From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jan 21 06:40:33 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9EC5B1065690; Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:40:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd@dannysplace.net) Received: from mail.dannysplace.net (mail.dannysplace.net [213.133.54.210]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4ADA48FC29; Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:40:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd@dannysplace.net) Received: from 203-206-171-212.perm.iinet.net.au ([203.206.171.212] helo=[192.168.10.10]) by mail.dannysplace.net with esmtpsa (TLSv1:AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.69 (FreeBSD)) (envelope-from ) id 1LPWlK-000DZu-7o; Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:40:32 +1000 Message-ID: <4976C370.4030406@dannysplace.net> Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:40:48 +1000 From: Danny Carroll User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.19 (Windows/20081209) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Koen Smits References: <20081031033208.GA21220@icarus.home.lan> <4920E1DD.7000101@dannysplace.net> <20081117070818.GA22231@icarus.home.lan> <496549D9.7010003@dannysplace.net> <4966B6B1.8020502@dannysplace.net> <496712A2.4020800@dannysplace.net> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Authenticated-User: danny X-Authenticator: plain X-Sender-Verify: SUCCEEDED (sender exists & accepts mail) X-Exim-Version: 4.69 (build at 08-Jul-2008 08:59:40) X-Date: 2009-01-21 16:40:30 X-Connected-IP: 203.206.171.212:3036 X-Message-Linecount: 83 X-Body-Linecount: 68 X-Message-Size: 3048 X-Body-Size: 1958 X-Received-Count: 1 X-Recipient-Count: 4 X-Local-Recipient-Count: 4 X-Local-Recipient-Defer-Count: 0 X-Local-Recipient-Fail-Count: 0 X-SA-Exim-Connect-IP: 203.206.171.212 X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: kgysmits@gmail.com, koitsu@freebsd.org, freebsd-fs@freebsd.org, freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-SA-Exim-Mail-From: fbsd@dannysplace.net X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.5 (2008-06-10) on ferrari.dannysplace.net X-Spam-Level: ** X-Spam-Status: No, score=2.2 required=8.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED, AWL, DEAR_SOMETHING, TVD_RCVD_IP autolearn=disabled version=3.2.5 X-SA-Exim-Version: 4.2 X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes (on mail.dannysplace.net) Cc: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org, Jeremy Chadwick , freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Areca vs. ZFS performance testing. X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: fbsd@dannysplace.net List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:40:34 -0000 Koen Smits wrote: > Please let us know what Areca says about the caching. > If you ask me, these results definitely are cached. > Sorry for the delay. Areca got back to me. It took a few days but I got someone who seemed to know what they were talking about. >From what I can gather the cache is always on. You can configure it to be writeback or writethrough in some situations but when that is not an option, writethrough is the default. I could not get any information about read caching although I might send an email to see what happens. Here is the transcript of the conversation: Me: I have a rather simple question about the 1231 controller. Can you please explain the difference between using disks in JBOD mode and using disks in passthrough mode. I have a feeling that the controller uses it's onboard cache when in passthrough mode. Is this the case? Also, are both read and write operations cached? Areca Support: Dear Sir, the only difference is in JBOD mode, controller configure all drives as passthrough disk. in RAID mode, you have to configure passthrough disk by yourself in RAID mode in other words, you can use raid with passthrough disks at saem time in RAID mode but JBOD mode not. Me: So does that mean if I use passthrough, I am not protected by the cache/battery backup? I ask because there is an option for cache mode when creating a passthrough disk. i.e. Write-Back or Write-Through Areca Support: Dear Sir, in JBOD mode, the default setting writeback mode. with writeback mode, you will need a battery module to protect the data remain in cache in case you got a power failure problem. Me: And so in Passthrough mode I am still protected with the battery backup? So JBOD = WriteBack Cache with protection of the battery backup. Passthrough = WriteBack or WriteThrough also with protection of the battery backup. Is this correct? Areca Support: Dear Sir, if you have battery module attached, yes.