Adaptec 1225SA, 58300 manual What You Need to Know Before You Begin, Terminology Used in this Guide

Chapter 1: About This Guide l 12

What You Need to Know Before You Begin

You should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) technology, and the characteristics of input/output (I/O) technology used by your HostRAID controller. Because SAS is a newer I/O technology, an introduction is provided in the Appendix A.

Note: Because this guide covers multiple Adaptec HostRAID controllers, some of the features and functions described may not be available for your controller.

Terminology Used in this Guide

Because you can use your HostRAID controller to manage data storage in a variety of configurations from DAS to NAS to SAN, the generic term “storage space is used to refer to controllers 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 have multiple names. To maintain consistency, they are represented as:

●Controller (also known as host bus adapter, board)

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

●Array (also known as logical drive)

Note: In DAS environments, Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide refers to arrays as logical drives. Your RAID controller creates arrays, which your operating system and Adaptec Storage Manager recognizes as logical drives. In NAS environments, Adaptec Storage Manager displays both arrays and logical drives. For more information, refer to the Adaptec Storage Manager User's Guide for Direct Attached Storage on the Adaptec Storage Manager Installation CD.

Conventions Used in This Guide

In this documentation, the term SAS-only means that the requirement, feature, or procedure is applicable only to SAS HostRAID controllers.

The term SATA-only means that the requirement, feature, or procedure is applicable only to SATA HostRAID controllers.

How to Find More Information

You can find more information about your HostRAID controller, and the software and utilities included with it in these documents:

●Readme.txt—Describes details about updated product information and known issues; located on the HostRAID Installation CD.

●Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide—Describes how to install and use the Adaptec Storage Manager software located on the Adaptec Storage Manager Installation CD. See Managing Your Storage Space on page 50 for more information.

●Adaptec Storage Manager online Help—Describes how to use the Adaptec Storage Manager software.

●Command Line Utility for Direct Attached Storage User’s Guide—Describes how to use the Adaptec HostRAID Controller Configuration (HRCONF) command line utility to