Xserve RAID: Best practices for data integrity

These are suggested guidelines for deploying Xserve RAIDs help to ensure consistent access to data stored on RAID volumes.
Using caches

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.
Deploy a backup solution

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.
Maintain filesystem integrity

Schedule runs of Disk Utiliy or an alternate filesystem utility.
Use latest firmware

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.
Unmount/Stop Xsan volumes before rebooting Xserve RAIDs

Before performing any operation in RAID Admin that may cause an Xserve RAID to be restarted, unmount and stop any Xsan Volumes that include LUNs that correspond to the Xserve RAID Arrays which are to be restarted. Such operations include editing settings located in any of the following locations:
RAID Admin > Create Array
RAID Admin > Delete Array
RAID Admin > Settings > System
RAID Admin > Settings > Network
RAID Admin > Settings > Fibre Channel
RAID Admin > Advanced > Slicing
RAID Admin > Advanced > LUN Masking

Also, 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.