From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Feb 5 03:34:12 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E1CD116A4D0 for ; Thu, 5 Feb 2004 03:34:12 -0800 (PST) Received: from supermarine.crossflight.co.uk (supermarine.crossflight.co.uk [195.172.72.3]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 47D8543D1F for ; Thu, 5 Feb 2004 03:33:52 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from guy@crossflight.co.uk) Received: from mailscan1.crossflight.co.uk (mailscan1.crossflight.co.uk [195.172.72.202])i15BXnjp025244 for ; Thu, 5 Feb 2004 11:33:49 GMT Received: from crossflight.co.uk (unverified) by mailscan1.crossflight.co.uk (Content Technologies SMTPRS 4.3.1) with ESMTP id ; Thu, 5 Feb 2004 11:33:49 +0000 Message-ID: <40222A1C.2080503@crossflight.co.uk> Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 11:33:48 +0000 From: Guy Dawson Organization: Crossflight Limited User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.6b) Gecko/20031205 Thunderbird/0.4 X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Elshar References: <2797.216.110.205.19.1075940679.squirrel@mail.oregonfast.net> In-Reply-To: <2797.216.110.205.19.1075940679.squirrel@mail.oregonfast.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: SATA RAID Cards + FBSD 4.9 X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 11:34:13 -0000 Elshar wrote: > I spent some time sifting through the mailing lists for information about > SATA RAID cards, and how well they are supported by FBSD 4.9. But I > couldn't find a definitive answer to my question. I don't think there is a definate yes answer out there at the moment! You might be able to provide one though! > I'm looking to find out if anyone has much experience with running 4.9 and > SATA RAID, and if so what specific cards/chipsets/etc worked well. In > particular, I'd like to know if anyone has tried hardware that supports > RAID 0+1, or just plain RAID 0 and how well it performed in 4.9 if at all. As far as I know 4.9 does not support any ATA style driver interface SATA raid cards. > I'm not interested in 5-RELEASE, as this will be a production machine. We have 4.5 (internal) and 4.9 (internet facing) production boxes so are in a similar position. > Most of the info I've seen so far was either too vague for my liking, or > was talking about SATA in relation to 5.x. Agreed. You might have missed the following on this mailing list: Samuel Clements wrote: > At 02:54 AM 2/4/2004, Guy Dawson wrote: > > > Samuel Clements wrote: > > > >> > >>> I am looking for supported RAID 5 controller for FreeBSD and > > > > > >> The Intel SRCS14L is also supported. http://www.intel.com/design/server > >> /buildingblocks/srcs14l/ This should use the same driver (iir) as the > >> U32's which we use all over the place. The management software (storcon) > >> looks just like the BIOS of the card when you run it! Pretty neat. You > >> should be able to pick one up retail for about $290US. > > > > > > So, putting my dumb head on for a moment... > > > > Intel have made a hardware SATA RAID card which looks to a device driver > > just like an already supported U320 RAID card. Cool! > > > As I understand it, yes. Not being a guru about this kind of stuff, I > don't know the in's and out's of doing this, but this was one of the > big deals about the Intel RAID controllers - they all used the same > drivers and firmware (being based on the ICP Vortex design and software, > you'd expect that!). You could swap controllers and models of controllers > (even in Windows 2000!) and the machines would just work. The latest Intel > RAID controller (U42X) breaks this model and I don't believe it is yet > supported in FreeBSD. Something about a new RAID architecture on this > and 'all future controllers'. For now though, the S14L should be a > good-to-go hardware RAID controller for FreeBSD. Looking on the interl WWW site for driver info I found this: ftp://aiedownload.intel.com/df-support/5156/ENG/FreeBSD%20readme%20205.txt So it looks like the SRCS14L is a SATA raid card that looks like an already supported U320 RAID card to the OS. It uses the iir driver which is now stock with FreeBSD 4.9. If I were looking to build a SATA RAIDed server I'd buy one of these cards on the expecation that it would work. OFf course until someone tries it we don't know for sure... Fancy being a data point? Regards, Guy -- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Guy Dawson I.T. Manager Crossflight Ltd guy@crossflight.co.uk 07973 797819 01753 776104 ********************************************************************** This email contains the views and opinions of a Crossflight Limited employee and at this stage are in no way a direct representation of Crossflight Limited. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. To ensure the integrity and appropriate use of its email system, Crossflight Limited reserves the right to examine any email held on its email system or sent to or from it. 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