Re: Linux: Why software RAID?

Dan Williams
2006-08-26T20:55:44Z

On 8/23/06, H. Peter Anvin <hpa@zytor.com> wrote:
> Chris Friesen wrote:
> > Jeff Garzik wrote:
> >
> >> But anyway, to help answer the question of hardware vs. software RAID,
> >> I wrote up a page:
> >>
> >> http://linux.yyz.us/why-software-raid.html
> >
> > Just curious...with these guys
> > (http://www.bigfootnetworks.com/KillerOverview.aspx) putting linux on a
> > PCI NIC to allow them to bypass Windows' network stack, has anyone ever
> > considered doing "hardware" raid by using an embedded cpu running linux
> > software RAID, with battery-backed memory?
> >
> > It would theoretically allow you to remain feature-compatible by
> > downloading new kernels to your RAID card.
> >
>
> Yes. In fact, I have been told by several RAID chip vendors that their
> customers are *strongly* demanding that their chips be able to run Linux
> md (and still use whatever hardware offload features.)
>
> So it's happening.
Speaking of md with hardware offload features:

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/xscaleiop/ols_paper_2006.pdf?download

> -hpa

Dan