Areca ARC-4038 8-Bay SAS Expander Tower JBOD Enclosure
About Areca
Areca Technology Corp., founded in 1999, is one of the few significant RAID Adapter and SAS HBA manufacturers (real manufacturers) in the world today (excluding those Re-branded Names but OEMed from the Original Maker). The Areca engineering team has more than 30 years of experience in firmware/BIOS, software, device drivers, and ASIC technologies related to disc arrays. Areca has dedicated all of its research and development resources to developing disc array technologies that outperform competing disc array systems in terms of speed, dependability, and price.
Areca offers a full line of RAID & Storage products: from PCIe SATA RAID, SAS HBA, SAS RAID Adapters to External RAID modules, Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and complete RAID Systems, even an FC Gateway / Bridge for SAN RAID connectivity; and it has the broadest OS supports: Windows, Linux, BSD/FreeBSD, XenServer, illumos, unRAID, FreeNAS, NAS4Free, Solaris 10/11, and Mac OS X 10.5.x or Higher. You can always find anything on Areca’s product list to suit your needs in terms of price, features, and performance.
Introduction
The ARC-4038 SAS-to-SAS JBOD box provides a compact external storage chassis capable of accommodating up to 8/12 12Gb/s Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) drives or 6Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA) drives. The box can support both 3.5-inch disk drives and 2.5-inch disk drives, each one contained in its hole on the disk carrier. The expander module on ARC-4038 is designed with an integrated ARM Cortex-R4 processor for topology management functions such as discovery, enclosure and drive management, and LED management. Each ARC-4038 compact tower JBOD supports four 12Gb/s SFF-8644 and one 6Gb/s SFF-8088 SAS host and expansion connections. Out-of-band CLI can redefine the manufacturer’s default setting on those connections. Configuration and environmental information are accessible either via in-band (SES-3.0 over SMP) or out-of-band serial port.
Unparalleled Performance
The 12Gb/s ARC-4038 offers 28 ports of connectivity in an 8/12-bay desktop tower. It can provide internal connectivity for up to 8/12 direct attached SAS/SATA HDDs and or SSDs and 20 external ports (using 4 x SFF-8644 and 1 x SFF-8088 connector) for storage host/ expansion connections. High-performance architecture sets new boundaries of industry performance expectations: 12Gb/s SAS or 6.0Gb/s and 3Gb/s SAS/SATA. The ARC-4038 incorporates the latest enhancements in SAS along with new LSI DataBolt bandwidth optimizer technology. This is designed to help facilitate the industry transition to 12Gb/s SAS-enabled systems by allowing users to take advantage of 12Gb/s speeds while utilizing existing 6Gb/s drives and backplanes. Using DataBolt, the ARC-4038 buffers 6Gb/s data and then transfers it out to the host at 12Gb/s speeds to match the bandwidth between faster hosts and slower SAS or SATA devices.
Easy Management
The ARC-4038 contains an embedded expander manager that can access via in-band SES-3.0 over SMP protocol and out-of-band RS232 port. An out-of-band serial port is available for managing the configuration and monitoring the expander. The ARC-4038 expander firmware and EPLD have implemented the SES-3.0 protocol and disk activity map to the individual fault/activity status indicator on the backplanes. It has implemented autonomous chassis management of power supply status connectors, and two fan monitor/speed control connectors through the SES-3.0 protocol. In data center environments, identifying issues with drives and environments are crucial. The hardware monitor can monitor system voltage and temperature. The warning message will be shown on the alarm buzzer and respect LED.
Maximum Interoperability
Areca presents its ultra-high performance and high-reliability 12Gb/s SAS expander module for a cost-effective and enterprise-class JBOD storage enclosure. A 12Gb/s SAS expander module literally expands the number of end devices that you can connect together. Expander devices, typically embedded into an expander module to connect the system backplane, support large configurations of SAS end devices, including SAS host/RAID adapters and SAS and SATA disk drives. The SAS protocol defines a mechanism that has been implemented in the SAS expanders to guarantee fair access between drives in a domain. The ARC-4038 is ideal for 12Gb/s SAS storage systems with external interfaces and gets the benefit of more storage capacity. The type and total amount of drives you use are based on the host interface in the server that the JBOD is connected. Host-based RAID configuration is supported via an external connector on PCIe to 12Gb/s SAS RAID controller, external series SAS/Fibre/iSCSI to 12Gb/s SAS RAID and SAS host adapters.
Features
Drives
- SAS hard drives
- Up to 8/12 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SAS hot-plug hard drives (12.0 Gb/s) at speeds of 7.2K, 10K or 15K rpm
- SATA hard drives
- Up to 8/12 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA hot-plug hard drive (12.0 Gb/s) at speeds of 7.2K or 10K rpm
JBOD Controller Module
- Expander board 1 module
- Sensors 1 sensor
Backplane Board Connectors
- 8/12 SAS hard-drive connectors
- 1 power supply connector
- 2 cooling fan module connectors
- 1 set of expander board connector
Controller Back-Panel Connectors I/O connectors
- 2 x SFF-8644 “Host In” connectors for connection to the host
- 1 x SFF-8088 “Host In” connectors for connection to the host (only for 8-bay enclosure)
- 2 x SFF-8644 “Expansion Out” connectors for expansion to an additional JBOD enclosure
Management connectors
- 1 x 6-pin UART RJ-11 connector
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN connector (manufacture manager only)
LED Indicators Hard-drive carrier
- 1 blue single-color activity LED status indicator
- 1 two-color fault/power LED status indicator
Expander board
- 2 x One-color LED status indicators for each SAS host port, one for SAS host port link and one for the activity status
- 2 x One-color LED status indicators for each SAS expansion port, one for SAS expansion port link and one for the activity state
Power Supplies
- Wattage 220 W maximum continuous
- Voltage 90–256 V rated
- Frequency 50–60 Hz
- Amperage +12V/16A, +5V/16A, +3.3V/14A
Cooling Fan
- Speed 2 X 2700rpm/brushless fan
- Amperage 2 X 0.135A
Physical ARC-4038-8
- Height 302 mm
- Width 146 mm
- Depth 290 mm
- Weight 14.9lbs/6.8 kg (without disk)
ARC-4038-12
- Height 310 mm
- Width 206 mm
- Depth 290 mm
- Weight 20.8lbs/9.5 kg (without disk)
Environmental Temperature:
- Operating 0° to 40°C
- Storage –40° to 60°C
Relative humidity:
- Operating 10% to 80% (non-condensing)
- Storage 5% to 95% (non-condensing)
Hardware Installation
This section describes how to install the ARC-4038 compact tower 12Gb/s SAS JBOD enclosure with host computers and disks.
Before You First Installing
Thanks for purchasing the ARC-4038 as your compact tower JBOD data storage enclosure. The following manual gives simple step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring the ARC-4038 JBOD
enclosure.
Unpack
Unpack and install the hardware in a static-free environment. The ARC-4038 JBOD enclosure is packed inside an anti-static bag between two sponge sheets. Remove it and inspect it for damage. If the ARC-4038 JBOD enclosure appears damaged, or if any items of the contents listed below are missing or damaged, please contact your dealer or distributor immediately.
Checklist
- ARC-4038 8/12-bays compact tower JBOD enclosure
- SFF-8088 to SFF-8088 cable (optional)
- SFF-8644 to SFF-8644 cable (optional)
- 1 x Power cord
- 1 x RJ11 to RS-232 DB9 cable
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN cable
- 32/48 x drive mounting screws (4 per drive tray)
- 1 x ARC-4038 quick installation guide
ARC-4038 JBOD Enclosure View
The following diagram is the ARC-4038-8 compact tower JBOD enclosure front view and rear view.
Front View | Rear View |
1. Disk Activity LED
2. Disk Fault/Power LED |
3.  System Fan
4.  SAS Host Port0 (CH0)* 5.  SAS Host Port1 (CH1)* 6.  SAS Expansion Port0 (CH2)* 7.  SAS Expansion Port1 (CH3)* 8.  SAS Host Port2 (CH4)* 9.  RS232 Port 10.  LAN Port 11.  Power Supply Fan 12.  Power Connector 13.  System Fan 14.  On/Off Switch |
Note: This is the default configuration. You can use the CLI to set it as an expansion port or host port.
The following diagram is the ARC-4038-12 compact tower JBOD enclosure front view and rear view.
Front View | Rear View |
1. Disk Activity LED
2. Disk Fault/Link LED |
3. SAS Host Port0 (CH0)*
4. SAS Host Port1 (CH1)* 5. SAS Expansion Port0 (CH2)* 6. SAS Expansion Port1 (CH3)* 7. RS232 Port 8. LAN Port 9. On/Off Switch 10. System Fan 11. System Fan 12. Power Connector |
* Note: This is the default configuration. You can use the CLI to set it as an expansion port or host port.
Locations of the Subsystem Component
The following describes the activity and fault LED location and function.
Drive Tray LED Indicators
Activity/Fault LED for ARC-4038 compact tower JBOD enclosure
LED | Normal Status | Problem Indication |
1. Activity
LED (Blue) |
When the activity LED is illumi- nated, there is I/O activity
on that disk drive. When the LED is dark, there is no activity on that disk drive. |
N/A |
2. Fault/Power LED (Red/ Green) | When the fault LED is solid illuminated, there is no disk present.
When the power LED is solid illuminated and fault LED (red) is off, there is a disk present and normal status. |
When the fault LED (red) is slow blinking (2 times/sec.), that disk drive has failed and should be hot-swapped immediately. When the activity LED (blue) is illuminated and fault LED (red) is fast blinking (10 times/sec.) there is rebuilding activity on that disk drive. |
SAS Host/Expander LED Indicators
The following table describes the ARC-4038 SAS compact tower JBOD enclosure host port link/activity LED.
Host Function LED | Status |
Link LED
(Green light) |
When host port link LED is illuminated for 1 second and light off for 3 seconds that indicates one link has connected.
When host port Link LED is illuminated for 2 seconds and light off for 2 seconds that indicates two links have connected. When host port Link LED is illuminated for 4 seconds that indicates four links have connected. |
Activity LED
(Blue light) |
When activity LED is illuminated that indicates SAS host adapter accesses to the ARC-4038 JBOD enclo- sure. |
The following table describes the ARC-4038 SAS compact tower JBOD enclosure expander port link/activity LED.
JBOD Function LED | Status |
Link LED
(Green light) |
When expander port link LED is illuminated for 1 sec- ond and light off for 3 seconds that indicates one link has connected.
When expander port Link LED is illuminated for 2 seconds and light off for 2 seconds that indicates two links have connected. When expander port Link LED is illuminated for 4 seconds that indicates four links have connected. |
Activity LED
(Blue light) |
When activity LED is illuminated that indicates ARC- 4038 expander port accesses to the SAS JBOD. |
CLI Manager
Example: CLI>link ArrayDevice Element (0x17):
NAME | PHY | NGO | EDFB | MAX | MIN | TYPE | ADDRESS |
SLOT 01 | 4 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5001B469-189AE00D |
SLOT 02 | 5 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SAS | 5011B469-189AE00C |
SLOT 03 | 6 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00E |
SLOT 04 | 7 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00F |
SLOT 05 | 8 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE009 |
SLOT 06 | 9 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE008 |
SLOT 07 | 10 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00A |
SLOT 08 | 11 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00B |
//Set the slot 0x6 max. speed to 3G CLI>link 6 3g 3g CLI>st CLI> Reboot to take effect.
CLI>link ArrayDevice Element (0x17):
NAME | PHY | NGO | EDFB | MAX | MIN | TYPE | ADDRESS |
SLOT 01 | 4 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5001B469-189AE00D |
SLOT 02 | 5 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SAS | 5011B469-189AE00C |
SLOT 03 | 6 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00E |
SLOT 04 | 7 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00F |
SLOT 05 | 8 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE009 |
SLOT 06 | 9 | 6G | 3G1 | 3G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE008 |
SLOT 07 | 10 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00A |
SLOT 08 | 11 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00B |
Model ID Serial No.
Unit Serial No. |
: ARC-4038
: 0000000000000000 : |
Expander SAS Address | : 0x5001B469189AE03F |
Product Revision | : 0 |
Expander Chip ID | : 0x0233 (Ports : 28) |
Expander Chip Revision | : C0 |
Customer Code | : 0x35 (R01) |
Manufacturer Data Revision | : 0x01 06/12/15 |
Working Time | : Day00000-00:00:06 |
Dual Mode | : Single |
Syntax CLI>lsd [ hdd | temp | volt | con | ..]
Show SES elements information: Example: CLI>lsd
NAME | PHY | NGO | EDFB | MAX | MIN | TYPE | ADDRESS |
SLOT 01 | 4 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5001B469-189AE00D |
SLOT 02 | 5 | 6G | 12G | 12G | 3G | SAS | 5011B469-189AE00C |
SLOT 03 | 6 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00E |
SLOT 04 | 7 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00F |
SLOT 05 | 8 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE009 |
SLOT 06 | 9 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE008 |
SLOT 07 | 10 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00A |
SLOT 08 | 11 | 6G | 6G | 12G | 3G | SATA | 5011B469-189AE00B |
Connector Element (0x19):
Connector00 | 0 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector00 | 1 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector00 | 2 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector00 | 3 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector01 | 24 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector01 | 25 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector01 | 26 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector01 | 27 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector02 | 20 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector02 | 21 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector02 | 23 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector02 | 24 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-749920 |
Connector03 | 16 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector03 | 17 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector03 | 18 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector03 | 19 | 12G | 05 | S | 50004D9F-74992000 |
Connector04 | 12 | Â | 04 | Â | Â |
Connector04 | 13 | Â | 04 | Â | Â |
Connector04 | 14 | Â | 04 | Â | Â |
Connector04 | 15 | Â | 04 | Â | Â |
Copyright and Trademarks
The information of the products in this manual is subject to change without prior notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor, who assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors that may appear in this manual. All brands and trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. This manual contains materials protected under International Copyright Conventions. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of the manufacturer and the author.
FCC Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against interference in a residential installation. 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. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
Manufacturer’s Declaration for CE Certification
We confirm ARC-4038 series has been tested and found to comply with the requirements set up in the council directive on the approximation of the low of member states relating to the EMC Directive 2004/108/EC.
For the evaluation regarding to the electromagnetic compatibility, the following standards were applied:
- EN 55022: 2006, Class B
- EN 61000-3-2: 2006
- EN 61000-3-3: 1995+A1: 2001+A2: 2005
FAQs Areca ARC-4038 8-Bay SAS Expander Tower JBOD Enclosure
What is the Areca ARC-4038 8-Bay SAS Expander Tower JBOD Enclosure?
The Areca ARC-4038 is an 8-bay SAS expander tower JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) enclosure. It is a storage device that allows you to connect multiple hard drives or solid-state drives (SSDs) to a host system using SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) technology. The enclosure expands the storage capacity of the host system and provides a centralized solution for managing and accessing the connected drives.
How many drives can the Areca ARC-4038 accommodate?
The Areca ARC-4038 can accommodate up to eight drives. These can be 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SAS or SATA (Serial ATA) drives. The enclosure supports both SAS and SATA drive interfaces, giving you flexibility in choosing the type of drives to use.
What is a SAS expander?
A SAS expander is a device that allows you to connect multiple SAS drives to a host system using fewer physical connections. It acts as a hub or switch for SAS drives, enabling you to connect more drives than the number of available ports on the host system. This helps in maximizing storage capacity and simplifying cable management.
What RAID configurations does the Areca ARC-4038 support?
The Areca ARC-4038 supports various RAID configurations, including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 3, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 30, RAID 50, and RAID 60. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology that allows multiple drives to be combined for improved performance, data redundancy, or both.
How do I connect the Areca ARC-4038 to a host system?
The ARC-4038 connects to a host system using SAS cables. You need a SAS HBA (Host Bus Adapter) or RAID controller in the host system that supports SAS connectivity. The SAS cables connect from the HBA or RAID controller to the SAS ports on the ARC-4038 enclosure.
Can the Areca ARC-4038 be used with both Windows and macOS?
es, the Areca ARC-4038 is compatible with both Windows and macOS. The enclosure relies on the host system’s operating system and the SAS controller drivers installed on the system. As long as your system supports SAS connectivity and you have the appropriate drivers installed, you should be able to use the ARC-4038 regardless of the operating system.
Does the Areca ARC-4038 support hot-swapping of drives?
Yes, the Areca ARC-4038 supports hot-swapping of drives. Hot-swapping allows you to remove and replace drives while the system is powered on and operating without shutting down or restarting the system. This feature makes it convenient to replace or upgrade drives without interrupting storage operations.
Can I use SSDs (Solid-State Drives) with the Areca ARC-4038?
Yes, you can use SSDs with the Areca ARC-4038. The enclosure supports both SAS and SATA drives, and SSDs are available in both SAS and SATA interfaces. SSDs offer faster data access and transfer speeds compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), which can improve overall system performance.
What are the dimensions of the Areca ARC-4038 enclosure?
The exact dimensions of the Areca ARC-4038 may vary, but as a general reference, the enclosure is typically designed to fit in a standard 3.5-inch drive bay. It is usually around 5.7 inches (14.5 cm) in width, 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) in height, and 8.7 inches (22 cm) in depth. However, it’s recommended to refer to the specific product specifications or consult the manufacturer for accurate dimensions.
Does the Areca ARC-4038 support RAID expansion or migration?
Yes, the Areca ARC-4038 supports RAID expansion and migration. RAID expansion allows you to add more drives to an existing RAID array to increase its capacity. RAID migration allows you to change the RAID level of an existing array without losing data. These features provide flexibility and scalability in managing your storage configuration.
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