MSI 5500 Master Series, User Manual

Page: 108 / 113

B-18
MS-96C8 Server Board
4.4 Integrated Striping Firmware
This section describes features of the LSI Logic Integrated Striping (IS) firmware.
4.4.1 Host Interface
The IS host interface uses the Message Passing Interface, as described in the
Fusion-MPT Message Passing Interface Specification
, including Integrated
Striping. Through the Fusion-MPT interface, the host operating system has
access to the logical IS drive as well as the physical disks.
4.4.2 Metadata Support
The firmware supports metadata, which describes the IS logical drive configu-
ration stored on each member disk. W hen the firmware is initialized, each
member disk is queried to read the stored metadata to verify the configuration.
The usable disk space for each IS member disk is adjusted down to leave room
for this data.
4.4.3 SMART Support
The IS firmware enables Mode 6 SMART on the IS member disks. Mode 6
SMART requires each physical disk to be polled at regular intervals. If a SMART
ASC/ASCQ code is detected on a physical IS disk, the firmware processes the
SMART data, and the last received SMART ASC/ASCQ is stored in non-volatile
memory. The IS volume does not support SMART directly, since it is just a logical
representation of the physical disks in the volume.
4.4.4 Disk Write Caching
Disk write caching is disabled by default on all IS volumes.
4.5 Fusion-MPT Support
The BIOS uses the LSI Logic Fusion-MPT interface to communicate to the SAS con-
troller and firmware to enable Integrated Striping. This includes reading the Fusion-
MPT configuration to gain access to the parameters that are used to define behavior
between the SAS controller and the devices connected to it. The Fusion-MPT drivers
for all supported operating systems implement the Fusion-MPT interface to communi-
cate with the controller and firmware.
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