[NTLUG:Discuss] Built a big box

[Chris Cox]

Kipton Moravec wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dan Carlson" <dcarlson at dcarlson.net>
> 
>>With software raid5 over six ide disks in my system with a 2.2 GHz P4 I
> 
> get
> 
>>50 to 70 MB/sec.  It really does vary over that range from one run to
>>another, depending on disk activity from other processes.
> 
> 
> I was wondering how you do RAID with IDE disks, since the PC supports only 4
> IDE devices.
> 
> Do you have another controller that supports IDE Raid?  What is the brand
> name?  Does it leave space for CDROM drive?
> Do you have a URL?

I believe he was talking sw raid... so you just need additional IDE...
easy to get.  Of course many motherboards now come with 3 and some come
with even 4 IDE connectors... due to the presence of onboard "hardware"
raid controllers (promise or highpoint).

I would think you could pick almost any PCI IDE expansion card... but
I'm not sure.

If you want HW IDE RAID with lots of devices (one drive per
controller... the way it has to be if you want adequate performance)...
look at 3ware. www.3ware.com.  They have 8 port and 12 port units.

I think promise has some 8 port units as well... I haven't tried
any of these, folks seem to like the 3ware brand (some promise
controllers aren't well supported under Linux).  If I had to go with
inexpensive IDE RAID (and there would have to be a VERY good reason..
like $80 120G drives or something like that), I'd probably look
at getting a 3ware card (though they are a bit pricey... ebay is
your friend).