Chapter 1: About This Guide ● 12What You Need to Know Before You BeginYou should be familiar with computer hardware, data storage, Redundant Array ofIndependent Disks (RAID) technology, and the input/output (I/O) technology—SAS—usedby your HostRAID controller. (For an introduction to SAS, see page 51.)You should also be familiar with Direct Attached Storage (DAS) and Storage Area Network(SAN) concepts and technology.Terminology Used in this GuideBecause you can use your HostRAID controller to manage data storage in a variety ofconfigurations from DAS to SAN, the generic term “storage space” is used to refer tocontroller(s) and disk drives being managed with Adaptec Storage ManagerTM or the otherutilities described in this Guide.Many of the terms and concepts referred to in this Guide are known to computer users bymultiple names. This Guide uses these terms:● Controller (also known as adapter, board, or card)● Disk drive (also known as hard disk, hard drive, or hard disk drive)● Array (also known as a container or logical drive)Note: The Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide refers to arrays as logical drives. Why?Your HostRAID controller creates arrays, which your operating system (and Adaptec StorageManager) recognizes as logical drives.How to Find More InformationYou can find more information about your HostRAID controller and the software and utilitiesincluded with it by referring to these documents:● Readme.txt—Includes updated product information and known issues; located on theHostRAID Installation CD.● Adaptec Storage Manager User’s Guide—Describes how to install and use the AdaptecStorage Manager software (see page 40); located on the Adaptec Storage ManagerInstallation CD.● Adaptec Storage Manager online Help—Describes how to use the Adaptec Storage Managersoftware; accessible from the main window of Adaptec Storage Manager.
