Server Administrator Storage Management 8.3 User’s Guide

Creating Virtual Disks

Does my controller support this feature? See Supported Features.

In order to implement RAID functions, you must create a virtual disk. A virtual disk refers to storage created by a RAID controller from one or more physical disks. Although a virtual disk may be created from several physical disks, it is seen by the operating system as a single disk.

Before creating a virtual disk, you should be familiar with the information in Considerations Before Creating Virtual Disks.

Storage Management provides wizards to help you create a virtual disk:

• The Create Virtual Disk Express Wizard calculates an appropriate virtual disk layout based on the available space and controller considerations. Using this wizard, you can quickly create a virtual disk using recommended selections.
• The Create Virtual Disk Advanced Wizard allows you to specify the read, write, and cache policy for the virtual disk. You can also select the physical disks and the controller connector to be used. You need a good knowledge of RAID levels and hardware to use the advanced wizard.