Re: Best Low-cost IDE RAID Solution For 2.6.x? (OT?)

[Samuel Flory <sflory@rackable.com>]

Johannes Ruscheinski wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> We're looking for a low-cost high-reliability IDE RAID solution that works well
> with the 2.6.x series of kernels.  We have about 1 TB (8 disks) that we'd
> like to access in a non-redundant raid mode.  Yes, I know, that lack of
> redundancy and high reliability are contradictory.  Let's just say that
> currently we lack the funding to do anything else but we may be able to obtain
> more funding for our disk storage needs in the near future.


   It really depends on what you mean by low cost?  The ony ide raid 
controller that does 8 PATA drives well under linux is the 3ware 
controller.  For SATA drives you have the 3ware, and adaptec controller. 
    In theroy the highpoint 8 port sata card would be a good canidate 
for software raid, but highpoint has yet to cough up an open source 
drive yet.

   It you want to go the software raid route and have 2 spare pci solts. 
  You can go with either the high point rocket raid 454 (PATA), or the 
promise SATA150 TX4.

   I really don't recommend any of promise's cards that use use the i2o 
driver, or any sort of binary only driver.

PS- Why not at least run software raid 5?  It takes far less cpu than 
you'd think, and can save your ass.