Fast Init option on FasTrak controller cards

kaw

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 9, 2001
Messages
107
What is the fast init option when creating an array using a Promise FastTrak controller (S150 SX4). I have looked in the manuals, their web site and tried a search here but it is disabled.
 
Well, I still have not found out what fast init does, I left it off and all is well. I emailed Promise but have not heard back. I am thinking it is not a Promise specific thing but a general RAID option from what I have seen looking through google.
 
Id assume its fast initialization

it took the better part of 8 hours to iniotialize my SX6000
dont recall that option
 
Thanks Ice I figured that is what it stood for but what is the initialization process? That is not refering to formating is it? It took a good while to format (in Windows) the drive but it is a level 5 with 4 120GB drives so that is to be expected.
 
my best guess is that the RAID BIOS \ XOR Engine maps the data structures of the assorted HDDs (at least for the first long initialization of an array)

see > HDD Architecture > Zones & Servo Bursts (next page) and > Defect Mapping

after thats done, every time you boot up, the array is initialized
basically it spins up and reports in, possibly the fast int your refering to skips a few steps in that process, Im really not sure, this is all guesswork
 
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