<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style><style type='text/css'>body { font-family: 'Verdana'; font-size: 8pt; color: #000000}</style></head><body>I've been running a 5x250 software raid5 array for a few years. It's easy to setup and maintain and uses very little CPU. If I had the cash, I'd prob convert to hardware raid5, and buy 2 controllers (1 spare).<br><br>Sadly, I don't have the cash, so my biggest decision now is: when I build a new system, do I go software raid 5 or software raid 6?<br><br>Gerald<br><br>----- "Dan Ritter" <dsr-myth@tao.merseine.nu> wrote:
<br>> On Wed, Jun 04, 2008 at 07:27:16PM -0400, Carl L. Gilbert wrote:<br>> > On Wed, 2008-06-04 at 15:04 -0400, Dan Ritter wrote:<br>> > > On Wed, Jun 04, 2008 at 02:49:11PM -0400, Carl L. Gilbert wrote:<br>> > > > Hardware RAID does not have to be expensive.<br>> > > <br>> > > Of course it does. Let's say that software RAID takes up 1% of<br>> > > your CPU. 1% of a $200 CPU is $2. There are no reliable hardware<br>> > > RAID systems that cost $2.<br>> > > <br>> > Your forgot to include a percentage of the cost of the drive's<br>> > interface. Yes, most interfaces do this today, but still. Since you<br>> > want to be technical, that cost is based in your motherboard.<br>> <br>> I don't know any general-purpose motherboards that don't have disk<br>> controllers these days, but let's suppose that you need to stock<br>> some generic SATA-PCI controllers. $10 buys a nice reliable one<br>> built on a Silicon Image chip.<br>> <br>> > > If the card blows, you had better have a replacement on hand of<br>> > > exactly the same type. Not so for software RAID. And if the card<br>> > > blows after warranty or after the manufacturer has EOL'd it, you<br>> > > might be looking at a very expensive replacement.<br>> > > <br>> > Hardware is hardware. If your drive controller blows it blows. Don't<br>> > matter if its on the MB or in a card plugged into the MB. No difference<br>> > here.<br>> <br>> Except, of course, that a RAID controller is a much more<br>> expensive card to keep stocked. Often more expensive than<br>> complete motherboards. Sometimes more expensive than complete<br>> motherboards, CPUs, and RAM.<br>> <br>> > I am not claiming HW does something software does not. You are claiming<br>> > the superiority of what I assume is FakeRAID.<br>> <br>> No, I'm claiming that superiority, in many circumstances, of<br>> Linux Software RAID, done through generic disk controllers and<br>> controlled via mdadm.<br>> <br>> > So what do you do when one of your drives dies on software RAID? Put in<br>> > a new drive and go about your business? Nope. Since you are not<br>> > RAIDing drives but partitions. So you have to rebuild your partition<br>> > table on the new drive. I don't know how thats done, but for me,<br>> > putting in a new drive and switching on the computer is very simple.<br>> <br>> # sfdisk -d /dev/good_disk |sfdisk /dev/new_disk<br>> <br>> > > > runs smartmon no problem. Plus there is a web interface to manage the<br>> > > > drives from within the OS.<br>> > > <br>> > > That's not an advantage.<br>> > > <br>> > I am claiming only 1 advantage of HW raid, Its simpler.<br>> <br>> I'm done trying to convince you.<br>> <br>> -dsr-<br>> <br>> <br>> -- <br>> http://tao.merseine.nu/~dsr/eula.html is hereby incorporated by reference.<br>> <br>> When freedom gets lots of exercise, it protects itself.<br>> _______________________________________________<br>> mythtv-users mailing list<br>> mythtv-users@mythtv.org<br>> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users<br>> <br><br>-- <br>Gerald Brandt<br>Majentis Technologies<br>204-229-6595<br></dsr-myth@tao.merseine.nu></body></html>