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2 Getting Started
What is the Intel RAID Controller SRCU31 Firmware?
We refer to firmware as the operating system that controls the Intel RAID Controller SRCU31 with
all its functions and capabilities. The firmware exclusively runs on the Intel RAID Controller
SRCU31 and is stored in the Flash-RAM on the Intel RAID Controller SRCU31 PCB. The
controlling function is entirely independent of the PCI computer and the host operating system, and
does not drain computing power or time from the PCI computer. According to the system
requirements needed, the Intel RAID Controller SRCU31 is available with three firmware variants.
The firmware is either already installed on the controller upon delivery, or can be added as an
upgrade.
Unlike pure software solutions, for example, for Windows NT, the Intel RAID Controller SRCU31
is a pure hardware RAID solution. All Intel RAID Controllers are equipped with hardware that is
well suited for disk arrays. The Intel RAID Controller SRCU31 firmware uses this hardware with
efficiency and therefore allows you to configure disk arrays that do not load the host computer
(whereas all software-based RAID solutions more or less reduce the overall performance of the host
computer).
The basic concept of the Intel RAID Controller SRCU31 firmware is strictly modular, and
consequently, in its functioning it appears to the user as a unit construction system.
Standard Firmware
In addition to simple controlling functions regarding SCSI hard disk drives or removable hard disk
drives, this version of firmware supports disk chaining and array drive configuration (data striping
(RAID 0) and disk mirroring or duplexing (RAID 1)).
WARNING
Disk chaining does not offer any form of data protection.
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