what does dell use RAID key's for?

C

cyr0n_k0r

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Mar 30, 2001
Messages
5,360
I am buying an older dell poweredge server and it is coming with a Perc 3/di 128mb controller
Other auctions I see on ebay say they include a RAID key. If you look this seems to be an extra piece of hardware that attaches to the raid card.

does anyone know what this does and why I would need it?
 
Not off the top of my head but if you know the model number of the Poweredge you should be able to find all the information you need on Dell's site.
 
its a power edge 2550.

And honestly if you arent using the latest and greatest from dell, their website in terms of manuals and such for older generatiosn of equipment is extremly lacking.
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
Other auctions I see on ebay say they include a RAID key. If you look this seems to be an extra piece of hardware that attaches to the raid card.

does anyone know what this does and why I would need it?
Click to expand...

Simple. The system has an onboard raid controller built into the mobo. The key is a hardware piece that activates the raid capabilities.

Dell document.
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
its a power edge 2550.

And honestly if you arent using the latest and greatest from dell, their website in terms of manuals and such for older generatiosn of equipment is extremly lacking.
Click to expand...

A Dell poweredge 4200 (has a 333 mhz processor iirc? it's definitely a PII) I was able to find the service manual/generic manual for it on the site without a problem and it has a case date of 1997 stamped in it.
 
It could be a security device that will only allow the owner to access to access the HD,s (raid array). I have one on an IDE machine but never use it.
 
SJConsultant said:
Simple. The system has an onboard raid controller built into the mobo. The key is a hardware piece that activates the raid capabilities.

Dell document.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I found that same document and read through it but couldnt find what you described. All I could find was the section where the document simply said "insert raid key"

I just couldnt find WHY and what it does.
 
I have one on my PE2450, it just enables the onboard RAID functions on the integrated SCSI controller. Evil dell, the raid key looks like it costs a dollar to make, yet they charged quite a sum of money to include one, and overpriced the cache ram for it.
 
I had to use one to activate the raid on our Poweredge 4400 quite a few years ago. The only reason I can see that it exists is to shake some more money out of you. It is a pretty simple piece of hardware packaged with a stick of ram(mine was regged ECC if I remember right), and they bend you over and take you without lube for what they charge.

The address it was shipped from was the EXACT same address that's on all Crucial Memory boxes, they just put Dell Memory on it instead of a Crucial label, and double the price.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top