I have never set up a RAID array before.
I just purchased an HP Proliant DL580 G2 server that has a Smart Array 5i RAID controller on it. Do I need any special utility CD to configure the RAID before I load the OS on it? Or is it some type of GUI that I can load after the BIOS loads? I will be loading the operating system and all files onto one partition. I will be putting Debian Linux on this server. It comes with 3x36GB drives, and I want to do a RAID1 array with one hot spare (not looking for speed, just redundancy).
The server does not come with any software, so I'm wondering if there's something else I need to get to be able to configure the RAID. Also, any tips to help get it set up correctly would be greatly appreciated.