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Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) interface disk drives are designed for easy installation. It is not necessary to set any jumpers, terminators, or other settings on this drive for proper operation.
With a SAS interface, each disk drive has its own cable that connects directly to a SAS host adapter (also called a SAS controller). Also, depending on the SAS controller, a multi-drive (or "port replicator") cable might be available and useful. Unlike (Parallel) SCSI, there is no need to set an ID, since each drive connects directly to its own port and since the controller will assign all IDs.
You can use a SAS drive in the same system with SCSI or Serial ATA (SATA) drives as long as both interfaces are supported on the motherboard or with a host adapter. What is more, SATA drives can be connected to the same controller as SAS drives if the controller has ports for that (though connecting a SAS drive to a SATA controller will not work).
BIOS Configuration
Most new computers will automatically detect devices through the system setup program (CMOS or BIOS). As the system starts, the auto-detect feature may display the drive model number on screen. Seagate drive model numbers begin with the letters "ST".
Note: Some SAS BIOS have a system setup that is not contained within the normal motherboard BIOS. If this is the case, the SAS drive will only be displayed in this SAS BIOS message. Please consult the motherboard or SAS controller documentation for assistance with entering into the SAS BIOS setup.
Special note for users of a RAID host adapter. Many SAS RAID controllers require that a drive be assigned to an array before it will allow the operating system to see the drive. See the SAS controller documentation to determine how to assign the drive to an array.
Other Tips
Confirm the SAS channels are enabled. Most motherboard setup utilities allow users to disable the SAS ports. If the controller does not detect the drive, look to confirm that all SAS ports are enabled.
Handling precautions/Electrostatic discharge protection
Installation instructions
Protect against power failure or other power interruptions during the format.
You may also use Seagate's Seatools for DOS to perform a zero-fill, though this tool can sometimes have trouble working with drives that are connected in a RAID configuration.
Formatting a drive erases all user data. Be sure that you understand this principle before formatting any hard disk drive. It is not necessary to format a drive that previously has been used to store data, unless your intention is to erase all user data. Seagate is not responsible for lost user data.
Operating systems
Cheetah disk drives are designed to operate with a variety of operating systems. Please refer to your system or SAS host adapter (controller) manual for information about formatting and setting up the drive for use with your particular operating system.
Hot plugging the drive
This drive features hot plugging capabilities which allows you to insert and remove the drive without powering down the host system.
Drive startup options
The drive’s motor will start spinning the disks based on how the host system is configured to control the spinup sequence of the drives. Most systems that host only a couple of drives enable all of the drives to start up immediately when power is applied to the drives. Systems hosting larger numbers of drives may be configured to start drives at various times to avoid overloading the capabilities of the host system’s power supply.
If you want to change the startup option for the drive, please refer to the documentation provided with your SAS host adapter or host system.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Drive does not spin up.