User Manual

2-2
Chapter 2: RAID conguration
2.1 Setting up RAID
The RAID card supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 1E, and RAID 10.
2.1.1 RAID definitions
RAID 0
(Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data in
parallel, interleaved stacks. Two hard disks perform the same work as a single drive but at a
sustained data transfer rate, double that of a single disk alone, thus improving data access
and storage. Use of at least two new identical hard disk drives is required for this setup.
RAID 1
(Data mirroring) copies and maintains an identical image of data from one drive to a
second drive. If one drive fails, the disk array management software directs all applications
to the surviving drive as it contains a complete copy of the data in the other drive. This RAID
conguration provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system. Use
two new drives or use an existing drive and a new drive for this setup. The new drive must be
of the same size or larger than the existing drive.
RAID 1E
(Enhanced RAID 1) has a striped layout with each stripe unit having a secondary (or
alternate) copy stored on a different disk. You can use three or more hard disk drives for this
conguration.
RAID 10
is a striped conguration with RAID 1 segments whose segments are RAID 1 arrays.
This conguration has the same fault tolerance as RAID 1, and has the same overhead for
fault-tolerance as mirroring alone. RAID 10 achieves high input/output rates by striping RAID
1 segments. In some instances, a RAID 10 conguration can sustain multiple simultaneous
drive failure. A minimum of four hard disk drives is required for this setup.
If you want to boot the system from a hard disk drive included in a created RAID set, copy
rst the RAID driver from the support CD to a oppy disk before you install an operating
system to the selected hard disk drive.
2.1.2 Installing hard disk drives
The RAID card supports SAS for RAID set conguration. For optimal performance, install
identical drives of the same model and capacity when creating a disk array.
To install the SAS hard disks for RAID conguration:
1. Install the SAS hard disks into the drive bays following the instructions in the system
user guide.
2. Connect a mini-SAS HD cable to the connector on the back plane and to the mini-SAS
HD connector on the card.
3. Connect a power cable to the power connector on each drive or on the back plane.