Asrock ATI RAID, M3A UCC, ALIVEXFIRE-ESATA2 R3.0, 4CORE1333-FULLHD INSTALLATION GUIDE

ATI RAID Installation Guide

1. ATI BIOS RAID Installation Guide …………………………………………………………. 2

1.1 Introduction to RAID …………………………………………………………………… 2

1.2 RAID Configurations Precautions ……………………………………………………. 2

1.3 Create Disk Array ……………………………………………………………………… 3

2. ATI Windows RAID Installation Guide …………………………………………………….. 8

2.1 Components of WebPAM Installation Software ……………………………………. 8

2.2 Browser Support ………………………………………………………………………. 8

2.3 Installing WebPAM ……………………………………………………………………. 8

2.4 Log-in to WebPAM ……………………………………………………………………. 11

2.5 Create RAID in WebPAM ……………………………………………………………. 12

1. ATI BIOS RAID Installation Guide

ATI BIOS RAID Installation Guide is an instruction for you to configure RAID functions by using the onboard FastBuild BIOS utility under BIOS environment. After you make a SATA / SATAII driver diskette, press <F2> to enter BIOS setup to set the option to RAID mode by following the detailed instruction of the “User Manual” in our support CD or “Quick Installation Guide”, then you can start to use the onboard FastBuild BIOS utility to configure RAID.

1.1 Introduction to RAID

The term “RAID” stands for “Redundant Array of Independent Disks”, which is a method combining two or more hard disk drives into one logical unit. For optimal performance, please install identical drives of the same model and capacity when creating a RAID set.

RAID 0 (Data Striping)

RAID 0 is called data striping that optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data in parallel, interleaved stacks. It will improve data access and storage since it will double the data transfer rate of a single disk alone while the two hard disks perform the same work as a single drive but at a sustained data transfer rate.

WARNING!!

Although RAID 0 function can improve the access performance, it does not provide any fault tolerance. Hot-Plug any HDDs of the

RAID 0 Disk will cause data damage or data loss.

RAID 1 (Data Mirroring)

RAID 1 is called data mirroring that copies and maintains an identical image of data from one drive to a second drive. It provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system since the disk array management software will direct all applications to the surviving drive as it contains a complete copy of the data in the other drive if one drive fails.

RAID 10 (Stripe Mirroring)

RAID 0 drives can be mirrored using RAID 1 techniques, resulting in a RAID 10 solution for improved performance plus resiliency. The controller combines the performance of data striping (RAID 0) and the fault tolerance of disk mirroring (RAID 1). Data is striped across multiple drives and duplicated on another set of drives.

1.2 RAID Configurations Precautions

1. Please use two new drives if you are creating a RAID 0 (striping) array for performance. It is recommended to use two SATA drives of the same size. If you use two drives of different sizes, the smaller capacity hard disk will be the base storage size for each drive. For example, if one hard disk has an 80GB storage

capacity and the other hard disk has 60GB, the maximum storage capacity for the 80GB-drive becomes 60GB, and the total storage capacity for this RAID 0 set is 120GB.

2. You may use two new drives, or use an existing drive and a new drive to create a RAID 1 (mirroring) array for data protection (the new drive must be of the same size or larger than the existing drive). If you use two drives of different sizes, the smaller capacity hard disk will be the base storage size. For example, if one hard disk has an 80GB storage capacity and the other hard disk has 60GB, the maximum storage capacity for the RAID 1 set is 60GB.

3. Please verify the status of your hard disks before you set up your new RAID array.

WARNING!!

Please backup your data first before you create RAID functions. In the process you create RAID, the system will ask if you

want to “Clear Disk Data” or not. It is recommended to select “Yes”, and then your future data building will operate under a

clean environment.

1.3 Create Disk Array

Power on your system. If this is the first time you have booted with the disk drives installed, the ATI onboard BIOS will display the following screen.

No Array is defined...

Press <Ctrl-F> to enter FastBuild (tm) Utility...

Press <Ctrl+F> keys, then the FastBuild Utility Main Menu appears.

Press 2 on the Main Menu screen to display the Define LD Menu.

Press the arrow keys to highlight a logical drive number you want to define and press <Enter> to select it. The Define LD Menu for the logical drive number you selected will next appear.

Choose the RAID level you want. In the Define LD Menu section, press the spacebar to cycle through logical drive types, including RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10.

WARNING!!

While you are allowed to use any available RAID level for your bootable logical drive, it is recommended to use RAID 1 for most

applications.

Press the arrow key to move to Disk Assignments. Press the spacebar to toggle between N and Y for each available drive. Y means this disk drive will be assigned to the logical drive. Assign the appropriate number of disk drives to your logical drive. Then press <Ctrl-Y> to save your logical drive configuration. You have the option of using all of the disk drive capacity for one logical drive or allocating a portion to a second logical drive.

Press Ctrl-Y to Modify Array Capacity or press any other key to use maximum capacity...

Choose one of the following actions:

1. Use the full capacity of the disk drives for a single logical drive: Please read “One Logical Drive” below.

2. Split the disk drives among two logical drives: Please read “Two Logical Drives” below.

One Logical Drive

After selecting the logical drive in Disk Assignments as the above-mentioned procedures, press any key (except for <Ctrl-Y>) to use the full portion of the logical drive for one logical drive. Then please follow the steps below:

1. Press <Esc> to exit to the Main Menu.

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