Linux ATA RAID

[Steven Hildreth]

We have a 3Ware Escalade 7000 (two actually) 12 ports, each running
200GB Maxtors, gives us 1.85TB RAID 5.

Here are some details you might find interesting;
#cat /proc/scsi/3w-xxxx/0
scsi0: 3ware Storage Controller
Driver version: 1.02.00.031
Current commands posted:         0
Max commands posted:           255
Current pending commands:        0
Max pending commands:          169
Last sgl length:                 2
Max sgl length:                 32
Last sector count:              16
Max sector count:              256
Resets:                          0
Aborts:                          0
AEN's:                          27

# hdparm -t /dev/3wraid/s1

/dev/3wraid/s1:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in  1.17 seconds = 54.65 MB/sec

raid1 root # cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 15
model           : 2
model name      : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
stepping        : 7
cpu MHz         : 2424.060
cache size      : 512 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge
mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm
bogomips        : 4784.12

raid1 root # cat /proc/meminfo
        total:    used:    free:  shared: buffers:  cached:
Mem:  1054687232 997425152 57262080        0 69726208 868663296
Swap: 1036374016 22528000 1013846016

raid1 root # lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host
Bridge (rev 11)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge
(rev 11)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB USB (Hub #1) (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB USB (Hub #2) (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB USB (Hub #3) (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB USB EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BA/CA/DB PCI Bridge (rev 81)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801DB ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 01)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801DB ICH4 IDE (rev 01)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV5M64 [RIVA TNT2
Model 64/Model 64 Pro] (rev 15)
02:03.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev
10)
02:0a.0 RAID bus controller: 3ware Inc 3ware 7000-series ATA-RAID (rev
01)
02:0d.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82543GC Gigabit Ethernet
Controller (Copper) (rev 02)
02:0e.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82557/8/9 [Ethernet Pro 100]
(rev 02)

We Have been using the 3wares for about three months and have had no
trouble, we use them on Gentoo system and even got the 3dmd monitor to
work (sends email status for each drive port). Works like a charm and
gives really good performance. We have it attached to the LAN via
gigabit ethernet (PCI 02:0d.0) and get great throughput via our Dlink
DGS-3224TG switch.

HTH,
Steven

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-kclug at marauder.illiana.net
[mailto:owner-kclug at marauder.illiana.net] On Behalf Of Bill Cavalieri
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 12:18 AM
To: kclug at kclug.org
Subject: Re: Linux ATA RAID

Charles Steinkuehler wrote:

> I'm debating using SCSI drives vs. buying a hardware RAID and using 
> cheaper IDE drives.  I have fast/wide PCI slots available, so I'd 
> prefer a fast-wide hardware IDE raid card, but performance is really 
> secondary to data integrity and low-cost (it's not a perfect world, 
> after all!).

I had the same quandry last week, I have a server dishing out remote x 
connections, and had 30 clients conntected.  With the ide drives the x 
server came to a halt.  I looked at scsi and ide raid, after lots of 
reading, and looking at the budget, I settled with an ide raid 
controller from 3ware.

Its a  4 channel, hardware raid controller (more than just doing the xor

on card, like promise etc..), used 4 drives in raid 10, so I got 
performance and security and a cost of drive space.  I know how 30 
connected clients, and server is working just fine.