IBM Netfinity ServeRAID-4H Ultra160, Справочник пользователя

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Chapter 1. Getting started
This book provides information needed to install and configure an IBM
ServeRAID-4H Ultra160 SCSI controller. This high-performance, redundant array of
independent disk (RAID) controllers are ideally suited for data-storage environments
that require superior performance, flexibility, and reliable data storage. (See
“Controller features” on page 15 for more information.)
You also can use the configuration and reference information in this book to
configure the IBM ServeRAID controllers provided on some IBM Netfinity and PC
Server system boards.
Option package contents
In addition to this book, the ServeRAID option package contains:
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IBM Netfinity ServeRAID-4H Ultra160 SCSI controller
Attention: Do not open the static-protective bag containing the controller until
you are instructed to do so.
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IBM ServeRAID Support Package:
– IBM ServeRAID Support CD
– IBM ServeRAID Device Drivers diskette
– IBM ServeRAID Device Drivers for SCO Operating Systems - UnixWare HBA
and OpenServer BTLD diskette
See “Obtaining ServeRAID updates” on page 13 and “Step 4: Installing device
drivers” on page 33 for more detailed information.
Contact your place of purchase if any items are missing or damaged.
Understanding RAID technology
RAID is the technology of grouping several physical drives in a computer into an
array that you can define as one or more logical drives. Each logical drive appears
to the operating system as a single drive. This grouping technique greatly enhances
logical-drive capacity and performance beyond the physical limitations of a single
physical drive.
When you group multiple physical drives into a logical drive, the ServeRAID
controller can transfer data in parallel from the multiple drives in the array. This
parallel transfer yields data-transfer rates that are many times higher than with
nonarrayed drives. This increased speed makes the system better able to meet the
throughput (the amount of data processed in a given amount of time) or productivity
needs of the multiple-user network environment.
The ability to respond to multiple data requests provides not only an increase in
throughput, but also a decrease in response time. The combination of parallel
transfers and simultaneous responses to multiple requests allows disk arrays to
provide a high level of performance in network environments.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2000
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