Trying to understand RAID/IDE

[vetplus40]

I am having difficulty understanding the concept of RAID/IDE controllers.On motherboards that have RAID connectors 3,4,that can also be used as normal IDE channels,could someone explain the following questions?
1)..Does the RAID chip control this function,regardless of RAID or IDE function? And are loading of the drivers required even though your not using RAID?
2).. Can 3,4 set up for normal IDE, utilize a cd-rom type device?
3)..If you boot from 3,4 in IDE mode,must you still configure your bios as SCSI?
4)Can you boot from 3,4 as IDE with either a cd-rom,or just a hdd?
If this is the wrong forum please excuse me.I am having a terrible time configuring a new MB.I have sent requests to both tech support of the MB,as well as the RAID chip manufacturer,but as yet have received no response.
I am sure the error lies in my end,and I just haven't hit the right combination.I feel that I can probably solve my situation with a better understanding of how this type setup works.I understand the basics of a RAID configuration,but I lack the in depth understanding.This is what I'm hoping to learn.....Thanks ...

 

[RSMemphis]

General Hardware would be better for this (+ higher traffic), but I'll give it a shot...

1) Yes and yes
2) Yes
3) This depends on your RAID controller, but I believe the answer is yes in 90%. Whenever you have an add-on IDE card, the answer is definitely yes. If the motherboard has a RAID controller, it may have a RAID selector for the boot device in the BIOS. In general, selecting SCSI just allows another card to boot, which also includes on board RAID chips, I believe.
It also depends if the RAID controller supports booting, which it normally should.
4) In which case it should also support booting from a CD-ROM, but that is not necessarily true, as I remember a SCSI controller that did not support booting from CD-ROM. Today I think it should be standard though.

Maybe you could explain your problem a little bit more?

 

[vetplus40]

Thanks for the reply..? I wasn't sure about the hardware forum as I was looking for "theory of operation type information".
I didn't want to go into the "help" aspect of my particular problem,as I believe it would fall outside of the relm of this forum.I was only hoping that this information would allow me to correct my particular problem.If you have some time,my dilema is in the motherboard forums,uder soyo dragon?.........At any rate,this info is very much appreciated......

 

[RSMemphis]

I am posting it here, too, just to be sure:

I think I have now found your problem.

Check page 164 of your Soyo Dragon Manual:




<< Q: Can I use ATAPI devices on the FastTrak100-Lite controller?
A: No. There is no driver layer on the FastTrak100-Lite controller which
will support ATAPI packet messages. >>



ATAPI is the ATA/IDE extension for CD-Roms and such.
So, I was wrong, you apparently cannot have CDs and DVDs on your IDE 3,4

Booting from HDs on IDE 3,4 should be possible nontheless, though.