A method for setting an address of a rank in a memory module having a number of memory chips distributed along a byte lane includes setting the first memory chip of the byte lane to have a first rank address, generating a second rank address therein from the first rank address, and driving the second rank address to a second one of the memory chips. Alternatively, the first rank address may be driven to the second memory chip, and then, a second rank address is generated in that second memory chip. Further, the second memory chip is set to have the second rank address in response to the driving the second/first rank address. A power-up sequence after voltage supply, or command signals sent via a serial management bus or the command address bus can be used to initiate the setting of ranks. The rank addresses are re-driven to adjacent memory chips by DQ-lines along a byte lane.