Promise Technology TX2200 Benutzerhandbuch

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Chapter 6: Technology
About FastTrak, below
Introduction to RAID, below
About FastTrak
FastTrak TX Series RAID controller card features concurrent data channel 
operation and onboard BIOS. The channels on the FastTrak card support 
concurrent operation that allows for overlapped I/O under multi-tasking operating 
systems and sharing the workload between multiple drives. 
Adapter BIOS 
The FastTrak card contains a BIOS code that extends the standard disk service 
routine provided through Int13. The BIOS is bootable for DOS and other 
operating systems that rely on the system BIOS for drive operation. When the 
FastTrak BIOS appears during bootup, press Ctrl-F to enter the FastBuild setup 
to select from menu settings. 
Introduction to RAID
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) allows multiple hard drives to be 
combined together into a logical drive. The operating system sees the logical 
drive as a single storage device, and treats it as such. The RAID software and/or 
controller handle all of the individual drives on its own. The benefits of a RAID 
can include: 
Higher data transfer rates for increased server performance 
Increased overall storage capacity for a single drive designation (such as, C, 
D, E, etc.)
Data redundancy/fault tolerance for ensuring continuous system operation in 
the event of a hard drive failure
Different types of logical drives use different organizational models and have 
varying benefits. Also see Choosing RAID Level on page 94. The following 
outline breaks down the properties for each type of RAID logical drive: