Rackmount servers cram a lot into a little space, but don't leave much room for extras such as plug-in adaptors, especially Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (Raid) controllers, most of which come on bulky boards.
Adaptec's 2200S, however, is designed with rackmount servers in mind.
It conforms to the industry standard MD2 form factor and is less than 6cm tall and 17cm long. Despite that, it features a 64bit/66MHz PCI interface and both a 100MHz Intel 80303 microprocessor and 64MB of embedded cache memory. The cache can be battery backed for up to 72 hours using an optional plug-in battery module.
A custom ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) looks after the SCSI side of things and here the 2200S is well equipped. Two Ultra320 SCSI channels allow up to 30 devices to be attached either internally or via a pair of external connectors.
A five-disk internal cable is also included and the new controller can use all the available space on the attached drives, even when capacities vary.
The 2200S comes with drivers for a range of Windows, Unix/Linux and Netware servers with support for Raid levels 0, 1, and 5 and Jbod (Just a Bunch Of Disks) configurations.
Multiple arrays can be configured using the usual Bios-resident management software, with support for online capacity expansion and Raid level migration as standard.
The 2200S also ships with a new browser-based implementation of Adaptec's Storage Manager software, for remote monitoring and management of disk arrays.
Low-profile controllers are available from other Raid vendors too, but the Adaptec card is IA-64 ready and comes with the usual three-year Adaptec warranty.
It's also well supported by server vendors and is a good choice for anyone looking to enhance the storage facilities in rack-dense systems.
Contact: Adaptec 01276 854 500
www.adaptec-uk.com
Specifications:
- Low-profile MD2 form factor Raid controller
- 64bit/66MHz PCI interface
- 64MB cache
- Raid levels 0, 1, 10, 5, 50 & JBOD
- Dual Ultra320 SCSI channels
All Device Adapter

