P R E F A C E
About This Guide
Congratulations on purchasing Xserve RAID, a breakthrough storage solution that delivers superior capacity, performance, and data protection.
This guide contains instructions for installing the Xserve RAID system in a rack and exchanging components, as well as an introduction to RAID (redundant array of independent disks) technology and a guide to planning storage with your Xserve RAID system.
If you are new to RAID, this guide will help you become familiar with this technology and the ways you can use it to increase the performance and reliability of your data storage.
If you are already familiar with RAID, use this guide as a reference for implementing your storage strategy with Xserve RAID.
For details of hardware installation, setup, and component exchange, see
mChapter 1, “Introducing Xserve RAID,” on page 9
mChapter 2, “Preparing to Install Xserve RAID in a Rack,” on page 19
mChapter 3, “Mounting Xserve RAID in a Rack,” on page 23
mChapter 4, “Connecting Xserve RAID to a Host System and a Network,” on page 37
mChapter 5, “Using the Xserve RAID System,” on page 45
mChapter 6, “Installing or Replacing Components,” on page 49
For explanations of RAID levels and their implementation on the Xserve RAID system, see
mChapter 7, “RAID Overview,” on page 57
mChapter 8, “Planning RAID Storage for the Xserve RAID System,” on page 63
In addition, see the procedural instructions in the document “Using RAID Admin to Manage the Xserve RAID System,” which is included on the CD that came with your system.
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