From owner-freebsd-fs@FreeBSD.ORG  Mon Jul  4 19:40:33 2011
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-fs@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 85F0D1065676
	for <freebsd-fs@freebsd.org>; Mon,  4 Jul 2011 19:40:33 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from mj@feral.com)
Received: from ns1.feral.com (ns1.feral.com [192.67.166.1])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4E75C8FC12
	for <freebsd-fs@freebsd.org>; Mon,  4 Jul 2011 19:40:33 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from [192.168.135.103] (c-24-7-47-62.hsd1.ca.comcast.net
	[24.7.47.62]) (authenticated bits=0)
	by ns1.feral.com (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id p64JLEH9038248
	(version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-CAMELLIA256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO)
	for <freebsd-fs@freebsd.org>; Mon, 4 Jul 2011 12:21:15 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from mj@feral.com)
Message-ID: <4E1212A7.70405@feral.com>
Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:21:11 -0700
From: Matthew Jacob <mj@feral.com>
Organization: Feral Software
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US;
	rv:1.9.2.18) Gecko/20110616 Thunderbird/3.1.11
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org
References: <1309793921.2618.YahooMailRC@web120016.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <1309793921.2618.YahooMailRC@web120016.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Greylist: Sender succeeded SMTP AUTH, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.6
	(ns1.feral.com [192.67.166.1]);
	Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:21:15 -0700 (PDT)
X-Mailman-Approved-At: Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:26:23 +0000
Subject: Re: Are thumpers still interesting in 2011 ? (raidz3 on x4500 @
 3.0gbps ...)
X-BeenThere: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Filesystems <freebsd-fs.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-fs>,
	<mailto:freebsd-fs-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-fs>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-fs@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-fs-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-fs>,
	<mailto:freebsd-fs-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:40:33 -0000

On 7/4/2011 8:38 AM, George Sanders wrote:
>
> If I understand correctly, the interesting thing about a Sun x4500 (a "thumper")
> is that every one of the 48 disks has a direct path to the system board,
> allowing for full, independent throughput from every single drive.
>
> The downside, in 2011, is that it is a SATA2 system @ 3.0gbps.
>
> So, is this still an interesting system ?  Is it still difficult to put together
> a system with 48 independent paths to the board, like the Thumper ?
>
> Assuming a raidZ3 configuration, does that drive independence help me more than
> being stuck at 3.0gbps hurts me ?  Or would a "modern" system with a more
> typical drive contention scheme, but running at 6.0gbps, be superior ?
>
> J
IMO, until you go with flash, even 1.5Gbps is more than adequate, 
particularly for independent busses. I mean, you're not going to really 
make use of speeds greater than rotational+density, right?