Supero SuperServer 5014C-M8, User Manual

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Appendix C: Software Installation
C-1
Appendix C
Software Installation
After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure Intel's ICH6R
SATA RAID before you install the Windows Operating System and other
software drivers. The necessary drivers are all included on the Supermicro
CDs that came packaged with your system.
Note: if you do not wish to configure onboard SATA RAID functions, please
go directly to Section C-5 for Operating System & Other Software Installation.
C-1 Configuring the ICH6R SATA RAID
To configure SATA RAID functions, you must first configure the RAID Level
that you desire in the Intel ICH6R SATA RAID Utility program before you
install the Windows XP/2000 operating system and other software drivers.
The necessary drivers are all included on the Supermicro CDs that came
packaged with your system. (Note: the current version of ICH6R SATA
RAID Utility can only support the Windows XP/2000 Operating System.)
Serial ATA (SATA)
Serial ATA (SATA) is a physical storage interface that uses a single cable with
a minimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between de-
vices. It is a serial link which supports SATA transfer rates up to 150MB/s.
Because the serial cables used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables
used in Parallel ATA (PATA), SATA systems promote better airflow and can be
installed in smaller chassis than can PATA. In addition, the cables used in
PATA can only extend to 40cm long, while SATA cables can extend up to one
meter. Overall, Serial ATA provides better functionality than Parallel ATA.
Introduction to Intel ICH6R SerialRAID
Located in the South Bridge of the E7221 chipset, the I/O Controller Hub (ICH6R)
provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports
an Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA) and Serial ATA (SATA)
Host Controller, which supports up to four Serial ATA ports and up to two sets
of RAID drives. The ICH6R supports the following Parallel ATA and Serial ATA
device configurations:
ATA Operating Modes
You can select from the following two modes: Legacy mode and Native mode.