RAID SSD controller?

[rkruz]

Im looking at packaging Solid State Drives into a RAID array for write speed.

Who makes these sorts of controllers?

thank you

 

[ddrueding]

Just about any RAID controller will work. The pre-packaged one I purchased includes 4 OCZ Vertex drives and an LSI SAS controller.

 

[MaxBurn]

Is that your one review under Sam1961 on the egg?

My advice is skip the RAID for SSD, they are more than fine for a single user system.

 

[ddrueding]

Not mine, that would be dave1980

 

[LunarMist]

Is that your one review under Sam1961 on the egg?

I was thinking maybe it is Merc, but 1961 is probably the born on date.

 

[LunarMist]

A 6Gbps RAID controller like this one would be good for current and future faster SSDs.

 

[rkruz]

ok. thanks!. Ill look into it.

 

[MaxBurn]

PERC6/i goodness?

 

[Santilli]

Would you give me a guess on what kind of interface this raid card is going to be used for?

 

[Santilli]

I'm using the force....

It tells me PCI-X????????????????????????????

 

[Pradeep]

I'm using the force....

It tells me PCI-X????????????????????????????

PCI-Express says *Santilli, I am your father.*

Santilli says *NOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!"

 

[Santilli]

ROFL! That's funny. I don't care who you are...

 

[Stereodude]

I'm using the force....

It tells me PCI-X????????????????????????????

The Perc 6i is PCIe x8. :nono:

 

[Handruin]

PCI-Express says *Santilli, I am your father.*

Santilli says *NOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!"

That's some good stuff right there.

 

[Santilli]

If you are after a PCI card, the AMCC 3ware 9550SX is it, period.

 

[BingBangBop]

I really must be missing something! Santilli, why are you busy promoting raid controllers for archaic buses for a SSD application? Don't you realize that old cards won't have been designed for the throughput that is so desirable with an SSD?

Software raid! or at least a very modern raid card using the PCI express bus

 

[MaxBurn]

Whoever did that, pretty funny.

 

[LunarMist]

I really must be missing something! Santilli, why are you busy promoting raid controllers for archaic buses for a SSD application? Don't you realize that old cards won't have been designed for the throughput that is so desirable with an SSD?

Software raid! or at least a very modern raid card using the PCI express bus

Very curious. A sockpuppet?

 

[Santilli]

I really must be missing something! Santilli, why are you busy promoting raid controllers for archaic buses for a SSD application? Don't you realize that old cards won't have been designed for the throughput that is so desirable with an SSD?

Software raid! or at least a very modern raid card using the PCI express bus

He never mentioned what interface he was going to use for this setup.

I agree, by the way.

 

[LunarMist]

He never mentioned what interface he was going to use for this setup.

One would assume something less ancient.

 

[Santilli]

You are correct... My mistake...;0

 

[LunarMist]

What about this LSI card?

 

[Santilli]

What about this LSI card?

Is that just two ports??

Can't tell.

 

[LunarMist]

8i = eight internal ports. I thought you were familiar with SAS. They are SFF ports. The cables are not included.

 

[Handruin]

Looks like a decent number of ports for the money. Greg, it uses the SFF-8087 cable to be more specific. You can then buy a SFF-8087 to SAS which would be a 1 to 4 breakout cable. This style is pretty handy especially if you decide to go with a case that handles SFF-8087 on the backplane...then you only need to run two cables to connect 8 drives on the backplane.

 

[Santilli]

Sounds good, if it works.
One of the things I didn't like about the SCA 'backplane' from Supermicro was that each drive required it's own SATA cable. Not a 'backplane', at least to me, if that's the case(excuse the pun;-)

How much are the cables?

 

[LunarMist]

I ordered the controller and 2 Adaptec SFF-8087 to 4xSAS/SATA cables. I hope it works in the old computer.

 

[LunarMist]

Looks like a decent number of ports for the money. Greg, it uses the SFF-8087 cable to be more specific. You can then buy a SFF-8087 to SAS which would be a 1 to 4 breakout cable. This style is pretty handy especially if you decide to go with a case that handles SFF-8087 on the backplane...then you only need to run two cables to connect 8 drives on the backplane.

Obviously the controller is relatively cheap because it is not built for RAID 5 or 6. However, I will use it for individual drives or maybe a pair of SSDs in RAID 0.

I did not investigate yet, but there should be a passthrough adapter to use 4 drives in an external enclosure with a single cable of some sort.

 

[Santilli]

LM
Going to be intresting to see if the chipsets allow you anywhere near what the controller and drives are going to be capable of.

 

[LunarMist]

Presumably it is capable of SATA 6Gps as advertized, though I have no such devices. I don't know the limitations of the motherboard. PCIe 8x should be fast enough.

 

[LunarMist]

Controller delivery was on Monday. Cables are still MIA. What kind of shipping plan is that?

 

[LunarMist]

The outer box was totally smashed, almost half of the size. WTF is up with the USP?

 

[Stereodude]

WTF is up with the USP?

Good question. I'm curious about the United States Pharmacopeia myself.

 

[LunarMist]

Oh brother. You know I mean the UPS.

 

[LunarMist]

Argh. I should have purchased one of the 1m SFF to SATA cords.

 

[LunarMist]

Damn, the heatsink on the chip is hot enough to burn the small toe!

 

[ddrueding]

Damn, the heatsink on the chip is hot enough to burn the small toe!

Then don't kick it? :bigeek:

My LSI card was the same. So I installed a waterblock on it

 

[LunarMist]

I'm wondering if it is possible to boot off the card. The drives are not clear in the BIOS.

 

[CougTek]

Who, except for an orang-outan, probes electronic parts' temperature with his toe?

You shouldn't take that "Hairy Aussie" title THAT seriously, you know.

 

[ddrueding]

I'm wondering if it is possible to boot off the card. The drives are not clear in the BIOS.

If the card shows as a boot option, that is all that is required. You specify which drive from the controller on the controller's management interface.