A Short Guide to the HP RAID Controller Card
Established in 1939, Hewlett Packard (HP) crafts manufacturer computers, computer components, and peripherals. The brand produces multiple RAID cards offering a range of internal and external interfaces and fitting various port or slot types. These cards help to logically organize computer hard drive space and are common features of computer systems.
What is a RAID controller card?
A RAID controller, also called a disk array controller, is a type of storage component. It groups hard drive space logically, providing logical units for the operating system and applications. These cards manage both hard drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). While sometimes built onto the motherboard, most of these devices install into expansion slots on the motherboard. Their interfaces vary and provide a range of functionality geared toward some computers. You may find a card using SCSI interface that allows up to 15 devices on a single bus, enable independent data transfers, allow hot-swapping, and a higher MTBF.RAID controllers are classified by six criteria:
- Support RAID level
- Number of ports, internal and external
- Drive types, whether SAS/SATA/PATA
- Support a number of drives
- Front and back-end interfaces
- Native cache memory
What compatible ports or slots do these cards offer?
These RAID devices may include a PCI, PCI Express x4, and PCI Express x8 and PCI-X slot or port.
What internal and external interfaces are available in these cards?
These cards will offer SAS, SATA III, and Ultra-320 SCSI internal interfaces. Their external interface offers SAS, SATA III, Ultra2 SCSI, and Ultra-320 SCSI options.
How do the front and back-end functions differ?
Each card of this type handles two sets of duties. Its front-end interface communicates with the computer's server host adapter, also called a host bus adapter (HBA). Its back-end interface both communicates with and manages the controlled drives.
What advanced functions do these cards perform?
Controller cards provide advanced functions to a computer. These functions vary by the card. Some of these cards provide one or more of the following advanced functions:
- Automatic failover to other controllers
- Performs long-running operations with no downtime
- Form a different RAID set
- Reconstruct damaged sectors on a failed drive
- Add a drive
- Remove a drive
- Drive partitioning to separate volumes
- Create disk images, also called snapshots
- Business continuance volumes (BCV)
- Drive replication using a remote controller
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