[olug] Linux friendly SATA RAID controller

[Phil Brutsche]

Dan Linder wrote:
> Yes, that's what I'm looking for.  I think I can get my boss to spring 
> for a $300 card but I'll have to forego the battery module and the 
> higher-end cards. :-\

Bummer

If I were in that situation I would spend the money on more drives and a
good SATAII JBOD card and switch the VM storage to a md RAID10.

>> I use the LSI Logic MegaRAID SATA 300-8X RAID card with good results:
>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118059
>>
>> Uses the same drivers and management utilties as the MegaRAID SCSI RAID
>> cards.
>>
>>   
> Are the lower end LSI Logic MegaRAID cards full hardware RAID or any 
> other reason they wouldn't be justifyable in a Linux system?:
> 8240ELP - $179.99 - 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118087
> 8240XLP - $189.99 - 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118086
> 150-4 - $226.99 - 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118015

The 8240[EX]LP are fakeraid SAS cards - binary-only drivers etc.

The 150-4 is a SATA I controller - it's been on the market for at least
4 years now. But it *is* a true hardware RAID card. Be warned that it's
RAID 5 performance isn't all that great, partially because it doesn't
support NCQ, partially because the CPU on the card isn't very powerful
(I have a couple 150-6 controllers). You might get better results using
a RAID10 with that card.

LSI Logic also makes the MegaRAID 300-4XLP:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816118080

It's more expensive but you will definitely get better performance than
with the 150-4.

-- 

Phil Brutsche
phil at brutsche.us