Re: Hardware RAID on Linux - Configuration questions

Tom,

That helps a lot - thanks very much!

Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Lesniak" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 6:34 AM
Subject: Re: Hardware RAID on Linux - Configuration questions


>
> Mark,
>
> You'll probably get more responses if you post to the standard
> [email protected] list.
>
> Anyway, hardware raid is much simpler to configure than software raid.
> Basically, you configure the drives (via the raid controller's BIOS)
before
> you install any software.  There are admin tools that you will want so
once
> you load the OS, you can administer the RAID controller from within the
OS.
> (i.e. monitoring and rebuilding drives/arrays)  You don't need to edit any
> files (such as raidtab) or issue any commands (like mkraid) to create the
> arrays.  As far as the OS is concerned, it does not know that the drives
> are in a RAID array.  The controller "hides" this from the OS.
>
> Depending on which PERC controller you use, you may end up having a
> megaraid based controller, not an aacraid based controller. I believe that
> all of the PERC4 controllers are megaraid controllers, as are the
> PERC3/dc,qc controllers.  You'll just have to make sure that you have the
> correct drivers and monitoring software installed.
>
> If you look through the archives for the mailing lists, you'll find that
> there has been a lot of talk about performance/throughput of the PERC raid
> controllers.  Some people prefer software raid because they are able to
get
> better performance out of it.  Just something that you'll need to
consider.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
>      Tom
>
>
>
>
>
>                     "Mark Cuss"

>                     <[email protected]>          To:
<[email protected]>
>                     Sent by:                        cc:
>                     linux-aacraid-devel-admi        Subject:     Hardware
RAID on Linux - Configuration questions
>                     [email protected]
>
>
>                     02/23/2004 05:26 PM
>                     Please respond to mcuss
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello
>
> I've used software RAID pretty extensively before, but I'm looking into
> getting a Dell Server and attaching a 220s SCSI Disk array to it using a
> PERC4 card.  I've got some questions about how the configuration works as
> compared to software RAID...  If I've posted this to the wrong place,
> please accept my apologies and let me know where I should post this.
>
> My question basically is:  How does one configure RAID devices when using
a
> hardware RAID?  Is this done somehow through the controller BIOS or its it
> done through the OS?  To add a software RAIDs I would edit the raidtab
file
> as necessary and issue the "mkraid" command, create the filesystem, and
> that was it - the RAID was ready for use.  Are hardware RAIDs configured
in
> the same manner?  Or is some utility software included with the driver?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Mark
>
> Mark Cuss, B. Sc.
> Real Time Systems Analyst
> System Administrator
> CDL Systems Ltd
> Suite 230
> 3553 - 31 Street NW
> Calgary, AB, Canada
>
> Phone: 403 289 1733 ext 226
> Fax: 403 282 1238
> www.cdlsystems.com
>

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