v  The  optional  ServeRAID-10is  SAS  controller  that  you  can  install  in  your  server, 
supports  RAID  levels  0,  1,  5,  6,  10,  50,  and  60. 
v  Servers  that  come  with  twelve  2.5-inch  hot-swap  SAS  drives  also  come  with  two 
ServeRAID  SAS  controllers;  a  ServeRAID-8k  Controller  in  the  ServeRAID 
connector  on  the  system  board  and  a  ServeRAID-8s  controller  in  PCI  Express 
slot  2.  The  ServeRAID-8k  controller  supports  the  first  eight  hard  disk  drives,  and 
the  ServeRAID-8s  supports  the  four  remaining  hard  disk  drives. 
v  The  integrated  ServeRAID-8k  controller  is  disabled  when  BIOS  detects  an 
optional  ServeRAID-10is  controller  in  the  server. 
v  Hard  disk  drive  capacities  affect  how  you  create  arrays.  The  drives  in  an  array 
can  have  different  capacities,  but  the  ServeRAID  controllers  treat  them  as  if  they 
all  have  the  capacity  of  the  smallest  hard  disk  drive. 
v  To  help  ensure  signal  quality,  do  not  use  drives  with  different  speeds  and  data 
rates  in  the  array. 
v  You  can  set  up  a  mirror  after  the  operating  system  is  installed  on  the  primary 
drive.  You  must  make  sure  that  the  primary  drive  has  the  lower  ID  (for  example, 
0). 
v  To  update  the  firmware  and  BIOS  code  for  the  ServeRAID-8k  SAS  Controller, 
you  must  use  the  IBM  ServeRAID  Support  CD  that  comes  with  the  server. 
v  If  you  install  a  different  type  of  RAID  controller,  see  the  documentation  that 
comes  with  the  controller  for  information  about  viewing  and  changing  SAS 
settings  for  attached  devices.
Starting  the  Adaptec  RAID  Configuration  Utility  program 
To  start  the  Adaptec  RAID  Configuration  Utility  program,  complete  the  following 
steps: 
1.  Turn  on  the  server. 
2.  When  the  prompt  <<<  Press  <CTRL><A>  for  Adaptec  RAID  Configuration 
Utility!  >>>  is  displayed,  press  Ctrl+A. 
3.  To  select  a  choice  from  the  menu,  use  the  arrow  keys  to  highlight  it  and  press 
Enter.
Adaptec  RAID  Configuration  Utility  menu  choices 
The  following  choices  are  on  the  Adaptec  RAID  Configuration  Utility  menu: 
v  Array  Configuration  Utility 
Select  this  choice  to  create,  manage,  or  delete  arrays  or  to  initialize  drives. 
v  SerialSelect  Utility 
Select  this  choice  to  configure  the  controller  interface  definitions  or  to  configure 
the  physical  transfer  and  SAS  address  of  the  selected  drive. 
v  Disk  Utilities 
Select  this  choice  to  format  a  disk  or  verify  the  disk  media.  Select  a  device  from 
the  list  and  read  the  instructions  on  the  screen  carefully  before  you  make  a 
selection.
Creating  a  RAID  array 
To  create  a  RAID  array,  complete  the  following  steps: 
1.  Start  the  Adaptec  RAID  Configuration  Utility  program. 
2.  Select  Array  Configuration  Utility. 
3.  From  the  Main  menu,  select  Create  Array. 
 
58  IBM  System  x3500  Type  7977:  Installation  Guide