2-5
Installing the Controller and Drives
Why build a RAID 5?
This array level is supported by your controller. It provides a
versatile combination of performance and redundancy on a
minimum of three drives. Because RAID 5 uses parity, it is the
safest, and most recoverable, of all RAID levels.
What if I prefer a different array level?
That’s no problem. Once you build your array and install your
operating system, you can change array levels (see Array Level
Migration on page 1-8) or expand the capacity of the array (see
Online Capacity Expansion on page1-8) to suit your needs.
Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) Utility
To build a bootable RAID 5 array using ARC:
1Install the controller and drives, as described in Installing the
Controller and Drives on page 2-3.
Note: For a RAID 5, you need at least 3 drives.
2
Turn on the computer, then press
Ctrl-A
to enter the ARC utility.
The first screen shows all installed Adaptec RAID controllers.
3If more than one Adaptec RAID controller is installed, highlight
the boot controller, then press Enter.
4To select the ACU utility, press Enter.
The ACU screen appears.
5Using the arrow keys, highlight Initialize Drives, then press
Enter.
6Press Insert to highlight the drives you want to initialize, then
press Enter to start the initialization process.
7Using the arrow keys, highlight at least three drives to be used
for the array and press Insert for each highlighted drive.
The utility displays the selected drives.
8Press Enter.
A red warning box appears—this is n ormal.