From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "Jerry Cloe" Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 21:25:09 +0000 Subject: RE: Storage options for Sun E450 / Linux? Message-Id: List-Id: References: In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit To: ultralinux@vger.kernel.org I don't have a specific recommendation for you on software vs hardware except to say that the performance edge with hardware is almost always worth the extra $$$. I would say the final decision should lay with how much of a load your going to put on the SQL database server, light usage, go software, heavy usage, go hardware. Something that I do want to comment on, is the case of the E450. I'm not familiar with this particular box, but other cases that have lots of room can handle a cabinet full of 9gig's just fine but will burn up 18 and 36 gig drives (yes, they do run hotter). I kept burning up drive after drive and when I got ahold of tech support and they figured out I kept burning up drives, it finally came down to a heat problem. Spread them across another expansion cabinet and everythign was just fine. Now I don't know the cooling fan situation and stuff with your box, but it is a big problem I've seen... > -----Original Message----- > From: sparclinux-owner@vger.kernel.org > [mailto:sparclinux-owner@vger.kernel.org]On Behalf Of > sean.upton@uniontrib.com > Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 3:12 PM > To: sparclinux@vger.kernel.org; ultralinux@vger.kernel.org > Subject: Storage options for Sun E450 / Linux? > > > I have a Sun Ultra Enterprise 450 Server that is likely going to end up > running Linux for use as a PostgreSQL database server and occasional file > server (using knfsd, only as a hot backup to another box). As > some of you > may know, compared to other Sun hardware, the E450 has lots of internal > expansion room; right now, I'm currently evaluating storage > options for it, > as I only have a minimal configuration (4 9GB disks). > > I likely plan on filling up the other 16 bays with 18GB and/or > 36GB drives, > and am evaluating options in deciding hardware vs. software RAID. The > likely setup here would be several volumes of RAID 0+1, which shouldn't be > very taxing on the CPU in the software RAID setup. However, I wonder what > hardware RAID options might be open to me for internal expansion. > > Is anybody using an E450 with hardware RAID controllers they would > recommend? Anybody using software RAID with multiple USCSI controllers in > the E450? Are the USCSI controllers that are bundled with the 8-slot > backplanes that Sun sells supported by the kernel? What about the RAID > controllers? > > Out of curiosity, what does it take to support RAID controllers > supported by > Linux/Intel to work on Linux/Sparc? > > Sorry to sound like a real novice here; I've got plenty of experience with > Linux on Intel and PPC - and I'm comfortable working with Linux on Sparc, > but the extent to which I have used ultralinux is only on my Ultra 10 > workstation, not on any bigger hardware like the 450. > > I'd be grateful to anyone who had any thoughts here. > Thanks, > Sean > > ============> Sean Upton > Senior Programmer/Analyst > SignOnSanDiego.com > The San Diego Union-Tribune > 619.718.5241 > sean.upton@uniontrib.com > ============> - > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe sparclinux" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe ultralinux" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org