User`s guide

Chapter 1: About This Guide ● 12
What You Need to Know Before You Begin
You should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, RAID technology, and the
input/output (I/O) technology—Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), SAS, or Serial ATA
(SATA)—used by your controller. (For an introduction to SAS, see page 68.)
You should also be familiar with Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) or Network-Attached Storage
(NAS)—whichever is appropriate for your storage space—and Storage Area Network (SAN)
concepts and technology.
Note:
Because this Guide covers multiple Adaptec RAID products, some of the features and
functions described may not be available for your controller. For more information, see About
Your RAID Controller on page 15.
Terminology Used in this Guide
Because you can use your Adaptec RAID controller to manage data storage in a variety of
configurations from DAS to NAS to SAN, the generic term “storage space” is used to refer to
controller(s) and disk drives being managed with Adaptec Storage Manager
TM
or the other
utilities described in this Guide.
Many of the terms and concepts referred to in this Guide are known to computer users by
multiple names. This Guide uses these terms:
● Controller (also known as adapter, board, or card)
● Disk drive (also known as hard disk, hard drive, or hard disk drive)
● Enclosure (also known as a RAID enclosure, storage enclosure, or JBOD enclosure)
● Array (also known as a container or logical drive)
Note:
In DAS environments, Adaptec Storage Manager refers to arrays as logical drives.
Why? Your RAID controller creates arrays, which your operating system (and Adaptec
Storage Manager) recognizes as logical drives.
In NAS environments, Adaptec Storage Manager displays both arrays and logical drives. For
more information, refer to the Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide for Internal RAID
Storage on the Adaptec Storage Manager Installation CD.
How to Find More Information
You can find more information about your Adaptec RAID controller and the software and
utilities included with it by referring to these documents:
● Readme.txt—Includes updated product information and known issues; located on the
RAID Installation CD.
● Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide for Internal RAID Storage—Describes how to install
and use the Adaptec Storage Manager software (see page 62); located on the Adaptec
Storage Manager Installation CD.
● Adaptec Storage Manager online Help—Describes how to use the Adaptec Storage Manager
software; accessible from the main window of Adaptec Storage Manager.
● Command Line Utility for Internal RAID Storage User’s Guide—Describes how to use the
Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration (ARCCONF) command line utility (see page 62)
to perform basic array and configuration management functions; located on the Adaptec
Storage Manager Installation CD.