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Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 18:09:09 -0600
From: David Sze <dsze@alumni.uwaterloo.ca>
To: Doug White <dwhite@gumbysoft.com>
Message-ID: <20060106000909.GA97739@mail.distrust.net>
References: <20060105224150.GA991@tuatara.fishballoon.org>
	<20060105153250.D58957@carver.gumbysoft.com>
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Cc: Scott Mitchell <scott+lists.freebsd@fishballoon.org>,
	freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: 6.0 on Dell 1850 with PERC4e/DC RAID?
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On Thu, Jan 05, 2006 at 03:34:24PM -0800, Doug White wrote:
> On Thu, 5 Jan 2006, Scott Mitchell wrote:
> 
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I may be getting a new Dell PE1850 soon, to replace our ancient CVS server
> > (still running 4-STABLE).  The new machine will ideally run 6.0 and have a
> > PERC4e/DC RAID card - the one with battery-backed cache.  This is listed as
> > supported by amr(4), but I'm wondering how well it actually works in the
> > case of a disk failure.  Will the driver tell me that disk has failed (a
> > syslog message would be enough) or will I have to make a daily trip into
> > the server room to check the front panel lights?  Presumably it handles
> > hot-swapping a replacement drive OK?
> 
> >From what I remember, you will receive status-change kernel messages when
> disks disappear, rebuilds start, and so forth. So for most day-to-day
> manipulation you should be fine.
> 
> You may want to make sure the auto rebuild option is enabled in the
> controller's BIOS since no working control programs from userland are
> generally available at this time. That also means you can't create new
> volumes at runtime, but thats not so horrible...

The sysutils/megarc port appears to work for both status change polling
and runtime configuration (at least on a PE800 and a PE2850 that I tested
on).