Enabling Sata RAID, Serial ATA Sata | SUPER MICRO Computer H8SCM-F

H8SCM(-F) SERVERBOARD USER'S MANUAL

2-12 Enabling SATA RAID

Now that the hardware is set up, you must install the operating system and the SATA RAID drivers, if you wish to use RAID with your SATA drives. The installation procedure differs depending on whether you wish to have the operating system installed on a RAID array or on a separate non-RAID drive. See the instructions below for details.

Serial ATA (SATA)

Serial ATA (SATA) is a physical storage interface that employs a single cable with a minimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between devices. This connection is a serial link that supports a SATA transfer rate from 150 MBps. The serial cables used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Parallel ATA (PATA) and can extend up to one meter in length, compared to only 40 cm for PATA cables. Overall, SATA provides better functionality than PATA.

Installing the OS/SATA Driver

Before installing the OS (operating system) and SATA RAID driver, you must decide if you wish to have the operating system installed as part of a bootable RAID array or installed to a separate non-RAID hard drive. If on a separate drive, you may install the driver either during or after the OS installation. If you wish to have the OS on a SATA RAID array, you must follow the procedure below and install the driver during the OS installation.

Building a Driver Diskette

You must ﬁrst build a driver diskette from Supermicro drivers for your system. Drivers can be found at ftp://ftp.supermicro.com. (You will have to create this disk on a computer that is already running and with the OS installed.)

Building a Driver Diskette

1.Install your system drives from the FTP website. A display as shown in Figure 2-7 will appear.

2.Click on the icon labeled "Build Driver Diskettes and Manuals" and follow the instructions to create a ﬂoppy disk with the drivers on it.

3.Once it's been created, remove the ﬂoppy and insert the installation CD for the Windows Operating System you wish to install into the CD-ROM drive of the new system you are about to conﬁgure.

Note: You need to have an external USB ﬂoppy when building the driver diskette. Window's Vista, Windows 2008 or later Windows OS systems can use a USB stick instead of a ﬂoppy.

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H8SCM, H8SCM-F specifications

Super Micro Computer, known for its cutting-edge server technology and enterprise solutions, offers the H8SCM-F and H8SCM motherboards as part of its robust line of products designed for high-performance computing tasks. These motherboards are ideal for businesses that require reliable, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for their data center and server needs.

The H8SCM-F and H8SCM motherboards are based on the AMD Opteron architecture, which delivers an impressive performance-to-cost ratio. They support dual-socket configurations, accommodating up to 16 cores in a single system, which is ideal for handling intensive processing demands. This allows organizations to run virtualization software, database applications, and other resource-heavy tasks with ease.

One of the standout features of the H8SCM-F motherboard is its extensive memory support. It can accommodate up to 512GB of DDR3 memory across eight DIMM slots. This high memory capacity enhances performance, particularly in data-intensive applications, ensuring that users can run multiple processes without facing bottlenecks.

The H8SCM series motherboards also emphasize connectivity. With integrated features such as dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, they support effective bandwidth management. Additionally, the presence of multiple PCI-E slots enables users to incorporate various expansion cards for enhanced connectivity options, including additional network interfaces and high-performance storage controllers.

In terms of storage, the H8SCM-F motherboard offers support for multiple SATA drives, facilitating RAID configurations for improved data redundancy and performance. The ability to implement RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 provides users with flexibility and security for their data storage needs.

Another key technology integrated into the H8SCM series is advanced thermal management. Supermicro has designed these motherboards with careful attention to airflow and cooling solutions, ensuring that systems remain stable under heavy workloads. This is particularly vital in environments where uptime is critical.

In summary, the Super Micro Computer H8SCM-F and H8SCM motherboards are designed with high-performance, scalability, and reliability in mind. Their support for powerful AMD Opteron processors, substantial memory capacity, extensive connectivity options, and advanced storage and thermal management features make them an excellent choice for businesses seeking efficient server solutions. Whether for virtualized environments or high-demand applications, these motherboards deliver exceptional performance and versatility to meet a wide range of enterprise needs.