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http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463536.aspx
Introduction
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) is the newest consumer mass storage interconnect for the ATA command protocol. This paper provides information about Serial ATA and support for Serial ATA in the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. This paper is divided into the following three areas: The first and second sections introduce the concepts of the new Serial ATA technology. The third and fourth sections explain the level of support Microsoft has for the versions of Serial ATA in Microsoft operating systems and the corresponding "Designed for Windows" logo programs. The fifth section addresses frequently asked questions, makes observations on industry activity, and makes recommendations for manufacturers of Serial ATA products.
This paper is intended as an introduction to Serial ATA with the Windows operating systems. It assumes an intermediate understanding of storage controllers and hard disk drives and familiarity with introductory driver concepts. Top of page
The benefits that the Serial ATA interconnect brings to ATA comes from its cable connector, its cabling, and its transfer speed. In the future, there may be new ATA commands that apply only to Serial ATA, but these will be extensions to the ATA command protocol and should not be construed as a Serial ATA command protocol. The next section examines how the new Serial ATA interconnect has taken shape since its introduction. Top of page
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Ataport
Microsoft's approach to ATA controller support has reflected the needs of the industry. The success of this approach is evident in the number of products supported by the parallel ATA driver that comes with Windows. The consumer storage industry is growing and changing. It is evident from the number of SCSI miniport drivers on ATA controllers, the new emphasis on consumer RAID, and the momentum behind Serial ATA, that a more flexible driver model is needed to accommodate the industry. The Ataport driver will have the latest ATA/ATAPI command set support. Additionally, it will be able to support both parallel ATA and Serial ATA configurations that include greater than two channels per controller and greater than two storage devices per channel. Finally, Ataport will provide a flexible miniport driver interface for independent hardware vendors (IHVs) to write miniport drivers for Ataport. With the product introduction of Ataport, two miniports will be introduced. The first is a default miniport driver that will work with the current atapi.sys supported parallel ATA controllers. The second is a new miniport driver that will support the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) Serial ATA controllers.
Serial ATA Emulating Parallel ATA Mode Controller Support in the Windows Family of Operating Systems
A Serial ATA Emulating Parallel ATA mode controller can load and use parallel ATA drivers that are supported by Windows. By definition, all versions of Windows previous to Windows Server 2003 have Emulating Parallel ATA mode support. Not all parallel ATA controllers are supported natively in a Windows distribution so there will be some Serial ATA Emulating Parallel ATA mode controllers that must have their manufacturer's drivers to work properly. When Ataport is introduced in a future version of Windows, Microsoft plans to ship with a default miniport driver that will replace the current Windows ATA driver stack functionality and support all the same set of parallel ATA and Serial ATA Emulating Parallel ATA controllers supported today.
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use the Windows parallel ATA controller drivers, and thus, Windows Server 2003 and previous do not ship with drivers that support Native Serial ATA mode controllers. Native Serial ATA mode controllers can be made to work with all existing versions of Windows as long as the controllers come with the appropriate drivers. With these drivers, Windows can be installed on and booted from Serial ATA storage devices in the same way many parallel ATA add-on controllers do currently. When Ataport is introduced in a future version of Windows, Microsoft plans to ship a miniport driver for Ataport that will support AHCI Serial ATA controllers. Top of page
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Identifying Emulating Parallel ATA Mode and Native Serial ATA Mode Controllers
Driver support for Emulating Parallel ATA mode and Native Serial ATA mode controllers is separate and distinct as these modes appear as two different and unique ATA interconnects. There will be some Serial ATA controllers that will want to implement both Emulating Parallel ATA and Native Serial ATA modes on the same device, which is acceptable. It is not acceptable to use both modes at the same time in Windows. Additionally, loading parallel ATA drivers on a Serial ATA controller in Native Serial ATA mode and vice versa will have disastrous results. The solution to identifying the Serial ATA mode problem is using the correct PCI Sub-Class code. Appendix D of the latest PCI specification lists all the Sub-Class codes for Base Class 01h, mass storage controllers. Sub-Class code 01h, IDE controller, should be used by Emulating Parallel ATA mode controllers. A new Sub-Class code 06h, Serial ATA controller, should be used by Native Serial ATA mode controllers. Sub-Class codes should not be changed while Windows is running. Serial ATA controllers that wish to support both modes should provide a method during the system boot process, preferably in the BIOS, to allow a user to select Emulating Parallel ATA or Native Serial ATA modes.
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Hot Plugging
The Serial ATA hot plug feature is implemented by the host controller, driver software, and storage device. On the personal computer, support for Serial ATA hot plugging can be implemented in the following two places: In the Serial ATA controller driver. Since parallel ATA controllers do not support hot plugging and Serial ATA Emulating Parallel ATA mode controllers are likely to use parallel ATA controller drivers, Emulating Parallel ATA mode controllers must find another way to support the hot plug feature. The atapi.sys driver in Windows does not support hot plugging; however, it's likely that Native Serial ATA mode drivers will. In the system firmware outside of Windows. Support from ACPI, BIOS, or a combination of the two can be used to trigger bus re-enumerations during a hot plug event. Check with the controller manufacturer for details on support for hot plugging.
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Any system that has a controller that doesn't use Microsoft's atapi.sys driver will have limitations dependent upon the driver's manufacturer. Top of page
CD-ROM Opportunities
Currently there is very little movement from CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drive manufacturers to adopt Serial ATA. The Serial ATA performance benefits to optical devices are not yet compelling and therefore Serial ATA adoption is often viewed as an unnecessary expense.
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It is possible that Serial ATA will replace parallel ATA in personal computers in the future. If Serial ATA becomes dominant in the computer market, manufacturers of CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives will have good reason to create product lines that support an interface other than parallel ATA. The strongest candidates for a parallel ATA alternative are Serial ATA and USB 2.0. Both options have Windows support. Beyond cost, the biggest factor on which a new bus may be adopted is BIOS support for booting. There is a hidden opportunity in the event of parallel ATA CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives choosing a new storage interface. Currently CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives do not have the ability to notify Windows of a media change. Windows is then required to poll the device to determine media status which prevents some types of power management for CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives. Right now neither Serial ATA nor USB has a standard method for media status notification. Microsoft encourages the industry to work toward creating standards for media status notification before CD-ROM drives are prepared to move to alternative interfaces. Top of page
Resources
Resources: Serial ATA Specifications http://www.sata-io.org/ ATA Specifications http://www.t13.org BIOS Settings for Native-Mode-Capable ATA Controllers http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463530.aspx Microsoft Hardware and Driver Developer Information http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/default.aspx Microsoft Windows Logo Program System and Device Requirements http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463010.aspx Microsoft Windows XP Hardware Compatibility Test Kit, V. 11.1 http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/whql/default.mspx If you have questions about the information in this paper, send email to ata@microsoft.com. Top of page
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PCI ISA mode A mode of behavior that a PCI storage controller may ask the PCI bus to adopt, in which it acts like an ISA bus. PCI Native mode A mode of behavior in which the PCI bus normally operates. Port/Miniport model A strategy used for reducing the work needed to develop a driver. The port contains common functionality useful to all drivers of a particular type and the miniport contains functionality specific to an individual or family of controllers. Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) A feature of a controller designed to protect against hard drive failure or improve storage subsystem performance or both by making multiple hard drives act as a single hard drive. Serial ATA The new serial interconnect for the ATA command protocol. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) A storage command protocol separate from ATA, but commonly used by ATA to communicate with CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives. Shared Channel Emulation The ability for a Serial ATA controller to act like a parallel ATA controller with a two storage device on its cable. True Booting Antiquated. Previously used to refer to booting from a Native Serial ATA controller.
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