Compaq HSZ80 Network Card User Manual


 
3–17
Compaq HSZ80 Array Controller ACS Version 8.3 Configuration and CLI Reference Guide
Reporting methods and size limitations prevent certain operating systems from
working with large RAIDsets. See the HSZ80 Array Controller ACS Version 8.3
Release Notes or the Quick Setup Guide that came with your platform kit for
details about these restrictions.
A cache module is required for RAIDsets, but write-back cache need not be
enabled for the RAIDset to function properly.
Both cache modules must be the same size.
A RAIDset must include at least 3 disk drives, but no more than 14.
Evenly distribute the members across the device ports to balance load and
provide multiple paths as shown in Figure 3–4 on page 3–11.
A storageset should only contain disk drives of the same capacity. The controller
limits the capacity of each member to the capacity of the smallest member in the
storageset when the storageset is initialized (the base member size). Thus, if you
combine 9 GB disk drives with 4 GB disk drives in the same storageset, the 4 GB
disk drive will be the base member size and you will waste 5 GB of capacity on
each 9 GB member.
RAIDset units are set to WRITEBACK_CACHE by default which increases a
unit’s performance.
RAIDset and mirrorset members should be placed on different ports to minimize
risk in the event of a single port bus failure.
RAIDsets are particularly well-suited for the following:
Small to medium I/O requests
Applications requiring high availability
High read request rates
Inquiry-type transaction processing
RAIDsets are not particularly well-suited for the following:
Write-intensive applications
Applications that require high data transfer capacity
High-speed data collection
Database applications in which fields are continually updated
Transaction processing