Reference Guide

12 Important Information
The Intel RAID Feature is Not Supported on Dell Precision Systems
The integrated Serial ATA (SATA) controllers on Dell Precision™ 390 and
Dell Precision 490 workstations have built-in redundant array of independent
disks (RAID) features. The SATA controllers can be configured to RAID and
non-RAID modes. The Intel
®
RAID features of the SATA controllers are not
supported on Linux. Dell recommends disabling the RAID features when
using Linux on Dell Precision workstations; and using Linux operating system
software RAID instead.
Slow Boot and Warning Messages on SATA
If a SATA controller has a vacant SATA port, the SATA device may generate
the following warning message and delay the operating system boot sequence:
localhost kernel: scsi1 : ata_piix
localhost kernel: ata1: port is slow to respond,
please be patient
localhost kernel: ata1: port failed to respond
(30 secs)
This issue does not cause any problems after the operating system boots.
A fix for this issue is expected in a future Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 update.
Driver Update Model Updates Kernel Entries on GRUB Boot
Selection Screen
When using Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Driver Update Model or DKMS to
update kernel modules, multiple GRUB entries appear at the GRUB Boot
selection screen on system boot. The Driver Update Model creates modified
initrd images when it updates a driver required for system boot. This behavior
is expected and the default boot kernel contains the most recent applied
driver changes. For more information, see the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
release notes on the Red Hat website at www.redhat.com.
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