View – Allows the user to see all status and settings but not to make any changes
• Maintenance – Allows the user to perform maintenance tasks including
• Rebuilding, PDM, Media Patrol, and Redundancy Check.
• Power – Allows the user to create (but not delete) disk arrays and logical drives, change RAID levels,
change stripe size; change settings of components such as disk arrays, logical drives, physical drives,
and the controller.
• Super – Allows the user full access to all functions including create and delete users and changing the
settings of other users, and delete disk arrays and logical drives. The default “administrator” account is a
Super User.
Deleting a User
There is always at least one Super User account. You cannot delete the user account you used to log in. To
delete a user:
4. Click the Delete tab in Management View.
5. Check the box to the left of the user you want to delete.
7. Click OK in the confirmation box.
52
View Network Settings

To view network settings for the Ethernet ports, including the port used for access to Promise Management
GUI, click on the View Network Settings icon under Administrative Tools. Information listed for each port includes:
• If the port is enabled/disabled • IP address
• If the link is up/down • Subnet mask
• IP type IPv4/IPv6 • MAC address
• Maximum port speed
Software Management
The Software Management menu is used to manage settings for Email, SNMP settings and Web services.
The Email function is used for sending notifications of events. The Web service is used for remote network
connection to the Promise Management GUI management interface. This is also where you can export and
import configuration script files and user database files.
53

Importing a Configuration Script
You can import a previously saved configuration script to automatically configure your Vess A6000 subsystem.
The script must be a plain, non-encrypted text file. This file can be saved from the same system, or from another
Vess A6000 subsystem. See the next section, “Exporting a Configuration Script” on page 55 for instructions on
how to save the file to your host PC.
Cautions
Do NOT attempt to write or modify a configuration script until you
receive guidance from Technical Support.
Importing a configuration script overwrites the current settings on your
Vess A6000 subsystem.
To import a configuration script for automatic configuration of a subsystem:
2. Click the Software Management icon.
3. Click the Import tab in the Software Management menu.
4. Choose Configuration Script from the Type drop-down menu.
5. Click the Import button.
6. Click Browse and find the file “Configscript.txt” on the Host PC.
The configuration script is loaded and applied automatically.
54
Exporting a Configuration Script
You can save the configuration from one Vess A6000 subsystem, export it, and then import it to automatically
configure your other Vess A6000 subsystems.
To export a configuration script:
2. Click the Service Management icon.
3. Click the Export tab in the Service Management menu.
4. Choose Configuration Script from the Type drop-down menu.
5. Click the Export button.
6. Select a location on the Host PC for the downloaded file and save the file.
The file is saved to your PC as “Configscript.txt”.
Cautions
Do NOT attempt to write or modify a configuration script until you receive
guidance from Technical Support.
55

Saving a Service Report
A Service Report is a detailed report covering the configuration and status of all components in your RAID
system. A support technician or field engineer might request a service report for the purpose of diagnosis and
troubleshooting.
To save a system configuration file:
1. Click on the Subsystem icon (IP address and device name) in Tree View to open the Subsystem
Information display.
2. Click the Save button in the Save System Service Report row of the information display.
Information for the report is gathered and compiled. This action takes up to a few minutes, depending
on the size of your RAID system.
3. Determine where you want to store the file on the Host PC, then click the Save button in the pop-up
menu.
The report saves to your Host PC as a compressed HTML file.
4. Double-click the downloaded file to decompress it.
5. Double-click the report to open it in your default browser.
56
The Service Report includes the following topics:
• About – Report utility • Network Info – Virtual port
• BBM Info – Bad Block Manager • Phydriv Info – Basic physical drive information
• BGA Summary – Status and settings • Phydriv Verbose Info – Full physical drive
• Buzzer Info • SWMGT Info – Software management
• Controller Info • Service Setting – Email
• Disk Array Info • Service Setting – Webserver
• Disk Array Dump info • Spare Info – Basic spare drive information
• Disk Array Verbose Info • Spare Dump Info – Diagnostic information
• Enclosure Info • Spare Verbose Info – Full spare Drive
• Error Table Info information
• Event Info - NVRAM • Statistic Info
• Event Info - Runtime • Subsystem info
• LogDrive Info – Basic logical drive information • User Info
• LogDrive Dump Info – Diagnostic information
• Logical Drive Verbose Info – Full logical drive
information
57

Email Service
Email service enables the RAID subsystem to send you Email messages about events and status changes. By
default, Email service is set to Automatic.
Stop Email Service
To stop the Email service:
3. Click on Email in the Service List of the Service Management menu.
4. Click the Stop button under Service Status -- Email.
To start the Email service after stopping it:
4. Click the Start button under Service Status -- Email.
Restarting Email Service
To restart the Email service:
4. Click the Restart button under Service Status -- Email.
58
Email Settings
To change Email service settings:
4. Make settings changes as required:
Under Service Setting -- Email choose a startup type:
• Automatic – (default) Starts and runs with the subsystem.
• Manual – You start the service when you need it.
Under Email Server Settings
• SMTP Server IP address
• SMTP Authentication under Email Server Settings

The Yes option enables authentication.
The No option disables.
• SMTP Authentication under Email Server Settings

Username – Required if SMTP authentication is enabled.
SMTP Authentication Password – Required if SMTP authentication is enabled.
Under Email Content Customization
• Email Sender (From) Address – The sender’s name shown on notification messages.
• Email Subject – The subject line of the notification message.
Sending A Test Email Message

After email settings are completed, you can send a test email.
To send a test email message, complete email settings as described above and check the Send a test email
option box, then click the Submit button. A test email message is sent to the address you specified.
59

Performance Monitoring
The Performance Monitor displays real-time performance statistics for logical drives and physical drives. The
vertical scale adjusts dynamically to accommodate the statistical data.
Because it reports performance in real-time, to see data in the monitor, there must be I/O data activity taking
place between the subsystem and the Host.
To monitor performance:
2. Click the Performance Monitoring icon.
3. Click the Information tab for aggregated statistics; or choose the Read/Write tab to view specific Read and
Write performances separately.
4. Under Logical Drive, choose the metric you want to see from the Measurement drop-down menu.
Information Read/Write
• Bandwidth in MB/s • Read bandwidth
• Cache usage by % • Write bandwidth
• Dirty cache usage by % • Maximum Read latency in ms
• Maximum latency in ms • Maximum Write latency in ms
• Average latency in ms • Average Read latency in ms
• Minimum latency in ms • Average Write latency in ms
• I/Os per second • Minimum Read latency in ms
• Minimum Write latency in ms
• Write Regs
• Read Regs
5. Check the boxes for the logical drives you want to see.
• Total of all logical drives
• Up to 4 devices
60
6. Under Physical Drive, choose the metric you want to see from the Measurement drop-down menu.
Information Read/Write
• Bandwidth in MB/s • Read bandwidth
• Maximum latency in ms • Write bandwidth
• Average latency in ms • Maximum Read latency in ms
• Minimum latency in ms • Maximum Write latency in ms
• I/Os per second • Average Read latency in ms
• Average Write latency in ms
• Minimum Read latency in ms
• Minimum Write latency in ms
• Write Regs
• Read Regs
7. Check the boxes for the physical drives you want to see.
• Total of all physical drives
• Up to 4 devices
• I/Os per second
Since the performance monitor is a real-time display, it does not accumulate information and there is no clear
or save function.
To save performance statistics for analysis or troubleshooting, save a Service Report. See “Saving a Service
Report”.
61

Controllers
Click on a specific controller in Tree view to display information or statistics for a controller. Or to change
controller settings. See the following sections:

• “View Controller Information”
• “Viewing Controller Statistics”
• “Controller Settings”
View Controller Information

To view controller information:
1. Click the Controllers icon.
2. Click the specific Controller icon of the controller for which you want to view information.
3. The Information tab will present basic controller information.
62
Controller information includes:
• Controller ID • Serial Number

• Alias • Hardware Revision
• Operational Status • WWN
• Power on Time • SCSI Protocols Supported
• Cache Usage • Install Package Version
• Dirty Cache Usage • Install Package Build Date
• Part Number
1. Click the Advanced Information menu expander to view advanced information.
Advanced controller information includes:
• Memory Type • Write Back Cache Flush Interval*

• Memory Size • Enclosure Polling interval
• Flash Type • Host Cache Flushing Enabled/Disabled*
• Flash Size • Forced Read Ahead Enabled/Disabled*
• Preferred Cache Line Size • Spin Down Type
• Cache Line Size • HDD Power Levels*
• Coercion Enabled/Disabled* • HDD Idle Time*
• Coercion Method* • HDD Standby Time*
• SMART Log Enabled/Disabled* • HDD Stopped Time*
• SMART Polling Interval * • Physical Drive Temperature Threshold*
• Physical Drive Critical Temperature Threshold*
Items with an asterisk (*) are adjustable under Controller Settings.
63

Viewing Controller Statistics

To view controller statistics:
2. Click the specific Controller icon of the controller for which you want to view statistics.
3. At the top of the Information display menu, between the Information and Settings tabs, click on the menu
expander to reveal the Statistics link.
Controller statistics include:
• Data Transferred • Write Data Transferred

• Read Data Transferred • Non-Read/Write Errors
• Errors • Write Errors
• Read Errors • Non-Read/Write Requests
• I/O Requests • Write I/O Requests
• Read IO Requests • Statistics Collection Time
• Statistics Start Time
64
Controller Settings
To make controller settings:
2. Click the specific Controller icon of the controller you want to manage.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. Make settings changes as required:
• Enter, change or delete the alias in the Alias field.

• Coercion – Check the box to enable or uncheck to disable.
• Coercion Method – Choose a method from the drop-down menu:
GBTruncate
10GBTruncate
GrpRounding
TableRounding
• Write Back Cache Flush Interval – Enter a value into the field, 1 to 12 seconds.
• HDD Power Saving – Choose time periods from the drop-down menus.
After an HDD has been idle for the set period of time:
Power Saving Idle Time – Parks the read/write heads.
Power Saving Standby Time – Lowers disk rotation speed.
Power Saving Stopped Time – Spins down the disk (stops rotation).
• Host Cache Flushing – Check the box to enable or uncheck to disable.
• Forced Read Ahead (cache) – Check the box to enable or uncheck to disable.
• Physical Drive Temperature Threshold - Type a temperature
(50-55 ºC) to trigger an event notice and email alert.
• Physical Drive Critical Temperature Threshold - Type a
temperature (58-65 ºC) to trigger system shutdown.
65

Enclosures
The Enclosure menus are used to provide information for and monitor the status about the various
components of the enclosure unit. Click on a specific enclosure in Tree view or in the Enclosures list to
display information or settings menus for an enclosure. See the following sections:
• “Enclosure Information”
• “Enclosure temperature sensor settings”
• “Buzzer Settings”
• “Physical Drives”
Locate an enclosure
To locate an enclosure in the list, click the Locate button. The LED indicators on the front panel of the
enclosure will blink for one minute.
Enclosure Information
The Enclosure Information read-only display menu provides key real-time information about current hardware
status of the enclosure. Click on the expanders buttons to reveal current conditions and status of the enclosure,
power supplies, fans, blowers, temperature sensors and voltage sensors. Move the cursor over the icons in the
virtual enclosure displayed at the top of the menu to see current status and relevant conditional statistics for the
fans, power supplies, and temperature sensors.
66
Enclosure Information display
Enclosure temperature sensor settings

The temperature threshold settings are used to send event notices when the internal temperature reaches
a high level. To set enclosure temperature thresholds, click on the enclosure in Tree View, then click on the
Settings tab to view the Enclosure Settings menu. There are two thresholds to configure:
• Controller Warning Temperature Threshold [80-95 C°] — If
the enclosure temperature reaches this threshold, a warning
message is sent and an event is recorded in the event log.
• Controller Critical Temperature Threshold [100-105 C°] — If the
enclosure temperature reaches this threshold, a warning message
is sent, an event recorded is recorded in the event log.
Buzzer Settings
The audible enclosure alarm buzzer can be enabled or disabled.
To enable or disable the buzzer, click on the enclosure in Tree View, then click on the Buzzer menu expander,
scroll to Settings and click the check Enable Buzzer option box. Click the Submit button.
67

Physical Drives
The Physical Drives menus are used to view information and statistics about physical hard drives installed in
the enclosure and to set Global Settings for hard drives. To see the Physical Drives List, expand the individual
Enclosure icon in Tree View to see the Physical Drives icon for the enclosure. To display the information for any
populated slot, you can expand the Physical Drives icon in Tree View to reveal links to each slot, or click on the
slot in the Physical Drives List, or click on the populated slot in the virtual enclosure displayed in the menu.
View individual physical drive information
68
The information listed for individual physical drives includes:
Physical Drive Information
• Physical Drive ID • Configuration Status
• Location [Enclosure # Slot #] • Model
• Alias • Drive Interface
• Physical Capacity • Serial Number
• Configurable Capacity • Firmware Version
• Used Capacity • Protocol Version
• Block Size [Bytes] • Visible To [Controller #]
• Operational Status
Advanced Physical Drive Information
• Write Cache [Enabled/Disabled] • Command Queuing [Enabled/Disabled]
• Read Look Ahead Cache [Enabled/ • Queue Depth
Disabled] • Maximum Multiple DMA Mode Supported
• SMART Feature Set • Maximum Ultra DMA Mode Supported
• SMART Self Test • DMA Mode
• SMART Error Logging • Drive Temperature [C°/F°]
• Command Queuing Support • Reference Drive Temperature
• Power Saving Mode
69

Disk Arrays and Logical Drives

Disk arrays and logical drives are created and managed using the Disk Arrays menu. Use the Array
Configuration menu to view the Disk Array List, and to create and delete disk arrays on the enclosure. Expand
the Disk Arrays icon in Tree View to view menu links for existing arrays. Each array icon can be expanded again
to see the Logical Drives icon, and this can be expanded to see each logical drive icon.
For a detailed description of how to create disk arrays and logical drives using Promise Management GUI,
please refer to the Quick Start Guide.
Use the top-level Disk Arrays menu to view the Disk Array List, to delete existing arrays, and to create new
disk arrays using the Automatic, Express, or Advanced disk array creation menus. Note that there must be
physical drives available in order to use any of the disk array creation menus.
View information for existing disk arrays by clicking on the icon in Tree View or the array name in the Disk Array
List. Each individual array menu is used to create and delete logical drives, to change settings (Alias and start/
stop PDM, Media Patrol and Power Management) for the array, or to start Background Activities including PDM,
Rebuild and Transition.
Individual Disk Array menu
70
Information in the Disk Array menu includes:
• Disk Array ID [#] • Media Patrol [Enabled/Disabled]
• Alias • Drive Health Polling
• Operational Status (see below) • Power Management [Enabled/Disabled]
• Total Physical Capacity • Number of Physical Drives
• Configurable Capacity • Number of Logical Drives
• Free Capacity [Bytes] • Available RAID Levels
• Max Contiguous Free Capacity [Bytes]
Other lists in this menu:
• Physical Drives in the Disk Array
• Logical Drives in the Disk Array
• Available Spare Drives to the Disk Array
Disk Array Operational Status
OK – This is the normal state of a logical drive. When a logical drive is Functional, it is ready for immediate use.
For RAID Levels other than RAID 0, the logical drive has full redundancy.
Synchronizing – This condition is temporary. Synchronizing is a maintenance function that verifies the integrity
of data and redundancy in the logical drive. When a logical drive is Synchronizing, it will function and your data is
available. However, access will be slower due to the synchronizing operation.
Critical / Degraded – This condition arises as the result of a physical drive failure. A degraded logical drive will
still function and your data is still available. However, the logical drive has lost redundancy (fault tolerance). You
must determine the cause of the problem and correct it.
Rebuilding – This condition is temporary. When a physical drive has been replaced, the logical drive
automatically begins rebuilding in order to restore redundancy (fault tolerance). When a logical drive is rebuilding,
it will function and your data is available. However, access will be slower due to the rebuilding operation.
71

Logical drive management

Logical drives are made from disk arrays. In the Tree, you can see a graphic representation of the logical drives
that belong to each array. The Logical Drive List can be accessed in Tree View by expanding the under Disk
Arrays and clicking on the Logical Drives icon for any existing disk array, or simply click on the Logical Drive
Summary icon for the Subsystem.
Click on any Logical Drive (LD) in the list to view Information and Statistics, to change Settings (Alias, Read
Policy,Write Policy), to start Background Activities (Initialization, Redundancy Check), or to view the Check Table
for the LD.
Information displayed in the menu includes:
• Logical Drive ID • Read Policy
• Alias • Write Policy
• Raid Level • Current Write Policy
• Operational Status • Serial Number
• Capacity • WWN
• Physical Capacity • Synchronized [Yes/No]
• Number of Axles [#] • Tolerable Number of Dead Drives Per Axle
• Number of Used Physical Drives [#] • Parity Pace
• Stripe Size • Codec Scheme
• Sector Size [Bytes]
• Disk Array ID
72
Spare Drives
When a physical drive in a disk array fails and a spare drive of the same type and adequate capacity is
available, the disk array will begin to rebuild automatically using the spare drive.
In Tree View, click on the Spar Drive icon to see the Spare Drives List, or to create or delete an existing spare
drive. Click on any spare drive in the list to information about the drive. Spare Drive Information includes:
• Spare Drive ID • Block Size
• Physical Drive ID • Drive Interface
• Spare Type • Model
• Revertible [Yes/No] • Location
• Operational Status • Configuration Status
• Spare Check Status • Serial Number
• Physical Capacity • Firmware Version
• Configurable Capacity
Running Spare Check

A Spare Check verifies the operational status of your spare drives. You can also schedule a Spare Check.
To check a spare drive:
1. Click the Spare Drives icon.
2. Click the Spare Check tab.
3. From the Physical Drive drop-down menu, choose the spare drive you want to check. Or choose All to
check all the spare drives at the same time.
The results of the Spare Check appear under Spare Check Status in the Information tab. “Healthy” means
normal condition.
73

Logical Drive Summary

The Logical Drive Summary displays a list of all logical drives in the Subsystem. This list does not arrange the
logical drives under the disk array to which they belong nor under the enclosure in which they are located. The menu
functions in the same way as the Logical Drives menu discussed in “Logical drive management” on page 72
74
Maintenance
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Replacing a Power Supply”
75
Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance Maintenance

Replacing a Power Supply

The Vess A6600 systems can accommodate two AC power supplies in the bay at the rear of the chassis. The
Vess A6800 systems can accommodate three AC power supplies in the bay at the rear of the chassis. Each unit
provides up to 550 Watts of power. Only a single power supply is required for operation, with the second power
supply purely as a redundant, load-sharing backup. It can be removed without affecting system operation.
Installing and Removing the Power Supply
1. Align the power supply unit with the power supply slot. Ensure that the LED appears on the left when you
are installing the power supply unit.
2. Carefully slide the PSU all the way into the power supply bay until it clicks into place.
Removing the Power Supply Unit

To remove a failed power supply, please first identify the failed power supply .
1. Hold onto the power supply handle while pressing the locking lever towards the power supply handle.
2. Pull to remove the power supply from the chassis.
1. Before replacing the power supply, power off the server, unplug
the power cord, and disconnect all wiring from the power supply.
2. In a redundant system, you do not need to power down the
server.
76
Troubleshooting
This section focuses on how to address issues that might appear during the lifetime of the Vess A6000
enclosure. Common issues that customers might see include hard drive problems and how to know when there
is a problem with a hard drive, and how to create and send a service report to technical support.
If a hard drive has errors, is about to fail or has already failed, it will need to be replaced. Follow the instructions
in “Installing Disk Drives” on page 25 to swap out bad hard drives.
This chapter includes the following troubleshooting sections and related information:
• “How do I know when a drive is failing?”
• “How to Rebuild a Disk Array”
• “The Alarm Buzzer is Sounding, what does this mean?”
• “How to disable the alarm buzzer”
• “How to Save a Service Report”
Note
Hard drives on the Vess A6000 models can be hot swapped, that is,
they can be replaced without first shutting down the system.
Note
Follow the instructions in “Installing Disk Drives” on page 25 to
swap out bad hard drives.
77
Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance Troubleshooting

How do I know when a drive is failing?

There are many options to determine the health of physical hard drives. In Web PAM PROe, you can either use
the Event Frame or go to the Physical Drives information display. Or you can simply check the status LED of the
drives on the device.
Check Drive Status LEDs

The quickest way to check drive status if you are near the device is to simply look at the hard drive status LED
indicators, then use the other LED indicators to help diagnose any problems that might exist.
Vess A6600 front
Status LEDs
Disk Status and Activity

(every drive carrier)
Status LED behavior

HDD Status The Disk Status LED displays GREEN when a drive is configured and working properly.
When the lights are RED the HDD requires manual replacement. When ORANGE is ob-
served it indicates background RAID activity on this particular HDD and no user action is
required.
System Status Lights GREEN when healthy, RED if there is a critical problem (LD offline, fan malfunc-
tion, voltage out of range, system temperature alert), blinks RED for HDD high tempera-
ture alert remains dark when not ready. This will be RED if a hard drive has failed or has
critical errors. Replace the drive corresponding to the RED HDD Status indicator.
Global RAID Lights GREEN when healthy or RED if any RAID volume is offline, ORANGE for critical
Status state of any logical drive. If a hard drive has failed, this will be ORANGE. In this case, it
will be necessary to replace the affected drive and rebuild the affected RAID volume.
78
The Vess A6000 models have hard drive status and activity LEDs on each drive carrier. Also check the status
indicators on the right side of the front of the device for clues about what is wrong.
Hard drive carrier front LEDs
Red Drive Status (Replace this drive)
Activity (dark), under normal conditions this will

flash blue color when there is activity on the drive.
Vess A6800 status LEDs on right side of front
System Status
Global RAID Status
79

Check Drive Status in Management GUI
To see the Event Frame, click Show Event Frame in the Web PAM PROe Header and check the list under
Device, any physical drive problems will be indicated in the right most column, the top rows of the event table list
the installed physical drives.
Also, in Management GUI, you can go to the Physical Drives List. To see the Physical Drives List, expand the
individual Enclosure icon in Tree View to see the Physical Drives icon for the enclosure. To display the information
for any populated slot, you can expand the Physical Drives icon in Tree View to reveal links to each slot, or click
on the slot in the Physical Drives List, or click on the populated slot in the virtual enclosure displayed in the menu.
View physical drive list
80
View individual physical drive information
Note
In order that hard disk problems can be anticipated and dealt with
smoothly, it is highly recommended to make sure that Media Patrol is
enabled and running and Auto Rebuild is enabled if you are not using a
spare drive. If using a spare drive, make sure it is healthy and available.
Anticipating Hard Drive Problems

It is recommended that you always keep a healthy spare drive installed, and run Media Patrol as a background
activity so a failing hard drive can migrate data to the spare before the status turns critical.
In Web PAM PROe, Media Patrol is enabled or disabled using the Background Activities menu, you can also
create a schedule to run Media Patrol.
81

Enable Media Patrol
• To enable Media Patrol, click on Background Activities in the Quick Links

menu in the Home page, or, click on the Subsystem in Tree View then click
on the Background Activities menu tab, click the expander to the right of
the tab and select the Settings option from the pull down menu. Click to check
the Enable Media Patrol option. Notice also that the Auto Rebuild option is
here as well. If you want to automatically begin rebuilding a logical drive as
soon as a faulty drive is replaced, make sure this option is enabled.
• To begin running Media Patrol manually, click on the menu expander to the
right of the Background Activities tab and scroll down and select Start Media
Patrol to see the Start Media Patrol menu. Then click on the Start button.
• To schedule Media Patrol, click on the menu expander to the right of the
Scheduler tab and scroll down and select Add Media Patrol Schedule to open
the schedule menu. Use this menu to add a Media Patrol schedule.
82
Rebuilding a Disk Array

When you rebuild a disk array, you are actually rebuilding the data on one physical drive.
• When a physical drive in a disk array fails and a spare drive of adequate capacity is available, the disk
array begins to rebuild automatically using the spare drive.
• If there is no spare drive of adequate capacity, but the Auto Rebuild function is ENABLED, the disk array
begins to rebuild automatically as soon as you remove the failed physical drive and install an unconfigured
physical drive in the same slot. See “Making Rebuild Settings”
• If there is no spare drive of adequate capacity and the Auto Rebuild function is DISABLED, you must
replace the failed drive with an unconfigured physical drive, then perform a Manual Rebuild.
83

How to Rebuild a Disk Array

When a physical drive is indicated to be degraded or in critical state, the array that contains that drive needs to
be rebuilt. If you are not using Auto Rebuild (requires a Spare Drive), then you must rebuild the array manually
after the affected drive has been replaced. Follow the instructions here to rebuild an array.
You will know that a logical drive is critical by looking at the Operational Status in the Logical Drive Information
display.
Logical Drive Information
To begin rebuilding the drive, go to the Local Host menu, the Background Activities and move the cursor to
select Start Rebuild. A new menu appears.
Background Activities - Start Rebuild 1
84
Now determine the source and target for the rebuild. In the new menu, choose the Source Physical Drive and
Target Physical Drive from the menus, and click on the Submit button.
Background Activities - Start Rebuild 2
The progress of the rebuild is displayed in the Background Activities information display.
Background Activities - Rebuild Status
85

How to Save a Service Report

A Service Report is a detailed report covering the configuration and status of all components in your RAID
system. A support technician or field engineer might request a service report for the purpose of diagnosis and
troubleshooting.
Subsystem Information - Save Service Report
To save a system configuration file:
1. Click on the Subsystem icon (IP address and device name) in Tree View to open the Subsystem
Information display.
2. Click the Save button in the Save System Service Report row of the information display.
Information for the report is gathered and compiled. This action takes up to a few minutes, depending on
the size of your RAID system.
3. Determine where you want to store the file on the Host PC, then click the Save button in the pop-up
menu.
The report saves to your Host PC as a compressed HTML file.
4. Double-click the downloaded file to decompress it.
5. Double-click the report to open it in your default browser.
Once you have the service report file, you can email it to a Technical Support representative.
86
The Service Report includes the following topics:
• About – Report utility • Network Info – Virtual port
• BBM Info – Bad Block Manager • Phydriv Info – Basic physical drive information
• BGA Summary – Status and settings • Phydriv Verbose Info – Full physical drive
• Buzzer Info • SWMGT Info – Software management
• Controller Info • Service Setting – Email
• Disk Array Info • Service Setting – Webserver
• Disk Array Dump info • Spare Info – Basic spare drive information
• Disk Array Verbose Info • Spare Dump Info – Diagnostic information
• Enclosure Info • Spare Verbose Info – Full spare Drive
• Error Table Info information
• Event Info - NVRAM • Statistic Info
• Event Info - Runtime • Subsystem info
• LogDrive Info – Basic logical drive information • User Info
• LogDrive Dump Info – Diagnostic information
• Logical Drive Verbose Info – Full logical drive
information
87

The Alarm Buzzer is Sounding, what does this mean?

When you first power-up the Vess A6000 system beeps twice to show normal operation.
The audible alarm sounds at other times to inform you that the system needs attention. But the buzzer alarm is
not specific. Check the device LEDs and Events displays or logs for more information.
When the alarm sounds:
• Check the front and back of the enclosure for red or orange LEDs.
• If email notification is enabled, check for new messages.
• Check the event log.
When a continuous tone sounds, there are multiple alarm patterns sounding at the same time (see example
number 1 illustrated below).
Alarm buzzer patterns
Other alarm patterns include three short buzzes followed by a longer silence, then repeated (example number 2
above). This can indicate a serious problem that requires immediate action such as high enclosure temperature or
the system fan is not installed. If you hear this, check the System Status LED. If these are normal, it might indicate
a physical drive problem, or a power supply problem. Check the event log for more information.
Pattern number 3 above might indicate an LD offline. Pattern number 4 might be an
LD critical or bad sector on a physical disk.
88
How to disable the alarm buzzer
To disable the buzzer with Web PAM PROe, open Web PAM PROe, click on the enclosure in Tree View, then
click on the Buzzer menu expander, scroll to Settings and click the Enable Buzzer option box to remove the
check mark. Click the Submit button.
89
Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance FAQ

FAQ
Q: What is Vess A6000 Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance?
A: The Vess A6000 platforms are engineered specifically to be the best solution for midsize to large IP video
surveillance deployments.
Q: How does it work for surveillance video recording?
A: The Vess A6000 comes complete with your choice of Windows OS, a leading Video Management Software
suite, or Disk Drives, minimizing the integration and installation process. Users no longer need an extra PC/
server, add-on cards, or a separate connected storage for a complete video surveillance system; the Vess A6000
Series Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance does it all!
Q: What should I do if the device OS fails?
A: Unlike regular COTS servers that come with standard Windows OS, the Vess A6000 provides an embedded
version that requires a certain process to rebuild the OS image. Users need to consult Promise tech support and
follow installation guide to complete the setup.
Q: What’s the standard warranty of Vess A6000?
A: We provide the same standard three (3) years hardware warranty from the time of the delivery of the product
to the original end user.
Q: Can I purchase extended warranty package to Vess A6000?
A: Yes, we provide 2-year extended warranty program that uses the same order and support practice as Vess
A6000 product series.
90
Appendix: Driver Installation and

Update
This appendix provides instructions for installing or updating the driver for the Promise RAID engine, as well as
Management GUI, the management GUI for the Promise Vess A6000 Series.
Follow instructions in the ReadMe.txt file to install the latest hardware driver for the RAID and the latest
Management GUI version.
Update/Installation Requirements
USB Flash Drive
A USB flash drive containing the update package is needed. Follow the instructions in the ReadMe.txt file to
download the compressed file package and place a copy of the uncompressed file on the USB flash drive.
Update/Install the Driver

Follow instructions in the ReadMe.txt file for complete the installation or update of the driver.
91

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Vess A6600 (VES0603)

Vess A6800 (VES0604)

© 2018 Promise Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Also included are four levels of notices:

Federal Communications Commission notice

interference that may cause undesired operation.

Industry Canada Regulatory Compliance Notices

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

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the user may be required to take adequate measures.

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the user may be required to take adequate measures.

5692 EG Son, The Netherlands.

8:30 am - 5:00 pm (The Netherlands)

設備名稱：磁碟陣列儲存系統 型號（型式）： VES0603、VES0604

Appendix: Driver Installation and Update ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 91

frames for networked installations of 64 to 150 High-Definition IP cameras.

redundant power supplies to ensure data safety and uninterrupted operation.

Function Storage Appliance for Video Surveillance

Sixteen Hot-swappable drives Twenty-four Hot-swappable drives

Network Two Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports (1000Base-T)

VA6600: Intel® Core™ i3-7101E / Intel Xeon E3-1275v5

System Memory Default 8GB (Maximum 64 GB) @ DDR4 Non-ECC

Internal Built-in Storage 128GB M.2

Number of HDD SAS and iSCSI with 5 JBODs

PCIe 3.0 x 16 - 1 slot (PCIE4/6: x0/x16, x8/x8 )

I/O Port PS/2 x 1 D-Sub DVI Port x 1 HDMI Port x 1

Model Vess A6600 Vess A6800

RAID Levels Supported 0, 1, 1E, 3, 5, 6, 10 (0+1), 30, 50, 60

Maximum LUNs per

Supported OS (64-bit) Windows 10 in default. Windows Server 2016R2

Event Notification Email, SNMP, Buzzer, LEDs

AC Input 100 ~ 240 VAC, 60 ~ 50Hz

Current (Maximum) 8-4A ( 550W, 8A/100V, 4A/240V)

550W (1+1@550W) in default.

Temperature 5° ~ 40°C (-40° ~ 60°C non-operational)

Operational: 10% to 80% (Non-Condensing)

Warranty 3 years limited warranty

applies to all models in the Promise Vess A6000 Series.

Front Panel Hardware

provides maximum performance in a compact external enclosure.

Front of Vess A6600

are located on the right side.

Vess A6600 front view

Drive carriers Power and Status LEDs

Vess A6800 front view

Vess A6600 with secure cover (unlocked)

Tubular cam lock

Vess A6800 with secure cover (locked)

Tubular cam lock

Front Panel LEDs

Vess A6600 Front Panel LEDs - Left side

Left side LED behavior for the Vess A6000

Drive Carrier LEDs (located on all drive carriers)

Vess A6600 Front Panel LEDs - Right side

Global RAID Status

Global HDD Activity

Right side LED behavior for the Vess A6000.

Rear Panel Hardware

設備名稱：磁碟陣列儲存系統型號（型式）： VES0603、VES0604

Appendix: Driver Installation and Update �� 91