Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product P7F-C Asus
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Motherboard P7F-C Series P7F-C/SAS P7F-C/4L.
ii E5217 First Edition V1 December 2009 Copyright © 2009 ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this ma nual, including the products and soft ware described in i t, may be reproduc ed.
iii Contents Notices ........................................................................................................ vii Safety information .................................................................................... viii About this guide .
iv Contents 2.5.7 Connect Thermal sensor cable ..................................... 2-20 2.6 Jumpers ...................................................................................... 2-21 2.7 Connectors ..........................................
v Contents 4.4.3 Onboard Devices Configuration .................................... 4-22 4.4.4 USB Configuration ........................................................ 4-24 4.4.5 PCIPnP ...............................................................
vi Contents 5.3.1 Integrated Mirroring ....................................................... 5-15 5.3.2 Integrated Mirroring Enhanced ..................................... 5-19 5.3.3 Integrated Striping (IS) volume ..................................
vii 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.
viii Safety information Electrical safety • T o prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system. • When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected.
ix About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and configuring the motherboard. How this guide is organized This user guide contains the following parts: • Chapter 1: Product introduction This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technologies it supports.
x Conventions used in this guide T o make sure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. Typography Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select. Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
xi P7F-C Series specications summary Model Name P7F-C/SAS P7F-C/4L Processor / System Bus 1 * Socket LGA1 156 Quad Core Intel Xeon 3400 series Server Processor Quad Core Intel Cor e i7-800 s eries .
xii P7F-C Series specications summary *Specications are subject to change without notice. Onboard I/O Connectors PSU Connector 24-pin A TX power connector + 8-pin A TX 12V power connector 24+4 p.
1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports..
ASUS P7F-C Series Chapter summary 1 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-3 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-3 1.3 Serial number label .
ASUS P7F-C Series 1-3 1.1 Welcome! Thank you for buying an ASUS ® P7F-C Series motherboard! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it another standout in the .
1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.4 Special features 1.4.1 Product highlights Intel ® LGA1 156 Xeon 3400 Processor Ready This motherboard supports the latest Intel ® Xeon 3400 processors in LGA1 156 package, which has memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2-channel (6 D IMMs) DDR3 memo ry and 16 PCI Express 2.
ASUS P7F-C Series 1-5 DDR3 memory support The P7F-C Series supports UDIMM and RDIMM DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 1333/1066 MHZ to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of server and workstation applications. The 2-channel DDR3 architecture boosts system performance, eliminating bottlenecks.
1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction USB 2.0 technology The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the 12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.
2 Hardware information This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It includes description of the jumpers and connectors on the motherboard.
ASUS P7F-C Series Chapter summary 2 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-3 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-4 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-3 2.1 Before you proceed T ake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.
2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. T o optimize the motherboard features, we highly recommend that you install it in an A TX 1.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-5 2.2.3 Motherboard layout P7F-C/SAS.
2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information P7F-C/4L.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-7 2.2.4 Layout contents Slots/Soocket Page 1. CPU sockets 2-9 2. DDR3 sockets 2-15 3. PCI Express x 16 slot (x8 link) 2-19 4. PCI slots 2-19 Jumpers Page 1. Clear RTC RAM (CLR TC1) 2-21 2. VGA controller setting (3-pin VGA_SW1)) 2-22 3.
2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information Internal connectors Page 1. Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1, SA T A2, SA T A3, SA T A4; RED) (7-pin SA T A5, SA T A6; Black) 2-26 2.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-9 2.3.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard. Before installing the CPU, ensure that the socket box is facing toward you and the load lever is on your left.
2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information 3. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow until the load plate is completely lifted. 4. Remove the PnP cap from the CPU socket.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-1 1 7. Close the load plate (A), and then push down the load lever (B), ensuring that the front edge of the load plate slides under the retention knob (C). C B A Some heatsinks come with pre- applied thermal paste. If so, skip this step.
2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan The Intel ® LGA1 156 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. • When you buy a boxed Intel ® processor , the package includes the CPU fan and heatsink assembly .
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-13 3. Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_F AN1. DO NOT forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector . 2.3.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan T o uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan: 1.
2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.4 Installing the CPU heatsink in rack The Intel ® 1 156 processors require a specially designed heatsink to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. • Ensure that you use qualified heatsink assembly only .
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-15 2.4 System memory 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with six Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets. A DDR3 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR2 DIMM but is notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR2 DIMM socket.
2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.4.3 Installing a DIMM Unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to both the motherboard and the components. T o install a DIMM: 1.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-17 2.5 Expansion slots In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following subsections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 2.5.1 Installing an expansion card T o install an expansion card: 1.
2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. IRQ Priority Standard function 0 1 System T imer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 - Programmable Interrupt 3* 1.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-19 2.5.4 PCI Express x16 slots (x8 link) The onboard PCI Express x16 slots provide x8 link to CPU. These slots support VGA cards and various server class high performance add-on cards. 2.5.5 PCI slots The PCI slot supports cards such as a LAN card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI 2.
2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.6 Installing i Button Follow the steps below to install an optional i Button on your motherboard. 1. Locate the I Button slot on the motherboard. 2. Snap the I Button in place. 2.5.7 Connect Thermal sensor cable Follow the steps below to connect the thermal sensor cable to the connector on your motherboard.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-21 2.6 Jumpers 1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1) This jumper allows you to clear the Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and sy stem setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data.
2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2. VGA controller setting (3-pin VGA_SW1) This jumper allows you to enable or disable the onboard VGA controller . Set to pins 1–2 to activate the VGA feature. 3. CPU Fan and Chassis Fan control setting (3-pin CPUF AN_SEL1, CHAF AN_SEL1) These jumpers allow you to switch for fan pin selection.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-23 4. LAN controller setting (3-pin LAN_SW1, LAN_SW2) (LAN_SW3, LAN_SW4 P7F-C/4L model only ) These jumpers allow you to enable or disable the onboard Marvell ® 88E8056 Gigabit LAN controllers. Set to pins 1–2 to activate the Gigabit LAN feature.
2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 7. Force BIOS recovery setting (3-pin RECOVER Y1) This jumper allows you to quickly update or recover the BIOS settings when it becomes corrupted.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-25 2.7 Connectors 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. PS/2 keyboard port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard. 3. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.
2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7.2 Internal connectors 1. Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1, SA T A2, SA T A3, SA T A4; RED) (7-pin SA T A5, SA T A6; Black) Supported by the Intel ® 3420 chipset, these connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A hard disk drives that allows up to 3Gb/s of data transfer rate.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-27 4. USB connector (10-1 pin USB34, USB56; A-T ype USB7) These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cables to connectors USB34 and USB56, then install the modules to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis.
2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. Serial General Purpose Input/Output connector (6-1 pin SGPIO1) This connector is used for the SGPIO peripherals for the LSI MegaRAID and Intel Matrix RAID SA T A LED.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-29 8. CPU, front and rear fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN1, FRNT_F AN1, FRNT_F AN2, FRNT_F AN3, REAR_F AN1) The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350 mA–740 mA (8.88 W max.) or a total of 1.75 A–3.7 A (44.4 W max.) at +12V .
2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information 9. A TX power connectors (24-pin EA TXPWR1, 8-pin EA TX12V1) These connectors are for an A TX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit.
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-31 10. Thermal sensor cable connectors (3-pin TR1) This connector is for temperature monitoring. Connect the thermal sensor cable to this connector and place the other end to the device, which you want to monitor temperature. 1 1. Parallel port co nne cto r (2 6-1 pin LPT1) This connector is for a parallel port.
2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information 12. System panel connector (20-pin P ANEL1) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. 1. System power LED (3-pin PLED) This 3-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the chassis power LED cable to this connector .
ASUS P7F-C Series 2-33 13. Auxiliary panel connector (20-pin AUX_P ANEL1) This connector is for additional front panel features including front panel SMB, locator LED and switch, chassis intrusion, and LAN LEDs. 1. Front panel SMB (6-1 pin FPSMB) These leads connect the front panel SMBus cable.
2-34 Chapter 2: Hardware information.
3 Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, and ways of shutting down the system..
ASUS P7F-C Series Chapter summary 3 3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-3 3.2 T urning off the computer .
ASUS P7F-C Series 3-3 3.1 Starting up for the rst time 1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover . 2. Be sure that all switches are off. 3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system chassis. 4.
3-4 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.2 Powering off the computer 3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function If you are using Windows ® 2003 Server: 1. Click the Start button then click Shut Down . 2. Select Shut Down from the What do you want the computer to do? list box.
4 BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
Chapter summary 4 ASUS P7F-C Series 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................... 4-7 4.3 Main menu ....................
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-3 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup: 1. ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS using a USB flash disk.) 2. BUPDA TER utility (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable USB flash disk drive.
4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 3. Press <T ab> to switch between drives until the correct BIOS file is found. When found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update process and automatically reboots the system when done. • This function can support devices such as a USB flash disk with F A T 32/16 format and single partition only .
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-5 4. The utility verifies the file, then starts updating the BIOS file. DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure! ASUSTek BIOS Update for DOS V1.
4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS file when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. Y ou can update a corrupted BIOS file using a USB flash drive that contains the updated BIOS file.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-7 4.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable firmware chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS . Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup.
4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Server Power Boot Tools Exit Use [ENTER], [TAB] or [SHIFT-TAB] to select a eld.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-9 4.2.4 Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specific items for that menu. For example, selecting Main shows the Main menu items. The other items (Advanced, Power , Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have their respective menu items.
4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.3 Main menu When you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic system information. 4.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx] Allows you to set the system time. 4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] Allows you to set the system date.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-1 1 4.3.3 SA T A1—6 While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE/SA T A devices. There is a separate submenu for each IDE/SA T A device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the SA T A device information.
4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup DMA Mode [Auto] Sets the DMA mode. Configuration options: [Auto] [SWDMA0] [SWDMA1] [SWDMA2] [MWDMA0] [MWDMA1] [MWDMA2] [UDMA0] [UDMA1] [UDMA2] [UDMA3] [UDMA4] [UDMA5] SMART Monitoring [Auto] Sets the Smart Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting T echnology .
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-13 v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Storage Conguration SATA Conguration [Enhanced] Congure SATA as [IDE] Hard Disk Write P.
4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup SA T A Port1 [Auto] Allows you to select the type of device connected to the system. Configuration options: [Auto] [Not Installed] SMART Monitoring [Enabled] Allows you to set the Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting T echnology .
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-15 4.3.6 System Information This menu gives you an overview of the general system specifications. The BIOS automatically detects the items in this menu.
4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. T ake caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-17 Scroll down for more items. v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Execute-Disable Bit Capability [Enabled] Intel(R) HT Technology .
4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Execute-Disable Bit Capability [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the No-Execution Page Protection T echnology . Setting th is item to [Disable d] forces the XD feature flag to always return t o zero (0 ).
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-19 C State package limit setting [Auto] We recommend that you set this item to [Auto] for BIOS to automatically detect the C-State mode supported by your CPU.
4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Advanced Chipset Settings WARNING: Setting wrong values in below sections may cause system to malfunction. Uncore Conguration ←→ Select Screen ↑↓ Select Item Enter Go to Sub Screen F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit 4.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-21 Congure DRAM Timing by SPD [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] The ofllowing 10 items appear when you set Configure DRAM T iming by SPD to [Disabled].
4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Double Rate Refresh [Auto] Allows you to enable or disable Double Rate Refresh. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] Page Poilcy [Closed] Configuration options: [Closed].
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-23 Onboard LAN1/2/3/4 Boot ROM [PXE] Allows you to configure the onboard LAN1/2/3/4 boot mode. Configuration: [Disabled] [PXE] Onboard LAN3/4 Boot ROM are available only for P7F-C/4L model. LSI 1068E Boot ROM [Enabled] Allows you to configure the onboard LSI 1068E boot mode.
4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.4 USB Conguration v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced USB Conguration Module Version - 2.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-25 4.4.5 PCIPnP The PCIPnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP devices. T ake caution when changing the settings of the PCI/PnP Configuration menu items. Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction.
4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.6 ACPI Conguration v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced ACPI Settings Advanced ACPI Conguration Chipset ACPI Con.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-27 BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced South Bridge ACPI Conguration Energy Lake Feature [Disabled] APIC ACPI SCI IRQ [Disabled] High Performance Event Timer [Enabled] HPET Memory Addre.
4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Event Logging details View Event Log Mark all event as read Clear Event Log 4.4.7 Event Log Conguration View all unread events on the Event Log. View Event Log Press <Enter> to read all the unread event log.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-29 4.5.1 Remote Access Conguration The items in this menu allows you to configure the Remote Access features. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the configuration options. Remote Access [Enabled] Enables or disables the remote access feature.
4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Serial port number [COM2] Selects the serial port for console redirection. Configuration options: [COM1] [COM2] Base Address. IRQ [2F8h, 3] This item is not user -configurable and changes with the configuratio n of Serial port number .
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-31 4.6 Power menu v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Server Power Boot Tools Exit APM Conguration Hardware Monitor ←→ Select Screen ↑↓ Select Item +- Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit Include ACPI APIC table pointer to RSDT pointer list.
4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake-up event. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The following items appear only when the Resume On RTC Alarm item is set to [Enabled].
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-33 4.6.2 Hardware Monitor v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Power Hardware Monitor CPU Temperature(PECI) [ 35ºC/ 94ºF] MB Temperature [ .
4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.7 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. 4.7.1 Boot Device Priority 1st—xxth Boot Device [XXXXXXX] These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-35 4.7.3 Boot Settings Conguration Quick Boot [Enabled] Enabling this item allows the BIOS to skip some power on self tests (POST) while booting to decrease the time needed to boot the system. When set to [Disabled], BIOS performs all the POST items.
4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.7.4 Security The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the configuration options. Change Supervisor Password Select this item to set or change the supervisor password.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-37 After you have set a supervisor password, the other items appear to allow you to change other security settings. User Access Level [Full Access] This item allows you to select the access restriction to the Setup items.
4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.8 Tools menu The T ools menu items allow you to configure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the submenu.
ASUS P7F-C Series 4-39 4.9 Exit menu The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items.
4-40 Chapter 4: BIOS setup.
5 RAID conguration This chapter provides instructions for setting up, creating, and configuring RAID sets using the available utilities..
5.1 Setting up RAID ............................................................................ 5-3 5.2 Intel ® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM Utility ................... 5-5 5.3 LSI Logic MPT Setup Utility (P7F-C/SAS model only) ............ 5-15 5.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-3 5.1 Setting up RAID The motherboard supports the following SA T A RAID solutions: • Intel Matrix Storage Manager with RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, and RAID 5 support (for Windows OS only). • LSI1068E PCI-E SAS controller (P7F-C/SAS model only) supports SAS disk drives and RAID0, RAID1, and RAID1E configuration.
5-4 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.1.3 Setting the RAID item in BIOS Y ou must set the RAID item in the BIOS Setup before you can create a RAID set from SA T A hard disk drives attached to the SA T A connectors supported by Intel ® 3420 chipset. T o do this: 1.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-5 5.2 Intel ® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM Utility The Intel ® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM utility allows you to create RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10 (RAID 1+0), and RAID 5 set(s) from Serial A T A hard disk drives that are connected to the Serial A T A connectors supported by the PCH.
5-6 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.2.1 Creating a RAID set T o create a RAID set 1. From the utility main menu, select 1. Create RAID V olume and press <Enter>. The following screen appears. 2. Enter a name for the RAID set and press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-7 6. Use the up/down arrow key to select the stripe size for the RAID array (for RAID 0, 10 and 5 only), and then press <Enter>.
5-8 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 2. Enter a name for the recovery set and press <Enter>. 3. When the RAID Level item is select ed, press the up/down arrow k ey to select Recovery , and then press <Enter>. 4. When the Disks item is selected, press <Enter> to select the hard disk drives you want to include in the recovery set.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-9 5.2.3 Deleting a RAID set T ake caution when deleting a RAID set. Y ou will lose all data on the hard disk drives when you delete a RAID set. T o delete a RAID set 1. From the utility main menu, select 2. Delete RAID V olume and press <Enter>.
5-10 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.2.4 Resetting disks to Non-RAID T ake caution before you reset a RAID volume hard disk drive to non-RAID. Resetting a RAID volume hard disk drive deletes all internal RAID structure on the drive. T o reset a RAID set hard disk drive 1.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-1 1 5.2.5 Recovery V olume Options If you have created a recovery set, you can configure more recovery set options following the descriptions in the section. See section 5.3.2 Creating a Recovery set to create a recovery set before continue.
5-12 Chapter 5: RAID configuration Select a destination disk with the same size as the original hard disk. [ DEGRADED VOLUME DETECTED ] [ ↑↓ ]-Previous/Next [ENTER]-Select [ESC]-Exit "Degraded" volume and disk available for rebuilding detected.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-13 3. The utility immediately starts rebuilding after the disk is selected. The status of the degraded RAID volume is changed to “Rebuild” . Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v8.9.0.1023 PCH-D wRAID5 Copyright(C) 2003-09 Intel Corporation.
5-14 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.2.8 Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility Y ou can set the boot priority sequence in the BIOS for your RAID arrays when creating multi-RAID using the Intel ® Matrix Storage Manager . T o set the boot array in the BIOS: Set at least one of the arrays bootable to boot from the hard disk.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-15 5.3 LSI Logic MPT Setup Utility (P7F-C/SAS model only) The LSI Logic MPT Setup Utility is an integrated RAID solution that allows you to allows you to create the following RAID .
5-16 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 4. The Adapter Properties screen appears. Use the arrow keys to select RAID Properties , then press <Enter>. 3. The following screen appears. Select a channel and press <Enter> to enter the setup. The numbers of the channel depend on the controller .
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-17 5. The Select New Array T ype screen appears. Use the arrow keys to select Create IM V olume , then press <Enter>. 6. The Create New Array screen shows the disks you can add to make up the IM volume. Use the arrow key to select a disk, then move the cursor to the RAID Disk column.
5-18 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to add the second disk to the volume. 9. When done, press <C> to create the array , then select Save changes then exit this menu. 10. The utility creates the array . 7. A confirmation screen appears.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-19 2. The Select New Array T ype screen appears. Use the arrow keys to select Create IME V olume , then press <Enter>. 5.3.2 Integrated Mirroring Enhanced T o create an IME volume: 1. The Adapter Properties screen appears. Use the arrow keys to select RAID Properties , then press <Enter>.
5-20 Chapter 5: RAID configuration By default, the RAID Disk field shows No before array creation. This field is grayed out under the following conditions: • The disk does not meet the minimum requirements for use in a RAID array . • The disk is not large enough to mirror existing data on the primary drive.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-21 4. Repeat step 5 to add the other disks to the volume. 5. When done, press <C> to create the array , then select Save changes then exit this menu.
5-22 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.3.3 Integrated Striping (IS) volume Overview The Integrated Striping (IS) feature provides RAID 0 functionality , supporting volumes with two to eight disks. Y ou may combine an IS volume with an IM or IME volume. Creating Integrated Striping volumes DO NOT combine Serial A T A and SAS disk drives in one volume.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-23 4. The Select New Array T ype screen appears. Use the arrow keys to select Create IS V olume , then press <Enter>. 5. The Create New Array screen shows the disks you can add to make up the IS volume. Use the arrow key to select a disk, then move the cursor to the RAID Disk column.
5-24 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 6. Repeat step 5 to add the other disks to the volume. 7. When done, press <C> to create the array , then select Save changes then exit this menu .
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-25 5.3.4 Managing Arrays The LSI Logic MPT Setup Utility allows you to perform other tasks related to configuring and maintaining IM and IME volumes. Refer to this section to view volume properties, manage the hot spare disk, synchronize the array , activate the array , and delete the array .
5-26 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 3. The View Existing Array screen appears. Here you can view properties of the RAID array(s) created. If you have configured a hot spare, it will also be listed. if you created more than one array , you may view the next array by pressing <Alt+N>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-27 Managing hot spares Y ou may configure one disk as a global hot spare to protect critical data on the IM/ IME volume(s). Y ou may create the hot spare disk at the same time you create the IM/IME volume. Refer to this section when adding a hot spare disk on an existing volume.
5-28 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 4. Use the arrow key to select the disk you would like to configure as hot spare, then move the cursor to the Hot Spr column. Press <+>, <->, or <Space>. The Drive Status column field now shows Hot Spare.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-29 Activating an array If an array is removed from one controller/computer or moved to another , the array is considered inactive. When you add the array back to the system, you may reactivate the array . T o activate the array: 1.
5-30 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.3.5 Viewing SAS topology 1. From the Adapter Properties screen, select SAS T opology . Press <Alt+D> to display device properties, or <Alt+M> to display more keys. 2. Information about the volume and its member-disks are then displayed.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-31 5.3.6 Global Properties From the Setup Utility screen, press <Alt+N> to enter LSI Logic Conguration , then select Global Properties . The Global Properties menu allows you to change related settings. Pause When Boot Alert Displayed Sets whether to pause or not when the boot alert displays.
5-32 Chapter 5: RAID configuration Boot Information Display Mode Sets the disk information display mode. Configuration options: [Display adapters & installed devices] [Display adapters only] [Disp.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-33 Restore Defaults This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the system defaults. Esc = Exit Menu F1/Shift+1 = Help Alt+N = Adapter List -/+ = Change Item LSI Logic Cong Utility v6.16.00.00 (2007.05.
5-34 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 3. The utility main window appears. Use the arrow keys to select an option from the Management Menu and then press <Enter>. Refer to the Management Menu descriptions on the next page. At the bottom of the screen is the legend box.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-35 5.4.1 Creating a RAID set The LSI Software RAID Co nfiguration Utility allows you to create a RAID 0, RAI D 1, or RAID 10 set using two types of configurations: Easy and New . In Easy Conguration , the virtual drive parameters are set automatically .
5-36 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 3. Select all the drives required for the RAID set, and then press <F10> to configure array setting. 4. Press <Space> to select the configurable array . 2. The ARRA Y SELECTION MENU displays the available drives connected to the SA T A ports.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-37 5. Press <F10> again, the virtual drive information appears including a Virtual Drive menu that allows you to change the virtual drive parameters. Management Menu Congure Initialize Objects Rebuild Check Consistency PORT # DNLIN A00-00 DNLIN A00-01 0 1 LSI Software RAID Conguration Utility Ver A.
5-38 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 8. When creating a RAID 1 or a RAID 10 set, select DWC from the Virtual Drive menu, and then press <Enter>. When creating a RAID 0 set, proceed to step 10. 9. Select On to enable the Disk Write Cache setting, and then press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-39 1 1. Follow step 2 to 10 to configure additional virtual drives. 12. Press <Esc> to finish RAID configuration. When prompted to save configuration, select Y es from the menu, and then press <Enter>.
5-40 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 2. Follow step 2 to 7 of the previous section: Using Easy Conguration . 3. Select Size from the Virtual Drive menu, and then press <Enter>. 4. Key-in the desired virtual drive size, and then press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-41 5.4.2 Adding or viewing a RAID conguration Y ou can add a new RAID configuration or view an existing configuration using the View/Add Conguration command. Adding a new RAID conguration T o add a new RAID configuration: 1.
5-42 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.4.3 Initializing the virtual drives After creating the RAID set(s), you must initialize the virtual drives. Y ou may initialize the virtual drive s of a RAID set(s) using the Initialize or Objects command on the Management Menu .
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-43 3. Press <F10> to start initialization. When prompted, select Y es from the Initialize? dialog box, and then press <Enter>. Initializing a virtual drive erases all data on the drive. 4. A progress bar appears on screen.
5-44 Chapter 5: RAID configuration Using the Objects command T o initialize the virtual drives using the Objects command 1. From the Management Menu , select Objects > Virtual Drive , and then press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-45 3. Select Initialize from the pop-up menu, and then press <Enter> to start initialization. Management Menu Congure Initialize Objects Rebuild Check Consistency Initiliz.
5-46 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.4.4 Rebuilding failed drives Y ou can manually rebuild failed hard disk drives using the Rebuild command in the Management Menu . T o rebuild a failed hard disk drive 1. From the Management Menu , select Rebuild , and then press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-47 3. After selecting the drive to rebuild, press <F10>. When prompted, press <Y> to rebuild the drive. 4. When rebuild is complete, press any key to continue.
5-48 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.4.5 Checking the drives for data consistency Y ou can check and verify the accuracy of data redundancy in the selected virtual drive. The utility can automatically detect and/or detect and correct any dif ferences in data redundancy depending on the selected option in the Objects > Adapter menu.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-49 3. When prompted, use the arrow keys to select Y es from the Consistency Check? dialog box, and then press <Enter>. A progress bar appears on screen. 4. While checking the disk consistency , press <Esc> to display the following options.
5-50 Chapter 5: RAID configuration Using the Objects command T o check data consistency using the Objects command 1. From the Management Menu , select Objects , and then select Virtual Drive from the sub-menu. 2. Use the arrow keys to select the virtual drive you want to check, and then press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-51 5.4.6 Deleting a RAID conguration T o delete a RAID configuration 1. From the Management Menu , select Congure > Clear Conguration , and then press <Enter>. 2. When prompted, use the arrow keys to select Y es from the Clear Conguration? dialog box, and then press <Enter>.
5-52 Chapter 5: RAID configuration 5.4.7 Selecting the boot drive from a RAID set Y ou must have created a new RAID configuration before you can select the boot drive from a RAID set. See section 5.2.1 Creating a RAID set: Using New Conguration for details.
ASUS P7F-C Series 5-53 5.4.8 Enabling WriteCache Y ou may manually enable the RAID controller ’ s WriteCache option after creating a RAID set to improve the data transmission performance.
5-54 Chapter 5: RAID configuration.
6 Driver installation This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for different system components..
ASUS P7F-C Series Chapter summary 6 6.1 RAID driver installation ............................................................... 6-3 6.2 Intel chipset device software installation ................................ 6-19 6.3 LAN driver installation .....
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-3 6.1 RAID driver installation After creating the RAID sets for your server system, you are now ready to install an operating system to the independent hard disk drive or bootable array . This part provides instructions on how to install the RAID controller drivers during OS installation.
6-4 Chapter 6: Driver installation PCH LSI RAID Driver PCH LSI RAID Driver Windows XP 32 bit Windows XP 64 bit Windows Server 2003 32 bit Windows Server 2003 64 bit Windows Vista 32 bit Windows Vista .
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-5 6. Locate the RAID driver and place a blank, high-density floppy disk to the floppy disk drive. 7. Press <Enter>. 8. Follow screen instructions to create the driver disk. T o create a RAID driver disk in Windows ® environment 1.
6-6 Chapter 6: Driver installation 6.1.2 Installing the RAID controller driver Windows ® Server OS During Windows ® Server OS installation T o install the RAID controller driver when installing Windows ® Server OS: 1. Boot the computer using the Windows ® Server installation DVD.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-7 4. Insert the RAID driver disk you created earlier to the floppy disk drive, then press <Enter>. 5. Select the RAID controller driver you need from the list, then press <Enter>. 6. The Windows ® Setup loads the RAID controller drivers from the RAID driver disk.
6-8 Chapter 6: Driver installation T o verify the RAID controller driver installation: 1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the Windows ® desktop, and then select Properties from the menu. 2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-9 Red Hat ® Enterprise Linux OS 4.7/4.8 T o install the RAID controller driver when installing Red Hat Red Hat ® Enterprise OS: 1. Boot the system from the Red Hat ® OS installation CD. 2. At the boot: , type linux dd nostorage .
6-10 Chapter 6: Driver installation 7. Select your desired language and press <Enter> to continue. OK # Choose a Language What language would you like to use during the installation process? Catalan Chinese(Simplied) Chinese(Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English 8.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-11 9. Select the media and press <tab> to select OK . Press<Enter> to continue. OK Installation Method What type of media contains the packages to be installed? Local CDROM Hard drive NFS image FTP HTTP Back 10. Select the media and press <tab> to select OK .
6-12 Chapter 6: Driver installation 1 1. Scroll down to locate the driver and press <Enter> to continue. Back Select Device Driver to Load Please select the driver below which you wish to load. If it does not appear and you have a driver disk, press F2.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-13 13. Select Done and press <Enter> to continue. Add Device Devices The following devices have been found on your system. Intel Pro/1000 (e1000e) LSI megasr Driver ver 13.10.0708.2009 (megasr) USB Mass Storage driver for Linux (usb-storage) Done 14.
6-14 Chapter 6: Driver installation Red Hat ® Enterprise Linux OS 5.0 T o install the RAID controller driver when installing Red Hat Red Hat ® Enterprise OS: 1. Boot the system from the Red Hat ® OS installation CD. 2. At th e bo ot: , type l inu x dd nop rob e=a ta[ n] .
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-15 7. When asked if you will load additional RAID controller drivers, select No , then press <Enter>. 6. Insert the Red Hat ® Enterprise RAID driver disk to the floppy disk drive, select OK , then press <Enter>. The drivers for the RAID card are installed to the system.
6-16 Chapter 6: Driver installation 10. Type the following commands when using a USB floppy . cat /proc/partitions Write down the Major and Minor number before sdb for later use. mknod /dev/sdb b [major number] [minor number] mkdir /mnt/driver mount /dev/sdb /mnt/driver cd /mnt/driver sh replace_ahci.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-17 SUSE Linux OS T o install the RAID controller driver when installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server OS: 1. Boot the system from the SUSE OS installation CD.
6-18 Chapter 6: Driver installation 4. Insert the RAID driver disk to the floppy disk drive. Make sure that Installation from the Boot Options menu is selected, then press <Enter>.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-19 6.2 Intel ® chipset device installation This section provides instructions on how to install the Plug and Play components for the Intel ® chipset on the system. Y ou need to manually install the Intel ® chipset software on a Windows Server operating system.
6-20 Chapter 6: Driver installation 5. Select Y es to accept the terms of the License Agreement and continue the process. 6. Read the Readme File Information and press Next to continue the installation. 7. After completing the installation, click Finish to complete the setup process.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-21 6.3 LAN driver installation This section provides instructions on how to install the Marvell ® Y ukon Ethernet driver on a Windows ® Server OS. T o install the LAN controller drivers 1. Restart the computer , and then log on with Administrator privileges.
6-22 Chapter 6: Driver installation 4. Click I accept the terms of the License Agreement and click Install to continue. 5. Marvell MiniPort Driver Setup window appears, showing the installing process.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-23 6.4 VGA driver installation This section provides instructions on how to install the XGI V olari Z9s Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) driver . 1. Restart the computer , then log on with Administrator privileges. 2. Insert the motherboard/system support CD to the optical drive.
6-24 Chapter 6: Driver installation 5. The system will update the VGA driver automatically . 6. When the installation completes, click Finish to restart your computer before using the program.
ASUS P7F-C Series 6-25 6.5 Management applications and utilities installation The support DVD that came with the motherboard package contains the drivers, management applications, and utilities that you can install to avail all motherboard features. The contents of the support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice.
6-26 Chapter 6: Driver installation 6.5.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu displays the software applications and utilities that the motherboard supports. Click an item to install. 6.5.4 Make disk menu The Make disk menu contains items to create the Intel Matrix Storage and LSI MegaRAID driver disks.
A Reference information This appendix includes additional information that you may refer to when configuring the motherboard..
Appendix summary A ASUS P7F-C Series A.1 P7F-C/SAS block diagram ........................................................... A-3 A.2 P7F-C/4L block diagram .
ASUS P7F-C Series A-3 A.1 P7F-C/SAS Series block diagram.
A-4 Appendix A: Reference information A.2 P7F-C/4L Series block diagram.
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If you already are a holder of Asus P7F-C, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Asus P7F-C.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Asus P7F-C. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Asus P7F-C along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
