SUPER MICRO Computer SERIES3800 Introduction to Serial ATA and Parallel ATA, Serial ATA Sata

Appendix C: Intel HostRAID Setup Guidelines

Appendix C

Intel HostRAID Setup Guidelines

After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure the Intel ICH9R SATA RAID* Settings before you install the Windows Operating System and other software drivers.

Note: If you do not wish to configure onboard SATA RAID functions, please go directly to Section C-2 and Appendix E for the Operating System & Other Software Installation.

C-1 Introduction to Serial ATA and Parallel ATA

To configure the SATA RAID functions, you must first use the Intel ICH9R SATA RAID Utility program to configure the RAID Level that you desire before installing the Windows XP/2000/2003 operating system and other software drivers. (The necessary drivers are all included on the Supermicro CD that came packaged with your motherboard.) Note: the current version of the ICH9R SATA RAID Utility can only support Windows XP/2000/2003 Operating Systems.

Serial ATA (SATA)

Serial ATA (SATA) is a physical storage interface that uses a single cable with

aminimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between devices. It is a serial link, which supports transfer rates up to 3Gbps. Because the serial cables used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Parallel ATA (PATA), SATA systems have better airflow and can be installed in smaller chassis than Parallel ATA. In addition, the cables used in PATA are limited to a length of 40cm, while Serial ATA cables can be up to one meter in length. Overall, SATA provides better functionality than PATA.

Introduction to the Intel ICH9R Serial RAID Setup

Located in the South Bridge of the Intel 3210 Chipset, the I/O Controller Hub (ICH9R) provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports six Serial ATA (SATA) ports. The ICH9R supports the following SATA device configurations: Legacy mode and Native mode.

C-1