[mythtv-users] NAS RAID 5 for MythTv

genestapp at charter.net genestapp at charter.net
Sun Feb 11 06:18:42 UTC 2007


I guess I'll throw in my input as well :)

I don't see any reason to use the 3ware cards when the Linux software raid is so excellent. It can now do NCQ, hotplug and online capacity expansion (through mdadm which I have used to add a 5th drive in the last couple months took about 8 hours). For the non-enterprise usage of myth, the speed difference between software and hardware raid in linux is minimal. I'm still seeing the drives themselves as the limiting factor. The other thing to take into account is if the hardware raid card itself becomes DOA. You would be forced to replace with the same hardware to get your data back whereas I can just plug my drives into another linux based system with the same kernel or above.

I'm using a sata 2 port multiplier and a pci-e 1x SIL3132 based card and having great results. Hotplug works correctly and I'm not having to shell out $300+ for a hardware raid solution. I'm running the eSata cable through a wall into a storage room that is behind the wall of my media/theater room. I also house my external watercooling system there. My myth server is a P5WD2-E with an intel D 830 (processor runs very hot and is why watercooling was a must), 5x300GB internally, with 5x500GB seagate.10s in the external raid case. I still have room for another 15 drives if it I need them in the future by adding more icy docks, port multipliers and a second pci-e sata card.

Cost breakdown for my ext. raid setup:
port multiplier - $85 (addonics 5x1)
pci-e sata 2-esata card (2 channel) - Chipset: Silicon Image Sil 3132 - $35 (ebay)
Icy Dock - 3 to 5 sata 2 enclosure - $95 (ebay)
Coolmaster stacker case - $150
Ultra-V 500w power supply - Free
total cost (not including drives) - $365 (not inluding shipping costs) or basically the same cost as one of those low end sata 2 3ware cards.


---- Robin Hill <myth at robinhill.me.uk> wrote: 
> On Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 05:37:45PM -0600, matthew.garman at gmail.com wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, Feb 09, 2007 at 11:00:00PM +0000, Stroller wrote:
> > > And I find them to be fairly affordable on eBay. I'd find the
> > > off-the- shelf prices (here in the UK, at least) a little
> > > prohibitive, but I  don't think I'm impatient enough that that
> > > needs to be a problem. It  looks like one can pick up a 9500-12
> > > for a couple of hundred quid,  6TB should be enough for anybody.
> > 
> > This thread prompted me to take a gander at 3ware cards on ebay.  I
> > didn't see any used (or reasonably priced) PCI Express 3ware SATA
> > RAID cards.  All the ones I would consider affordable (e.g. 9500)
> > are 64-bit PCI cards.
> > 
> Yeah, I think it's only the 9550 which comes in PCI Express format, and
> that's really too new to have hit the second-hand market.
> 
> > So, to those of you who own these cards, do you also have
> > motherboards with 64-bit PCI (which are usually found only on
> > "server" grade (i.e.  very expensive) boards), or do you just run
> > them in 32-bit PCI slots found on most commodity motherboards?
> > 
> I used to use it in a 32-bit slot but my latest board has a 64-bit PCI-X
> slot.  These seem to be more common since PCI Express came in - it just
> needs a cheap bridge chipset off a PCI Express bus.
> 
> > I used to use a 64 bit SCSI card.  None of my mobos have ever had
> > the bigger PCI slots, and this card would actually *not* work in
> > several motherboards.  I'm not sure if this was a failure of the
> > motherboard or the SCSI card.
> > 
> I've had a problem with the card in some boards - not from any
> compatability issues but just because of where they've sited the
> capacitors and other chipsets have made it impossible to fit the card
> in.  I think it should work in any 3.3V PCI slot.
> 
> Cheers,
>         Robin
> -- 
>      ___        
>     ( ' }     |       Robin Hill        <myth at robinhill.me.uk>  |
>    / / )      | Little Jim says ....                            |
>   // !!       |      "He fallen in de water !!"                 |



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