Adaptec Ultra320 SCSI controllers with integrated RAID capabilities

Globally recognized for their reliable, high performance, innovative SCSI products, Adaptec delivers integrated RAID capabilities with its entire family of Ultra320 SCSI controllers. Using these controllers, your customers can now easily protect all their workstation and server data. Below are the answers to all your questions about Adaptec, Ultra320 SCSI and integrated RAID.

Q: What is Ultra320 SCSI?
Ultra320 is the latest SCSI generation, providing the highest SCSI bandwidth ever for the most demanding server and workstation applications. It doubles SCSI's peak performance from 160 MByte/sec to 320 MByte/sec and includes innovations that increase data protection and optimize performance. Cylic Redundancy Check (CRC) is extended to protect not only data but also commands. And the packet protocol increases SCSI bus efficiency by allowing multiple transfers during a single host-target connection.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 39320A-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 39320A-R is a 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, dual-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID. The Adaptec 39320A-R is a cost-effective RAID 0, 1 and 10 solution. In addition, the Adaptec 39320A-R offers new drivers for HostRAID, both Linux and Windows Server 2003, as well as the same browser-based management tool used by Adaptec RAID products. The Adaptec 39320A-R provides data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 640 MByte/sec, ideal for mainline storage, streaming video and audio, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 29320A-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 29320A-R is a half-size, 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, single-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID. The Adaptec 29320A-R includes a legacy SCSI connector and is a cost-effective RAID 0, 1 and 10 solution. In addition, the Adaptec 29320A-R offers new drivers for HostRAID, both Linux and Windows Server 2003, as well as the same browser-based management tool used by Adaptec RAID products. The Adaptec 29320A-R provides data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 320 MByte/sec, ideal for mainline storage, streaming video and audio, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 29320ALP-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 29320ALP-R is a low-profile, 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, single-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID optimized for rack-mount servers. The Adaptec 29320ALP-R is a low-cost RAID 0, 1 and 10 solution. In addition, the Adaptec 29320ALP-R offers new drivers for HostRAID, both Linux and Windows Server 2003, as well as the same browser-based management tool used by Adaptec RAID products. The Adaptec 29320ALP-R provides data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 320 MByte/sec, ideal for mainline storage, streaming video and audio, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 39320D-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 39320D-R is a 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, dual-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID™ RAID 0, 1 optimized for external connections. The Adaptec 39320D-R is a cost-effective hardware RAID mirroring and striping solution, offering a better alternative than software-based RAID in the market today. It provides worry-free data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 640 MBps.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 39320-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 39320-R is a 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, dual-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID RAID 0, 1 optimized for internal connections. The Adaptec 39320-R is a cost-effective hardware RAID solution, offering a better alternative than software-based RAID in the market today. It provides worry-free data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 640 MBps.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 29320-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 29320-R is a half-size, 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, single-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID. The Adaptec 29320-R includes a legacy SCSI connector and is a cost-effective hardware RAID mirroring and striping solution, offering a better alternative than software-based RAID in the market today. It provides worry-free data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 320 MBps.

Q: What is the Adaptec SCSI Card 29320LP-R?
The Adaptec SCSI Card 29320LP-R is a low profile, 64-bit 133 MHz PCI-X, single-channel Ultra320 SCSI card with integrated HostRAID RAID 0, 1 optimized for rack-mount servers. The Adaptec 29320LP-R is a low-cost hardware RAID mirroring and striping solution, offering a better alternative than software-based RAID in the market today. It provides worry-free data protection at the fastest SCSI speeds available up to 320 MBps.

Q: Does Adaptec's product line include "Integrated Mirroring"?
Integrated Mirroring refers to the mirroring capability that will be available on another company's SCSI adapters, which charge a steep premium for this feature. For example, another company's Ultra320 adapters with Integrated Mirroring are offered at approximately $250 retail price. Adaptec will offer “HostRAID” across all products at no additional cost, and will launch this feature in the fall. Adaptec's HostRAID is much more advanced than Integrated Mirroring, including RAID 0, 1 support, up to two arrays per channel, up to four drives per array, as well as many usability features. In addition, Adaptec's HostRAID includes Hardware Mirroring, where the mirroring of data written to disk drives is performed in hardware.

Q: Does Adaptec's Ultra320 SCSI product line include RAID data protection?
Yes. Adaptec offers the only Ultra320 SCSI controller family to feature integrated striping and mirroring (RAID 0, 1) and hot spare support to bolster data protection and maximize system performance and uptime. Adaptec's HostRAID also supports four hard disk drives and two arrays per channel to provide the most integrated RAID storage capacity in the industry.

Q: How does Adaptec HostRAID compare to "Integrated Mirroring"?
Integrated Mirroring refers to the mirroring capability that will be available on another company's Ultra320 SCSI adapter. This company charges a premium for this feature. By contrast, Adaptec offers HostRAID across its entire line at no additional cost.

Q: How else is Adaptec's Ultra320 SCSI family unique?
Adaptec's Ultra320 family features Adaptec's Seamless Streaming™ technology, which allows a SCSI target, such as a disk drive, to stream packets of data for different commands with minimum switching time to deliver the fastest SCSI speeds available.

Q: What is a "thin driver"? How does it compare to Adaptec's driver model?
A thin driver is an implementation that moves much of the driver complexity from the host and places it in hardware. Because the resulting driver is abstracted to pass high-level I/O commands, the same driver may be used for different generations of products (e.g., Ultra160 and Ultra320 SCSI). Unfortunately, thin driver implementations are often lower performing solutions since the performance is tied to a fixed, on-chip processor. Careful implementation is required in order to be competitive.

Q: Will my old cables work with Ultra320 adapters and disk drives?
Adaptec recommends that you use Adaptec-branded Ultra320 SCSI cables, which are certified to be fully compliant with the new Ultra320 SCSI standard. Ultra160 cables may work, however the results are unpredictable. For example, the cables may work in some configurations but not others.

Q: What are Adaptec's key advantages over the competition?
• Adaptec offers the most compatible and highest performing SCSI products in the industry. As a result, Adaptec continues to be the brand most trusted by VARs, resellers, and integrators.
• Adaptec's HostRAID offers superior features compared to another company's Integrated Mirroring, and Adaptec's HostRAID will be included across the entire product line at no additional cost.
• Adaptec offers a full product line spanning SCSI to RAID, with compatible disk formats and user interfaces.

Q: What is Adaptec Seamless Streaming®?
Adaptec's Seamless Streaming® Technology enhances Ultra320 SCSI. Adaptec's Seamless Streaming Technology uses Ultra Streaming Data Path to provide full streaming of command packets. Ultra Streaming Data Path optimizes performance by enabling a new transfer to begin on the bus before the active transfer has finished. This allows commands to be streamed to both buses, allowing each to operate at peak efficiency to deliver full Ultra320 speeds. Adaptec's AIC-7902 with Ultra Streaming Data Path virtually eliminates the overhead associated with establishing a solid SCSI connection, enabling the bus to take full advantage of packet protocols and deliver its maximum throughput speed.

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