From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu May 11 17:17:30 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7DD7B16A43E for ; Thu, 11 May 2006 17:17:30 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from chad@shire.net) Received: from hobbiton.shire.net (mail.shire.net [166.70.252.250]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BB98C440DD for ; Thu, 11 May 2006 16:55:25 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from chad@shire.net) Received: from [67.171.127.191] (helo=[192.168.99.68]) by hobbiton.shire.net with esmtpa (Exim 4.51) id 1FeERh-000Gd5-3j; Thu, 11 May 2006 10:55:25 -0600 In-Reply-To: <1147344670.4463171eb5364@196.22.132.16> References: <1147255200.4461b9a0a5e71@196.22.132.16> <44621529.7050804@netfence.it> <20060511104517.GA11619@storage.mine.nu> <1147344670.4463171eb5364@196.22.132.16> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v749.3) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: <8EDB148D-8FC4-4CCB-9B1A-E6F686E14CEB@shire.net> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Chad Leigh -- Shire.Net LLC" Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 10:55:22 -0600 To: cknipe@savage.za.org X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.749.3) X-SA-Exim-Connect-IP: 67.171.127.191 X-SA-Exim-Mail-From: chad@shire.net X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No (on hobbiton.shire.net); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: OT: Torn between SCSI and SATA for RAID X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 17:17:36 -0000 On May 11, 2006, at 4:51 AM, cknipe@savage.za.org wrote: > Quoting lars : > >> I recently read an interesting comparison >> on consumer and enterprise grade harddisks: >> > http://www.seagate.com/content/docs/pdf/whitepaper/ > D2c_More_than_Interface_ATA_vs_SCSI_042003.pdf > > > This was posted yesterday in responce to my question as well. That > document > deals mainly with the performance and reliability of the different > types of > hard drives (i.e. SATA vs SCSI). > > My questions that I'm posting is not really related towards the > performance of > the system, it's more towards the capacity of the system... I guess > it boils > down to the physical hardware... How does everything connect, how > to expand > systems, and how to run arrays bigger than what one single > controller can > provide... Look at the Areca SATA controllers. An 8 port RAID 6 SATA controller using 8 drives, 1 a hot spare, gives you about 5 drives worth of RAID 6 (5 + 2 parity = 7 drives, can suffer up to 2 simultaneous drive failures) and the Areca seem to be well regarded. I have an 8 port and a 12 port one but not in service yet. Areca has FBSD drivers. 5 drives * 500GB is a about 2.125 "real" TB (given that 500GB drive is not really 500 real GB) (calculation made with simple ratios and could be way off). The 12 port Areca card with 1 hot spare and RAID 6 would give you 9 * 500GB = about 3.825 real TB To get the size of array you want you need to go SATA as the SCSI drives aren't really big enough to get that big without getting into major major money. Use good, 24/7 rated SATA drives, not cheap maxtor or WD (think seagate or hitachi probably). Buy an extra drive to have or lose some capability and set up 2 hot spares. I am considering a machine with 2 12 port Areca cards set up with 2 RAID 6 arrays mirrored using ZFS under Solaris 10 as an nfs storage server... Chad --- Chad Leigh -- Shire.Net LLC Your Web App and Email hosting provider chad at shire.net