1.3 Feature HighlightsThis section explains in greater detail the important features of RAIDWatch.
1.3.1 Graphical User InterfaceRAIDWatch's graphical interface is designed for ease-of-use. It uses symbolic icons to represent physical and logical drives, and logical volumes on the screen; and to identify the current configuration of a disk array system. Pull-down and pop-up menus are used with all command options listed.1.3.2 Enclosure ManagementUsers need only point and click a mouse button to select an icon or command. The program also identifies the current status of various drives by changing the colors of their respective icons.
With an easy-to-use interface, complicated disk array operations such as logical drive and logical volume creation, drive partitioning, and drive partition mapping to host channels/LUNs can be completed with only a few mouse clicks.
1.3.3 Powerful Event Notification Function
The enclosure window provides real-time reporting of the status of the connected physical drives. When a drive fails, the system highlights the corresponding icon of the failed drive by placing a red X mark on it; when you remove a drive, its icon is removed from the enclosure window. This feature is particularly useful in cases where a drive fails, and you need to identify its exact location for subsequent replacement.
The enclosure window also includes Logical view as a sub-function. The Logical view displays the logical array relationship among physical member drives.
RAIDWatch can notify system administrators of event occurrences and status changes in the disk array system. Notifications can be sent via a modem to a pager, via the Internet as E-mail messages, via a LAN as a broadcast message, SNMP traps or via fax/modem as fax messages.1.3.4 Java-based Remote Management1.3.5 Password Protection![]()
RAIDWatch supports remote management of Infortrend's disk array controllers over a LAN/WAN or the Internet using the TCP/IP protocol. Management over the LAN is achieved through data exchanges between a remote RAIDWatch Manager station and RAIDWatch agents on the host server(s). The following figure shows a typical connection:
RAIDWatch Manager comes with password protection to prevent unauthorized users from modifying the configuration of the disk array system. With the password security feature, you have the luxury of leaving your RAIDWatch station unattended knowing that the currently managed disk array system is safe from any unauthorized modifications because the correct password must be entered for each modification.
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