3
About Your RAID Controller
This chapter provides an overview of the features of your Microsemi Adaptec RAID controller.
3.1
Standard RAID Controller Features
• Support for SAS and SATA Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD)
• Flash ROM for updates to controller firmware, BIOS, and the Microsemi Adaptec RAID Configuration
utility
• Disk drive hot-swapping
• Event logging and broadcasting, including email notification messages
• Multiple options for creating and managing RAID arrays—A browser-based software application
(maxView Storage Manager), a BIOS-based utility (ARC), a command line utility (ARCCONF) (see
Managing Your Storage Spacetopic
• Native command queuing (NCQ), which lets disk drives arrange commands into the most efficient
order for optimum performance
• Support for disk drive enclosures with SES2 enclosure management hardware
• Support for a flash backup module (see
• Support for Microsemi Adaptec maxCache™ SSD read and write caching (see
on page 59)
Note: maxCache is supported on Microsemi Adaptec Series Q controllers only.
• Power-management of disk drives in your storage space to reduce cooling and electricity costs (see
)
• Audible alarm
• I/O statistics logging
3.1.1
Array-level Features
Note: Not all features are supported by all controllers. For more information, see the
maxView Storage Manager User's Guide.
• Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, RAID 50, and simple volumes
• Support for hybrid RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays comprised of hard drives and Solid State Drives (SSDs)
• Support for hot spares (global and dedicated)
• Support for automatic failover, so arrays are automatically rebuilt when a failed drive is replaced
(applies to redundant arrays in SES2- or SAF-TE-enabled disk drive enclosures only)
• Optimized disk utilization, which ensures that the full capacity of all disk drives can be used, even if
the disk drives vary in size
• Online capacity expansion, so you can increase the capacity of an array without recreating it
• Support for array migration from one RAID level to another
3.1.2
Advanced Data Protection Suite
• Copyback Hot Spare—You can use this feature to move data from a hot spare back to its original
location after a failed disk drive is replaced.
• Striped Mirror (RAID 1E)—A RAID 1 Enhanced array is similar to a RAID 1 array except that data is both
mirrored and striped, and more disk drives can be included.
• Dual Drive Failure Protection (RAID 6)—A RAID 6 array is similar to a RAID 5 array except that it includes
two independent sets of parity data instead of one.
• Dual Drive Failure Protection (RAID 60)—A RAID 60 array is similar to a RAID 50 array except that it
includes four independent sets of parity data instead of two.
4
Microsemi Proprietary and Confidential. Installation and User's Guide Revision 5
About Your RAID Controller
