Adaptec 133U2 User Guide - Page 137

Other Performance Tips

Page 137 highlights

Managing Arrays and Spares Other Performance Tips s If your array controller has multiple channels, you may be able to achieve better sequential data access when creating large arrays on powerful, high-end servers if some array members are connected to each channel. s The array management software and drivers allow you to use disks of various sizes and makes in the same array. To achieve the best performance, however, we recommend that you use disks of the same capacity and same model in an array. (If you use drives of different sizes, the amount of capacity actually used on each disk will be equivalent to that of the smallest disk in the array: For example, if you use five 1-GByte drives and one 500-MByte drive, only 500 MBytes on each disk will be used.) s You can also optimize array performance by selecting a RAID level for the array that best meets your needs for data reliability, read/write performance, and capacity use. See the following section for more information. 10-13

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10-13
Managing Arrays and Spares
Other Performance Tips
If your array controller has multiple channels, you may be able
to achieve better sequential data access when creating large
arrays on powerful, high-end servers if some array members
are connected to each channel.
The array management software and drivers allow you to use
disks of various sizes and makes in the same array. To achieve
the best performance, however, we recommend that you use
disks of the same capacity and same model in an array. (If you
use drives of different sizes, the amount of capacity actually
used on each disk will be equivalent to that of the smallest disk
in the array: For example, if you use five 1-GByte drives and
one 500-MByte drive, only 500 MBytes on each disk will be
used.)
You can also optimize array performance by selecting a RAID
level for the array that best meets your needs for data
reliability, read/write performance, and capacity use. See the
following section for more information.