[mythtv-users] RAID5 ATA IDE hardware card recommendations for mythbackend machine

Peter Loron peterl at standingwave.org
Thu Dec 9 19:01:07 UTC 2004


I don't know if anybody else has mentioned this (missed the earlier part 
of the thread), but if you decide to go with a hardware RAID solution, 
be sure to check out the 3ware stuff. I've had excellent experiences 
with their products under Linux and Windows.

http://3ware.com/

-Pete

David wrote:
> I thought I'd jump in too :)
> 
> I run 6 250Gb SATA disks on software raid5 (with a 250Gb ide partition 
> as a hot standby!!)
> I've had 2 disk failures (Maxtor FWIW) over the last few months.
> No lost data (though it came close when one disk failed before the other 
> came back from RMA)
> Being able to get immediate expert advice from the linux-raid list saved 
> my data.
> 
> I've also migrated the disks to a new machine (last night actually) - 
> new motherboard etc - but more importantly - different SATA chipset! - 
> no problems.
> 
> See here for more:
> http://www.linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html
> 
> Are you aware that most raid5 cards are software raid?
> This FAQ is essential reading (by linux sata guy Jeff Garzik) 
> http://linux.yyz.us/sata/faq-sata-raid.html
> 
> Also, I use a Promise TX4 card - I wanted another but it turns out they 
> don't make them anymore. Ensure that when your hw-raid card dies the 
> manufacturer still makes them and the new version has an O/S driver. If 
> mine dies and I end up using a Marvell chipset then I don't care :)
> 
> There is also a raid5 'grow' utility with the evms project - I couldn't 
> use it for various reasons but it's activley supported.
> 
> David
> 
> 
> Bryan Brannigan wrote:
> 
>> What is the reliability of software RAID in the event of a motherboard
>> failure?  Will I be able to recover my array?
>>
>> Can I add drives to the array later?
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 13:44:28 -0900, John Andersen
>> <jsa at video.homelinux.org> wrote:
>>  
>>
>>> On Tuesday 07 December 2004 12:51, Andrew Plumb wrote:
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Hi Everyone,
>>>>
>>>> For those who do use hardware RAID5 cards for ATA IDE drives, which
>>>> cards have you (not) had success with, for use in a mythtvbackend
>>>> machine?  Or in any Linux-based machine for that matter?
>>>>
>>>> I'm pondering picking up something like a Promise FastTrak SX4000.
>>>>     
>>>
>>> Why bother.  Software raid easily outperforms any of these
>>> raid cards,  Its Robust, Mature, Universally Supported, Open Source
>>> and highly configurable.
>>>
>>> Oh, and did I say ROCK SOLID?
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> ______Jsa_________
>>>   
> 
> 
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