Adaptec 2268300R manual What You Need to Know Before You Begin, Terminology Used in this Guide

Chapter 1: About This Guide ● 13

What You Need to Know Before You Begin

You should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, RAID technology, and SAS and Serial ATA (SATA) technology. (For an introduction to SAS, see page 88.)

You should also be familiar with Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) concepts and technology.

Note: Because this guide covers multiple Adaptec RAID products, some of the features and functions described may not be available for your controller. For more information, see About Your RAID Controller on page 17.

Terminology Used in this Guide

Because you can use your Adaptec RAID controller to manage data storage in a variety of configurations, the generic term “storage space” is used to refer to controller(s) and disk drives being managed with Adaptec Storage ManagerTM or the other utilities described in this guide.

Many of the terms and concepts referred to in this guide are known to computer users by multiple names. This guide uses these terms:

●Controller (also known as adapter, board, or card)

●Disk drive (also known as hard disk, hard drive, or hard disk drive)

●Solid State Drive (also known as SSD or non-rotating storage media)

●Enclosure (also known as a RAID enclosure, storage enclosure, or JBOD enclosure)

●Array (also known as a container, logical device, or logical drive)

Note: Adaptec Storage Manager refers to arrays as logical drives. Your RAID controller creates arrays, which your operating system (and Adaptec Storage Manager) recognizes as logical drives. For more information, refer to the Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide on the Adaptec Installation DVD.

How to Find More Information

You can find more information about your Adaptec RAID controller and the software and utilities included with it by referring to these documents:

●Readme.txt—Includes updated product information and known issues; located on the Adaptec Installation DVD.

●Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide—Describes how to install and use the Adaptec Storage Manager software (see page 80) to manage your direct attached storage; located on the Adaptec Installation DVD.

●Adaptec Storage Manager Online Help—Describes how to use the Adaptec Storage Manager software; accessible from the main window of Adaptec Storage Manager.

●Adaptec RAID Controller Command Line Utility User’s Guide—Describes how to use the included Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration (ARCCONF) command line utility (see page 80) to perform basic array and configuration management functions; located on the Adaptec Installation DVD.