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RAID Management

RAID systems, especially high-end ones, can be complex--more features means more complexity. A simple IDE/ATA RAID array typically needs little in the way of management, but it becomes important for larger arrays with multiple RAID levels, many virtual drives, and so on. All RAID systems, whether hardware or software, come with some sort of administration program for setting up, configuring, and managing the array(s) they control.

In this section I will address some of the basic issues related to managing a RAID array. This includes a description of RAID management software, including a look at the types of errors and warnings that such software may generate, a discussion of partitioning and partitioning software and how RAID affects them, and an explanation of remote RAID management. I conclude with a brief discussion of service and support issues, which can be very important in a RAID environment where high availability is a priority.

Next: Management Software

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