Chapter 1: About This Guide ● 13
What You Need to Know Before You Begin
You should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, RAID technology, and SAS and
Serial ATA (SATA) technology. (For an introduction to SAS, see page 88.)
You should also be familiar with Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) concepts and technology.
Note:
Because this guide covers multiple Adaptec RAID products, some of the features and
functions described may not be available for your controller. For more information, see About
Your RAID Controller on page 17.
Terminology Used in this Guide
Because you can use your Adaptec RAID controller to manage data storage in a variety of
configurations, the generic term “storage space” is used to refer to controller(s) and disk drives
being managed with Adaptec Storage Manager
TM
or the other utilities described in this guide.
Many of the terms and concepts referred to in this guide are known to computer users by
multiple names. This guide uses these terms:
● Controller (also known as adapter, board, or card)
● Disk drive (also known as hard disk, hard drive, or hard disk drive)
● Solid State Drive (also known as SSD or non-rotating storage media)
● Enclosure (also known as a RAID enclosure, storage enclosure, or JBOD enclosure)
● Array (also known as a container, logical device, or logical drive)
Note:
Adaptec Storage Manager refers to arrays as logical drives. Your RAID controller
creates arrays, which your operating system (and Adaptec Storage Manager) recognizes as
logical drives. For more information, refer to the Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide on
the Adaptec Installation DVD.
How to Find More Information
You can find more information about your Adaptec RAID controller and the software and
utilities included with it by referring to these documents:
● Readme.txt—Includes updated product information and known issues; located on the
Adaptec
Installation DVD.
● Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide—Describes how to install and use the Adaptec
Storage Manager software (see page 80) to manage your direct attached storage; located on
the Adaptec Installation DVD.
● Adaptec Storage Manager Online Help—Describes how to use the Adaptec Storage
Manager software; accessible from the main window of Adaptec Storage Manager.
● Adaptec RAID Controller Command Line Utility User’s Guide—Describes how to use the
included Adaptec RAID Controller Configuration (ARCCONF) command line utility (see
page 80) to perform basic array and configuration management functions; located on the
Adaptec Installation DVD.
