About the adaptec raid configuration utility, About the adaptec flash utility, Which utility should i use – Adaptec SAS/SATA/SCSI RAID Controllers User Manual

Page 57: For more infor

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Chapter 9: Managing Your Storage Space

57

About the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility

The Adaptec RAID Configuration (ARC) utility is a BIOS-based utility that you can use to
create and manage controllers, disk drives and other devices, and arrays. The ARC utility
comprises these tools:

Array Configuration Utility (ACU)—For creating and managing arrays, and initializing
and rescanning disk drives. (ACU for DOS is also available. See

page 86

.)

A -Select utility—SerialSelect, SATASelect®, or SCSISelect®, for modifying your controller
and disk drive settings.

Disk Utilities—For formatting or verifying disk drives.

TheARC utility is included in your controller’s BIOS. For more information, see

Using the

Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility on page 78

.

Note:

The

ARC

utility is primarily intended for preoperating system installation configuration.

About the Adaptec Flash Utility

The Adaptec Flash Utility (AFU) is a text-based DOS utility that you can use to update, save, or
verify your RAID controller’s firmware BIOS and Non-Volatile Random Access Memory
(NVRAM).

Caution:

Although the AFU contains safeguards to prevent you from accidentally damaging

your RAID controller’s flash contents, it is still important to use the AFU carefully and
correctly to avoid rendering your RAID controller inoperable.
Adaptec recommends that only advanced users familiar with working in DOS use the AFU.

Which Utility Should I Use?

To create a bootable array, Adaptec recommends that you use the BIOS-based ACU (See

Using the

Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility on page 78

).

For all subsequent storage management tasks, Adaptec recommends that you install and use
Adaptec Storage Manager (see

page 56

). As a full-featured software application with a graphical

user interface, it is the easiest to use and offers the widest range of management functions.

Note:

Currently, Adaptec Storage Manager is not supported on FreeBSD. To create and

manage arrays, use the

ARC

utility. See

Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility

on page

78

for more information.

!

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