MicroArray III

An array on every desktop

Have you ever worked late to put the final touches on a critical project foryour company while the network was down for repair? After hours of working on your local system, you click Save. To your horror, you receive an error message that the disk is full and you must delete files to free up space.

You can alleviate many disk space problems if you use a desktop RAIDsystem. These portable systems provide large amounts of storage space fordesktop and laptop computers. The MicroArray III, from AIWA RAID Technology, is one desktop RAID system you can choose. The MicroArray III comes with a 5.25", full-drive metal enclosure with three IBM 8.4GB hard disks; a program documentation CD-ROM; a 6', 9-pin null- modem cable; a 2', 9-pin RS-232 internal cable; and a front cover.

Setting Up the Array
I had to reconfigure my system to create a full-height 5.25" space forthe MicroArray III. I moved my CD-ROM drive down one bay, which is all my test system required. Other systems might require more reconfiguration.

Because the computer case had metal support tabs, I couldn't insert theMicroArray III completely into the system. To solve this problem, I laid my computer case on its side and placed the MicroArray III on top. This option isn't viable in most circumstances. AIWA should redesign the MicroArray III to alleviate this problem.

Attaching the monitoring cable to the computer was challenging because the MicroArray III is an internal device, but the cable connects to an external COM port. I had to run the cable through an empty slot on the back of the computer to make the connection.

After I rebooted the system and logged on, I inserted the CD-ROM, whichautomatically activated the software installation wizard. With the wizard'shelp, I completed each installation step easily. The MicroArray III gives you two installation options: typical or custom. I chose the typical installation, which comes with ArrayView, Adobe Acrobat 3.01, online manuals, and AVI files that illustrate installation processes. The installation requires 96MB of hard disk space, but you need only 42MB of space if you don't install the video manuals. After the installation completed, I rebooted the computer to check that the system recognized the newly attached array.

The MicroArray III ships preconfigured as a three-disk RAID 0 array. Youcan use the system immediately, but I wanted to set up a new array. I openedArrayView for Windows, which manages the MicroArray III and provides information about the physical and logical drives. When the ArrayView Search Options dialog box appears, you select the area you want to search for the array (i.e., SPX, Named Pipes, Sockets, or Comm Ports).

My system, which was connected to the local COM port, recognized theMicroArray III within seconds. I opened the Physical and Logical Arraywindows. In the Physical Array window, I clicked Array, Delete Logical. Thesystem asked me for a password, but I couldn't find a password in thedocumentation. I called AIWA's technical support group to obtain the defaultpassword. I then logged on and deleted the logical drive.

I wanted to create my own RAID 0 logical drive. In the Physical Arraywindow (shown in Screen 1), I clicked Array, Create Logical. I named the array, chose RAID 0, left the default stripe size at 16KB, and added the three hard disks to the Selected window. ArrayView began to configure the drives. After approximately 8 minutes, my 23.6GB RAID 0 logical drive was ready.

The MicroArray III's Logical Array window includes a performance-measuring monitor, which displays read and write information, data transfer speed, I/O per second, and cache and disk usage information. You can view the information in realtime or capture it for later review using graphs or numbers.

A Few Drawbacks
The MicroArray III's design disappointed me because each enclosure can holdonly three drives, which is the full-drive requirement for most computers.Scalability is possible using one controller board with an Ultra Wide SCSI hostinterface that can support as many as 10 MicroArray IIIs. However, theMicroArray III's internal design limits scalability in multiple systems witharrays and multiple array enclosures.

In addition, the MicroArray III has only one non-hot-swappable powersupply. If the power supply fails, the array won't work until you power down thesystem and replace the power supply.

Testing Performance
I used Iometer to test the MicroArray III's I/O speed and response times.Iometer provides disk I/O subsystem measurement and characterization forsimulated users (workers) operating a particular system (i.e., single orclustered). Iometer calculated the I/O per second and the average and maximumresponse times in milliseconds (ms) for the MicroArray III.

(You can download Iometer for free from Intel's Website--http://developer.intel .com/design/servers/devtools/iometer.)

The MicroArray III's RAID 0 configuration I/O per second was 63.83, about 40percent slower than Artecon's LynxStak (see "LynxStak 2000," page100). The average and maximum response times were slower thanLynxStak's--15.59ms and 186.7ms, respectively.

A Potential Solution
The MicroArray III is a potential solution for desktop publishing, graphics,CAD, and other computers that require additional fast storage on a desktopsystem. The ArrayView software lets users configure and monitor arrays quickly,and the hot-swappable hard disks add fault-tolerant storage. However, thenon-hot-swappable power supply and three-drive-per-enclosure limitation limitflexibility and prevent you from using the array in mobile environments.The documentation included with the MicroArray III was thorough; the Quick StartGuide was particularly helpful for setting up the system. If you're in themarket for additional fast storage for your desktop computer and can overlookthe MicroArray III's limitations, consider this RAID hardware product.