User`s guide

Introduction to Integrated RAID 7

Introduction to Integrated RAID

This chapter provides an overview of Integrated RAID, its features, and its benefits. The chapter

includes these sections:

• "Introduction" on page 7

• "Integrated RAID Benefits and Features" on page 7

• "Using this Manual" on page 7

Introduction

The Dell, Inc. Integrated RAID solution provides cost benefits for the server market where the

extra performance, storage capacity, and/or redundancy of a RAID configuration are required. The

solution is based on the Integrated

Mirroring (IM) mode, which provides features of RAID-1, and

Embedded SCSI mode.

Integrated RAID Benefits and Features

• Low cost single-volume RAID fills the needs of most internal RAID installations

• Easy to use - installation and configuration are not complex

• System can boot from an IM volume

• No special OS-specific software required

• High reliability and data integrity

• Non-volatile write journaling

• Physical disks not visible to OS or to application software

• Low host CPU and PCI bus utilization

• Fusion-MPT architecture provides processing power

• 160 MHz ARM966 processors provide maximum processing capacity

• Shared memory architecture minimizes external memory requests

• Functionality is contained in device hardware and firmware

Using this Manual

• Chapters 2 and 3 of this

User’s Guide

explain how to configure an IM volume.