Intel® RAID Modules RMSP3AD160F, RMSP3CD080F and RMSP3HD080E Hardware User Guide
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Appendix A.
Glossary
Term
Description
BIOS
Acronym for Basic Input/Output System. Software that provides basic read/write capability.
Usually kept as firmware (ROM-based).
The system BIOS on the motherboard of a computer boots and controls the system. The BIOS on
your host adapter acts as an extension of the system BIOS.
configuration
Refers to the way a computer is set up, the combined hardware components (computer, monitor,
keyboard, and peripheral devices) that make up a computer system, or the software settings that
allow the hardware components to communicate with each other.
device driver
A program that permits a microprocessor (through the operating system) to direct the operation
of a peripheral device.
domain validation
A software procedure in which a host queries a device to determine its ability to communicate at
the negotiated data rate.
DRAM cache memory
Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is a type of memory typically used for data or program
code that a computer processor needs to function. DRAM is a common type of random access
memory (RAM) used in personal computers (PCs), workstations, and servers.
drive group
A group of physical drives that combines the storage space on the drives into a single segment of
storage space. A hot spare drive does not actively participate in a drive group.
EEPROM
Acronym for Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. It is a memory chip that
typically stores configuration information, as it provides stable storage for long periods without
electricity and can be reprogrammed. See NVRAM.
EDLC
Electric Double-Layer Capacitors
external SAS device
A SAS device installed outside the computer cabinet. These devices are connected using specific
types of shielded cables.
Fusion-MPT architecture
Acronym for Fusion-Message Passing Technology architecture. Fusion-MPT consists of several
main elements: Fusion-MPT firmware, the Fiber Channel and SCSI hardware, and the operating
system-level drivers that support these architectures. Fusion-MPT architecture offers a single
binary, operating system driver that supports both Fiber Channel and SCSI devices.
host
The computer system in which a RAID controller is installed. It uses the RAID controller to transfer
information to and from devices attached to the SCSI bus.
host adapter board
A circuit board or circuit that provides a device connection to the computer system.
hot spare
An idle, powered on, standby drive that is ready for immediate use in case of drive failure. A hot
spare does not contain any user data. A hot spare can be dedicated to a single redundant array or
it can be part of the global hot-spare pool for all arrays managed by the controller.
When a drive fails, the controller firmware automatically replaces and rebuilds the data from the
failed drive to the hot spare. Data can be rebuilt only from virtual drives with redundancy (RAID
levels 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60; not RAID level 0), and the hot spare must have sufficient capacity.
internal SAS device
A SAS device installed inside the computer cabinet. These devices are connected by using a
shielded cable.
main memory
The part of computer memory that is directly accessible by the CPU (usually synonymous with
RAM).
