Appendix D: Software Installation: Adaptec's SATA HostRAID Utility
D-1
Appendix D
Software Installation: Adaptec's SATA
HostRAID Utility for Marvell's
88SX6041 Chip
After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure Adaptec's
Serial ATA RAID Driver (*Note) before you install the Windows operating
system, and other software drivers. The necessary drivers are all
i n c l u d e d o n t h e S u p e r m i c r o C D s t h a t c a m e p a c k a g e d w i t h y o u r
motherboard.
D-1 Configuring Serial ATA RAID Functions
Serial ATA (SATA)
Serial ATA(SATA) is a physical storage interface device. 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 150MBps.
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 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 Adaptec's Serial ATA RAID Controller
Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA RAID with HostRAID adds RAID
functionality to the SATA I/O controller by supporting RAID levels 0, 1,
and 10. With HostRAID, you can optimize the reliability, performance and
data protection of the system.
Adaptec's Serial ATA RAID Storage Requirements
Adaptec's device drivers and storage management software require
approximately 20 MB of disk space.
