Chapter 1
Introduction
The SurfRAID16S3 RAID subsystem is a SAS-to-Serial ATA II RAID (Redundant
Arrays of Independent Disks) disk array subsystem. It consists of a RAID disk
array controller and sixteen (16) disk trays.
The subsystem is a “Host Independent” RAID subsystem supporting RAID levels
0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 0+1 and JBOD. Regardless of the RAID level the subsystem is
configured for, each RAID array consists of a set of disks which to the user
appears to be a single large disk capacity.
One unique feature of these RAID levels is that data is spread across separate
disks as a result of the redundant manner in which data is stored in a RAID
array. If a disk in the RAID array fails, the subsystem continues to function
without any risk of data loss. This is because redundant information is stored
separately from the data. This redundant information will then be used to re-
construct any data that was stored on a failed disk. In other words, the sub-
system can tolerate the failure of a drive without losing data while operating
independently of each other.
The subsystem is also equipped with an environment controller which is
capable of accurately monitoring the internal environment of the subsystem such
as; power supplies, fans, temperatures and voltages. The disk trays allow
you to install any type of 3.5-inch hard drive. Its modular design allows hot-
swapping of hard drives, fans and power supplies without interrupting the
subsystem’s operation.
