From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 5 14:27:54 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org 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 5772F16A41F for ; Thu, 5 Jan 2006 14:27:54 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from gary@tbe.net) Received: from kerplunk.tbe.net (kerplunk.tbe.net [209.123.115.134]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F13A543D48 for ; Thu, 5 Jan 2006 14:27:53 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from gary@tbe.net) Received: by kerplunk.tbe.net (Postfix, from userid 1001) id 954795D86; Thu, 5 Jan 2006 09:24:23 -0500 (EST) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by kerplunk.tbe.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 530EE5D75; Thu, 5 Jan 2006 09:24:23 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 09:24:23 -0500 (EST) From: "Gary D. Margiotta" To: Vulpes Velox In-Reply-To: <20060104215937.3ba2c636@vixen42.vulpes> Message-ID: <20060105091402.A95323@kerplunk.tbe.net> References: <20060104215937.3ba2c636@vixen42.vulpes> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: SiI 3112 time out problems and suggestions for a good sata controller. 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: Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:27:54 -0000 > The machine this is running on has releng_5 on it. > > I was wondering if any one had any suggestions on a good for a good > sata pci card that preferably has 4 connectors on it. The standard well supported RAID cards under FreeBSD as I have experienced: Promise, HighPoint, and 3Ware. I've used Promise and HighPoint cards so far, and I have an older 3Ware 58xx card waiting to go into a server I'm starting to get parts for. I've had zero issues with any of these 3 manufacturers so far, and the cards that I have used have all served me very well over the past few years. FreeBSD has support for most of the controllers (except for the brandy-new ones, which usually get supported pretty quickly with the -STABLE branches) right out of the box. Promise cards I think are all "soft" RAID cards, meaning I haven't seen any of their lines of cards with a dediated hardware chip for RAID-5 (in particular). HighPoint offers both types of controllers (their "A" series, i.e. 1810A for the 4-port version, are the hardware-based ones), and I think 3Ware are all hardware-based. I believe the SiI 3114 boards are a little better than the 3112 (I don't think you can get any worse than the 3112), but I would stick with the above 3 vendors, you will get well supported controllers that will work without much fiddling. I think 3Ware has the best monitoring utilities, but if you're going to not bother with the card itself and use gvinum, then it really doesn't matter. Hope this helps. -Gary