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Asus P4C800 Deluxe ATA SATA and RAID Promise FastTrack 378 Drivers and more.
The Asus P4C800 Deluxe Promise RAID OEM implementation .
I hope that would be some Pro that would clarify once and for good for the masses with some computer knowledge which I consider part of myself. Many thanks in advance for that. Useful Links related to my questions (so nobody would answer the clasical: "Go and read the Manual"): Overview P4C800 Deluxe: http://www.asus.com/products/mb/sock...d/overview.htm Specs P4C800 Deluxe : http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=...eluxe&langs=01 Drivers for P4C800 Deluxe: http://www.asus.com.tw/support/downl...xe&Type=Latest Related non-OEM products from Promise's website: Serial / ATA Card - FastTrak S150 TX2plus http://www.promise.com/product/produ...107&familyId=2 Serial /ATA Card (non-RAID) - SATA150 TX2plus http://www.promise.com/product/produ...=97&familyId=3 1.) From the Specs and Overview and reading the Manual we get the following info: ""The P4C800 Deluxe offers the most complete RAID solution. A Promise SATA controller offers RAID 0, 1 and 10 functions with Max. 2 UltraATA 133 ports and 2 SATA HD ports, enabling users to build a RAID array with any 2, 3 or 4 of the ports. With unique multi-RAID function, RAID 0 and RAID 1 array can co-exist." ""Promise 20378 RAID controller: 1 x UltraDMA 133 support two hard drives 2 x Serial ATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, Multiple RAID" My question: Does it mean that we can use the following cominations?: 1.1 - two SATA HDDs connected to the SATA ports, in RAID 0 1.2 - two ATA HDDs connected to the ATA ports, in RAID 0 1.3 - one SATA HDD connected to a SATA port and one ATA HDD connected to the ATA port, in RAID 0 1.4 - one SATA RAID array and one ATA RAID array in the same time 1.5 - two (one SATA + one ATA) RAID arrays 1.6 - one SATA RAID 0 array mirrored on a HDD of equal or larger size connected to an ATA port (RAID 0+1) 1.7 - one SATA RAID 0 array mirrored on a RAID 0 array connected to ATA (RAID 0+1) 1.8 - SATA or ATA HDDs, maximum four, used independently on any port 1.9 - one RAID (0 or 1) array and one or two independent HDDs (lets say for storage etc) 2.) Second question is related to the DRIVERS I have to use for my Promise FastTrack 378 (chipset PDC20378) integrated (OEM) controller. On ASUS's website I found three types of drivers for download: A - 378raid_100137.zip that is explained as : "Promise FastTrak 378 RAID Driver V1.00.1.37 for Windows 98SE/NT4/ME/2000/XP/2003" or "FastTrak 376/378 Driver" in the README file. B - 378ata_100104528.zip that is explained as : "Promise SATA378 Driver V1.00.0.26 (ATA Mode) " or "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file. C - 378ATA100130.zip that is explained as : "Promise FastTrak 378 ATA Driver V1.00.1.30 " or "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file. On the original ASUS CD that came with my motherboard I found the following drivers: A (CD) - 378ATA explained as "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file B (CD) - 378RAID explained as "FastTrak 376/378 Driver" in the README file There are also two .doc files "FastTrak 378 Quick Start Guide v1.0_OEM" and "SATA 378 Quick Start Guide v1.0_OEM" There is NO clear explanation in the Manual, README files or other docs on why are two or three types of drivers for the same chipset. It seems that this Promise FastTrak 378 controller OEM card can be used as a RAID controller (see SATA150 TX2plus) or as SATA/ATA simple ports (see S150 TX2plus) extention card, but not both in the same time (is my question 1.9 valid then?!?). Why Promise creates two non-OEM (FastTrak S150 TX2plus and SATA150 TX2plus) cards and one "two in one" sollution for OEM then? Why there are two SATA drivers ('B' and 'C') on Asus web site, one branded as "ATA mode"?!? Related to these questions above I found some answres in Google\Group, but none very clear. 3.) Third question: Is the Promise OEM BIOS integrated with the motherboard BIOS? I think I've seen in one of BIOS update ROM file related README file that the "Promise FastTrak BIOS will be updated together with this file". What does it mean? 4.) Fourth question. For the moment I'm using two 80Gb Seagate SATA HDDs in RAID 0 with Windows XP Pro SP1 installed. Under Device Manager \ SCSI and RAID Controllers tab I can see the following: A. - SCSI\RAID Host Controller B. - Win XP Promise FastTrack 376/378 (tm) Controller C. - XMASSCSI SCSI Controller I can understand what 'B' is, but not 'A' and 'C'. 5.) Fifth question: The SATA connectors controlled by the ICH5 chipset. Where are the drivers for them? I read somewhere that SP1 introduced them. What about Win XP before SP1. There is now download link on Asus website. Or maybe is the Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility that provides some SATA support? Correct me if I'm wrong. Under Device Manager \ IDE ATA/ATAPI ontrollers I have the following: A. - Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers B. - Primary IDE channel C. - Secondary IDE channel Is 'A' the SATA driver for the two SATA (ICH5) ports on my motherboard? Many thanks in advance, Julian |
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In article , "Julian" wrote:
The Asus P4C800 Deluxe Promise RAID OEM implementation . I hope that would be some Pro that would clarify once and for good for the masses with some computer knowledge which I consider part of myself. Many thanks in advance for that. There are plenty of pros, I'm not one of them :-) links snipped 1.) From the Specs and Overview and reading the Manual we get the following info: ""The P4C800 Deluxe offers the most complete RAID solution. A Promise SATA controller offers RAID 0, 1 and 10 functions with Max. 2 UltraATA 133 ports and 2 SATA HD ports, enabling users to build a RAID array with any 2, 3 or 4 of the ports. With unique multi-RAID function, RAID 0 and RAID 1 array can co-exist." ""Promise 20378 RAID controller: 1 x UltraDMA 133 support two hard drives 2 x Serial ATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, Multiple RAID" My question: Does it mean that we can use the following cominations?: 1.1 - two SATA HDDs connected to the SATA ports, in RAID 0 1.2 - two ATA HDDs connected to the ATA ports, in RAID 0 1.3 - one SATA HDD connected to a SATA port and one ATA HDD connected to the ATA port, in RAID 0 1.4 - one SATA RAID array and one ATA RAID array in the same time 1.5 - two (one SATA + one ATA) RAID arrays 1.6 - one SATA RAID 0 array mirrored on a HDD of equal or larger size connected to an ATA port (RAID 0+1) 1.7 - one SATA RAID 0 array mirrored on a RAID 0 array connected to ATA (RAID 0+1) 1.8 - SATA or ATA HDDs, maximum four, used independently on any port 1.9 - one RAID (0 or 1) array and one or two independent HDDs (lets say for storage etc) There are two documents, a Fasttrak 378 document, and a SATA 378 document on the motherboard CD in the manuals directory. While they don't shed much light on how many arrays are available, at least one of the interfaces has room to display multiple arrays. Your 1.2 config is possible, but not recommended. Users have noticed performance drops with any product, when an array is placed on the same IDE cable. It is better to pair a SATA + an IDE, to make a array, as the packet data gets to travel on separate cables during an operation to an array. Since no drive by itself can exceed the data rate of the SATA cable or the IDE cable, the odd mixture shouldn't be a problem. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7 Sounds good. 1.6 Not sure, not likely 1.8 Quite likely, especially with the ATA driver (378ATA100130.zip) 1.9 Tricky. I thought single drives can run under the RAID BIOS, so it should work. Please remember that no manufacturer is as methodical as you are (in their documentation), and no single user has tested even a fraction of these combinations. Most people are happy to get these on-board solutions to do a single RAID0 or RAID1. I mean, I cannot think of one stinking manual that states that a single drive will work by itself on one of these types of RAID controllers - thus that same question is asked over and over again. 2.) Second question is related to the DRIVERS I have to use for my Promise FastTrack 378 (chipset PDC20378) integrated (OEM) controller. On ASUS's website I found three types of drivers for download: A - 378raid_100137.zip that is explained as : "Promise FastTrak 378 RAID Driver V1.00.1.37 for Windows 98SE/NT4/ME/2000/XP/2003" or "FastTrak 376/378 Driver" in the README file. B - 378ata_100104528.zip that is explained as : "Promise SATA378 Driver V1.00.0.26 (ATA Mode) " or "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file. C - 378ATA100130.zip that is explained as : "Promise FastTrak 378 ATA Driver V1.00.1.30 " or "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file. On the original ASUS CD that came with my motherboard I found the following drivers: A (CD) - 378ATA explained as "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file B (CD) - 378RAID explained as "FastTrak 376/378 Driver" in the README file There are also two .doc files "FastTrak 378 Quick Start Guide v1.0_OEM" and "SATA 378 Quick Start Guide v1.0_OEM" There is NO clear explanation in the Manual, README files or other docs on why are two or three types of drivers for the same chipset. It seems that this Promise FastTrak 378 controller OEM card can be used as a RAID controller (see SATA150 TX2plus) or as SATA/ATA simple ports (see S150 TX2plus) extention card, but not both in the same time (is my question 1.9 valid then?!?). As far as I know, single drives can be used on a RAID controller. For example, imagine a broken mirror, it has to work too. The advantage of the ATA driver, is that there is no dependency on the "hidden sector" and its contents. And possibly, a difference in performance by not having to go through the RAID driver code. Why Promise creates two non-OEM (FastTrak S150 TX2plus and SATA150 TX2plus) cards and one "two in one" sollution for OEM then? Why there are two SATA drivers ('B' and 'C') on Asus web site, one branded as "ATA mode"?!? Two price points. If you pay $$$ for a RAID card, you aren't likely to neuter it by running the ATA driver. I presume the chip is jumpered appropriately to prevent using the ATA version as a RAID. Just a guess. Related to these questions above I found some answres in Google\Group, but none very clear. 3.) Third question: Is the Promise OEM BIOS integrated with the motherboard BIOS? I think I've seen in one of BIOS update ROM file related README file that the "Promise FastTrak BIOS will be updated together with this file". What does it mean? Yes. The BIOS in the motherboard flash chip is actually a miniature file system. One of the files inside the BIOS is the Promise RAID code that runs in the BIOS screen. You need to upgrade the motherboard BIOS to get a newer Promise BIOS. 4.) Fourth question. For the moment I'm using two 80Gb Seagate SATA HDDs in RAID 0 with Windows XP Pro SP1 installed. Under Device Manager \ SCSI and RAID Controllers tab I can see the following: A. - SCSI\RAID Host Controller B. - Win XP Promise FastTrack 376/378 (tm) Controller C. - XMASSCSI SCSI Controller I can understand what 'B' is, but not 'A' and 'C'. No idea. Item "C" is particularly clever, whatever it is :-) 5.) Fifth question: The SATA connectors controlled by the ICH5 chipset. Where are the drivers for them? I read somewhere that SP1 introduced them. What about Win XP before SP1. There is now download link on Asus website. Or maybe is the Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility that provides some SATA support? Correct me if I'm wrong. Under Device Manager \ IDE ATA/ATAPI ontrollers I have the following: A. - Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers B. - Primary IDE channel C. - Secondary IDE channel Is 'A' the SATA driver for the two SATA (ICH5) ports on my motherboard? Many thanks in advance, Julian AFAIK, when an ICH5 type southbridge is run in non-RAID mode, the drivers are in the OS. In compatible mode, an older OS like Win98 access the hardware via I/O addresses. In enhanced mode, an OS like Win2K or WinXP accesses the hardware via PCI addresses. I believe in both cases, there is a driver in the OS appropriate to the situation. The third case, is an ICH5R SATA ports, where RAID has been enabled. You can use the Intel Application Accelerator RAID driver, such as IAAR35. It is not part of INFINST (the chipset drivers). You can download this from the Intel site if you want. It runs under WinXP. Again, no idea what you will see in the Device Manager. I'm not a RAID guy. HTH, Paul |
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Great answers. Sorry for delay on my reply.
The advantage of the ATA driver, is that there is no dependency on the "hidden sector" and its contents. And possibly, a difference in performance by not having to go through the RAID driver code. This is a bit too technical for me. Could you detail it a bit? AFAIK, when an ICH5 type southbridge is run in non-RAID mode, the drivers are in the OS. In compatible mode, an older OS like Win98 access the hardware via I/O addresses. In enhanced mode, an OS like Win2K or WinXP accesses the hardware via PCI addresses. I believe in both cases, there is a driver in the OS appropriate to the situation. The third case, is an ICH5R SATA ports, where RAID has been enabled. You can use the Intel Application Accelerator RAID driver, such as IAAR35. It is not part of INFINST (the chipset drivers). You can download this from the Intel site if you want. It runs under WinXP. Again, no idea what you will see in the Device Manager. I'm not a RAID guy. Also, more detail on Compatible versus Enhanced mode. Julian |
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