Promise Technology SX8300 user manual Other array configurations will not work for this purpose

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Chapter 7: Support

I already have an array on an older FastTrak controller. Can I move that array to my new FastTrak SX4300 or SX8300 controller?

Yes. All FastTrak controllers read the arrays the same way and can be moved from one controller to another.

Can I take a drive used in a FastTrak SX Series logical drive and access it directly with a different controller, such as the one integrated on the motherboard?

Yes, but only under certain configurations. First, the other controller must address the drives as LBA, not CHS.

Second, only the following configurations allow the drive(s) to be accessed individually on another controller:

Single-drive RAID 0 (stripe)

One drive from a RAID 1 (mirror) logical drive

JBOD

Other array configurations will not work for this purpose.

If I have a problem with one of the drives on the FastTrak SX Series, how can I low-level format it to correct the problem?

Do NOT do this! Low-level formatting hard disk drives is not only unnecessary but it generally does not correct problems commonly experienced during use.

Errors such as bad sectors or ECC/CRC failure are best remedied by completely replacing the drive. For this reason, do NOT low-level format the drives attached to the FastTrak Controller.

Do I have to install disk management software on my logical drive in order to access the full storage capacity of drives?

No! Disk management software will only complicate things. The logical drive should be fully addressable by your OS as it is. Remember that some operating systems have varying limits on the sizes of partitions and logical drives that can be defined. Consult your OS documentation about partitioning larger drives. Also see “Ranges of Disk Array Expansion” on page 48.

What system BIOS setup settings do I use for the drives on the FastTrak SX Series controller?

A BIOS setting is required only if you want to boot your system from the logical drive on the FastTrak controller. After your logical drive is created, partitioned and formatted, make the change in your BIOS boot order setting.

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Contents SX4300, SX8300 Recommendations CopyrightTrademarks Important data protection informationMay cause undesired operation Radio Frequency Interference StatementPage Contents Support Troubleshooting & TipsAbout This Manual IntroductionProduct Overview XOR AccelerationHot-Swapping WebPAM Management Software Page Installation SX4300SX8300 Installing the FastTrak Card RAID Jbod Installing the Disk DrivesLED Pins Create a Logical Drive Page Installation Page FastBuild Utility FastTrak BiosMain Menu View Drive Assignments Create a Logical Drive One Logical Drive Two Logical Drives FastBuild Utility View Drive Assignments, Split Disk Drives Delete Logical Drive Controller Configuration Logical Drive Problems Halt On ErrorSystem Resources Page RAID 0 and Jbod Page Installing Software Drivers Install Driver During New OS Installation Install Driver in an Existing SystemWindows Server Windows XP Confirm InstallationInstall Driver in an Existing System Windows Red Hat Linux 8.0, 9.0, EL 3.0, EL Install Driver During New OS Installation Single Processor Install Driver During New OS Installation Multi-ProcessorSuSE Linux 9.1, 9.2, ES Install Driver in an Existing System Introduction to RAID Adapter BiosConcepts About FastTrakRAID 0 Stripe interleaves data across multiple drives RAID 0 StripeRAID 1 Mirrors identical data to two drives RAID 1 MirrorRAID 5 Stripes all drives with data and parity information RAID 5 Block Striping with Distributed ParityRAID 10 Mirror / Stripe CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 About Dual Data RedundancyRAID 50 Striping of Distributed Parity logical drives RAID 50 Striping of Distributed ParityChoosing a RAID Level Jbod Single DriveAdvantages Disadvantages Implemented as a mirrored logical drive Stripe Block Size Other Logical Drive FeaturesGigabyte Boundary Initialization Fast InitHot Spare Drive Logical Drive Expansion Cache SettingsAdd Lose RAID Level MigrationLevel Current Number Possible Number Drives From Increase Redundancy CapacityRanges of Disk Array Expansion Current LD Size Maximum LD Sector Size Expansion Size Page Motherboard Issues Troubleshooting & TipsDrive-Related Errors System Cmos IssuesDrive cannot be formed into an logical drive Operating System-Related Issues Promise Windows driver does not appear in Device Manager Performance TipsFrequently Asked Questions Pre-Installation Speed, Device Types, Capacity, CablingSupport How can I change the resources that the FastTrak uses? Drive IssuesOther array configurations will not work for this purpose Post-Installation Installation Issues Capacity, BootingTechnical Support Services Contact Technical SupportUnited States Europe, Africa, Middle East GermanyItaly Limited Warranty TaiwanChina Disclaimer of other warranties Your Responsibilities Return Product For RepairOr retailer
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