Because of its small size and unusual design, which allow it to be plugged directly into one of the computer's onboard IDE controllers, the DupliDisk-Direct requires neither a PCI or ISA bus slot. If a hardware failure disables one of the mirrored drives, the DupliDisk automatically shifts operations to the functioning drive. LEDs on the unit's external panel change color to indicate a failed drive and an audible alarm alerts the user of the drive failure but there is no interruption of service. The system continues to function normally until the user can find a convenient time to power down and install a new drive. ARCO's ACP software provides a quick and easy way to rebuild the new drive.
Users have the choice of either a bay mounted or rear mounted external panel for the visual display.
ARCO's unique patented intermediate controller technology provides continuous automatic hard disk backup and disk fault tolerance. Once plugged into an onboard IDE controller and attached to the primary and mirror drives with cables provided by Arco, the DupliDisk operates transparently. The DupliDisk uses no jumper settings and requires no drivers or TSRs, so installation is a simple procedure. Because it requires no device drivers, the DupliDisk is essentially operating-system independent.