American Megatrends X6DVA-4G, X6DVA-EG Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility (ARC), The Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA with HostRAID Con- troller Driver

Appendix C: Software Installation Instructions

Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility (ARC)

The Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility is an embedded BIOS Utility,

including:

*Array Configuration Utility: Use this utility when you want to create,

configure and manage arrays.

* Disk Utilities: Use this option to format or verify disks.

To run the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility, you will need to enable the

RAID function in the system BIOS (refer to Chapter 4 for System BIOS

Configurations), and then, press the <Ctrl> and <A> keys simultaneously

when prompted to do so during the system startup. (Refer to the previ-

ous page for detailed instructions.)

(*Note: To select an option, use the arrow keys to highlight the item and

then press the <Enter> key to select it. To return to the previous menu,

press the <ESC> key.)

The Array Configuration Utility (ACU) enables you to create, manage, and

delete arrays from the controller’s BIOS, add and delete spare drives, and

initialize drives. During the system startup, press <Ctrl> and <A> key

simultaneously, and the main menu will appear.

The Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA with HostRAID Con-troller Driver

Adaptec's Embedded Serial ATA RAID with HostRAID controller adds RAID

functionality to the Serial ATA I/O controller by supporting RAID 0

(Striping) or RAID 1 (Mirroring) to enhance the industry's pioneer PCI-to-e

host controller products. RAID striping (RAID 0) can greatly improve hard

disk I/O performance because of its capability in striping data across

multiple drives. RAID mirroring (RAID 1) allows the data to be simulta-

neously written to two drives, so critical data is always available even if

a single hard disk fails. Due to the built-in functionality, the X6DVA-4G/

X6DVA-EG is specially designed to keep pace with the increasing

performance demands of computer systems by improving disk I/O

throughput and providing data accessibility regardless of a single disk

failure. By incorporating the Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA into the

motherboard design, Supermicro's X6DVA-4G/X6DVA-EG offers the user

with the benefits of SATARAID without the high costs associated with

hardware RAID applications.

(*Note: For Adaptec's RAID Driver Installation Instructions, please refer to

the Adaptec RAID Controller User's Guide: "Emb_SA_RAID_UG.pdf" in the

CD that came with this motherboard. You can also download a copy of

Adaptec's User's Guide from our web site at www.supermicro.com.)