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Appendix C: Intel HostRAID
Appendix C
Intel HostRAID
After the hardware has been installed, you must first configure Intel's ICH7R SATA
RAID before you install Windows and software drivers.
Important Notes to the User
Note: If you do not wish to configure onboard SATA RAID functions, please go
directly to Section C-2 for Operating System & Other Software Installation.
This chapter describes RAID configuration instructions for the Intel ICH RAID
Controller designed for Windows OS. For Linux OS, please use the Adaptec
HostRAID Utility.
To use the Adaptec HostRAID, please enable Adaptec's RAID Controller in BIOS
and refer to the Adaptec HostRAID Utility and documentation included in the CD
that came with your motherboard for instructions.
C-1 Introduction to Serial ATA and Parallel ATA
To configure the SATA RAID functions, you must first use the Intel ICH7R SATA RAID
Utility program to configure the RAID level that you desire before installing Windows
XP/2000/2003 and software drivers. (The necessary drivers are all included on the
Supermicro CD that came with your motherboard.) Note that the current version of
the ICH7R SATA RAID Utility can only support Windows XP/2000/2003.
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 3Gbps. 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 are limited to a length of 40cm,
while Serial ATA cables can be up to one meter in length. Overall, SATA provides
better functionality than PATA.
Introduction to Intel ICH7R Serial RAID
Located in the South Bridge of the Intel 3010 chipset, the I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R)
provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports a 2channel UltraATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA) and four Serial ATA (SATA)
ports. The ICH7R supports the following PATA and SATA device configurations:
Legacy mode and Native mode.
C-1