HP INTEGRITY RX3600 Comparing the Utilities

NOTE: To copy a particular array configuration to several other servers on the same network, use the Array Configuration Replicator (ACR) or the scripting capability of ACU. ACR is provided in the SmartStart Scripting Toolkit, available on the HP Web site at: http://www.hp.com/servers/sstoolkit.

Whichever utility you use, the following limitations apply:

•For the most efficient use of drive space, do not mix drives of different capacities within the same array. The configuration utility treats all physical drives in an array as if they have the same capacity as the smallest drive in the array. The excess capacity of any larger drives is wasted because it is unavailable for data storage.

•The probability that an array will experience a drive failure increases with the number of physical drives in the array. If you configure a logical drive with RAID 5, keep the probability of failure low by using no more than 14 physical drives in the array.

For conceptual information about arrays, logical drives, and fault-tolerance methods, and for information about default array configuration settings, see the HP Array Configuration Utility User Guide at I/O Cards and Networking Software at:

http://docs.hp.com/en/netcom.html

Comparing the Utilities

Table C-3lists the supported features and procedures for the ACU and ORCA utilities.

NOTE: A + in the appropriate column indicates that the feature or procedure is supported, while -- indicates that the feature or procedure is not supported.

Table C-3 ACU and ORCA Supported Features and Procedures

	ACU	ORCA

Supported Features

Uses a graphical interface	Yes	No

Available in languages other than English	Yes	No

Available on CE	Yes	No

Uses a wizard to suggest the optimum configuration for an unconfigured controller	Yes	No

Describes configuration errors	Yes	No

Suitable for configuration while online	Yes	No

Suitable for configuration while offline	No	Yes


Supported Procedures

Creation and deletion of arrays and logical drives	Yes	Yes

Assignment of RAID level	Yes	Yes

Sharing of spare drives among several arrays	Yes	No

Assignment of multiple spare drives per array	Yes	No

Setting of stripe size	Yes	No

Migration of RAID level or stripe size	Yes	No

Configuration of controller settings	Yes	No

Expansion of an array	Yes	No

Creation of multiple logical drives per array	Yes	No

Smart Array P400, P600 and P800 Controllers 313