From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Nov 17 11:42:53 2008 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 341FC1065679; Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:42:53 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from danny@dannysplace.net) Received: from mail.dannysplace.net (mail.dannysplace.net [213.133.54.210]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DC8358FC13; Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:42:52 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from danny@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 1L22V6-0005fG-Ol; Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:42:52 +1000 Message-ID: <492158D2.5020506@dannysplace.net> Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:43:14 +1000 From: Danny Carroll User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 (Windows/20080914) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Matt Simerson References: <490A782F.9060406@dannysplace.net> <20081031033208.GA21220@icarus.home.lan> <490A849C.7030009@dannysplace.net> <20081031043412.GA22289@icarus.home.lan> <490A8FAD.8060009@dannysplace.net> <491BBF38.9010908@dannysplace.net> <491C5AA7.1030004@samsco.org> <491C9535.3030504@dannysplace.net> <4920E1DD.7000101@dannysplace.net> In-Reply-To: X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.7 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: 2008-11-17 21:42:41 X-Connected-IP: 203.206.171.212:3079 X-Message-Linecount: 37 X-Body-Linecount: 23 X-Message-Size: 1908 X-Body-Size: 967 X-Received-Count: 1 X-Recipient-Count: 3 X-Local-Recipient-Count: 3 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: matt@corp.spry.com, freebsd-fs@freebsd.org, freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-SA-Exim-Mail-From: danny@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=0.2 required=8.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,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, 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 List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:42:53 -0000 Matt Simerson wrote: > Allow me to introduce you to Marvell. The sell the SATA controller used > in the Sun thumper (X4500). I've used that same SATA controller under > OpenSolaris and FreeBSD. Unfortunately, that controller doesn't use > multi-lane cables. When you pack in 3 controllers and 24 disks, it's a > cabling disaster. > > http://freebsd.monkey.org/freebsd-fs/200808/msg00027.html Interesting. Wish I had seen it before. To be honest I did consider this board but I was really in favour of PCIe over PCIX. That might have been a mistake :-) > The Areca cards do NOT have the cache enabled by default. I ordered the > optional battery and RAM upgrade for my collection of 1231ML cards. Even > with the BBWC, the cache is not enabled by default. I had to go out of > my way to enable it, on every single controller. Are you talking about the Areca cache or the disks own caches? On my board it was enabled. But maybe mine was the exception. -D