Disk array controller: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:15, 30 November 2024

Latest revision as of 12:19, 30 November 2024

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{{Short description|Device that manages disk drives}}

A '''disk array controller''' is a device that manages the physical [[disk drives]] and presents them to the computer as [[Logical Unit Number|logical units]]. It almost alwaysoften implements [[RAID#Hardware-based|hardware]] [[RAID]], thus it is sometimes referred to as '''RAID controller'''. It also often provides additional disk [[cache (computing)|cache]].

''Disk array controller'' is often ambiguously shortened to ''[[disk controller]]'' which can also refer to the circuitry responsible for managing internal disk drive operations.

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[[Image:Promise Ultra33.jpg|thumb|250px|Promise Technology ATA RAID controller]]

A simple disk array controller may fit inside a computer, either as a [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]]/[[PCIe]] [[expansion card]] or just built onto a [[motherboard]]. Such a controller usually provides [[Host adapter|host bus adapter]] (HBA) functionality itself to save physical space. Hence it is sometimes called a '''RAID adapter'''.

{{As of | 2007 | February }} [[Intel]] started integrating their own [[Intel Matrix RAID|Matrix RAID controller]] in their more upmarket motherboards, giving control over 4 devices and an additional 2 SATA connectors, and totalling 6 SATA connections (3 Gbit/s each). For backward compatibility one IDE connector able to connect 2 ATA devices (100 Mbit/s) is also present.