User`s guide
Appendix C: Adaptec HostRAID Setup Guidelines
C-1
Appendix C. Adaptec HostRAID Setup Guidelines
After all the hardware has been installed, you must rst congure the Adaptec
Embedded Serial ATA RAID before you install the Windows operating system.
The necessary drivers are all included on the bootable CDs that came packaged
with your motherboard. Note: The following section provides information on the
Adaptec SATA RAID Driver based on the Intel South Bridge (IOH-36D/ICH10R)
controller.
C-1 Adaptec Embedded SATA Controller
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 3.0 Gbps. Because the
serial cables used in SATA are thinner than the traditional cables used in Parallel
ATA (PATA), SATA systems have better airow and can be installed in smaller
chassis than PATA. In addition, the cables used in PATA can only extend to 40cm
long, while SATA cables can extend up to one meter. Overall, SATA provides bet-
ter functionality than PATA.
Introduction to the Intel IOH-36D I/O Controller Hub
Located in the South Bridge of the Intel 5520 Chipset, the IOH-36D I/O controller
Hub provides the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports
1-channel Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA) and one Adaptec SATA
Host Controller, which support up to six SATA drives, up to two RAID volumes and
up to four drives in RAID congurations. (See the table below for details.)
* Adaptec’s SATA HostRAID Controller Firmware supports:
Drives supported Six
Number of RAID Volumes supported Two
Total Drives in RAID Configurations Four
Examples of Valid RAID Configurations:
Two drives of RAID 1 + two drives of RAID 0
Two drives of RAID 1 + two drives of RAID 1
Three drives of RAID 0
Four drives of RAID 0
Examples of Invalid RAID Configurations:
Three drives of RAID 0 + two drives of RAID 1
(*Note: this table is applicable to Adaptec’s HostRAID Controller
Firmware only.)