From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Mike Hardy Subject: Re: SuSE 9.2 and 3ware 8506 card Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 14:58:03 -0800 Message-ID: <43DE99FB.3010301@h3c.com> References: <5.1.0.14.2.20060130164019.0ce71eb8@localhost> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Return-path: In-Reply-To: <5.1.0.14.2.20060130164019.0ce71eb8@localhost> Sender: linux-raid-owner@vger.kernel.org To: Tom Peters , linux-raid@vger.kernel.org List-Id: linux-raid.ids It is possible to run SMART commands through to individual drives on 3ware cards, even if you set the drives up as a hardware RAID array (making them non-addressable otherwise). I'd read up on 'smartmontools' (the linux SMART protocol implementation) and get ready to set up smart= d to scan the drives at least once a week. I do a short scan once a day and a full one once a week. Also, 3ware has their own daemon that exports all array status via a website if you do a hardware array. You'll need to monitor that somehow or have it send you mail to make sure you know when the array goes degr= aded. tw_cli sounds like a non-web version of that, that could help That's all focused on reliability though (job #1, imho). Your main concern seems to be around performance. The only thing I've seen that looked interesting there on this list had to do with setting read-ahead parameters at all the different layers - filesystem, software raid, and block devices. You can find good advice and some scripts for trying combinations in the archives. Don't forget hdparm -Tt on a JBOD config to check things at the start for basic hardware baseline, and bonnie++ at the filesystem level once you think things are working. That's where I start and end, anyway Good luck... -Mike Tom Peters wrote: >=20 > Hi, brand new newbie (is that redundant?) here, who soon to be the pr= oud > owner of a 3ware 8506-4 RAID card, on its way in the mail. I'm runnin= g > an old P3 on SuSE 9.2 and would like to know what to read to get up t= o > speed on setting this card up and maintaining it once I do. I'm prett= y > new to linux and get a lot of advice that is pitched just slightly ab= ove > my level of understanding, so please go slow. >=20 > I'm currently using a Compaq SmartArray 3200 with 8 drives and I've > about given up getting any kind of reasonable performance out of it. > That, plus the outrageous cost of SCSI drives, is the reason for the > switch to SATA. I can borrow a pair of 300 GB drives for a while to > prove the concept (the 3ware card wasn't that pricey) and if I can ge= t > it to work reasonably well, buy some drives. I think there's some voo= doo > in the BIOS of a real Compaq server that makes it work properly; for = me > it's a dog and writes unbelievably slow. >=20 > I've been reading this group for a few weeks and hear some hints and > intimations about things I should probably learn about. For example, > someone just mentioned tw_cli maint verify, is that a 3ware thing or = a > ext3 thing? And the fact that there is a 3ware knowledgebase (e.g. > http://www.3ware.com/KB/article.aspx?id=3D13247 should help. >=20 > So what else do I need to know? >=20 > -T >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > [Philosophy] There is nothing that somebody, somewhere, will not > consider immoral. --Jan.Six@uku.fi > --... ...-- -.. . -. ----. --.- --.- -... > tpeters@nospam.mixcom.com (remove "nospam") N9QQB (amateur radio) > "HEY YOU" (loud shouting) WEB ADDRESS http//www.mixweb.com/tpeters > 43=B0 7' 17.2" N by 88=B0 6' 28.9" W, Elevation 815', Grid Square E= N53wc > WAN/LAN/Telcom Analyst, Tech Writer, MCP, CCNA, Registered Linux User > 385531 >=20 >=20 >=20 > - > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid"= in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid" i= n the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html