|
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
|
Re: [PLUG] Raid Basics (was: Linux Raid)
|
In case anyone is interested in reading, the RAID manual for mo'bo'
AD70-SR is here: http://sj.dfi.com.tw/download/MANUAL/RAID.PDF
> > If the built-in controller is RAID enabled, how is that software-based
> RAID?
>
> The controller is nothing but a standard ATA controller, the 'RAID' portion
> is entirely located in the firmware. The firmware is executed by the CPU. In
> Windows 9X, where accessing a device through the BIOS information was
> acceptable, you could insall onto one of these RAIDs, format, move files,
> etc, without ever loading a driver. In NT and Linux, among others, a device
> driver is needed. Basically, the Windows and Linux drivers re-create what
> the firmware was doing, along with adding a few other tweaks.
I may be off because I haven't used one of these controllers, but from
what I read in the manual, the driver for the controller is like any
other driver and the striped drives are presented to the OS as a
single disk. The additional software is mostly for monitoring. If
software is needed to create a RAID, why even bother with the special
controller? (That's what I need to know before bothering with a
RAID'ed mo'bo'.)
> > >'RAID' users are actually using a form of bootable software RAID,
> courtesy
> > >of their Promise Fasttrak and HPT onboard controllers. There's nothing
> wrong
> > >with these, I'm using a Fasttrak TX4 myself, but they should not be
> confused
> > >with true hardware RAID.
What about caching?
______________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group - http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements-http://lists.phillylinux.org/mail/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mail/listinfo/plug
|
|