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Chapter 6: RAID configuration
6.1
Setting up RAID
The motherboard comes with the following RAID solutions:
•
LSI Logic Embeded SATA RAID and the Intel Matrix Storage Manager
embeded in the Intel 6321ESB Southbridge supports Serial ATA hard disk
drive s and RAID0, RAID1 and RAID0+1 configurations. The Intel Matrix
Storage Manager also supports RAID5 configuration.
6.1.1
RAID definitions
RAID.0
(Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write
data in parallel, interleaved stacks. Two hard disks perform the same work as a
single drive but at a sustained data transfer rate, double that of a single disk alone,
thus improving data access and storage. Use of two new identical hard disk drives
is required for this setup.
RAID.1
(Data mirroring) copies and maintains an identical image of data from one
drive to a second drive. If one drive fails, the disk array management software
directs all applications to the surviving drive as it contains a complete copy of
the data in the other drive. This RAID configuration provides data protection and
increases fault tolerance to the entire system. Use two new drives or use an
existing drive and a new drive for this setup. The new drive must be of the same
size or larger than the existing drive.
RAID.1-E
(Enhanced RAID 1) has a striped layout with each stripe unit having a
secondary (or alternate) copy stored on a different disk. You can use three or more
hard disk drives for this configuration.
RAID.0+1 is data striping and data mirroring combined without parity (redundancy
data) having to be calculated and written. With the RAID 0+1 configuration you get
all the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1 configurations. Use four new hard disk
drives or use an existing drive and three new drives for this setup.
RAID.5 stripes both data and parity information across three or more hard
disk drives. Among the advantages of RAID 5 configuration include better
HDD performance, fault tolerance, and higher storage capacity. The RAID
5 configuration is best suited for transaction processing, relational database
applications, enterprise resource planning, and other business systems. Use a
minimum of three identical hard disk drives for this setup.
If you want to boot the system from a hard disk drive included in a created RAID
set, copy first the RAID driver from the support CD to a floppy disk before you
install an operating system to the selected hard disk drive.