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Appendix C: Software Installation
C-1
Appendix C
Installing Software Programs and Drivers
(*Note: if you do not wish to configure onboard SATA RAID functions, please
go directly to Section C-5 on Page C-22 for Operating System & Other Software
Installation.)
After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure Intel's ICH6R
SATA RAID (*Note) before you install the Windows Operating System, and
other software drivers. The necessary drivers are all included on the
Supermicro CDs that came packaged with your motherboard.
C-1 Configuring Intel ICH6R SATA RAID Function
To configure SATARAID functions, you must first configure the RAID Level
that you desire in the Intel ICH6R SATA RAID Utility program before you
install the Windows XP/2000 operating system, and other software
drivers. The necessary drivers are all included on the Supermicro CDs that
came packaged with your motherboard. (*Note: the current version of
ICH6R SATA RAID Utility can only support Windows XP/2000 Operating
System.)
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 SATA Transfer rates up to 150MBps. 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 can
only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one meter.
Overall, Serial ATA provides better functionality than Parallel ATA.
Introduction to Intel ICH6R SerialRAID
Located in the South Bridge of the E7221 Copper River Chipset, the I/O Control-
ler Hub (ICH6R) provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the
system. It supports one-channel Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller
(PATA) and Serial ATA (SATA) Host Controller, which supports up to four
Serial ATA ports and up to two sets of RAID drives. The ICH6R supports the
following Parallel ATA (PATA) and Serial (SATA) device configurations:
ATA Operation Modes
You can select from the following two modes: Legacy mode and Native
mode.