2big triple
Professional 2-disk RAID
USB 2.0 | FireWire 400 | FireWire 800
user manual
manuel utilisateur
manual de instrucciones
gebruikershandleiding
guída utente
handbuch
ユ ーザー マニ ュ アル
用户手册
용자 설명서
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Forward
page ꢁ
which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try and correct the in-
terference by one or more of the fol-
lowing measures:
Copyrights
Japan Compliance Statement
is is a Class B product based on
the standard of the Voluntary Control
CouncilforInterferencefromInforma-
tion Technology Equipment (VCCI).
If this is used near a radio or television
receiver in a domestic environment, it
may cause radio interference. Install
and use the equipment according to
the instruction manual.
Copyright © 2007 LaCie. All
rights reserved. No part of this publi-
cation may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, me-
chanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior written
consent of LaCie.
❖ Reorient or relocate the receiving
antenna.
❖ Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.
Trademarks
❖ Connect the equipment into an out-
let on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
Apple,Mac,and Macintosh are reg-
istered trademarks of Apple Inc. Mi-
crosoft,Windows 98,Windows 98 SE,
Windows 2000,Windows Millennium
Edition, Windows XP and Windows
Vista are registered trademarks of Mi-
crosoft Corporation. Other trademarks
mentioned in this manual are the prop-
erty of their respective owners.
LaCie 2big Triple Hard Drive
Tested to comply with FCC
standards for home or office use
❖ Consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/TV technician for help.
Modifications to this product not
authorized by LaCie could void the
FCC & Industry Canada regulations
and negate your authority to operate
the product.
FCC Statement
is device complies with Part 15
of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the following conditions:
1. e devices may not cause harmful
Changes
interference
CAUTION: Modifications not
authorized by the manufacturer
may void the user’s authority to
operate this device.
e material in this document is
for information only and subject to
change without notice. While reason-
able efforts have been made in the
preparation of this document to assure
its accuracy, LaCie assumes no liability
resulting from errors or omissions in
this document, or from the use of the
information contained herein. LaCie
reserves the right to make changes or
revisions in the product design or the
product manual without reservation
and without obligation to notify any
person of such revisions and changes.
2. e devices must accept any inter-
ference received, including inter-
ference that may cause undesired
operation.
NOTE: is equipment has been
tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pur-
suant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
ese limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installa-
tion. is equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio frequency en-
ergy 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 oc-
cur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful inter-
ference to radio or television reception,
Manufacturer’s Declara-
tion for CE Certification
We, LaCie, solemnly declare that this
product conforms to the following Eu-
ropean standards: Class B EN60950,
EN55022, EN55024, EN61000-3-2:
2000, EN61000-3-3: 2001
With reference to the following
conditions: 73/23/EEC Low Voltage
Directive; 89/336/EEC EMC Direc-
tive
Canada Compliance Statement
is Class B digital apparatus
meets all requirements of the Cana-
dian Interference-Causing Equipment
Regulations.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Forward
page ꢂ
is symbol on the prod-
tion point for the recycling of waste
electrical and electronic equipment.
e separate collection and recycling
of your waste equipment at the time of
disposal will help to conserve natural
resources and ensure that it is recy-
cled in a manner that protects human
health and the environment. For more
information about where you can drop
off your waste equipment for recycling,
please contact your local city office,
your household waste disposal service,
or the shop where you purchased the
product.
uct or on its packaging
indicates that this prod-
uct must not be disposed
of with your other household waste.
Instead, it is your responsibility to
dispose of your waste equipment by
handing it over to a designed collec-
Health and Safety Precautions
❖ Only qualified persons are autho-
rized to carry out maintenance on
this device.
shipped with your LaCie 2big
contain no user-serviceable parts.
If it appears to be malfunction-
ing, have it inspected by a qualified
LaCie Technical Support represen-
tative.
trical shock, short-circuiting, fire or
personal injury.
❖ Make sure that the computer and
LaCie 2big are electrically ground-
ed. If the devices are not grounded,
there is an increased risk of electri-
cal shock. Power requirements 100-
240 V~, 1.5 A, 60-50 Hz, (Supply
voltage fluctuations not exceeding
10% of the nominal, transient over-
voltages according to over-voltage
category II).
❖ Read this User Manual carefully
and follow the correct procedure
when setting up the device.
❖ Never expose your device to rain, or
use it near water, or in damp or wet
conditions. Never place objects con-
taining liquids on the LaCie 2big,
as they may spill into its openings.
Doing so increases the risk of elec-
❖ Do not open a disk drive or attempt
to disassemble or modify it. Never
insert any metallic object into the
drive to avoid any risk of electrical
shock, fire, short-circuiting or dan-
gerous emissions. e disk drives
General Use Precautions
❖ Power requirements 100-240 V~, 1.5
A, 50-60 Hz, (supply voltage fluc-
tuations not exceeding 10% of the
nominal and transient over-voltages
according to over-voltage category II).
disfigure its casing. Avoid placing your
LaCie 2big near a source of heat or
exposing itto sunlight (even through a
window).Inversely,placing your LaCie
2big in an environment that is too cold
may damage the unit.
there is an increased risk of electrical
shock, short-circuiting or fire.
❖ Use only the power supply shipped
with the device.
❖ Do not use the LaCie 2big near other
electrical appliances such as televisions,
radios or speakers. Doing so may cause
interference which will adversely affect
the operation of the other products.
❖ Do not expose the LaCie 2big to tem-
peratures outside the range of 5° C to ❖ Rated cooling for altitudes up to 2000
35° C (41° F to 95° F); or to operation-
al humidity beyond 5-80%, non-con-
densing, or non-operating humidity
beyond 10-90%, non-condensing. Do-
ing so may damage the LaCie 2big or
meters.
❖ Always unplug the LaCie 2big from
the electrical outlet if there is a risk of
lightning or if it will be unused for an
extended period of time. Otherwise,
❖ Do not place the LaCie 2big near
sources of magnetic interference, such
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Forward
page ꢃ
as computer displays, televisions or
speakers.
the device, increasing the risk of
damage or malfunction.
CAUTION: e LaCie 2big
warranty may be void as a result
of the failure to respect the pre-
cautions listed above.
❖ Magnetic interference can affect the
operation and stability of your La-
Cie 2big.
❖ Never use benzene, paint thinners,
detergent or other chemical prod-
ucts to clean the outside of the La-
Cie 2big. Such products will disfig-
ure and discolor the casing. Instead,
use a soft, dry cloth to wipe the
device.
❖ Do not place heavy objects on top
CAUTION: Drive warranty
will be void if you replace a de-
fective drive with a drive not pur-
chased from LaCie.
of the LaCie 2big.
❖ Never use excessive force on your
LaCie 2big. If you detect a problem,
consult the Troubleshooting section
in this manual.
❖ Please replace defective hard drives
only with a new drive provided by
LaCie. For drive removal process,
see section 3.4 Removing and In-
stalling Drives.
❖ Protect your LaCie 2big from ex-
cessive exposure to dust during use
or storage. Dust can build up inside
ImpOrTANT INfO: Any loss, corruption or destruction of data while using a LaCie drive is the sole responsibility of
the user, and under no circumstances will LaCie be held liable for the recovery or restoration of this data.To help prevent the
loss of your data, LaCie highly recommends that you keep TWO copies of your data; one copy on your external hard drive,
for instance, and a second copy either on your internal hard drive, another external hard drive or some other form of remov-
able storage media. LaCie offers a complete line of CD and DVD drives. If you would like more information on backup,
please refer to our website.
ImpOrTANT INfO: 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. 1TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Once formatted, the actual available
storage capacity varies depending on operating environment (typically 5-10% less).
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Introduction
page ꢄ
1. Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your new LaCie
■ Features
2big Triple. is high-performance, extremely flexible
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive
Disks) subsystem is ideally suited for integration with
databases, imaging systems and e-mail and Web serv-
ers.
❖ Huge capacity, speed & security on demand
❖ Customizable – 6 easy to configure RAID modes:
FAST, BIG, JBOD, SAFE 100
❖ High-performance storage
RAID technology is one of the best means to pro-
tect your data, while providing greater data integrity
and availability than standard hard disk storage. With
the ability to provide single error detection and redun-
dant information to recover the original if a disk fails, a
RAID system is an ideal means to safe-guard valuable
data while also stream-lining performance.
❖ Hi-Speed USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and FireWire
800
❖ Easy plug & play installation on PC or Mac
e LaCie 2big is the ultimate approach to a flex-
ible RAID solution, with its ability to manage various
RAID levels for a wide range of applications.
Quick Links
■ Click to jump to a section:
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Introduction
page ꢅ
1.1. Minimum System Requirements
Windows Users
Mac Users
❖ Windows 2000,Windows XP,Windows Server
❖ Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later
❖ G4, G5, Intel Core Duo or Intel Core 2 Duo
❖ 512MB RAM or greater
2003 or Windows Vista
❖ 500MHz Pentium III or higher (or equivalent
processor)
❖ Available USB 2.0, FireWire 400 or FireWire
❖ 512MB RAM or greater
800* interface port
❖ Available USB 2.0, FireWire 400 or FireWire
800* interface port
*Most computers do not come from the factory with
FireWire 800 ports, so you may need to purchase a PCI,
PCI-X or PCI-Express card to be able to connect your
LaCie 2big via FireWire 800 interface. LaCie offers a
wide selection of PCI cards. Visit the LaCie website at
TeChNICAl NOTe: To achieve USB 2.0
speeds, your drive must be connected to a USB
2.0 host port. If it is connected to a USB 2.0 port,
your drive will operate at USB 2.0 speeds.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Introduction
page ꢆ
1.2. Box Content
Your LaCie 2big package contains the system tower
and an accessories box containing the items listed be-
low.
LaCie 2big RAID system tower with two hot-
swappable hard drives
1
1
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable
FireWire 400 cable
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
FireWire 800 cable
External power supply
LaCie Utilities CD-ROM
LaCie Shortcut Button CD-ROM
Quick Install Guide
3
2-in-1 RAID mode change and drive removal
tool
4
ImpOrTANT INfO: Please save your pack-
aging. In the event that the drive should need to
be repaired or serviced, it must be returned in its
original packaging.
5
6
7
8
2big eSATA & USB
2-Disk RAID System
Windows:
EMC® Retrospect® Express HD 2.0 with Shortcut Button
for Windows XP, Windows 2000
Mac:
EMC® Retrospect® Express HD with Shortcut Button
for Mac OS 10.2.8 or higher
Quick Install Guide
9
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Introduction
page ꢇ
1.3. Views of the Drive
■ 1.3.1. Front View
e blue button (A) on the front of the LaCie 2big
serves as an LED drive status indicator and the LaCie
Shortcut Button.
See the LaCie Shortcut Button User Manual on the
Shortcut Button CD-ROM for more information.
See troubleshooting section 4.2. LED Indicators for
more information.
Fig. 1.3.1
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Introduction
page ꢈ
■ 1.3.2. 2big Triple Rear View
RAID selection switch
off/auto/on power switch
USB 2.0 port
1
2
1
3
FireWire 800 ports
FireWire 400 port
Power input connection
Drive lock
4
big
jbod
fast
10
9
5
safe100
off auto on
6
2
7
Drive tray handle
8
8
7
Left drive status LED
Right drive status LED
9
3
4
10
5
6
Fig. 1.3.2
CAUTION: To avoid overheating, the LaCie
2big should be installed in a well-ventilated area
and in such a way as to maintain sufficient airflow
across the controller chips. Also ensure that the
Ventilation Fan is not obstructed.
Please use the included plastic stands and rubber
feet which elevate the Two Big and allow for better
heat dissipation.
Environmental Requirements:
Temperature: 0 – 35° C (32 – 95° F)
Operation Humidity: 20 – 80%, non-condensing
Storage Humidity: 10 – 90%, non-condensing
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Introduction
page ꢀ0
1.4. Cables and Connectors
■ 1.4.2. FireWire
■ 1.4.1. Hi-Speed USB 2.0
FireWire 400, also known as IEEE 1394, is a high-
speed serial input/output technology for connecting
peripheral devices to a computer or to each other, and
FireWire 800 is the implementation of the new IEEE
1394b standard.
FireWire 800 offers increased bandwidth and ex-
tended distance between devices. FireWire 800 is ideal
for bandwidth-intensive applications, such as audio,
video and graphics.
USB is a serial input/output technology for connect-
ing peripheral devices to a computer or to each other.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 is the latest implementation of this
standard, and it provides the necessary bandwidth and
data transfer rates to support high speed devices such as
hard drives, CD/DVD drives and digital cameras.
USB 2.0 Cables
Your LaCie drive is shipped with a Hi-Speed USB
2.0 cable to ensure maximum data transfer performance
when connected to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port.e cable
will also work when connected to a USB 2.0 port, but
drive performance will be limited to USB 2.0 transfer
rates.
FireWire Cables
ere are two categories of FireWire cables on the
market: FireWire 800 cables, which feature the 9-to-9-
pin, 9-to-6-pin, and 9-to-4-pin cables; and the original
FireWire cables which feature the 6-to-6-pin and 6-to-
4-pin cables.
USB 2.0 Cable Ends
FireWire 800 Cable Ends
FireWire 400 Cable Ends
TeChNICAl NOTe: To achieve USB 2.0
speeds, your drive must be connected to a USB 2.0
host port. If it is connected to a USB 2.0 port, your
drive will operate at USB 2.0 speeds.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢀ
2. Setting Up Your LaCie 2big
is section covers the installation and configuration
of your LaCie 2big. Follow the steps below to power on
and configure your LaCie 2big:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
2.1. Connecting the Interface Cable
2.2.Turning the Drive On
Page 12
Page 13
2.3. Formatting – Format the drives to suit your storage needs. For more informa- Page 14
tion about file system formats, see section 2.3.1. File System Formats.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢁ
2.1. Connecting the Interface Cable
1. Plug one end of the interface cable (USB or FireWire)
into the corresponding port on your host computer
(Fig. 2.1-A).
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the matching
USB
port on the 2big (Fig. 2.1-B).
FireWire 400
If two interfaces are connected at the same time, the
first one connected remains active and the second will
not work.
FireWire 800
Fig. 2.1-A
big
jbod
fast
safe100
off auto on
FireWire 800
FireWire 400
USB
Fig. 2.1-B
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢂ
2.2. Turning the Drive On
e power supply kit is composed of two cables: one
cable (A) connects to the LaCie drive; and the other
cable (B) connects to a power outlet, such as a wall out-
let or a surge protector.
off auto on
D
C
Fig. 2.2
1. Connect Cable A to your LaCie Drive.
2. Connect Cable B to the power supply brick (C).
3. Connect Cable B to a surge protector or wall outlet.
4. Turn on the drive by moving the power switch on the back of the drive to the “On”position (D). During drive initial-
ization, the front led blinks blue and red. e 2big Triple is ready to use when the LEDs are solid blue. e volumes
will appear in My Computer (Windows) or on the desktop (Mac).
TeChNICAl NOTe: When the power switch is in the AUTO position, the 2big Triple turns off and on with your
computer.
CAUTION: Only use the AC adapter supplied with your specific LaCie drive. Do not use a power supply from another
LaCie drive or another manufacturer. Using any other power cable or power supply may cause damage to the device and
void your warranty. Always remove the AC adapter before transporting your LaCie drive. Failure to remove the adapter
may result in damage to your drive and will void your warranty.
TeChNICAl NOTe: You may use your LaCie drive when in a foreign country thanks to its 100-240 Volt power supply.
To be able to use this feature,you may need to purchase an appropriate adapter or cord.LaCie accepts no responsibility for
any damage to the drive resulting from the use of an inappropriate adapter. Using an adapter other than one authorized
by LaCie will void your warranty.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢃ
2.3. Formatting
e 2big Triple comes pre-formatted in HFS+ (optimized for Mac OS X). Please read the following information on
file system formats for Windows and Mac operating systems to determine if you need to reformat the 2big’s disks. See
sections 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 for formatting instructions.
■ 2.3.1. File System Formats
■ Windows Users
Guidelines for Choosing FAT 32 Or NTFS
e 2big Triple comes pre-formatted in HFS+ (op-
Use FAT 32 if:
timized for Mac OS X). For use with both Mac and PC,
you will need to reformat to FAT 32.
❖ You want to access your data on any operating
system - FAT 32 is compatible with Windows
98 SE, Me, 2000, XP,Vista, NT, Mac OS 9.x and
Mac OS X 10.x.
FAT 32
FAT is an acronym for File Allocation Table, which
dates back to the beginnings of DOS programming.
Originally, FAT was only 16 bits, but after the second
release of Windows 95 it was upgraded to 32 bits, hence
the name FAT 32. In theory, FAT 32 volume sizes can
range from less than 1MB all the way to 2TB. It is the
native file system of Windows 98 and Windows Me,
and is supported by Windows 2000, Windows XP and
Windows Vista. When FAT 32 is used with Windows
2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista though, vol-
ume size is limited to 32GB (by the Windows partition
utility, i.e. Disk Manager), and the individual file size is
limited to 4GB.
❖ You will be dual booting with an operating system
other than Windows NT or Windows 2000.
❖ You may need the ability to dual boot down the
line. Once you have converted a volume from
NTFS, there is no going back. You can convert
from FAT 32 to NTFS, but not the other way
around.
Use NTFS if:
❖ You want to optimize drive performance un-
der Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows
Vista.
NTFS
is acronym stands for New Technology Filing
System, and it is the native file system for Windows
NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
NTFS offers several features that are not available with
FAT 32; i.e. file compression, encryption, permissions,
and auditing, as well as the ability to mirror drives and
RAID 5 capabilities. e minimum supported volume
size for NTFS is 10MB, with a maximum of 2TB, with
no limit to file size. Volumes created in NTFS can only
be directly accessed (not through shares) by Windows
NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista
without resorting to help from third-party products.
❖ You want to encrypt files, assign permissions to
files, or want to audit files for access.
❖ You will be formatting partitions larger than
32GB.
❖ You need to store individual files that are larger
than 4GB.
❖ You need a filing system that can be mirrored or
structured like a RAID 5 configuration.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢄ
■ Mac Users
e LaCie 2big Triple comes preformatted in
HFS+ for optimum performance with Mac OS X.
Mac OS X Users:
You may customize the drive by reformatting and/or
partitioning the drive with separate file system formats.
For optimal performance in Mac OS environments, for-
mat and partition the drive as one large Mac OS Ex-
tended volume.
Mac OS Extended (HFS+)
Mac OS Extended refers to the file system used by
Mac OS X. HFS+ represents an optimization of the
older HFS file system by using hard disk space more ef-
ficiently.With HFS+, you are no longer limited by block
size.
MS-DOS File System (FAT 32)
is is the Microsoft file system, more typically
known as FAT 32. is is the file system to use if you
are going to be using your LaCie Hard Drive between
Macs and Windows operating systems.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢅ
■ 2.3.2. Formatting for Windows Users
e process of formatting a drive on a computer
running Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows
Vista consists of two steps: (1) installing a signature on
the drive, and (2) formatting the drive. ese steps will
erase anything that is on the disk.
CAUTION: Following these steps will erase
everything from the 2big. If you have informa-
tion that you want to protect or continue to use,
back up this information before performing these
steps.
1. Connect the drive to the computer via the interface
port.
2. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.
3. From the “Computer Management” window, select
Disk Management (located below the Storage
group). See Fig. 2.3.2.A.
4. If the “Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard” window
appears, click Cancel.
5. Windows will list the Hard Disks that are installed
on the system. Locate the drive that is represented
by the
icon. Right-click the icon and select
Initialize.
6. In the box to the right that says Unallocated,
Fig. 2.3.2.A
right-click and select New Partition…
7. On the first page of the “New Partition Wizard,”
click Next. See Fig. 2.3.2.B.
■ (continued on next page)
Fig. 2.3.2.B
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢆ
8. Click Next.
9. Click Next.
10. Click Next.
11. Click Next.
12. On the Format Partition window, select Quick
Format. Click Next.
Fig. 2.3.2.C
13.Click Finish to begin the formatting process.
14.Windows Disk Management will format and parti-
tion the disk according to your settings (Fig.2.3.2.D.),
and your drive will appear in My Computer, ready
to use.
Fig. 2.3.2.D
ImpOrTANT INfO: Please refer to section
2.3.1. File System Formats, for a more detailed
comparison of the various file system formats.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Setup
page ꢀꢇ
■ 2.3.3. Formatting for Mac Users
1. Connect the drive to the computer and turn on the
drive.
CAUTION: Following these steps will erase
everything from the 2big. If you have informa-
tion that you want to protect or continue to use,
back up this information before performing these
steps.
2. Select Utilities from the Go menu in the Finder
menu bar.
3. In the Utilities folder, double-click Disk Utility.
4. e Disk Utility window will open.Select the volume
labeled LaCie Hard Disk from the list of available
hard disks on the left side of the window.
5. Select the Partition tab.
6. From the Volume Scheme: menu, choose the
number of partitions you want to divide the drive
into (Mac OS X gives you the option of dividing the
drive into at most 16 partitions). You can adjust the
size of each partition using the slide bar between the
partitions in the Volume Scheme: area.
7. In the Volume Information section, enter a name
for each volume (partition), choose the volume for-
mat.
8. Once you have finalized the volume options, click
Partition. Click Partition again when the alert
message appears to continue.
Fig. 2.3.3.
9. Mac Disk Utility will format and partition the disk
according to your settings, and your drive will be
ready to use.
ImpOrTANT INfO: Please refer to section
2.3.1. File System Formats, for a more detailed
comparison of the various file system formats.
ImpOrTANT INfO: Apple recommends that
unless you have a specific reason to use the UNIX
File System (UFS), you should use the Mac OS
Extended format because it provides a more famil-
iar experience to Macintosh users.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁ0
3. RAID
3.1. About 2big Triple RAID Modes
is section will help you decide which RAID mode
is right for your application.
TeChNICAl NOTe: Capacity varies depend-
ing upon RAID mode.
❖ Fast (RAID 0), Section 3.1.1
❖ Big, Section 3.1.2
❖ Big, Fast and JBOD = total accessible capacity
❖ Safe 100 (RAID 1) = 50% capacity
❖ JBOD, Section 3.1.3
❖ Safe 100 (RAID 1), Section 3.1.4
■ 3.1.1. FAST (RAID 0)– Preconfigured mode of the 2big
In Fast mode, the two physical disks are striped
together (RAID 0) so that one larger logical volume
mounts on the desktop, offering the maximum possible
capacity like in Big mode (the available capacities of
each disk are cumulated) yet with greater speed than the
Big mode (the speed of each disk are cumulated to a
certain level).
One Fast volume
ImpOrTANT INfO: If one physical disk fails, the
data of both disks become inaccessible.
Characteristics and Advantages
disk 1
disk 2
❖ Offers the maximum possible capacity
Fig. 3.1.1
❖ Greater speed (than Big mode)
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢀ
■ 3.1.2. BIG (Concatenation)
In Big mode, the two physical disks are combined
(concatenation) so that one single yet larger logical vol-
ume mounts on the desktop, offering maximum possible
capacity (the available capacities of each disk are cumu-
lated).
ImpOrTANT INfO: If one physical disk fails, the
One Big volume
data of both disks become inaccessible.
Offers the maximum possible capacity by combining
the capacities of two drives into one large volume.
disk 1
disk 2
Fig. 3.1.2
■ 3.1.3. JBOD
In JBOD mode (Just a Bunch of Disks), the two
physical disks work as two independent hard drives in
one single housing so that two logical volumes mount
on the desktop.
ImpOrTANT INfO: If one physical disk fails, its data
are become inaccessible, but the second disk continues
to work independently.
Twoindependent
volumes
In certain configuration, using a powerful computer
with under-exploited resources, JBOD mode can be
faster than Fast mode when using the native RAID 0
software of the computer operating system.
disk 1
disk 2
Fig. 3.1.3
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢁ
■ 3.1.4. SAFE 100 (RAID 1)
In Safe 100 mode, the two physical disks are
mirrored together (RAID 1) so that one single logical
volume mounts on the desktop.
All of the data (100%) are saved simultaneously
on each disk (the available capacity cannot exceed the
available capacity of the lowest-capacity single disk).
ImpOrTANT INfO: If one physical disk fails, the
data are available immediately on the second disk. No
data are lost if one disk fails.
One Safe volume
Characteristics and Advantages
disk 1
disk 2
Fig. 3.1.4
❖ Maximum data safety
❖ Safe 100 reduces the total available capacity by
50% because two copies of the data are saved.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢂ
3.2. Changing the RAID Mode
Before you change the RAID mode of the LaCie
2big, familiarize yourself with the 2big’s RAID modes.
See section 3.1. About 2big Triple RAID Modes.
CAUTION: Your LaCie 2big comes precon-
figured in Fast (RAID 0) mode. Fast mode al-
lows access to the whole storage capacity but
does not provide any security. If a drive fails,
all data will be lost. If you are concerned about
ImpOrTANT INfO: Changing the RAID mode de-
stroys data stored on the LaCie 2big. If you have saved
data on the drives, back up data before following these
steps.
data security, LaCie highly recommends
a
RAID 1 (Safe 100) configuration. See section
3.1. About 2big Triple RAID Modes, for more
information.
CAUTION: Disk drives must be inserted correctly in
the 2big before configuration can be changed.
To change the RAID mode:
1. If there is data on the 2big you want to save, back it
up to another device.
2. Unmount/safely remove the 2big and turn it off.
b
jbo
safe100
fast
3. Insert a small, flat-blade screwdriver into the groove
on the rotary switch and turn the screwdriver to the
left or right to select a different mode (Fig. 3.2).
off auto on
4. Turn on the 2big.
ImpOrTANT INfO: You must partition the disk
drives after changing the storage policy configuration.
See section 3.3. Partitioning the LaCie 2big Disks.
Fig. 3.2
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢃ
3.3. Partitioning the Disks
You must partition the drives after changing the 2big configuration mode (SAFE, FAST, BIG, etc). During this pro-
cess, you will format the drives. For more information about file system formats, see section 2.3.1. File System Formats.
ImpOrTANT INfO: e disks shipped with the 2big Triple are formatted HFS+. To use the drives with Mac operat-
ing systems or for cross-platform use between Mac and PC, the drives must be reformatted. For more information, see
section 2.3.1. File System Formats.
■ 3.3.1. Windows Users
ImpOrTANT INfO: Do not partition the virtual
disk that initially mounts on your OS.
is example illustrates the Fast storage policy,
which optimizes the LaCie 2big for performance.
1. Right click the My Computer icon on your desk-
top and select Manage from the pop-up window
(Fig. 3.3.1-A).
2. Select Disk Management under Storage to open
the Windows Disk Manager (Fig. 3.3.1-B).
Fig. 3.3.1-A
Fig. 3.3.1-B
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢄ
3. Right click the configured disk’s unallocated space
and select New Partition. If the New Partition op-
tion is not available, select the disk and initialize it
first (Fig. 3.3.1-C).
Fig. 3.3.1-C
Fig. 3.3.1-D
Fig. 3.3.1-E
4. Click Next to start the Partition Wizard
(Fig. 3.3.1-D).
5. Select the Primary or Extended option and click
Next (Fig. 3.3.1-E).
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢅ
6. Specify the partition size. By default, the partition
occupies the entire volume. Click Next (Fig. 3.3.1-
F).
Fig. 3.3.1-F
Fig. 3.3.1-G
Fig. 3.3.1-H
7. Assign a drive letter or mount path and click Next
(Fig. 3.3.1-G).
8. Name and format the partition and click Next
(Fig. 3.3.1-H).
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢆ
9. Review the settings and click Finish to create the
logical partition (Fig. 3.3.1-I).
Fig. 3.3.1-I
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢇ
■ 3.3.2. Mac Users
ImpOrTANT INfO: Do not partition the virtual
disk that initially mounts on your OS.
is example illustrates the JBOD RAID mode,
which optimizes the LaCie 2big for performance when
configured as a software RAID 0 on the host computer.
1. Launch Disk Utility from the Applications / Utili-
ties folder (Fig. 3.3.2-A).
2. Select a configured disk and click the Partition tab
(Fig. 3.3.2-B, red boxes).
Fig. 3.3.2-A
3. Select 1 Partition from the Volume Scheme
drop-down list (Fig. 3.3.2-B, green box).
4. Enter a name for the volume in the Name field (Fig.
3.3.2-B, yellow box).
5. Select Mac OS Extended (journaled) from the
Format drop-down list (Fig. 3.3.2-B, orange box).
6. Specify the size of the partition in the Size field (Fig.
3.3.2-B, light blue box).
TeChNICAl NOTe: e size of the partitions can
only be changed if multiple partitions have been cre-
ated.
7. Click the Partition button (Fig. 3.3.2-B, dark blue
box).
Fig. 3.3.2-B
8. Click Partition to acknowledge the warning (Fig.
3.3.2-C). Disk Utility mounts the created partition
and represents it with an icon on the desktop. e
icon is labeled with the partition name.
Fig. 3.3.2-C
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
RAID
page ꢁꢈ
3.4. Removing and Installing Drives
In the event that an individual hard disk fails in
the LaCie 2big, please contact your LaCie reseller or
LaCie Customer Support. Please replace a defec-
tive hard drive only with a new drive provided by
LaCie. For drive removal and replacement process,
please follow the steps below.
ImpOrTANT INfO: Drive warranty will be
void if you replace the defective drive with a drive
not provided by LaCie. Drives purchased from
LaCie are shipped pre-installed in drive trays with
handles.
CAUTION: After continuous use of the LaCie 2big,
drives may be hot. Use caution when removing.
To Remove a Drive:
1. Turn off and unplug the LaCie 2big.
2. e drive tray may be locked.To unlock it, insert the
round end of the provided 2-in-1 tool into the slot
on the drive lock and turn the lock until the slot is
vertical (Fig. 3.4-A).
3. Draw out the drive tray by inserting your finger into
the space behind the drive tray handle and pulling to
disengage the drive (Fig. 3.4-B).
Fig. 3.4-A
Fig. 3.4-B
Fig. 3.4-C
4. Grasp the drive tray handle and carefully extract the
drive (Fig. 3.4-C).
5. Turn the drive on to continue using the remaining
drive.
To Install a Drive:
1. Turn off and unplug the LaCie 2big.
2. Carefully insert the drive tray into an empty drive
bay. When the drive tray is most of the way in and
you feel resistance, press the drive tray handle firmly
until you feel the drive snap into place and the drive
tray handle is flush with the back of the 2big.
3. Use the 2-in-1 tool to lock the drive lock. Turn the
locks until the grooves are oriented vertically. e
drives are locked when both locks are vertical.
TeChNICAl NOTe: Data are still accessible during a
RAID 1 rebuild.e 2big can be disconnected from the
workstation during the rebuild; only the power must be
connected.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Troubleshooting
page ꢂ0
4. Troubleshooting
In the event that your LaCie 2big is not working
■ Manual Updates
correctly, please refer to the following checklist to find
out where the problem is coming from. If you have
gone through all of the points on the checklist and your
drive is still not working correctly, please have a look at
the FAQs that are regularly published on our Web site
answer to your specific question. You can also visit the
drivers pages, where the most recent software updates
will be available.
LaCie is constantly striving to give you the most up-
to-date, comprehensive user manuals available on the
market.
It is our goal to provide you with a friendly, easy-to-
use format that will help you quickly install and utilize
the many functions of your new device. If your manual
does not reflect the configurations of the product that
you purchased, please check our Web site for the most
current version available.
If you need further assistance, please contact your
LaCie reseller or LaCie Technical Support (see section
5. Contacting Customer Support for details).
4.1. Fan
e 2big Triple’s system fan does not run continu-
ously; it is activated at certain temperatures. If the fan is
not running, verify that the power connections are active
and that the 2big is on.
If the fan has malfunctioned, the front led blinks
blue/red. e LED starts blinking when the board
reaches a critical temperature level.
Please contact your LaCie Reseller.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Troubleshooting
page ꢂꢀ
4.2. LED Indicators
e LaCie 2big Triple has three LED indicators – one on the front of the drive and two on the back (one for each
drive) which can indicate the current state of the 2big or problems it may be experiencing.
In normal use:
❖ Front LED is solid blue.
❖ Rear LEDs are solid blue when the 2big is inactive and blinking during drive activity.
If the front LED blinks red and blue:
1. e fan may be malfunctioning.
2. A drive may be improperly inserted.
a. Look at the drive LEDs on the back.
b. If one of the drive LEDs is also blinking red and blue, make sure the drive is properly inserted. Follow the steps
in section 3.4. Removing and Installing Drives to remove and re-insert the drive.
c. If the drive LED continues to blink red and blue after it has been re-inserted, the drive may be defective. Contact
LaCie Customer Support (section 5. Contacting Customer Support).
3. In RAID 1 mode (SAFE 100) a data rebuild may be in progress.
a. Look at the drive LEDs on the back.
b. If a data rebuild is in progress, the drive being rebuilt will blink red and the drive being read will blink blue.
c. After the rebuild, the rebuilt drive will blink blue rapidly while the 2big checks the rebuild.
4. RAID is not functioning or the 2big cannot determine the RAID setting.
a. action
b. action
c. action
In JBOD mode:
If the front LED is solid blue, but either of the drive LEDs on the back is off, the drive may be incorrectly inserted
or may have failed.
1. Follow the steps in section 3.4. Removing and Installing Drives to remove and re-insert the drive.
2. If the drive LED continues to be OFF after it has been re-inserted, the drive may be defective. Contact LaCie Cus-
tomer Support (section 5. Contacting Customer Support).
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Troubleshooting
page ꢂꢁ
4.3. LaCie 2big Host Connection
■ Problem
■ Solution
Verify the System LED status to confirm power.
Verify HBA BIOS recognizes empty 2big.
Turn off PCI bus power save mode in the host BIOS.
Verify the USB connection and try a different USB cable.
Connect to a different USB port.
e LaCie 2big
is not recognized
when USB is
plugged-in.
Verify HBA BIOS recognizes empty LaCie 2big.
Operating system
does not recognize
LaCie virtual drives.
Before reconfiguring the mode of operation, use the operating system’s Disk Manager to delete partitions on
the volume.
Ensure the HBA driver is current.
Troubleshoot driver:
• Verify driver active status. For Windows, the Device Manager should show the SCSI icon next to the
HBA. For Mac OS X, the Disk Utility should show a SCSI Connection ID for the virtual disks on the
physical hard disk drives. Error messages during the driver installation would have indicated issues.
• Resolve resource conflicts (IRQ, DMA, or I/O).
Verify port multiplier (PM) support in the HBA.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Contacting Customer Support
page ꢂꢂ
5. Contacting Customer Support
■ Before You Contact Technical Support
1. Read the manuals and review section 4.Troubleshooting.
2. Try to isolate the problem. If possible, make the drive the only external device on the CPU, and make sure that all of
the cables are correctly and firmly attached.
If you have asked yourself all of the pertinent questions in the troubleshooting checklist, and you still can’t get your
LaCie drive to work properly, contact us at www.lacie.com. Before contacting us, make sure that you are in front of your
computer and that you have the following information on hand:
Information
Where to Find Information
1. LaCie hard drive serial number
3. Macintosh/PC model
4. Operating system version
5. Processor speed
Located on a sticker at the back of drive or on the original packaging
Mac users: Click on the Apple icon in the menu bar and select
About This Mac.
Windows users: Right click My Computer and select Properties
> General.
6. Computer memory
7. e brands and models of other internal and external
peripherals installed on your computer
Mac users: Click on the Apple icon in the finder bar and select
About This Mac. Select More Info... e Apple System Profiler
will launch and will list your internal and external peripherals.
Windows users: Right click My Computer and select Properties
> Hardware.
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Contacting Customer Support
page ꢂꢃ
LaCie Technical Support Contacts
LaCie Asia, Singapore, and Hong Kong
Contact us at:
LaCie Australia
Contact us at:
LaCie Belgium
Contact us at:
LaCie Canada
Contact us at:
LaCie Denmark
Contact us at:
LaCie Finland
Contact us at:
LaCie France
Contact us at:
LaCie Germany
Contact us at:
LaCie Italy
Contact us at:
LaCie Japan
Contact us at:
LaCie Netherlands
Contact us at:
LaCie Norway
Contact us at:
LaCie Spain
Contact us at:
LaCie Sweden
Contact us at:
LaCie Switzerland
Contact us at:
LaCie United Kingdom
Contact us at:
LaCie Ireland
Contact us at:
LaCie USA
Contact us at:
LaCie International
Contact us at:
LaCie 2big Triple
User Manual
Warranty Information
page ꢂꢄ
6. Warranty
LaCie warrants your LaCie 2big against any defect
LaCie and its suppliers accept no liability for any
loss of data during the use of this device, or for any of
the problems caused as a result.
LaCie will not, under any circumstances, be liable
for direct, special or consequential damages such as, but
not limited to, damage or loss of property or equipment,
loss of profits or revenues, cost of replacement goods,
or expense or inconvenience caused by service interrup-
tions.
in material and workmanship, under normal use, for the
period designated on your warranty certificate. In the
event this product is found to be defective within the
warranty period, LaCie will, at its option, repair or re-
place the defective LaCie 2big.
In the event of a drive failure please contact your
LaCie reseller or LaCie customer support for drive re-
placement procedure.
is warranty is void if:
Any loss, corruption or destruction of data while us-
ing a LaCie drive is the sole responsibility of the user,
and under no circumstances will LaCie be held liable for
the recovery or restoration of this data.
Under no circumstances will any person be entitled
to any sum greater than the purchase price paid for the
drive.
To obtain warranty service, call LaCie Techni-
cal Support. You will be asked to provide your LaCie
product’s serial number,and you may be asked to furnish
proof of purchase to confirm that the drive is still under
warranty.
All systems returned to LaCie must be securely
packaged in their original box and shipped with postage
prepaid.
❖ e LaCie 2big was operated/stored in abnormal use
or maintenance conditions;
❖ e LaCie 2big is repaired, modified or altered, un-
less such repair,modification or alteration is expressly
authorized in writing by LaCie;
❖ e LaCie 2big was subjected to abuse, neglect,
lightning strike, electrical fault, improper packaging
or accident;
❖ e LaCie 2big was installed improperly;
❖ e serial number of the LaCie 2big or an individual
Drive Bay is defaced or missing;
❖ e broken part is a replacement part such as a pick-
up tray, etc.
❖ e tamper seal on the LaCie 2big or an individual
Drive Bay casing is broken.
ImpOrTANT INfO: Register online for free
technical support: www.lacie.com/register
❖ One or two of the hard disks have been removed and
replaced by any hard disk other than a drive provided
by LaCie. For drive removal/replacement process,
see section 4, Removing and Installing Drives.
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