Univide UniWorkstation 5548, User Manual

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5.2.4.4 Integrated Striping Firmware
This section describes features of the LSI Logic Integrated Striping (IS) firmware.
5.2.4.4.1 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.
5.2.4.4.2 Metadata Support
The firmware supports metadata, which describes the IS logical drive configuration stored on each member disk.
When 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.
5.2.4.4.3 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.
5.2.4.4.4 Disk Write Caching
Disk write caching is disabled by default on all IS volumes.
5.2.4.5 Fusion-MPT Support
The BIOS uses the LSI Logic Fusion-MPT interface to communicate to the SAS controller 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 communicate with the controller and
firmware.