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2-5
Installing the Controller and Drives
Why build a RAID 5?
This array level is supported by your controller. It provides a
versatile combination of performance and redundancy on a
minimum of three drives. Because RAID 5 uses parity, it is the
safest, and most recoverable, of all RAID levels.
What if I prefer a different array level?
That’s no problem. Once you build your array and install your
operating system, you can change array levels (see Array Level
Migration on page 1-8) or expand the capacity of the array (see
Online Capacity Expansion on page 1-8) to suit your needs.
Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) Utility
To build a bootable RAID 5 array using ARC:
1 Install the controller and drives, as described in Installing the
Controller and Drives on page 2-3.
Note: For a RAID 5, you need at least 3 drives.
2
Turn on the computer, then press
Ctrl-A
to enter the ARC utility.
The first screen shows all installed Adaptec RAID controllers.
3 If more than one Adaptec RAID controller is installed, highlight
the boot controller, then press Enter.
4 To select the ACU utility, press Enter.
The ACU screen appears.
5 Using the arrow keys, highlight Initialize Drives, then press
Enter.
6 Press Insert to highlight the drives you want to initialize, then
press Enter to start the initialization process.
7 Using the arrow keys, highlight at least three drives to be used
for the array and press Insert for each highlighted drive.
The utility displays the selected drives.
8 Press Enter.
A red warning box appears—this is normal.