Intel S5000XAL manual ESB-2 IO Controller, Snoop Filter 5000X MCH only

Intel® Server Board S5000PAL / S5000XAL TPS Functional Architecture

3.1.3.4.2.2Dual Branch Mode Sparing

Dual branch mode sparing requires that all eight DIMM slots be populated and must comply with the following population rules.

•DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 must be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2 must be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_C1 and DIMM_D1 must be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_C2 and DIMM_D2 must be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2 need not be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2 need not be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_C1 and DIMM_C2 need not be identical in organization, size and speed.

•DIMM_D1 and DIMM_D2 need not be identical in organization, size and speed.

•Sparing should be enabled in BIOS setup.

•BIOS will configure Rank Sparing Mode.

•The larger of the pairs {DIMM_A1, DIMM_B1} and {DIMM_A2, DIMM_B2} and {DIMM_C1, DIMM_D1} and {DIMM_C2, DIMM_D2} will be selected as the spare pair units.

3.1.4Snoop Filter (5000X MCH only)

The 5000X version of the MCH includes a snoop filter. Depending on the application of the server, this feature can be used to enhance the performance of the server by eliminating unnecessary traffic on the system bus. By removing the excess traffic from the snooped bus, the full bandwidth is available for other operations.

3.2ESB-2 IO Controller

The ESB-2 is a multi-function device that provides four distinct functions: an IO Controller, a PCI-X* Bridge, a Gigabit Ethernet Controller, and a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). Each function within the ESB-2 has its own set of configuration registers. Once configured, each appears to the system as a distinct hardware controller.

A primary role of the ESB-2 is to provide the gateway to all PC-compatible I/O devices and features. The server board uses the following ESB-2 features:

•PCI-X* bus interface

•Six Channel SATA interface w/SATA Busy LED Control

•Dual GbE MAC

•Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)

•Single ATA interface, with Ultra DMA 100 capability

•Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) interface

•Removable Media Drives

•LPC bus interface

•PC-compatible timer/counter and DMA controllers

•APIC and 8259 interrupt controller

•Power management

•System RTC

•General purpose I/O

Revision 1.4	33
	Intel order number: D31979-007