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What are the benefits of RAIDIOS?
Intel believes that RAIDIOS is an easier, cheaper, and a more flexible specification to implement than other specifications. There are fewer components to put down on the motherboard. RAIDIOS is compatible with PCI and PCI-X. RAIDIOS requires fewer signals to be routed by the motherboard. RAIDIOS is compatible with non-Intel MROMB (ZCR).
When will RAIDIOS become an industry standard?
RAIDIOS is an Intel specification by which all Intel MROMB products adhere to. It is not known when or if RAIDIOS, or some other specification, will be defined as an industry standard specification.
What are the conditions by which to implement RAIDIOS on a given motherboard? Who is enabled to implement this specification? Can implementation be done without informing Intel?
The only technical condition for implementing RAIDIOS on a given motherboard is that the I/O controller part to be used is supported by the targeted MROMB (ZCR) cards. Although the motherboard manufacturer is not required to contact Intel Corporation when designing-in RAIDIOS, Intel recommends obtaining and referencing the RAIDIOS Design Guide available for download on the Intel "storage" web site at www.intel.com/go/storage.
What is the cost to implement a RAIDIOS circuit on my motherboard?
Cost will vary depending upon company's procurement practices and exact components used.
What is RAIDIOS and what is it used for?
RAIDIOS is a specification used to enable an embedded I/O controller, embedded on the motherboard, to be used as just an I/O controller or to be the I/O component of a hardware RAID subsystem. The RAIDIOS circuit allows an I/O Processor (either embedded on the motherboard or on an add-in card) to configure the I/O controller and service the I/O controller's interrupts. The I/O controller and the I/O Processor together are two of the primary components of a hardware RAID subsystem.
What are the limitations of a RAIDIOS-enabled PCI slot?
RAIDIOS-enabled expansion slots function as normal expansion slots when non-MROMB (ZCR) adapters are inserted into them and are required for MROMB adapters. From a design perspective, the TMS and TDI signals of the expansion slot must not be tied off. These signals must be left open to be used by the MROMB (ZCR) adapter. As such, they cannot be used for debug purposes in a development environment. This is normally not a problem on production-released motherboards.
Can the RAIDIOS slot be used as a standard PCI slot when not populated with a MROMB (ZCR) card?
Yes, the RAIDIOS expansion slot functions as a normal expansion slot if a non-MROMB (ZCR) adapter is inserted.
Can RAIDIOS be applied to all slots on a given motherboard?
Yes, the motherboard design engineer can choose any slot that meets his or her design requirements; normally only one slot is enabled. Also, the RAIDIOS expansion slot must be on the same bus segment as the I/O controller being used.
Can RAIDIOS be applied to a PCI-X slot?
Yes, RAIDIOS supports PCI and PCI-X bus technologies.
Does RAIDIOS have to be implemented over all slots when using a riser card in a rack mount design?
No, in fact it can only be implemented in one of the riser card slots.
In rack mount server (above 1U), is it recommended to implement RAIDIOS using the riser card slot of the motherboard or using a specific slot of the riser card itself?
This is a manufacturer specific choice based on space constraints.
Since Intel Corporation promotes the RAIDIOS specification; will Intel assist to identify my RAIDIOS main board's compatibility with other MROMB (ZCR) cards?
Intel Corporation cannot take responsibility to identify/validate a motherboard's compatibility with non-Intel RAID adapters.
What amount of MROMB (ZCR) cards, worldwide, is or can be supported by RAIDIOS?
Currently, besides Intel Corporation, two other MROMB (ZCR) vendors have issued statements that their solutions are compatible with RAIDIOS.
Where can I obtain a list of MROMB (ZCR) cards that are supported by RAIDIOS?
All Intel Corporation MROMB adapters support RAIDIOS. For other MROMB (ZCR) vendors please consult those vendors.
Is RAIDIOS dependent of the onboard SCSI controller of the host system?
No, however, note that the MROMB (ZCR) adapter to be used may only support specific SCSI controllers. Check with the MROMB vendor for this information.
Is RAIDIOS dependent of the server chipset of the host system?
No.
Is there any critical or special components required to implement RAIDIOS circuitry?
RAIDIOS requires normal digital logic gates that meet the timing requirements stated in the RAIDIOS Design Guide.
What is the timing requirement to all RAIDIOS components?
Please refer to the RAIDIOS Design Guide for specific requirements.
Is there any placement or routing concern to implement a RAIDIOS circuit specific to a given PCI/PCI-X slot?
The motherboard design engineer should follow good digital design practices.
What is the requirement for RAIDIOS components to run RAIDIOS and ZCR under best PCI-X performance (133MHz) especially with regard to IDSEL?
RAIDIOS components meeting the timing requirements as stated in the RAIDIOS Design Guide, will be compatible with PCI (33 and 66HMz) and PCI-X (66, 100, and 133MHZ). Please note that RAIDIOS does not determine the bus speed. The speed of the bus segment where the RAIDIOS-enabled expansion slot is located is determined by the motherboard design.
What is the SCSI-Slot INT routing sequence requirement for RAIDIOS? Is the SCSI-Slot INT sequence compatible with all existing ZCR cards worldwide?
I/O interrupt routing is as follows: (SCSI_IRQA routed to PCI_IRQ3 and SCSI_IRQB routed to PCI_IRQ2). For more details, please see the RAIDIOS Design Guide. Yes, any MROMB (ZCR) adapter that supports RAIDIOS supports this routing.
Where can I obtain information to identify RAIDIOS compatibility with specific non-Intel-based ZCR cards that are currently available?
Please refer to each specific RAID vendor regarding specifications of its ZCR adapters.
What is MROMB and what is it used for?
MROMB is Modular RAID on Motherboard. It is an inexpensive alternative to RAID on Motherboard. It places the I/O Processor, required for hardware RAID, on a modular add-in card that enables the embedded I/O controller (e.g., SCSI) when inserted into a RAIDIOS-enabled expansion slot. Intel believes that it's best for entry to mid-range servers.
How does MROMB differ from ZCR?
These two terms are synonyms. There is no difference in implementation and functionality.
Is Intel MROMB applicable to SCSI, Fibre Channel, and/or Serial ATA?
MROMB is applicable to all I/O interconnect technologies. Current Intel MROMB RAID products are SCSI-based only, however new I/O interconnects will be available for use with Intel MROMB products in the future.
Is it possible to utilize S-ATA for MROMB on PCI-X based motherboards?
Yes, S-ATA controllers can be used in MROMB designs.
What is ZCR and what is it used for?
ZCR is synonymous with MROMB and stands for "Zero Channel RAID." It refers to the fact that there is no I/O controller (0 channels) located on the RAID card. Like MROMB, it enables the embedded I/O controller when inserted into a RAIDIOS-enabled expansion slot. Intel believes that it's best for entry to mid-range servers.
What are the types and/or models of MROMB (ZCR) cards that Intel offers?
Intel currently offers one MROMB (ZCR) adapter - the SRCMRU. It currently supports the PCI 64bit, 66MHz interface and the dual channel U160, Adaptec* SCSI I/O controller.
Do Intel MROMB (ZCR) cards support JBOD boot disk migration with reinstallation of an OS?
Not currently, however the data from non-bootable drives can be accessed by the Intel ZCR controller and copied to a RAID volume.
Is the "Pioneer Square AppNote" applied all other MROMB (ZCR) cards?
No. There are portions of the Pioneer Square Application Note that are only applicable to an early release of Pioneer Square. Please refer to the latest RAIDIOS Design Guide for all Intel MROMB adapters.
Is RAIDIOS dependent of system BIOS?
There are no system BIOS dependencies for the RAIDIOS circuit.
What are the benefits of RAIDIOS?
Intel believes that RAIDIOS is an easier, cheaper, and a more flexible specification to implement than other known specifications. There are fewer components to put down on the motherboard making RAIDIOS easier and cheaper to implement. RAIDIOS is compatible with PCI and PCI-X making it more flexible. RAIDIOS requires fewer signals to be routed by the motherboard making it easier to implement.
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RAIDIOS / MROMB / ZCR