24Software Installation and User’s GuideGetting StartedGetting Started 2In order to setup the ICP RAID controller, follow the instructions in the sections below to:• Determine your RAID level and array configuration• Create a RAID driver installation diskette• Install the controllerAfter completing these steps, refer Chapter 3 for quick installation instructions. For moredetailed instructions refer to the other installation chapters (Chapter 4 through Chapter 9).2.1 Determine the RAID ConfigurationBegin the installation by completing the worksheet in Table 2-1 to determine the RAIDlevel, the number of disk drives, and the disk drive size for your system. Refer to Section1.3, RAID Levels for more information about RAID levels and to determine the optimumRAID level solution for your needs.1. In column 1 of Table 2-1, select a RAID level.2. In column 2, note the number of disk drives supported for the RAID level youselected.3. In column 3, record the number of disk drives you will use for the host drive.4. In column 4, record the capacity, in megabytes (MB), that you will need on eachphysical drive.You will enter this value as the “Used Capacity per Drive” when you are creating thehost drive. Based on the physical drive capacity value and the number of disk drivesyou will use, the RAID configuration software will calculate the total host drive sizefor your selected RAID level.The capacity of the smallest drive in the initial RAID array configuration becomes themaximum capacity that the RAID configuration software can use for each hard disk in thehost drive. This becomes important when you configure an array with hard disks ofpotentially varying sizes and you want to ensure that future drives added to the disk arraywill fit in the array (for example, for replacement purposes). Should a new drive have lessthan the physical drive capacity used for each disk in the existing disk array, the RAIDconfiguration software could not accept the new drive.
