These are suggested guidelines for deploying Xserve RAIDs help to ensure consistent access to data stored on RAID volumes.
Enable the Xserve RAID controller cache and Drive caches to improve performance when reading and writing data to your Xserve RAIDs. Note that enabling these options requires that you to use backup batteries and uninterruptible power supply units.
Additionally, to ensure consistent communication between Fibre Channel devices, disable the RAID Admin feature named "Enable Host Cache Flushing." Disabling this feature also requires that you to use uninterruptible power supply units. For more information about this and about configuring the Xserve RAID for maximum performance, see this article.
There are many means of backing up data, including hardware solutions and software solutions. The backup process may be as simple as a drag and drop of vital files to a local or network volume or may be as complex as using a software solution that backs up data to a hardware solution, such as a tape library or Disk Array, on a schedule. For more information on backup solutions, please contact your Apple Sales Representative.
Schedule runs of Disk Utiliy or an alternate filesystem utility.
Ensure that Xserve RAIDs are running the most recent version of Xserve RAID firmware. To verify Xserve RAID firmware versions, choose Raid Admin > Components and click on the image of the controller. To upgrade a controller's firmware, download the most recent version of RAID Admin which includes the most recent version of firmware.
Before performing any operation that may cause an Xserve RAID to be restarted, unmount any filesystems that correspond to the target which is to be restarted. Certain administrative changes will result in Storage Devices restarting. The Xserve RAID will restart if any of the following settings are configured:
RAID Admin > Create ArrayAlso, avoid performing changes in RAID Admin > Advanced > Expansion that will delete a pre-existing array if the array is acting as a LUN that has been incorporated into the Xsan Volume.