On Mon, Jan 20, 2003 at 03:44:48PM -0600, edwardam@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > > On Sun, Jan 19, 2003 at 06:57:07PM +1100, Steve & Dee McInerney wrote: > >> I have a FT 100 tx2, and am happy to answer what I can. > >> Suggest you ask the Q's of the list anyway. > > > > I've found step-by-step instructions for installing RHL7.3 onto a system > > with all the disks on this controller, and then on to build the kernel > > with the linux native ataraid controller. That's all cool. > > > > What I'm wondering is: > > 1. Is this truly a hardware RAID controller? I've seen references to it > > being a quasi-hardware RAID solution... > > AFAIK, and I could be wrong. It's a software raid controller. The Promise > drivers that pretend to be scsi devices (windows and linux) contain all > the software tat does the raid. And it seems there are linux-native drivers, that's what ataraid is all about AFAIK, that will support it, but apparently they also do the RAID in the driver (software). Spawns 2 more questions: 1. What is the advantage of having the FastTrack controller? Can't Linux do SW RIAD with the standard ATA controllers on most motherboards? 2. Are there *any* ATA RAID controllers that really are HW RAID? > > 2. With the hot-swap chassis, can the linux ataraid controller really do > > the hot-swapping and auto-rebuilding of drives? This is currently how > > my customer does backups (yes, I am pushing them to get a tape drive) > > and if we cannot do hot-swaps then we'll have to figure something out... > > Dunno about the hot swap. From what I've raid, I'd say no ... But then > again I could be wrong. ... But... Odd that no one knows this answer. I thought for sure there would be someone who would know if hot-swap works or not. If it won't hot-swap, or at least know when a new disk was cold-swapped, how does the system know which disk to rebuild when one fails and a new one is put into the system? > RAID != backup. I can't stress that enough. Backup is useful for many > other things other than hard drive failure. For instance if your raid > controller/software did malfuncation, it could corrupt all the data before > anyone has a change to intervene (sp). Also what about archiving (I > encourage customers with tape backup to rotate at least one tape out of > their backup rotation each month and archive it). And that's not even > getting into disaster recovery.... I know and I agree. I'm going to forward this to the client and say it again... Thanks! -Michael -- In light of the terrorist attack on the U.S.: They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759
