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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 configuration 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 configuration.
RAID 10 is a striped configuration with RAID 1 segments whose segments are
RAID 1 arrays. This configuration 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 configuration 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 first the RAID driver from the support CD to a floppy 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 configuration. 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 configuration:
1.
Install the SAS hard disks into the drive bays following the instructions in the
system user guide.
2.
Connect a SAS signal cable to the signal connector at the back of each drive
and to the SAS connector on the motherboard.
3.
Connect a power cable to the power connector on each drive.
2-2
Chapter 2: RAID configuration
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