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                           ItSas35_WIN8.1_2012R2.TXT  
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Installation Guide for the Avago Fusion-MPT (TM) Drivers: 
ItSas35.SYS (StorPort) V2.60.30.00

NOTE: The ItSas35 driver built for Windows 8.1 also supports Windows Server
2012R2, which is the server version of Windows 8.1.  All references within this 
document to Windows 8.1 should be interpreted as including Windows Server 2012R2,
unless specifically stated otherwise.
                                                 
This file describes the features and use of the Avago Fusion-MPT SAS (Serial
Attached SCSI) Gen3 device drivers for the Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012R2 
operating system environments. It is divided into the following sections:   

Introduction for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012R2
     Features
     Avago Devices Supported
     Description

Installing the Driver(s)
     New System Installation
     DVD-ROM Installation
     Existing System Installation 
     Performance Tuning for Windows 8.1 
     Miniport Driver Configuration Options and WDCFG Utility
     WinPE Installation
     Troubleshooting 


.........................................................................
1.0 Introduction for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012R2 

Windows 8.1/2012R2 is an operating system designed to run on Intel architecture (x86,
32-bit) and Extended-64 (x64, AMD64/EM64T) processors using current
technology. It provides a graphical user interface environment incorporating
many high-level features. Note that Windows Server 2012R2 is only supported on
x64 processors. Refer to the Microsoft Windows 8.1 documentation for details.

An I/O manager handles I/O requests in Windows 8.1/2012R2. To address a peripheral, the
I/O manager goes through the appropriate drivers. Windows 8.1/2012R2 provides class
drivers for hard disk, optical, CD-ROM, printer, and scanner peripherals. Other
class drivers, provided by peripheral manufacturers, may be added to support
new devices. Tape device support is built into the operating system itself and
does not require a class driver. 

Microsoft provides the port driver and Avago Technologies provides the miniport
drivers, which is called ItSas35.SYS.  This driver completes the path to the
Avago controller or processor with an optional SAS BIOS.

This miniport driver uses the Microsoft StorPort port driver (rather than
the Microsoft ScsiPort driver in earlier versions of Windows).  The StorPort
driver has architectural enhancements that provide performance improvements on
large server systems with many storage adapters.  This miniport driver is
designed to take advantage of these enhancements for improved performance.

A new Storport driver feature for Windows 8.1/2012R2 is Extended SRB (Storage Request
Block).  This new type of request is very extensible and allows for better
performance and additional new features in future versions of Windows.  The
ItSas35 miniport driver supports Extended SRB.

.........................................................................
1.1 Features 

The ItSas35.SYS miniport driver supports these features:

o  Supports End-to-End Data Protection (EEDP)
o  Supports 12Gb SAS expanders/devices and SATA devices
o  Supports PCI-Express bus protocols
o  Supports MSI/MSI-X
o  Supports Avago MPT common software interface 
o  Supports multiple host adapters 
o  Supports multiple Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) 
o  Supports Scatter-Gather 
o  Supports SCSI pass-through functionality 
o  Supports disk array configurations with no LUN 0 
o  Supports disk array configurations with non-contiguous LUNs 
o  Supports Storport Interrupt Redirection performance enhancements 
o  Auto request sense 
o  Maximum block size support: 1 Mbyte (32-bit), 2 Mbyte (64-bit)
o  Supports Storport Extended SRB (Storage Request Block)
.........................................................................
1.2 Avago Devices Supported 

The miniport driver names are listed below, along with their supported
devices and associated host adapters:

ItSas35.sys
- SAS9400
- Avago PCI Fusion-MPT SAS3.5
- Avago Adapter, Ventura - StorPort
- Avago Adapter, Crusader - StorPort
- Avago Adapter, Harpoon - StorPort
- Avago Adapter, Tomcat - StorPort
- Avago Adapter, Marlin - StorPort
- Avago Adapter, Mercator - StorPort
- Avago Adapter, Marut - StorPort

.........................................................................
1.3 Description

The ItSas35.SYS driver meets the Microsoft specification for miniport drivers.
These drivers allow connection of SAS devices including disk drives,
CD/DVD-ROMs, and tape drives for PCI-Express based machines. To support a
different SAS device type, the Windows 8 architecture requires that a class
driver for that type of device be present (usually supplied by Microsoft, or
possibly by the peripheral manufacturer). No changes to the Avago drivers are
required. The driver supports only Windows 8.1/2012R2 and all subsequent Service Packs. 

A Windows application passes SCSI commands directly to the SAS Protocol devices
by using the SCSI pass-through facility. This facility allows applications to
directly control and access devices by filling in a data structure and calling
into the port or class driver. Refer to the Microsoft Windows 8 documentation
for more details.

............................................................................
2.0 Installing the ItSas35.SYS Driver


This procedure installs the ItSas35.SYS driver onto a new or existing Windows
8 system. Depending upon the media used to distribute Avago drivers (web or
CD-ROM) and the type of adapter, you will create a driver install package on
some type of accessible media.  This can be a diskette, CD or DVD, or USB flash
drive.  The driver install package can also be placed on a hard disk for driver
upgrades only.

Copy the files listed in this section to a folder on the desired media as shown
below. You will use this driver package during the installation process.

        ItSas35.inf
        ItSas35.sys
        lsinodrv.inf
        wdcfg.exe
        DriverConfigParam.def
        ItSas35.cat
         
Note: Windows drivers must be either Release signed (by Avago) or WHQL logo
      signed (by Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs) to be installed on
      Windows 8.1/2012R2.  Any modifications to any of the above files will invalidate
      the digital signature of the package and the OS will not install the
      driver.

............................................................................
2.1 New System Installation 

This procedure installs the ItSas35.SYS driver onto a Windows 8.1/2012R2 system. Use
this procedure when installing Windows 8.1/2012R2 onto an unused drive. Windows 8.1/2012R2
automatically adds the driver to the registry and copies the driver to the
driver storage area.

............................................................................
2.1.1 DVD-ROM Installation

1. Start the Windows 8.1/2012R2 installation by booting from the Windows 8.1/2012R2 DVD-ROM:

   The system BIOS must support booting from a DVD-ROM. BIOS settings may need
   to be changed to allow DVD-ROM booting.
   
2. Proceed with the installation of Windows 8.1/2012R2. When the screen displays
   "Where do you want to install Windows?", click on the Load Driver icon.
   
3. Be sure the media with the ItSas35 driver install package for the system
   processor architecture is inserted in the system.  Click the Browse button,
   browse to the location of the driver package, then click OK.
   
   Note: Current Windows 8.1/2012R2 drivers can be downloaded from the Avago Corporation
         web site at:
             http://www.Avago.com/cm/DownloadSearch.do
         After you are connected to this web site, select the product
         category, family, and the appropriate product.  Select the desired
         Windows 8.1/2012R2 driver to begin the download.
   
4. The Avago adapter driver name will be displayed, click Next.

   Note: When using a Release Signed driver, a Windows Security dialog box may
         appear, indicating that the publisher of this software is Avago
         Corporation. Click the Install button to continue installation of the
         driver.
            
         A second Windows Security dialog box may appear, indicating that a
         Avago system device is being installed.  This is to install
         drivers for Avago storage enclosure processors.  Click the Install
         button to continue installation of the driver.
   
5. Follow the Microsoft Windows 8.1/2012R2 installation procedure at this point.

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2.2 Existing System Installation

This procedure installs or upgrades the ItSas35.SYS driver onto an existing
Windows 8.1/2012R2 system.

NOTE: When a Avago SAS Gen3 adapter is added to an existing system installation,
      the new adapter is automatically detected at the next reboot. When the
      Update Driver Software Wizard appears at boot, continue at step 8 below.

1. Boot Windows 8.1/2012R2 and logon as a user that has Administrator privileges.

2. Right-click on a blank area of the Task Bar, then click Task Manager.

3. Click File, then Run New Task.

4. In the Open: box, type devmgmt.msc, then click OK.  The Device Manager
   window will open.

5. Click the arrow to the left of the Storage Controllers line.  Find the adapter
   desired for the driver upgrade and double-click the entry.  Click on the
   Driver tab.

6. Information on the currently installed driver is displayed, and additional
   driver details can be viewed by clicking the "Driver Details" button.

7. Click on the "Update Driver" button to update the existing driver.  The
   Update Driver Software wizard begins.
   
8. Click on the "Browse my computer for driver software" selection.

9. Click on the "Let me pick..." selection at the bottom of the window.

10. Click on the "Have Disk" button and type the path to the driver, or click
    on the Browse button. Select the location for the driver package which
    matches the processor architecture of the system (x86 or x64). After
    the path to the driver has been established, click the OK button.

11. Select the driver from the list and click on the Next button.

    Note: When using a Release Signed driver, a Windows Security dialog box may
          appear, indicating that the publisher of this software is Avago
          Corporation. Click the Install button to continue installation of the
          driver.
            
          A second Windows Security dialog box may appear, indicating that a
          Avago system device is being installed.  This is to install drivers for
          Avago storage enclosure processors.  Click the Install button to
          continue installation of the driver.
          
          
12. The system will load the driver from the Windows 8.1/2012R2 driver package media.
    A message box may display indicating that the target (existing) driver is
    newer than the source (upgrade) driver.

14. Click No to cancel the driver upgrade at this point.

      or

    Click Yes to continue the installation.

    The system copies the driver to the system disk. For any adapter other
    than the boot adapter, the updated driver will become active immediately.
    For the boot adapter, a message bdisplays indicating that you must reboot
    your system for the new driver to take effect.

15. Click on the Close button to complete the driver upgrade.

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2.3 Performance Tuning for Windows 8.1/2012R2

Windows 8.1/2012R2 has registry entries that can be used to tune the performance of SCSI
I/O for certain configurations. The registry settings of NumberOfRequests and
MaximumSGList are not used by StorPort and will have no effect on the
ItSas35.SYS driver.

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2.3.1 Miniport Driver Configuration Options

The ItSas35.SYS driver is configured by default to provide optimum
performance in most standard systems.

However, it is possible to fine-tune certain driver parameters using a utility
provided on the OS installation disk, the Windows Driver Configuration Utility
(WDCFG).

The WDCFG utility is fully installed automatically as part of the driver
installation.

To use the utility, first launch a Command Prompt window.  In the Command Prompt 
window, enter the "wdcfg -?" command to display full usage information.  The 
usage information explains how to query and set parameters, and how to use the
utility to display a list of driver configuration parameters which can be
controlled using the utility (including full explanations of each).

Note that parameter changes are only activated within the driver following a
driver initialization.  This may be done by restarting the machine, or by using
Device Manager to disable and re-enable the driver (Take care not to do this
to a driver servicing the boot volume).

............................................................................
2.4 WinPE Installation

WinPE is provided to system OEM's to create a Pre-install Environment image.
To use the ItSas35.SYS driver with the Windows 8.1/2012R2 based WinPE, perform the
steps listed below.

1. Create an ItSas35 folder in the winpe_image directory under i386\system32.
   For example: mkdir winpe_image\i386\system32\ItSas35
 
2. Copy the ItSas35 driver package to the winpe_image\i386\system32\ItSas35
   folder.

3. Edit the winpe_image\i386\System32\Winpeoem.sif to remove the semicolons
   from the [OemDriverParams] section and add the name of the ItSas35
   directory to the OemDriverDirs entry. For example:

   [OemDriverParams]
   OemDriverRoot = ""
   OemDriverDirs = ItSas35
 
4. You can then use oscdimg to create a bootable .iso image, or follow the
   WinPE User's Guide to create a bootable USB flash device.

............................................................................
3.0 Troubleshooting 

The ItSas35.SYS driver will log error messages to the system error log. For
these errors, the system errorlog EventID will be 11, and the specific error
code values will be displayed at offset 0x10. Data should be displayed in words.
