Dell PowerEdge 4600 - Manual (Page 12)

l Enable Write Back Cache — Signals the completion of a write request as soon as the data is in cache. Actual writing to the disk occurs at a later time.
The default setting is N/C or Yes.
l BIOS Multiple LUN Support — Provides support for peripherals that contain multiple SCSI devices, such as autoloading tape drives and CD-ROM
changers.
l Include in BIOS Scan — Enables you to set whether the system BIOS scans this device during system start-up. The default is Yes.
Advanced Configuration Settings
The advanced host adapter settings should not be changed unless absolutely necessary. These values are set by Dell, and changing them may cause conflicts
with the SCSI devices.
l Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization — Enables the SCSI bus to be reset when the controller is initialized. The default is Enabled.
l Display <Ctrl><a> Message During BIOS Initialization — Determines whether the Press <CTRL><A> for SCSISelect (TM) Utility! message appears
on your screen during system start-up. The default setting is Enabled. If this setting is disabled, you can still run the SCSISelect utility by pressing
<Ctrl><a> after the host adapter BIOS banner appears.
l Extended BIOS Translation For DOS Drives > 1 GB — Determines whether extended translation is available for SCSI hard drives with capacities
greater than 1 GB. The default setting is
Enabled.
The standard translation scheme for SCSI host adapters provides a maximum accessible capacity of 1 GB. To support hard drives larger than 1 GB, the
78xx series host adapters include an extended translation scheme that supports hard drives as large as 8 GB, with a maximum partition size of 2 GB
under the DOS operating system.
It is not necessary to enable the Extended BIOS Translation setting if you are using another operating system, such as Novell NetWare.
When you partition a hard drive larger than 1 GB, use the MS-DOS® fdisk utility as you normally would. Because the cylinder size increases to 8 MB
under extended translation, the partition size you choose must be a multiple of 8 MB. If you request a size that is not a multiple of 8 MB, fdisk rounds up
to the nearest whole multiple of 8 MB.
l Silent/Verbose Mode — Displays the host adapter information during system start-up. The default is Verbose.
l Host Adapter BIOS — Enables or disables the host adapter BIOS. The default setting is Enabled.
If you are booting from a SCSI hard drive connected to the host adapter, the BIOS must be enabled. You should disable the host adapter BIOS if the
peripherals on the SCSI bus (for example, CD-ROM drives) are all controlled by device drivers and do not need the BIOS.
l Domain Validation — Instructs the host adapter not to accept a negotiated speed until a validation test is successfully performed. After determining the
speed that a target device is capable of, the host adapter sends a Write Buffer command to the target device. The data transfer occurs at the full
speed initially. The initiator reads and tests the data and identifies any parity or cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors. If the test fails, the initiator
lowers its speed and repeats the test. In this manner, a compatible speed will be found and locked in before user data transfers begin. The default is
Enabled.
l Support Removable Disks Under BIOS As Fixed Disks — Controls which removable-media drives are supported by the host adapter BIOS. The default
setting is Boot Only. The following choices are available.
¡ Boot Only — Only the removable-media drive designated as the boot device is treated as a hard drive.
¡ All Disks — All removable-media drives supported by the BIOS are treated as hard drives.
¡ Disabled — No removable-media drives are treated as hard drives. In this situation, software drivers are needed because the drives are not
controlled by the BIOS.
l BIOS Support For Bootable CD-ROM — Determines whether the host adapter BIOS provides support for booting from a CD-ROM drive. The default
setting is Enabled.
l BIOS Support For Int 13 Extensions — Determines whether the host adapter BIOS supports disks with more than 1024 cylinders. The default setting is
Enabled.
l Support For Ultra SCSI Speed — Determines whether the host adapter supports the fast transfer rates (20–40 MB/sec). The default setting is Enabled.
Using the SCSI Disk Utilities
To access the SCSI disk utilities, select SCSI Disk Utilities from the menu that appears when you start SCSISelect. When the option is selected, SCSISelect
immediately scans the SCSI bus (to determine the devices installed) and displays a list of all SCSI IDs and the device assigned to each ID.
When you select a specific ID and device, a menu appears, displaying the Format Disk and Verify Disk Media options.
NOTE: For many devices, if Send Start Unit Command is set to Yes, the boot routine time will vary depending on how long it takes each drive to
start.
NOTE: The setting for BIOS Multiple LUN Support must be No or Enabled (default) if a tape autoloader is connected.
NOTICE: Back up your hard drive before you change the translation scheme. All data is erased when you change from one translation scheme to
another.
NOTE: Several SCSISelect options are not valid unless the host adapter BIOS is enabled.
NOTICE: If a removable-media SCSI device is controlled by the host adapter BIOS, do not remove the media while the drive is on or you may lose data.
If you want to be able to remove media while the drive is on, install your removable-media device driver and set this option to Disabled.
NOTICE: The Format Disk option destroys all data on the hard drive.