Supero SuperWorkstation 7045A-WT, User Manual

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Appendix C: Intel HostRAID Setup Guidelines
C-1
Appendix C
Intel HostRAID Setup Guidelines
After all the hardware has been installed, you must fi rst confi gure the Intel ESB2
SATA RAID before you install the Windows Operating System and other software
drivers.
Important Notes
If you do not wish to confi gure onboard SATA RAID functions, please go directly to
Section C-2, Appendix D and Appendix E for Operating System & Other Software
Installation.
This chapter describes RAID Confi guration Instructions for the Intel ESB2 RAID
Controller designed for the Windows OS.
C-1 Introduction to Serial ATA and Parallel ATA
To confi gure the SATA RAID functions, you must fi rst use the Intel ESB2 SATA
RAID Utility program to confi gure 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 ESB2 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 a
minimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between devices. It
is a serial link, which supports transfer rates up to 3.0 Gbps. Because the serial
cables used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Parallel ATA
(PATA), SATA systems have better airfl ow and can be installed in smaller chassis.
In addition, the cables used in PATA are limited to a length of 40cm, while Se-
rial ATA cables can be up to one meter in length. Overall, SATA provides better
functionality than PATA.
Introduction to the Intel ESB2 Serial RAID
Located in the South Bridge of the 5400 chipset, the I/O Controller Hub (ESB2)
provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports 1-
channel UltraATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA) and six Serial ATA (SATA)
ports. The ESB2 supports the following PATA and SATA device confi gurations:
Legacy mode and Native mode.