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Appendix C: Software Installation
Appendix C
Software Installation
After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure the Adaptec
Embedded Serial ATA RAID driver before you install the operating system. The
necessary drivers are all included on the Supermicro bootable CDs that came
packaged with your motherboard.
C-1 Introduction to Serial ATA
Serial ATA (SATA)
Serial ATA (SATA) is a physical storage interface. It 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 from 150 MB/s. Because the serial cables
used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Parallel ATA (PATA),
SATA systems can be installed in smaller chassis than PATA. In addition, PATA
cables can only extend to 40cm, while SATA cables can extend up to one meter.
Overall, SATA provides better functionality than PATA.
Intel 6300ESB I/O Controller Hub
Located in the South Bridge of Intel's E7210 chipset, the 6300ESB I/O Controller
Hub provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. In addition
to supporting a dual-channel Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA), the
6300ESB also supports two SATA host controllers, which provides support for up to
two SATA ports and up to two RAID drives. The 6300ESB supports the PATA and
SATA device configurations listed below.
ATA Operating Modes
You can select from the following two modes: Combined Mode and Enhanced Mode.
Combined Mode
In this mode, system BIOS assigns the traditional IRQ 14 and IRQ 15 for HDD use.
Up to four ATA devices are supported by this mode.
Within the Combined Mode, the following three modes are supported:
Non-Combined Mode: Parallel ATA only, with a maximum of four devices supported.
C-1
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