fcintro.txt Driver File Contents (500_fw10003_bios200_fcode10021.zip)

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					FCINTRO.TXT
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This file presents general information about the LSI Logic FC software 
product.

This file is divided into the following sections:

General Description
Overview
	FC Firmware
        FC BIOS
	FC Device Drivers
Before You Begin
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*************************** General Description **************************

This software is a complete software  package that solves the increasingly
complex problem of managing system I/O. It seamlessly addresses hardware and
software interfaces by supporting LSI Logic's family of FC processors and
controllers, and a wide range of peripheral devices, while offering
interoperability across application  programs, operating systems, and host
platforms. The software consists of a resident FC firmware that manages all
FC controller or processor specific functions, a resident BIOS that manages
the boot operations within an operating system, and a series of FC device
drivers that provide operating system and peripheral specific support.

This software provides a standard method to interface FC I/O subsystems
with devices, operating systems, and application software. It also enhances
system capabilities already provided by FC controllers and processors
by facilitating multi-threaded I/O support, system-wide FC device access,
and creation of new applications.


******************************** Overview ********************************

An LSI Logic FC controller or processor can control peripherals such as hard 
disk drives, RAID controllers, tape drives, and removable media.

* FC Firmware *

The FC firmware is the code that manages the FC controller. It is specific
to an LSI Logic family of FC controllers or processors. The FC firmware is
downloaded to the FC controller, and executes on the embedded processors
within that controller. It is also responsible for processing and executing
FC requests communicated from an FC device driver or application. 

There are two firmware images provided by LSI Logic:
- The fc909.rom is used with the LSIFC909 controller
- The fc929.rom is used with the LSIFC929 and LSIFC919 controllers

The FC firmware provides a hardware independent interface which isolates the
operating system drivers and FC application programs from the underlying 
hardware. This enables a single driver to work with any Fusion-MPT compliant
host adapter or FC controller.


* FC BIOS *

An FC BIOS is the bootable ROM code that manages FC hardware resources. It 
is specific to an LSI Logic family of FC controllers or processors. The FC 
BIOS integrates with a standard system BIOS, extending the standard disk 
service routine provided by the system BIOS. 

There are four BIOS images provided by LSI Logic:
- The mptbios.rom is the Intel BIOS for use with the LSIFC909, LSIFC929 and
  LSIFC919 controllers
- The lsi909f.rom is the Solaris SPARC BIOS for use with the LSIFC909
  controllers
- The lsi919f.rom is the Solaris SPARC BIOS for use with the LSIFC919
  controllers
- The lsi929f.rom is the Solaris SPARC BIOS for use with the LSIFC929
  controllers
 

The FC BIOS works as an extension to the system BIOS, to provide support
for booting from an FC hard disk, and for configuring options on the FC
controller. The FC BIOS is specific to Intel or Sloaris Sparc hardware
platforms, but provides operating system and driver independence on those
hardware platforms. 

During its boot time initialization, the FC BIOS determines if another type
of hard disk is already installed. If there is, the FC BIOS will map any FC
drives it finds behind the drive already installed. Otherwise, the FC BIOS
will install drives starting with the system boot drive. In this case, the
system will boot from a drive controlled by the FC BIOS.

* FC Device Drivers *

The FC device drivers translate an operating system I/O request into a data 
structure, and transport the structure to the FC firmware. All LSI Logic FC
device drivers are operating system specific, and are also system hardware
specific. The device driver provides the software interface between the
operating system and the LSI Logic FC controller.



**************************** Before You Begin ********************************

This software requires an IBM PC/AT or compatible computer with a Pentium II
or higher microprocessor. Solaris SPARC installations require Solaris SPARC
hardware, and a Solaris 2.6 or later operating system. An understanding of
basic operating system commands is assumed. 

Before using this software, the LSI Logic FC controller should be configured 
into your system, taking into account the configuration of other host adapters 
and system resources.

LSI Logic recommends that all data be backed up before making any changes 
or installing any software, including LSI Logic FC controllers and software.
Failure to adhere to this accepted computer practice may lead to loss of data.

Download Driver Pack

How To Update Drivers Manually

After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.

  • Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).

  • If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.

  • Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.

  • Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.

  • Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.

  • From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.

  • Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.

Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.

For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.

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