Asus PIKE 6480 User manual

PIKE 6480
SAS RAID card

ii
E4380
First Edition
February 2009
Copyright © 2009 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS
MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

iii
Contents
Contents ...................................................................................................... iii
Notices......................................................................................................... iv
Safety information ....................................................................................... v
About this guide ......................................................................................... vi
PIKE 6480 specications summary ........................................................ viii
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-2
1.2 Package contents......................................................................... 1-2
1.3 Card layout ................................................................................... 1-3
1.4 System requirements................................................................... 1-3
1.5 Card installation........................................................................... 1-4
Chapter 2: RAID conguration
2.1 Setting up RAID............................................................................ 2-2
2.1.1 RAID denitions .............................................................. 2-2
2.1.2 Installing hard disk drives................................................ 2-2
2.2 Marvell®88SE6480 SAS RAID BIOS setup utility ...................... 2-3
2.2.1 Creating an array ............................................................ 2-4
2.2.2 Deleting an array............................................................. 2-7
2.2.3 Wipe out disk .................................................................. 2-8
2.2.4 Spare Management ........................................................ 2-9
2.2.5 Advanced Operation ......................................................2-11
2.2.6 Controller Conguration ................................................ 2-12
Chapter 3: Driver installation
3.1 RAID driver installation ............................................................... 3-2
3.1.1 Creating a RAID driver disk ............................................ 3-2
3.1.2 Windows®OS.................................................................. 3-4
3.1.3 Red Hat®Enterprise Linux OS ...................................... 3-10
3.1.4 SUSE Linux Enterprise Server OS ............................... 3-12
3.2 Support CD information ............................................................ 3-14
3.2.1 Running the support CD ............................................... 3-14
3.2.2 Utilities menu ................................................................ 3-14
3.2.3 Make disk...................................................................... 3-15
3.2.4 Contact information....................................................... 3-15

iv
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference, and
• This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is
required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modications
to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been designed to
enable proper reuse of parts and recycling. This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin
indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in
municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.
DO NOT throw the mercury-containing button cell battery in municipal waste. This
symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not be
placed in municipal waste.

v
Safety information
Electrical safety
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the
electrical outlet before relocating the server.
• When adding or removing devices to or from the server, ensure that the
power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are
connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing server
before you add a device.
• Before connecting or removing signal cables from the server, ensure that all
power cables are unplugged.
• Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord.
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
• Ensure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your area.
If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using,
contact your local power company.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a
qualied service technician or your retailer.
Operation safety
• Before installing any component to the server, carefully read all the manuals
that came with the package.
• Before using the product, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the
power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer
immediately.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in
any area where it may become wet.
• Place the product on a stable surface.
• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualied
service technician or your retailer.

vi
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring
the server management board.
How this guide is organized
This guide contains the following parts:
• Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter offers the ASUS PIKE 6480 SAS RAID card features and the
new technologies it supports.
• Chapter 2: RAID conguration
This chapter provides instructions on setting up, creating, and conguring
RAID sets using the available utilities.
• Chapter 3: Driver installation
This chapter provides instructions for installing the RAID drivers on different
operating systems.
Where to nd more information
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and
software updates.
1. ASUS websites
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and
software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.
2. Optional documentation
Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty
yers, that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not
part of the standard package.

vii
Typography
Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.
Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign means
that you must press the enclosed key.
Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or
Return key.
<Key1+Key2+Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key
names are linked with a plus sign (+).
Example: <Ctrl+M>
Command Means that you must type the command exactly as shown,
then supply the required item or value enclosed in brackets.
Example: At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
format a:
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself
when trying to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components
when trying to complete a task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a
task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a
task.
Conventions used in this guide
To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following
symbols used throughout this manual.

viii
PIKE 6480 specications summary
* Specications are subject to change without notice.
Chipset Marvell 88SE6480
Interface ASUS PIKE interface
Ports 8 ports
RAID levels RAID 0 / RAID1 / RAID10 / RAID5
Devices supported SAS / SATA II / SATA devices
Data transfer rate SATA 1.5 Gb/s per PHY
SATA II and SAS 3.0 Gb/s per PHY
Form factor 6.44 in x 1.57 in (1U compatible)

1
Chapter 1: Product
introduction
This chapter offers the ASUS PIKE 6480
SAS RAID card features and the new
technologies it supports.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS®PIKE 6480 SAS RAID card!
The ASUS PIKE 6480 allows you to create RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, and RAID 5
set(s) from SAS hard disk drives connected to the SAS connectors on the
motherboard
Before you start installing the SAS RAID card, check the items in your package
with the list below.
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.2 Package contents
Check your package for the following items.
• ASUS PIKE 6480 SAS RAID card
• Support CD
• User guide