Appendix D: Adaptec HostRAID Setup Guidelines

Appendix D

Adaptec HostRAID Setup Guidelines

Afterallthe hardwarehas been installed, youmustfirst configure theAdaptec Embedded

Serial ATA RAID before you install the Windows operating system. The necessary

drivers are all included on the Supermicro bootable CDs that came packaged with your

motherboard. *Note: The following section provides information on the Adaptec SATA RAID Driver based on the Intel Enterprise South Bridge 2 (ESB2) Controller.

D-1 Introduction to the Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA RAID Controller Driver

Serial ATA (SATA)

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 3.0 Gbps. Because the serial cables used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Paral- lel ATA(PATA), SATA systems have better airfl ow and can be installed in smaller chassis than Parallel ATA. In addition, the cables used in PATA can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one meter. Overall, Serial ATA provides better functionality than Parallel ATA.

Introduction to the Intel ESB2 I/O Controller Hub

Located in the South Bridge of the Intel 5000P/5000X Chipset, the ESB2 I/O Controller Hub provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports 1-channel Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA) and one Adaptec's Serial ATA (SATA) Host Controller, which support up to six Serial ATA drives, up to two RAID volumes and up to four drives in RAID Confi gurations. (See the table below for details.)

* Adaptec’s SATA HostRAID Controller Firmware supports:

Drives supported

Six

Number of RAID Volumes supported

Two

Total Drives in RAID Configurations

Four

Examples of Valid RAID Configurations:

Two drives of RAID 1 + two drives of RAID 0

Two drives of RAID 1 + two drives of RAID 1

Three drives of RAID 0

Four drives of RAID 0

Examples of Invalid RAID Configurations:

Three drives of RAID 0 + two drives of RAID 1

(*Note: this table is applicable to Adaptec’s HostRAID Controller Firmware only.)

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SUPER MICRO Computer X7DBT-INF, XDGT, X7DGT-INF user manual Appendix D Adaptec HostRAID Setup Guidelines

X7DBT, X7DBT-INF, XDGT, X7DGT-INF specifications

Super Micro Computer, a leader in high-performance computing solutions, offers a diverse range of server motherboards tailored for various business needs. Among these, the Supermicro X7DGT-INF, X7DGT, X7DBT-INF, and X7DBT stand out for their robust architectures and advanced features.

The Supermicro X7DGT-INF motherboard is designed for dual processor systems utilizing Intel's Xeon processors. It supports up to 64GB of DDR2 memory, providing significant flexibility for memory-intensive applications. The X7DGT-INF features six SATA ports, enabling efficient data storage solutions with RAID configurations. Additionally, it offers integrated IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) functionality, which allows remote management of the motherboard, enhancing system uptime and reliability.

The X7DGT shares many features with the INF model but enhances connectivity options with PCI Express slots, making it ideal for virtualization and embedded applications. This dual-CPU motherboard allows for up to 128GB of memory, catering to businesses that require high computational power and substantial memory bandwidth, particularly for tasks such as data analysis and enterprise resource planning.

Meanwhile, the Supermicro X7DBT-INF is notable for its dual-broadband capabilities, which facilitate high throughput for networking tasks. Like its siblings, it supports Intel Xeon processors and DDR2 memory but goes a step further with onboard dual Gigabit Ethernet and a dedicated IPMI controller. Its design emphasizes optimal thermal management, ensuring that power-hungry applications remain stable under heavy workloads.

The X7DBT also supports dual processors and provides a robust memory architecture. It is engineered for high-performance computing environments. Featuring multiple PCI Express slots, this motherboard is ideal for applications such as cluster computing and high-frequency trading where low latency and high-speed networking are essential.

Overall, the Supermicro X7DGT-INF, X7DGT, X7DBT-INF, and X7DBT motherboards epitomize reliability and performance. Their compatibility with Intel’s Xeon processors, extensive memory options, and advanced connectivity features make them superb choices for enterprise-level applications, data centers, and research institutions that demand uncompromising performance and efficiency in their computing solutions.