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Appendix C: Software Installation
Appendix C
Software Installation
After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure Intel's ICH7R
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 configure onboard SATA RAID functions, please go
directly to Section C-3 for Operating System & Other Software Installation.
Note 2: This chapter describes RAID Configuration Instructions for the Intel ICH
RAID Controller designed for the Windows OS.
Note 3: GLAN2 is available on the PDSML-LN2+/PDSML-E+ only.
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
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 that the current version of the ICH7R 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 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 3000 chipset, the I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R)
provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports a 2-
channel 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
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