ATTO 12Gb SAS HBAs Integrate ATTO Power Center Pro RAID Software

The value of data can never be understated and one of the most critical functions of any architecture is to ensure the availability of data at all times.

There are several ways to ensure availability in the chain before storage, but the only way to ensure the storage itself does not compromise data availability is through redundancy. That is why for the most common use-cases system architects turn to RAID, short for a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks.

Developed in 1987, RAID allows at least two storage drives to be configured as a single storage device. The purpose initially was to increase performance for mainframe computers by combining disk drives – the inventors claimed in a paper the best drives’ performance could be bested by inexpensive drives configured as one. While performance was the goal, drive redundancy was built in to compensate for hardware failures.

Fast forward and the primary interest in RAID now isn’t speed, but rather its ability to ensure data availability through redundancy. For a long time, hardware RAID was the only practical implementation. Software RAID eventually caught up in performance and, since it costs less than hardware RAID, has become the popular choice in today’s market.

ATTO Power Center Pro is a software interface built into ATTO 12 Gb/s ExpressSAS® SAS/SATA HBAs and ATTO ThunderLink® Thunderbolt™ adapters. It adds RAID functionality, protection and performance without the need or cost of additional hardware RAID components.

With ATTO Power Center Pro you can protect a boot group against drive failure or you can bundle several drives together to improve overall performance and achieve faster boot times. It can be used to set up a storage server on whatever hardware you choose using software RAID 0, 1, 1e or 10. All of this is accomplished with simple “set it and forget it” commands in a single, simple interface.

There is no additional software or operating system configuration as everything is self-contained on the ATTO ExpressSAS HBA or ATTO ThunderLink, and the RAID group information is portable to other supported ATTO 12Gb HBAs.

If you need RAID functionality, performance and protection but have hesitated due to costs and concerns over flexibility, then ATTO HBAs with ATTO Power Center Pro is the solution you have been looking for.

More information available on our website.

Read our Power Center Pro technology brief.