Appendix C: Software Installation
C-1
Appendix C
Software Installation
After all the hardware has been installed, you must fi rst confi gure Intel's ICH9R
SATA RAID* before you install the Windows Operating System and other software
drivers.
Important Notes to the User:
Note 1: If you do not wish to confi gure onboard SATA RAID functions, please go
directly to Section C-4 for Operating System & Other Software Installation.
Note 2: This chapter describes RAID Confi guration Instructions for the Intel ICH
RAID Controller designed for the Windows OS. If you choose to use the Linux
OS, please enable Adaptec's RAID Controller in the BIOS and refer to Appendix
D for Adaptec RAID Confi guration Instructions.
C-1 Introduction to Serial ATA
To confi gure the SATA RAID functions, you must fi rst use the Intel ICH9R 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 ICH9R 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 3Gbps. 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
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 the Intel ICH9R Serial RAID
Located in the South Bridge of the 3210 chipset, the I/O Controller Hub ICH9R
provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports six
Serial ATA (SATA) ports. The ICH9R supports the following SATA device confi gu-
rations: Legacy mode and Native mode.
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