SUPER MICRO Computer MBDX7DA3O user manual Adaptec Embedded SAS with HostRAID Controller

Appendix C: Installing the Adaptec HostRAID Utility and the Windows OS

Appendix C

Installing the Adaptec HostRAID Utility and the

Windows OS

After all the hardware has been installed, you must fi rst confi gure the SAS RAID before you install the Windows Operating System and other software drivers.

C-1 The Adaptec Embedded SAS with HostRAID Controller

Note: If you do not wish to confi gure Adaptec SAS/SATA HostRAID functions, please go directly to Section C-2 and Appendix E for the Windows OS and Other

Software Installation instructions. For Intel's ESB2 SATA HostRAID Utility, please

refer to Appendix D. For more information on the SAS/SATA RAID settings, please

refer to the CD that came with your motherboard.

Introduction to SATA (Serial ATA) and SAS (Serial Attached SCSI)

Serial ATA(SATA) is a physical storage interface. It uses a single cable with a minimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between devices. It is a serial link which supports SATA transfer rates up to 150Mbps. Because the serial cables used in Serial ATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Parallel ATA (PATA), SATA systems provide more effi cient system cooling, faster data transfer and better functionality than Parallel ATA. In addition to SATA which is supported by the Intel ESB2 South Bridge, the X7DA3+ has an Adaptec SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 9410W Controller built in. SAS supports serial link data transfer rates up to 3Gbps. With the dynamic SAS infrastructure built in, the X7DA3+ supports both SATA and SAS, providing the user with unparalleled data storage expansion and inter-connectivity capability.

Using the Adaptec RAID Configuration Utility

The onboard SAS Controller is enabled by default. To disable it, please set Jumper JPS1 to Pins 2-3 (See Page 2-28 in Chapter 2 for details.)

When the system is detecting the SAS Controller BIOS, make sure that the 16- digit Adapter WWN address displays. If this number is not shown, you will not be able to use the controller.

Once the WWN address appears, press the <Ctrl> and <A> keys simultaneously when prompted to access the Adaptec SAS RAID BIOS. (Note: Use the arrow keys to highlight an item and then press <Enter> to select an option. To return to the previous menu, press <ESC>.)

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