Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 09:32:24 -0700 From: Edwin Culp <eculp@EnContacto.Net> To: John Von Essen <essenz@quonix.net> Cc: hardware@freebsd.org, eric@fnordsystems.com Subject: RE: Server recommendation for co-location. Message-ID: <1002731544.3bc47818c1176@Mail.SavvyWorld.Net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.10.10110101213500.25797-100000@bjork.quonix.net> References: <Pine.BSF.4.10.10110101213500.25797-100000@bjork.quonix.net>
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Quoting John Von Essen <essenz@quonix.net>: | I highly recommend the ADAPTEC 2400A ATA RAID Card in replacement of the | 3ware stuff. Adaptec has made a real commitement to support non-Windows | OS's. The only down side is the card only supports 4 drives. | | (Personally, I would never use IDE RAID, the Adaptec 3200S Ultra160 | 64-bit SCSI RAID Card is the way to go) Thanks, John. The adaptec 320s would have been my choice if our resources were not so limited and if I hadn't listened to so many "success stories" with 3ware that I really wanted to believe. Plus, this machine was planed with a 2 year obsolescence. ed | | John Von Essen | john@essenz.com | | On Wed, 10 Oct 2001, Edwin Culp wrote: | | > Thanks, Lawrence. I wasn't aware of this. I wonder if Mike Smith | > would be kind enough to add a little of his first hand knowledge | > of 3ware and if we should jump ship. | > | > Thanks, | > | > ed | > | > Quoting Lawrence Farr <freebsd-hw@epcdirect.co.uk>: | > | > | 3ware have withdrawn sales of their controllers. see: | > | | > | | http://www.3ware.com/products/EscaladeLetter.asp?Title=Product&subTitle= | > | 3&ImageNumber=2 | > | | > | Lawrence Farr | > | EPC Direct Limited mailto:lawrence@epcdirect.co.uk | > | T:01179666123 F:01179666111 M:07970780901 | > | | > | -----Original Message----- | > | From: owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG | > | [mailto:owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG] On Behalf Of Edwin Culp | > | Sent: 10 October 2001 14:35 | > | To: Paul Chvostek | > | Cc: freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG | > | Subject: Re: Server recommendation for co-location. | > | | > | | > | Paul, thank you for taking the time to make these suggestions. They | are | > | excellent and I will certainly share the results with the list. | > | | > | I have purchased what I consider to be the best solution for our | > | company, | > | right now. I know many folks will have issues with 3ware, drives in | the | > | | > | same box, etc. but it meets our specs and is within our budget of | > | "unlimited | > | cash":-) that you mention and seems solid good ventilation, adequete | > | power | > | in a 4u box. The server can be seen at: | > | http://www.fnordsystems.com/4U_fnord_430_product_page.shtmlServerworks | > | III HE-SL | > | | > | I have been thinking about vinum across the two controlers and would be | > | very | > | interested to hear of experiences, especially with 3ware raid and | vinum. | > | The | > | bios issue is very important and I'll have a solution before deploying | > | in | > | Singapore. I plan to work these issues out here in the office before | > | sending | > | it to the co-location facility. RealWeasel looks really interesting. | > | Maybe | > | I can even get on their "asses saved" page (LOL) The FnordSystem has | > | Serverworks III HE-SL chipset. I've never used it but it does come well | > | recommended although I don't remember anything from the specs about the | | > | ability to "spew" to the serial port,though.:-) | > | | > | Thanks again and I would appreciate any comments or suggestions, | > | especially | > | with vinum. | > | | > | ed | > | | > | | > | | > | Quoting Paul Chvostek <paul@it.ca>: | > | | > | | | > | | Hi Edwin. | > | | | > | | On the basis of your specs, I infer that you have unlimited cash. :) | > | | | > | | I have three things to add to your equation. Since this box will be | > | | mostly inaccessible, you should probably allocate at least two drives | > | | as spares in your RAID. Having one spare is obvious, but you really | > | | don't want to have to do repairs to this unit even *after* a failure | > | | if you can help it, and one more drive is (relatively) cheap. | > | | | > | | Which brings us to the second point. I've just been probing the list | > | | regarding a problem I'm having with a Dell PowerEdge that has a | > | | MegaRAID controller in it. I can't find any way to have the RAID | > | | controller tell FreeBSD that there's a problem, without doing | hardware | > | | mods that void the warranty on the unit. (I'm still looking.) If | you | > | | plan to buy a brand-name box (Dell, IBM, whatever), MAKE SURE that | the | > | | configuration you're using includes the ability to report drive (and | > | | fan and heat) problems to the operating system. The man page for | > | | ports/sysutils/healthd lists a number of monitoring chipsets for the | > | | basic stuff, but I don't know where you'd look for the RAID, unless | > | | you don't mind the performance hit and are comfortable running vinum. | > | | | > | | The third point ... is that you want remote access to this box at all | > | | times. The Dell PowerEdge server I installed yesterday has a BIOS | > | | setting that apparently lets the unit spew its CMOS config interface | > | | through the serial port. For a less vendor-specific solution, check | > | | out http://www.realweasel.com/. It's an awesome product. | > | | | > | | When you complete your research, please let the list know. I'm sure | > | | lots of us will be interested in your findings. | > | | | > | | p | > | | | > | | | > | | On Tue, Sep 25, 2001 at 07:16:23PM -0700, Edwin Culp wrote: | > | | > | > | | > I need to co-locate a server in Singapore so reliability is | > | | > important:-). I am thinking of something with a ServerWorks | > | | > LE-based board, multiprocessor, but with one P-III Xeon to | > | | > start, running at from 700 Mhz to 1,000 Mhz, 2Gb initial ram, | > | | > an extremely well ventilated box with multiple, hot swap, | > | | > power supplies 500-750 watts, each. I would like to have a | > | | > Raid 10 array with from .5 TB to 1 TB initially. | > | | > I find the 3ware escalade 64 bit, switched, 7000 series to be a a | > | | > very compelling solution but I remember seeing a thread not long | > | | > ago about it having pretty serious problems in one installation, | > | | > but I've also heard some very good things about it. Does anyone | > | | > know of a solid raid 10 SCSI solution for FreeBSD? | > | | > | > | | > All suggestions appreciated especially about 3ware, motherboard, | > | | > drives, etc. If I remember the drives that were having problems | > | | > in the 3ware thread were IBM, so they are out. I was thinking | > | | > about maxtor, I've used several (7500 rpm) for a couple | > | | > of years with no problems. | > | | > | > | | > Now for the hard part, our finance guy wants to lease the equipment | > | | > and would prefer to buy from a supplier rather than build it in | > | house.:-( | > | | > He obviously suggested, IBM, Dell, HP, Compaq, etc. etc. all of | > | which | > | | > have more trade-offs than I would like to make. Does anyone know | of | > | a | > | | real | > | | > company that [could|would|does] build[s] something similar? | > | | > | > | | > Thanks, | > | | > | > | | > ed | > | | > | > | | > --- | > | | > | > | | > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org | > | | > with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message | > | | | > | | -- | > | | Paul Chvostek | > | <paul@it.ca> | > | | Operations / Development / Abuse / Whatever vox: +1 416 | > | 598-0000 | > | | IT Canada | > | http://www.it.ca/ | > | | | > | | | > | | > | | > | | > | | > | --- | > | | > | To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org | > | with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message | > | | > | | > | > | > | > | > --- | > | > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org | > with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message | > | | --- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message
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