Promise Technology TX4, TX8 user manual Introduction, Architectural Description

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing Promise Technology’s UltraTrak100 TX4 or UltraTrak100 TX8 external disk array system.

UltraTrak100 provides data storage solutions for applications where fault tolerance and data redundancy are required. The failure of any single drive will not affect data integrity or accessibility of the data. A defective drive may be replaced without interruption of data availability to the host computer. A hot spare drive will automatically replace a failed drive, securing the fault tolerant integrity of the array. The self-contained hardware-based array provides maximum performance in a compact external chassis.

The UltraTrak100 TX4 is an external disk array with an expandable capacity of up to four individual disk drives. The UltraTrak100 TX8 is an external disk array with an expandable capacity of up to eight individual disk drives.

The standard LVD SCSI interface provides compatibility with any system that utilizes a SCSI interface. No vendor unique commands are required for the operation of the disk array. Data transfer rates of up to 80 MB/sec are supported via the SCSI interface.

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

The UltraTrak100 disk array consists of either four (TX4) or eight (TX8) disk drive bays, an enclosure with back plane, and the array controller. Multiple fans provide redundancy to ensure continued usage during component failure. The array controller is hardware based and controls all array functions transparently to the host system. It appears to the system as a standard SCSI drive, and therefore does not require any special software drivers.

Attention

The electronic components within the UltraTrak100 disk array are sensitive to damage from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge). Appropriate precautions should be observed at all times when handling the array or its subassemblies.

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