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  1. #1
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    comment on Supermicro x7DVL-E?

    Hello,

    I'm building a woodcrest server, would like to get some comment on this motherboard: Supermicro x7DVL-E.
    I will be using 64bit CentOS 4.4 and will be using SATA2 RAID 10, does CentOS 4.4 able to identify the build-in raid controller on x7DVL-E? I want to use a motherboard that CentOS 4.4 can be installed on RAID 10 with no extra steps to install raid driver.


    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Orz...just tried. doesn't work. And no driver available.

    Any recommandation for a cheap SATAII raid 10 card can be recognize by CentOS??

  3. #3
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    3ware cards are pretty nice, and to the OS it shows up as a regular SCSI disk so no special drivers or modules are required. I honestly would NEVER run anything other than a RAID 1 on the onboard RAID controller.

    Also, that motherboard has some issues with using more than 3GB RAM from what i've seen, so you might want to watch out for that.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the suggestion.
    3Ware 9550SX seems a bit pricy. any other cheaper raid 10 card or even fakeraid card can be recognize by CentOS?

  5. #5
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    IMHO, I'm not sure what the point of paying for 4 drives and then going cheap on the controller is...why go Woodcrest, SATA II, etc and then want a low-quality/low-cost controller?

    Adaptec and LSI are the other major players for RAID controller cards as far as I know.

  6. #6
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    Wanted to reduce the cost. the drives are 80G sata2 anyway, was going to use raptor without raid, but cost lot more. but seems can't. so I decided to go with 3Ware 9550SX.
    Last edited by CNSERVERS; 11-02-2006 at 04:24 AM.

  7. #7
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    I might want to build some low end servers later, so if there are cheaper raid 10 cards can be recognize by CentOS please let me know. thanks ahead.

  8. #8
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    NO point in going cheap raid cards, none at all. You want performance and disk redundancy, or you wouldn't go RAID 10 in the first place, plus you need compatibility. You'll get all of that with the 3Ware.

    Other alternative would be to go to 2 drive solution, bigger drives, 3Ware 8006 2 port controller, RAID 0 or 1 only.

    http://www.3ware.com/products/serial_ata8000.asp
    Last edited by mwatkins; 11-02-2006 at 04:47 AM.
    “Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
    considerable economic stress at this period in history.”

  9. #9
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    The point is I want to lower the cost. If there are no raid card can meet my needs, fine, no problem with that. Please do not post if you don't have an answer.

  10. #10
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    Yah, I know the 3ware products are good and all that, but it's just cost too much, I think low end server still deserve a low end raid solution besides the software raid.

  11. #11
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    I did (later while you were posting) suggest an alternative; but your original post didn't specify cost as a requirement but RAID 10 with specific attributes. 3Ware 9500 series meets that.
    “Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
    considerable economic stress at this period in history.”

  12. #12
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    Ok, thanks for your comment.

  13. #13
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    Hardware RAID and low-end typically don't go together, look at all the providers out there...low-end servers(under $100/mo) still include Celerons or Athlons typically with 512MB-1GB RAM and a single drive.

    examples:
    ev1servers.com
    managed.com

    If clients want to invest in a RAID server they should be willing to pay a large premium. The 3ware 9550SX is a very good card, I agree with the review at: http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_g..._type=masterid

    RAID controller cards are simply not something to go cheap on IMHO as I've seen way too many catastrophes over the years.

    Good luck!

  14. #14
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    well, today the hdds are cheap, 4 hdds cost nothing, even with fakeraid should be able to boost I/O performance for low end servers. ofcouse hardware raid are much better.

  15. #15
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    I think "cheap" and RAID 10 may still be mutuall exclusive terms as well. You could no doubt find a cheaper RAID 5 only card, perhaps RAID 6. HIghpoint and Raidcore had cheap cards. Buyer beware... not all RAID made equal... software based cards.
    “Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
    considerable economic stress at this period in history.”

  16. #16
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    hmm...I thought RAID 5 is more complex than RAID 10.
    Many MB support RAID 10, however it's hard to get them work with Linux.

  17. #17
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    Or you can go the other route... get a 2 up server, 8 X 250 or 500 GB SATA II RE drives, 8 port 9550, and then do the math... terabytes of storage at very low cost per GB. On that note, I am outta here.
    “Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
    considerable economic stress at this period in history.”

  18. #18
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    I don't really want the storage, just want the highest performance and data redundency with lowest cost, because the servers I build have to be 1U and can fit 4 Hdds atmost.

  19. #19
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    Sure if you go with fake/software raid you can use cheaper "desktop-level" drives. If you invest in a 3Ware card or similar go with "enterprise-level" drives.

    Examples:
    Desktop: http://westerndigital.com/en/products/index.asp?cat=3
    Enterprise: http://westerndigital.com/en/products/index.asp?cat=2

  20. #20
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    yah, i do use desktop-level drives for low end servers. I can setup software raid but it has to go through a lot to setup and harder to manage. a fakeraid card support by linux would be much helpful.

  21. #21
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    http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html and http://www.clintoneast.com/articles/linux-sata-raid.php may be helpful for you.

    fakeraid is simply not an option to me for production servers. Good luck with your testing however!

  22. #22
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    I have looked through those. thanks anyway.
    Looks like CentOS 4.4 can only recognize some hardware raid cards, have to get in lots trouble if want to use fakeraid...

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