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4 Intel® RAID Controller SASMF8I Hardware User’s Guide
• Allows addressing of multiple SATA targets through an expander if using SATA 2.0-
compliant hard disk drives.
• Allows multiple initiators to address a single target (in a fail-over configuration)
through an expander.
Operating System Support
The Intel
®
RAID Controller SASMF8I supports major operating systems, including:
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008*, Microsoft Windows Server 2003*, and Microsoft
Windows XP*
• Red Hat* Enterprise Linux 4.0 and 5.0
• SuSe* Linux Enterprise Server 9 and 10
Note: The operating systems supported by this controller may not be supported by your server
board. See the tested operating system list for your server board at
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/. See also the Tested Hardware and
Operating System List for the Intel
®
RAID Controller SASMF8I to make sure the RAID
controller supports your operating system.
Benefits of Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)
SAS is a serial, point-to-point, enterprise-level device interface that leverages the proven
SCSI protocol set. SAS is a convergence of the advantages of SATA, SCSI, and FC, and is
the future mainstay of the enterprise and high-end workstation storage markets. SAS
offers a higher bandwidth per pin than parallel SCSI, and improves signal and data
integrity.
The SAS interface uses the proven SCSI command set to ensure reliable data transfers,
while providing the connectivity and flexibility of point-to-point serial data transfers. The
serial transmission of SCSI commands eliminates clock skew challenges. The SAS
interface provides improved performance, simplified cabling, smaller connectors, lower
pin count, and lower power requirements when compared to parallel SCSI.
SAS controllers leverage a common electrical and physical connection interface that is
compatible with Serial ATA technology. The SAS and SATA protocols use a thin, 7-wire
connector instead of the 68-wire SCSI cable or 40-wire ATA cable. The SAS/SATA
connector and cable are easier to manipulate, allow connections to smaller devices, and do
not inhibit airflow. The point-to-point SATA architecture eliminates inherent difficulties
created by the legacy ATA master-slave architecture, while maintaining compatibility with
existing ATA firmware.