Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-12 Thread Ljubomir Ljubojevic
John R Pierce wrote:
 On 07/11/11 6:10 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
 Wait, wait. So using SSDs as FAST writing disks is a load of hogwash? You
 still need stuff like umem nvram cards? What's the deal with things like
 Fusion IO then?
 
 the high end enterprise SSDs have supercaps to give them time to flush 
 their write buffers to flash in case of power failure events.
 
 but these drives are way more expensive than the $200 120GB stuff you'll 
 find in the whitebox market.
 
 the whitebox stuff has fast writes because they buffer them, but in case 
 of power failure with pending write operations, all bets are off on your 
 data integrity.
 
 
 
If I understood correctly, SSD's, even whitebox are good to place ext3/4 
journaling files on keeping ext3/4 partitions on HDD's. Right? I would 
appreciate real-case scenario advice for cheaper drives, for home and 
small business applications. Thanks

Ljubomir
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-12 Thread John Doe
From: Kaushal Shriyan kaushalshri...@gmail.com

 Yes I have setup RAID 1+0 Array using HP Smart Controller B110i BIOS.
 It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB but the OS does not see it
 instead it shows all the 4 * 500 GB HDD.


When you say It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB, 
do you mean the array is 940 GB or the logical drive inside the array is 940GB?
And I think on such controller you can have 2 logical drives max...

JD
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-12 Thread Christopher Chan
On Tuesday, July 12, 2011 04:27 PM, Ljubomir Ljubojevic wrote:
 John R Pierce wrote:
 On 07/11/11 6:10 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
 Wait, wait. So using SSDs as FAST writing disks is a load of hogwash? You
 still need stuff like umem nvram cards? What's the deal with things like
 Fusion IO then?

 the high end enterprise SSDs have supercaps to give them time to flush
 their write buffers to flash in case of power failure events.

 but these drives are way more expensive than the $200 120GB stuff you'll
 find in the whitebox market.

 the whitebox stuff has fast writes because they buffer them, but in case
 of power failure with pending write operations, all bets are off on your
 data integrity.



 If I understood correctly, SSD's, even whitebox are good to place ext3/4
 journaling files on keeping ext3/4 partitions on HDD's. Right? I would
 appreciate real-case scenario advice for cheaper drives, for home and
 small business applications. Thanks


Depends on the flash chips used. SLC flash is safer than MLC flash...but 
by how much I do not know.
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-12 Thread Drew
 When you say It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB,
 do you mean the array is 940 GB or the logical drive inside the array is 
 940GB?
 And I think on such controller you can have 2 logical drives max...

On our IBM's it shows the size of the logical drive it presents to the OS.


-- 
Drew

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
--Marie Curie
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Colin Coles
On Monday 11 July 2011 15:49, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
 Hi,

 I have HP DL 180 G6 2U Server loaded with CentOS 5.6. Can someone
 please suggest any good Hardware Raid Controller Card for the
 mentioned Hardware and OS. The reason being this server comes with
 Onboard Sata Controller chipset (HP Smart Array B110i Controller).
 This server has SATA Harddrive - 4 Nos of 500GB each and the OS
 doesnot detect it.


Have you set up the array using the disk setup utility?

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Kaushal Shriyan
On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 8:34 PM, Colin Coles co...@wemoto.com wrote:
 On Monday 11 July 2011 15:49, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
 Hi,

 I have HP DL 180 G6 2U Server loaded with CentOS 5.6. Can someone
 please suggest any good Hardware Raid Controller Card for the
 mentioned Hardware and OS. The reason being this server comes with
 Onboard Sata Controller chipset (HP Smart Array B110i Controller).
 This server has SATA Harddrive - 4 Nos of 500GB each and the OS
 doesnot detect it.


 Have you set up the array using the disk setup utility?

Hi,

Yes I have setup RAID 1+0 Array using HP Smart Controller B110i BIOS.
It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB but the OS does not see it
instead it shows all the 4 * 500 GB HDD.

Regards,

Kaushal
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread m . roth
Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
 On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 8:34 PM, Colin Coles co...@wemoto.com wrote:
 On Monday 11 July 2011 15:49, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
 Hi,

 I have HP DL 180 G6 2U Server loaded with CentOS 5.6. Can someone
 please suggest any good Hardware Raid Controller Card for the
 mentioned Hardware and OS. The reason being this server comes with
 Onboard Sata Controller chipset (HP Smart Array B110i Controller).
 This server has SATA Harddrive - 4 Nos of 500GB each and the OS
 doesnot detect it.

 Have you set up the array using the disk setup utility?

 Yes I have setup RAID 1+0 Array using HP Smart Controller B110i BIOS.
 It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB but the OS does not see it
 instead it shows all the 4 * 500 GB HDD.

If you go back into the bootup RAID firmware, does it show it that way?
Was the RAID initialized?

   mark

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Robert Heller
At Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:42:56 +0530 CentOS mailing list centos@centos.org 
wrote:

 
 On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 8:34 PM, Colin Coles co...@wemoto.com wrote:
  On Monday 11 July 2011 15:49, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
  Hi,
 
  I have HP DL 180 G6 2U Server loaded with CentOS 5.6. Can someone
  please suggest any good Hardware Raid Controller Card for the
  mentioned Hardware and OS. The reason being this server comes with
  Onboard Sata Controller chipset (HP Smart Array B110i Controller).
  This server has SATA Harddrive - 4 Nos of 500GB each and the OS
  doesnot detect it.
 
 
  Have you set up the array using the disk setup utility?
 
 Hi,
 
 Yes I have setup RAID 1+0 Array using HP Smart Controller B110i BIOS.
 It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB but the OS does not see it
 instead it shows all the 4 * 500 GB HDD.

The HP Smart Array B110i Controller is not a real RAID controller it is
A BIOS/Special driver based 'software RAID' (aka 'fakeraid').  You need
a special driver (not included with RHEL/CentOS.  You are actually
better off disabling the RAID function of the HP Smart Array B110i
Controller and configure it as a plain AHCI SATA controller and using
the Linux software RAID (md raid) instead.

A true hardware RAID controller would probably cost almost as much as
the server itself.  Just about all of the cheap (so called) SATA RAID
controller cards are some flavor of fakeraid.  A few are supported as DM
Raid under Linux, but many are not.

 
 Regards,
 
 Kaushal
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Colin Coles
On Monday 11 July 2011 16:12, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
 On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 8:34 PM, Colin Coles co...@wemoto.com wrote:
  On Monday 11 July 2011 15:49, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
  Hi,
 
  I have HP DL 180 G6 2U Server loaded with CentOS 5.6. Can someone
  please suggest any good Hardware Raid Controller Card for the
  mentioned Hardware and OS. The reason being this server comes with
  Onboard Sata Controller chipset (HP Smart Array B110i Controller).
  This server has SATA Harddrive - 4 Nos of 500GB each and the OS
  doesnot detect it.
 
  Have you set up the array using the disk setup utility?

 Hi,

 Yes I have setup RAID 1+0 Array using HP Smart Controller B110i BIOS.
 It shows usable disk space of approx 940 GB but the OS does not see it
 instead it shows all the 4 * 500 GB HDD.


Try discarding the array and rebuilding, perhaps using a different RAID level, 
see if that makes any difference. I have vaguely similar machines and have 
not encountered this type of problem, and I'm pretty sure all this range are 
certified for RHEL.
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread John R Pierce
On 07/11/11 7:49 AM, Kaushal Shriyan wrote:
 00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801JI (ICH10 Family) SATA
 AHCI Controller (prog-if 01 [AHCI 1.0])

that is an Intel ICH10 SATA controller, which is purely JBOD hardware, 
it supports Intel's 'Matrix' fake-raid.

I highly recommend you use it in AHCI mode (thats a BIOS setting) and 
configure raid in linux with mdraid

If you want harwdare raid in a DL180G6, you should have gotten one of 
the optional 'real' raid controllers such as the P410i w 1gb flash 
writeback cache.

-- 
john r pierceN 37, W 122
santa cruz ca mid-left coast

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Drew
 A true hardware RAID controller would probably cost almost as much as
 the server itself.  Just about all of the cheap (so called) SATA RAID
 controller cards are some flavor of fakeraid.  A few are supported as DM
 Raid under Linux, but many are not.

Which is funny because Intel's SASUC8i (rebranded LSI3082E-R) is true
hardware RAID which I recently picked up *new* for $150. They don't do
RAID-5/6 or have a BBU but IMO you don't need a BBU for RAID-0/1/10.

Where can you pickup a new server for $150? :-P


-- 
Drew

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
--Marie Curie
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread John R Pierce
On 07/11/11 9:30 AM, Drew wrote:
 Which is funny because Intel's SASUC8i (rebranded LSI3082E-R) is true
 hardware RAID which I recently picked up*new*  for $150. They don't do
 RAID-5/6 or have a BBU but IMO you don't need a BBU for RAID-0/1/10.

you want BBU (or flash-backed cache) if you want write-back cache, and 
not mandate write-through. This is quite independent of the RAID type.  
It greatly speeds up 'committed' random writes such as are generated by 
a transactional database.



-- 
john r pierceN 37, W 122
santa cruz ca mid-left coast

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Drew
 Which is funny because Intel's SASUC8i (rebranded LSI3082E-R) is true
 hardware RAID which I recently picked up*new*  for $150. They don't do
 RAID-5/6 or have a BBU but IMO you don't need a BBU for RAID-0/1/10.

 you want BBU (or flash-backed cache) if you want write-back cache, and
 not mandate write-through. This is quite independent of the RAID type.
 It greatly speeds up 'committed' random writes such as are generated by
 a transactional database.

I stand corrected in that area. Tho, even upgrading to a LSI MegaRAID
9260 w/ BBU only brings you into the $1000 price range so unless
you're buying $1000 pizza boxes from Supermicro (not knocking the
brand, I use their kit at home ) that's still not even close to the
price of a decently spec'd IBM or HP server. Of course our spec comes
in around $6k per box. ;-)



-- 
Drew

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
--Marie Curie

This started out as a hobby and spun horribly out of control.
-Unknown

MGen Dorlan Kwase UFPSFMC
Deputy Judge Advocate General
9th MARDIV Commander, Ret.
Obsidian Fleet
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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread John R Pierce
On 07/11/11 9:53 AM, Drew wrote:
 I stand corrected in that area. Tho, even upgrading to a LSI MegaRAID
 9260 w/ BBU only brings you into the $1000 price range so unless
 you're buying $1000 pizza boxes from Supermicro (not knocking the
 brand, I use their kit at home ) that's still not even close to the
 price of a decently spec'd IBM or HP server. Of course our spec comes
 in around $6k per box. ;-)

I recently got some quotes on some HP DL servers, the HP p410 w/ 1GB 
flash-backed cache (no batteries to replace ever) PN 572532-B21 was MSRP 
$750 before any corporate discounts.   this is a 8 channel 6gbps SAS 
controller (2 internal 4-channel connectors)

my configuration also came to about $6K/box but that was a mighty 
powerful box (25 2.5 SAS bays, 12 core 2.8Ghz 48GB ram, and said raid 
controller)

-- 
john r pierceN 37, W 122
santa cruz ca mid-left coast

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Christopher Chan

- Original Message - 
From: John R Pierce pie...@hogranch.com
To: centos@centos.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card


 On 07/11/11 9:30 AM, Drew wrote:
 Which is funny because Intel's SASUC8i (rebranded LSI3082E-R) is true
 hardware RAID which I recently picked up*new*  for $150. They don't do
 RAID-5/6 or have a BBU but IMO you don't need a BBU for RAID-0/1/10.

 you want BBU (or flash-backed cache) if you want write-back cache, and
 not mandate write-through. This is quite independent of the RAID type.
 It greatly speeds up 'committed' random writes such as are generated by
 a transactional database.


Who needs bbu when you can get an SSD to work with your ext3/ext4 that is 
sitting on an md raid 1/0/nested 1+0/10? 

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread John R Pierce
On 07/11/11 5:16 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
 Who needs bbu when you can get an SSD to work with your ext3/ext4 that is
 sitting on an md raid 1/0/nested 1+0/10?

lI hope your SSD isn't write buffering on commits. many (most?) 
consumer priced SSDs can corrupt file systems badly on power failures 
during active file allocation operations, and drop pending database 
writes on the floor.

If an SSD doesn't do write buffering, its brutally slow relative to its 
read speeds.  Only the more expensive enterprise drives have 'supercap' 
or other power backups for emergency buffer flushing in case of abrupt 
power shutdowns.

-- 
john r pierceN 37, W 122
santa cruz ca mid-left coast

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread Christopher Chan

- Original Message - 
From: John R Pierce pie...@hogranch.com
To: centos@centos.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card


 On 07/11/11 5:16 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
 Who needs bbu when you can get an SSD to work with your ext3/ext4 that is
 sitting on an md raid 1/0/nested 1+0/10?

 lI hope your SSD isn't write buffering on commits. many (most?)
 consumer priced SSDs can corrupt file systems badly on power failures
 during active file allocation operations, and drop pending database
 writes on the floor.

 If an SSD doesn't do write buffering, its brutally slow relative to its
 read speeds.  Only the more expensive enterprise drives have 'supercap'
 or other power backups for emergency buffer flushing in case of abrupt
 power shutdowns.


Wait, wait. So using SSDs as FAST writing disks is a load of hogwash? You 
still need stuff like umem nvram cards? What's the deal with things like 
Fusion IO then? 

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Re: [CentOS] Suggest Hardware Raid Controller Card

2011-07-11 Thread John R Pierce
On 07/11/11 6:10 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
 Wait, wait. So using SSDs as FAST writing disks is a load of hogwash? You
 still need stuff like umem nvram cards? What's the deal with things like
 Fusion IO then?

the high end enterprise SSDs have supercaps to give them time to flush 
their write buffers to flash in case of power failure events.

but these drives are way more expensive than the $200 120GB stuff you'll 
find in the whitebox market.

the whitebox stuff has fast writes because they buffer them, but in case 
of power failure with pending write operations, all bets are off on your 
data integrity.



-- 
john r pierceN 37, W 122
santa cruz ca mid-left coast

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