NEC Express5800/140Hb, Service Manual

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Configuring Your System 3-23
C
onfiguring the RAID Controller
The RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Devices) option available for your
system is the three channel SecuRAID 530 (Mylex eXtremeRAID 1100) RAID
controller board, which gives your system the added security of fault tolerance.
If you order a system with an Operating System (OS) hot load and a RAID
controller, the system is pre-configured at the factory according to Table 3-3.
Table 3-3 RAID Configurations
Number of
Hard Drives
RAID Level
Configured
in BSU
Hard Drives in
BSU Array
Hard Drives in
DEU (Not
Configured)
Description of RAID
Configuration for BSU Drives
1 small and
several large
capacity drives 7 1
(small capacity
drive in BSU) Several
(large capacity
drives in DEU) JBOD (RAID 7) Known as Just a
Bunch of Drives , JBOD allows the
controller to access the drives
independently. This configuration
has no redundancy and does not
use striping.
2 small and
several large
capacity drives 1 2
(small capacity
drives in BSU) Several
(large capacity
drives in DEU)
Mirroring (RAID 1) Drives are
paired and mirrored. All data is
100% duplicated on an equivalent
drive (fully redundant).
2 or More
same capacity
drives 1 2 Remainder in
DEU
(same capacity) Mirroring (RAID 1) Drives are
paired and mirrored. All data is
100% duplicated on an equivalent
drive (fully redundant).
To complete the RAID configuration or if you want to change the RAID level or
add additional hard disks to the array, use the RAID configuration utility. The
RAID configuration utility is included with the RAID controller.
If you are adding the RAID controller to an existing system, the RAID
configuration utility allows you to configure your disk array before reinstalling
your network operating system. The RAID controllers support various versions
of RAID technology (referred to as RAID levels). To use any RAID level, you
must configure the RAID controller using the RAID configuration utility prior
to installing your Network Operating System. For an explanation of this utility,
refer to the documentation on the MYLEX CDROM that was shipped with the
RAID controller. It describes RAID technology and provides tips on making
your array perform well in your specific application. It also
covers array
hardware preparation, configuration, and initialization. After completing the
steps in the manual, you can install your Network Operating System.
If you want to remotely configure the array (from a PC client); increase array
capacity online; or monitor statistics on disk and controller activity, you must
install the array manager provided with your RAID subsystem. Increasing array
capacity is covered in the user's guide shipped with the option.